I read 78 books in 2020, 5 more than 2019, with a total of 26428 pages, 6000 more than in 2019. The oldest book I read was published in 1981 (Red Dragon) and the newest was an ARC version of a book that will be published in 2021 (A Matter of Life and Death). I rate 25 a 5/5, I gave six a 3/5, and the remainder scored 4/5.
Here are the top 5. Only two of these books were from authors I had previously read. More surprisingly, only two of these crime thrillers, my favorite genre. The top 3 relate to self-improvement, both spiritual and psychological.
Margolin's latest book brings Portland Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood one of her most difficult trials. When a homeless man is arrested for killing a prominent judge's wife, the case against him seems hopeless for him. His DNA and prints are all over the scene and he is seen fleeing the property by the husband who has an airtight alibi. Yet, Lockwood senses the man is innocent and the case is too pat. This is the fourth in the Robin Lockwood series and it reunites her with Amanda Joffe, another defense attorney and the star of another one of Margolin's series.
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly (2020)
The latest crime thriller from Connelly reunites Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, with his half-relative Harry Bosch, retired LAPD detective. After a night of celebrating a trial win for the defense, Haller is pulled over on his way home. With a dead body found in his trunk, he is charged with murder and finds his newest client his most personal: himself. Bosch offers his services and Connelly also reunites Haller with his ex-wife, as she comes over to the dark side to help his defense. This is everything you'd expect from Connelly, with the added bonus of so many of his familiar characters.
I find prayer to be very hard. I know it is all about relationship with God, but knowing and doing are two different things. Pastor Tim Osborn of Mosaic Church mentioned this book in one of his sermons in 2020 and I took note. Miller explains a pattern for living in relationship with God drawing on his own personal experience. It includes some practical tips like prayer cards. I ended up buying his prayer app as a modern prayer card alternative. My prayer life is not exactly vibrant yet, but it is better than it was at the start of 2020.
Presence by Amy Cuddy (2015)
I watched Cuddy's TED Talk on Power Poses this year and enjoyed it so much I wanted to read her book, written afterwards. We all know that body posture can speak volumes to others, but the concept here is that it can also speak to ourselves. Presence, then, is the state we achieve by accessing our personal power and stop worrying about our impression on others. In particular, she offers several power poses, such as the famous Wonder Woman pose, which, if we hold for just two minutes will affect us physically and allow us to do a better job -- whether in an interview or a speech, or anything that might make us nervous. I have tried this myself, before an important speech or two at work, and can testify to its veracity.
I took a coursera class on happiness offered by Yale ast year and this book was one of the recommended readings. I borrowed it rom the library and loved it so much I bought my own copy. Gielen was a CBS news anchor who got tired of broadcasting negativity every day. So, she quit and went back to school in the field of positive psychology and eventually wrote this book. We are all broadcasters, transmitting information to those around us. But are we transmitting positive info or negative new, are we communicating happiness or sadness? Small changes in how we communicate can lead to higher productivity and lower stress; ultimately it leads to more happiness. Filled with detailed data, tools and tips, this is a book that helped me become a happier, more positive person. I still have a ways to go, but I am now on the right path.
