I’ll be honest – I did not love every book I read in 2020. I gave a lot of 3 star ratings out and even a couple of 1 or 2 star ratings. Maybe it’s because 2020 put me in a sour mood what with the raging pandemic, awful political climate and heinous acts of violence against the Black community. But there were some beacons of light – 12 of them, to be exact – and we’d like to give you some of that light in case you haven’t had the opportunity to read them. We’re also adding our Amazon Affiliates Link, as well as links to buy from Sacramento’s very own Black-owned Underground Books. Finally, for an easy-to-access list of all the books, here’s a link to our Bookshop.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
This is obviously not a novel take – everyone was talking about this book in 2020 and with good reason. Four years after publishing her debut The Mothers (another must-read!), The Vanishing Half weaves a story of two Black light-skinned twin girls who exist in a world of their own in a small southern community. When they run away at sixteen, they begin to lead different lives. One lives with her Black daughter and the other passes as white, not telling her husband the truth about her identity. Their lives continue to intertwine through their daughters who meet one another miles away in Southern California. A riveting and emotional family history, The Vanishing Half touches on race, class and gender. For those looking for a diverse historical fiction novel and/or a book about Black women by a Black woman, this one is for you.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence by Becky Cooper
I can’t explain the feelings this book brought up in me, but I can tell you that you should read this book if you like true crime, the not-so-great history of old institutions and feminism. This book is about the late 60’s murder of Jane Britton, a graduate student in archaeology at Harvard, whose murder was rumored to be covered up due to an important faculty member’s involvement. Becky Cooper, who’s not much older than I am, delves into the mystery and it becomes all-consuming. She feels a kinship to Jane and digs (pun intended) deeper and deeper, interviewing key figures and unearthing new mysteries along the way. If you’re interested in murder mysteries, the inherent issues within higher education (including the concept of tenure) and nonfiction in which the writer plays a key role, then this one is for you (and my one important recommendation: don’t Google before you read – it’s better that way!).
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Fans of Homegoing (like myself) waited on bated breath for Yaa Gyasi’s sophomore novel, Transcendent Kingdom. And let me tell you, this one did not disappoint! A story about a Ghanaian family in Alabama, Gyasi’s book centers around Gifty, a neuroscience graduate student at Stanford whose brother died from a heroin overdose after a high school injury leaves him addicted to Oxycontin. Her mother is left extremely depressed and her father is miles away in Ghana with a new life for himself. Gifty is an extremely complex character who has clearly been through familial trauma, and she uses her research as both an escape and a resolution. Yaa Gyasi writes a nuanced book that touches on depression, grief, addiction and family. It is hard to not fall in love with this stunning book.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Flipping between the 80’s and present-day, The Last Story of Mina Lee is Nancy Jooyoun Kim’s debut author that explores a mystery surrounding Mina Lee’s death and the often complicated relationships between immigrant mothers and their daughters. As an American-born daughter of immigrant parents, this novel had its mother-daughter relationship moments that made me tear up. Margot finds her mother dead in her Los Angeles home after not hearing from her in a few days. She goes on a journey to find out the reason behind her mother’s death, suspecting foul play, and finds out that her mother has lived an entire life that Margot did not know about. There are a lot of feelings brought up in this novel, and it’s quite suspenseful.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
If there’s one thing we like about historical fiction, it’s when it’s more of a niche topic than something like World War 2 Europe. The Exiles takes place mostly on the Australian continent, following three women and their journeys relating to it. Two are being sent there as prisoners, exiled from England. The third is a young Aboriginal girl, ripped from her home and people to be adopted by an English Governor and his wife. Her culture is ripped from her as they train her to no longer be “savage.” All three endure heartbreaking journeys. Today, about 20% of Australia’s population are descendants of convicts. The Exiles tells a tale of a seemingly forgotten but nonetheless vital time in Australia’s early history.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
