Ten great books from 2020 you have to read!

 

Soooo many brilliant books, TV series and films in 2020. Couldn’t work out why there was so many, then I remembered lockdown. So thanks, world of entertainment. Here’s my very complicated list of what I’d recommend – please let me know what you think of them, or recommend me stuff I’ve missed.

Firstly the much maligned (by me) world of fiction writing.

 Four books stand out as masterpieces. I would warn you that you need to be into fiction and beautiful writing, for all of them.

 

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I’m finding it hard to write about them – “masterpieces” seems to cover it. Hamnet and Fingersmith are slow unwindings, interior worlds, atmospheres (and lots of plot); Girl Woman Other has a terrible title and improves instantly. It’s a great example of hooking you and reeling you in over and over again. Maps for Lost Lovers? At the time one reviewer (me) said “sort of socially observant mystery novel. A bit over-written - this guy is crazed with adjectives - but you get used to it and often it's lovely. A brilliant portrait of traditional attitudes without being too unkind.”

Moving on to the History category:

Three sensational books here, all gripping, all important.

The Five addresses neglected social history. Rubenhold is using the lure of Jack the Ripper to explain the lives of five Victorian women, all remarkable for their coping skills. Their deaths were a mere moment in their lives and Rubenhold does not dwell there. Say Nothing was a tour of events I remember from the news from the 70s to the 90s, here given order and an arc and somehow even more incredible. Finally on Medieval Woman, here’s my earlier review: after I read it I began to think that the Medieval bit is a distraction - the life of the poor must be similar today (just looked it up 1 billion people don't have electricity and a similar amount have a poor water supply). Medieval is an eye blink ago. This book is an experience.

 

And finally, the ideas category:

To get into this category, a book must challenge, shock, change ideas, give new angles and be easy to follow.

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So the swearing book was boggling, from stroke victims to chimpanzees, I’m not fucking joking it’s brilliant. Good old Tim Harford has plenty of challenges to offer, and a kind of round up of lots of other authors. Sorry Invisible Women, to put you third. I was hopping mad reading you: oh God everything from video games, car seat belts, musical instruments, new housing, HEART ATTACK diagnosis and other medical stuff is designed by and accidentally for men.