Emma Keeling | Contributor
I think we can all agree that 2020 was an undoubtably tough year for most people for many reasons. However, many of you, like myself, may have found that you had a vast amount of free time at home while most places were closed down and everyone was in quarantine. With all this free time, I started reading like crazy! I also realized one of my new favorite genres, historical fiction. So, here is a list of three of the best books I read in 2020:
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
The Book of Longings was one of those books where I thought “Nope, definitely not for me,” but as I’ve been trying to step out of my comfort zone, I went ahead and got it. Contrary to how I thought I would’ve reacted to this book, I recently decided The Book of Longings is my favorite as of right now. The story of Ana, a young, ambitious woman who is soon to be wed to an 18-year-old Jesus, touched my heart. She is born to a wealthy family and expected to marry an elder man until Jesus comes along and changes her whole life. Whether Jesus had a wife or not is a controversial subject, but Sue Monk Kidd had worked for years making sure this novel was accurate and the storyline believable.
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
Broken Monsters is true-crime fiction, horror, and sci-fi all wrapped into one. Gabriella Versado, a Detroit detective, is called when a body is found. This isn’t just any body however, but one that is half boy and half deer, somehow connected. This story also shows the viewpoints of Gabriella’s rebellious teenage daughter, Layla, a freelance journalist, Junno, and Thomas Keen, a homeless man trying to keep his family safe. Detroit is being plagued by many weird and unexplainable killings, and it’s Gabriella’s and the police departments job to find the killer (or monster!) that is doing them.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I realize I’m a little late to this party, because Where the Crawdads Sing has been quite popular since it came out in August 2018. But I am here, in almost 2021 telling you how darn good this one is. Barkley Cove, a small town on the North Carolina coast, is home to Kya Clark or the “marsh girl” as she’s known in town because she lives on the outskirts in the marshes and is independent of most of the town. Kya has lost all her family and has only her own company and that of the marsh creatures to keep her busy until two young men from town fall for her wild, beautiful self. Her life becomes rather uneventful until Chase Andrews, a handsome young man, is found dead near her home. Not only does Chase’s death frighten the whole town – it also turns Kya’s life upside down when she is accused.
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