Akwaeke Emezi is a queer Black writer who clearly poured their heart and soul into the character of Vivek Oji, an adolescent going through a coming-of-age that is cut short by his unexplained death. Gender identity and the otherness prescribed to those who are going through gender dysphoria plays a prominent role in this novel. Taking place in the 90’s in Nigeria, there is an integral historical backdrop to Vivek’s discovery of identity. It is hard to put into words how Emezi’s book about identity, gender and sexuality in a world that does its very best to keep those hidden evokes such powerful emotions. Worth a read.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey
Notable Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey stepped away from her comfort zone to write Memorial Drive, a memoir of the murder of her mother by her stepfather. It is the heartbreaking tale of a man who could not imagine not controlling Trethewey”s mother and his decision to end her life instead. It is difficult to read the book whilst knowing exactly how Gwendolyn’s story ultimately ends precisely because Trethewey writes as if we are living the story alongside her and feeling the throes between hopeful and hopeless. It is a poignant story of domestic abuse, but it’s also a tale of how so many systems failed Trethewey, her mother and even her stepfather. Emotional and heartbreaking, we are in awe of the strength it took for Trethewey to write this book.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Soon to be a Hulu series, it’s hard to find a bookworm who hasn’t heard of Mexican Gothic or been enamored with its beautiful cover. Part historical fiction and part horror, Moreno-Garcia writes a discomforting story of Noemí, a tough as nails and glamorous girl, who leaves her father after receiving a worrying letter from her newlywed cousin, begging her to come rescue her. Noemí is a take-no-s*** addition to a very creepy house. She meets her cousin’s weird in-laws, finds her cousin in a strange state and becomes suspicious of everyone around her. We think Mexican Gothic will translate beautifully into a series. Plus, it fits our niche historical fiction shelf, taking place in 1950’s Mexico. This one won a well-deserved 2020 Goodreads Choice Award – so what’re you waiting for? Add it to your to-read list!
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah
The Beauty of Your Face starts off with a shooter attacking a Muslim school in the Chicago suburbs. We follow Afaf, a Palestinian American woman who is the principal of the school, and her life in the US. The narrative jumps from past to present, telling us the bigotry Afaf and her family faced, and the effects of it on their lives. The novel touches on the disappearance of her older sister, the community Afaf finds in religion and, finally, depicts the radicalization of the alt-right shooter. It is easy to devour The Beauty of Your Face in one sitting, because Afaf’s story is all-consuming and maybe even relatable in some ways to all children of immigrants.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
Clearly, 2020 had some intense reads come out. Wow, No Thank You is somewhat of a comedic relief in that sense. Samantha Irby’s laugh-out-loud book of essays is relatable to those of us who are just barely getting by when it comes to adulting. Irby, writing as a soon-to-be 40-year-old, tells us about how her life is different since marriage and settling down in the middle of nowhere. Irby’s patented self-deprecating style of humor paints the perfect picture of her struggle to figure out her new lifestyle, while also being charming. It’s easy to see why this one was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in Humor.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
And back to the serious. Against the backdrop of the Viet Nam War, The Mountains Sing tells the story of the Tran family. In a similar style to Homegoing, we follow the intergenerational stories of Tran Dieu Lan who flees with her children during the Land Reform Act and Hương, her granddaughter whose parents, aunts and uncles all go to fight in the war. The Mountains Sing tells us that trauma is not restrictive – it travels through our DNA and has ripple effects that last for generations. It is a hard story to read, but it is nonetheless important. Although fiction, it rings true for many, and the resilience therein is inspiring.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
A slapstick comedy novel in 2020? It sounds insane, but it’s real. Taking place in the late 60’s, Deacon King Kong tells the story of Sportcoat shortly after he shoots the Cause Houses housing project drug dealer point-blank. McBride creates several characters to tell this story, including a few Italian mobsters. The lives of these characters weave in and out of one another, and it is both compelling and hilarious to read. Somehow, this novel that starts with a gunshot ends up being full of warmth and humor, and it is amazing to read.
Underground Books | Amazon | Goodreads
