These are my final reads of the year and a Top 5 of the best books I read in 2020.

December Books

The Invention of Love by Sara Schaff

This Ok, but completely forgettable collection of short stories was an advance copy I got from Netgalley, and tbh I feel like maybe one story out of the lot was interesting. I feel like recently my reading choices are very hit and miss. Schaff’s stories focus on women, and quite a few of them have no dimensions at all, and some are just completely dull, like the story about siblings trying to sell a rundown house. Yawn.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Das Parfum. Die Geschichte eines Mörders) by Patrick Süskind

What a disappointment. I felt like my expectations of this book couldn’t be further from what it actually was. I thought I would get a creepy Paris set novel that follows a warped murderer as he terrorises the city. Instead, it was a boring story that flirted slightly with the creepiness but felt more like something Flaubert would write (which isn’t necessarily bad in itself I just didn't expect this tone). I nearly gave up when he was in the cave for years, and then the weird perfume induced orgy was a massive eye roll moment. All in all, I don’t get the hype it was a complete waste of my time, and I could probably have read a few other books in the time it took me to force myself to finish this one!

The Englishman by Douglas Stuart

I read this short story by recent Man Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart for the very reason of seeing whether I like his writing style enough to read his award-winning book Shuggie Bain. Short answer, Yes, I do. The Englishman was published in The New Yorker and follows a young gay Scottish man who takes a trip down to London to stay with the eponymous Englishman as part of an “arrangement”. The short story is beautifully written and explores the naivety of the narrator wonderfully. I will most likely be picking up Shuggie Bain very soon as a result.

I Have the Right to Destroy Myself (나는 나를 파괴할 권리가 있다) by Kim Young-ha

This is my 3rd re-read. I don’t normally re-read books very often, but this concise book fascinates me. I love Kim’s writing, his imagination and how dark this story is. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it but be warned it is very dark.

Best Books of 2020

Last year I read 58 books, some of them were short stories (do they even count?) and others were absolute mammoths! Overall, these are the 5 books that stood out above the rest, the books that had me hooked and voraciously consuming page after page.

Seasons of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

This book was introduced to me through Uni as it was on my year 3 reading list, which I will forever be grateful for as this novel blew me away. It’s dark, unexpected and beautifully written and has helped me expose how ignorant I was (and still am) about colonialism. I will forever continue to re-read this book and recommend it to everyone as it’s not only an important portrait of Black Arab culture in Post-Colonial Sudan; it’s a stunningly realised novel.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

This book is hardcore sci-fi but infinitely readable that in itself is a feat. I found The Three-Body Problem unputdownable and being a slow reader that can take weeks, months or sometimes a year to finish a book this is high praise. I love how it mixed past and present and how the layers of mystery unfolded as you read on. I have the rest of the trilogy ready and waiting, and I have actually made a start on the next book The Dark Forest.

Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter

I’ve been a fan of Carter ever since reading and studying The Bloody Chamber back in school for A-Level literature. I think she will forever be one of this country’s greatest writers. Heroes and Villains is set in a post-apocalyptic world and reads like a dreamy, nightmarish fairytale.

Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah

This book unravels like a strange dream or a fragmented film where recurring motifs become unsettling and have you guessing where the boundaries between reality and fantasy merge within the narrative. Suah’s prose is also rather magical, and this is perhaps my favourite work of hers that I’ve read so far.

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

I really enjoyed Madame Bovary, and that’s probably mostly down to Flaubert’s wit, and perhaps to a certain degree, the translation by Magaret Mauldon as this book reads very easily which isn’t always the case when it comes to classics. I also think Emma is a fascinating protagonist. She almost feels quite modern the way her imperfections are laid bare and her distaste for the banality of marriage and provincial life.

Honourable mentions: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Naiv. Super. by Erlend Loe and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I am really getting in the festive mood this year, and with less than 20 days until Christmas, I thought I would share some gift ideas for anyone struggling for inspiration. One of my favourite things about Christmas is gift shopping, and while I usually would head out to a shopping centre for that one of a kind Christmas vibe, I will be doing all of my gift shopping online this year. Yes, I will miss all the beautiful displays at Liberty’s, Selfridges and Harrods, the carol singers on the streets, random acts of Christmas kindness and the struggle of shuffling in and out of your coat every time you enter or leave a store. But for me staying COVID free and spending time with my family is far more important than the annual Christmas Shop experience. So without further ado, I present 8 gift ideas to get you inspired and ready to shop!

The above links are affiliate links so I do make a small commision if you make a purchase through them.

Other gift ideas:

A Mubi subscription for an Art House Cinema lover, Spotify Premium for a music nut, Wine for a budding sommelier or help save an endangered species with WWF.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

December Books + Top 5 Reads of 2020