Books in 2020 were my saving grace.

I’m not going to write an end of the year post about how awful 2020 was. I’m not going to tell you, either about how I had to dig deep (I did) to come out the other side of the year intact. In fact, I’m not going to talk about 2020 at all right now – except for all the AMAZING books I read!

I learned to love my Kindle and free ebooks from the local public library. I also learned I really, really like people who like books (you know who you are!).

And according to my website statistics, lots of people who read jenniferwolfe.net liked books in 2020, and also like lists of books and book recommendations!

In 2020 I surpassed my Goodreads goal of 70, and wound up reading 76 – unless I finish The Silent Patient tonight, then it’ll be 77 (I’m also reading and loving A Promised Land, but there’s no way I can finish it tonight – it’s awesome, but I NEVER stay up till midnight)! This year I read lots of historical fiction and memoir, as well as some powerful non-fiction, young adult fiction, anti-racist books and works by inspirational new writers.

One more thing about 2020- I really committed to abandoning books that didn’t catch my attention in the first 1/3. I’ve had that creepy realization that there actually ARE a finite number of books I can read in my lifetime, and I’m not going to waste one more minute on a book I don’t love – or at least, like very strongly.

So, the books below are ones I actually liked/loved enough to finish! And the 17 BOLD titles with ** are my 5-star MUST READS! I hope you make it to the bottom of the post – there were some FABULOUS titles pre-COVID!

Also – if you DO make it to the end of this post, I’ve listed some of my FAVORITE picture books that I use as read alouds to my 7th graders! And if this list of books in 2020 isn’t enough, be sure to check my 2019 and 2018 lists, too!

DECEMBER 2020:

• Normal People by Sally Rooney
• The Night Tiger b Yangsze Choo
• American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins**
• The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
• This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger **

NOVEMBER 2020:

• Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy, #2) by Deborah Harkness
• Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
• Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
• A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness

OCTOBER 2020:

• The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
• Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
• Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick
• The Hard Way Home (The Star and the Shamrock Book 3) by Jean Grainger
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt**

SEPTEMBER 2020:

• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett**
• The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
• Blue Horses by Mary Oliver**
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• The Emerald Horizon (The Star and the Shamrock#2)
• Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
• The Star and the Shamrock by Jean Grainger

AUGUST 2020:

• Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
• A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
• Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
• The Gown by Jennifer Robson
• Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
• The Distance Learning Playbook by Douglas Fisher**
• Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
• The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates**
• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo**
• The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

JULY 2020:

• Blended Learning in Action by Catlin Tucker**
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds**
• Save Me The Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
• The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne**
• What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey**
• Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thomson-Spires
• On Agate Hill by Lee Smith
• Across the Winding River by Aimie K. Runyan
• The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

JUNE 2020:

• Golden Poppies by Laila Ibrahim
• Mustard Seed by Laila Ibrahim
• Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim
• Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang

MAY 2020:

• What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
• Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
• The Paris Hours by Alex George
• A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean
• The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein
• The Other Wife by Claire McGowan
• The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker

APRIL 2020:

• Inside Out by Demi Moore
• One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker
• Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction by Elizabeth Vargas
• The Parisians by Marius Gabriel
• When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal
• Miss Mary’s Daughter by Diney Costeloe

MARCH 2020:

• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown**
• A Pledge of Silence by Flora J. Solomon
• The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fion Valpy
• The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey
• This Terrible Beauty by Katrin Schumann
• The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
• The Widow’s War by Sally Gunning
• The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman

MARCH, pre-COVID

• Sea of Memories by Fiona Valpy

FEBRUARY 2020 pre-COVID

• The Outer Banks House by Diann Ducharme
• The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman**
• A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman**

JANUARY 2020 pre-COVID

• With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo**
• How To Catch A Mole: And Find Yourself In Nature by Marc Hamer**
• The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks

PICTURE BOOKS: MY FAVORITES

I read aloud to my 7th graders every single day during 2020 – I didn’t count these in my yearly total, but they are worth mentioning:

• La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elyr
• Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
• Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard
• All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
• Come With Me by Holly McGhee
• Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose
• Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry
• We Are All Wonders by R.J. Palacio
• Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
• You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith
• Woke Baby by Mahogany L. Browne
• Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
• When Aidan Became A Brother by Kyle Lukoff
• Tomorrow Most Likely by Dave Eggers
• Small World by Ishta Mercurio
• Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed
• Max Attacks by Kathi Appelt
• I’m Worried by Michael Ian Black
• Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
• Introducing Teddy by Jess Walton
• Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
• Gargantua by Kevin Sylvester
• Mali Under the Night Sky by Youme Landowne
• The Whispering Cloth by Pegi Deitz Shea
• My Beautiful Birds by Suzanne Del Rizzo
• Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

You made it! Now, please tell me what were YOUR favorite books in 2020? Any of these?

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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I had intended to create a ‘Best Books of 2019’ every quarter or so, mainly to share my joy of reading and create a community of readers here and in my social media channels.

It started off OK-I got this I post done with the first chunk of 2019’s reading.

And then the year just sort of exploded – in some ways great, with lots of new professional opportunities (hello AVID Staff Developers!) and others personally challenging (saying goodbye to my dad).

But books were my constant companions, even if I wasn’t sharing. In fact, I met and exceeded my Goodreads challenge despite all the turmoil and turnover in my little part of the world.

So today I’m sharing the books that made a difference to me, the books that were by my side, and the books that you may enjoy, too, as 2020 challenges us to move forward. I’d love to hear your feedback on what you’ve read, what you’re reading now, and also follow you on Goodreads. You can find me on Goodreads here.

A Year of Daily Gratitude: A Guided Journal for Creating Thankfulness Every Day by Lorraine Miller

A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen

Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays by Mary Oliver

The EduProtocol Field Guide: Book 2: 12 New Lesson Frames for Even More Engagement by Marlena Hebert and John Corippo

The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani

180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Kelly Gallagher

Educated by Tara Westover

The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Rising Strong by Brene Brown

The Miracle Morning for Writers by Hal Elrod

DON’T Ditch That Tech:Differentiated Instruction in a Digital World by Matt Miller

Donna Has Left The Building by Susan Jane Gilman

The Designer by Marius Gabriel

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Miriam

The Leavers by Lisa Ko

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott

I read 62 books in 2019, and have set my goal for 70 this year. I’m six in…one book behind schedule.

Reflecting on my book choices in 2019 I noticed I pushed myself out of familiar genres. I hope that these titles spark some interest for you, and you find (and share) your favorites. I always love talking books – find me here, or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter – @mamawolfeto2!

Happy reading, everyone! And remember, ‘You can’t buy happiness but you can buy (or borrow) books, and that’s kind of the same thing.”

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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I’ve watched one of my 7th grade boys fake reading for six weeks. Now, he won’t admit he’s fake reading. Not even close.

He will admit, however, that he hates reading. Hates books. Always has. And nothing I can do will change that.

Aah, 7th grade is so much fun sometimes.

Every day we start class with ten minutes of relax and read. Aside from the first day of school, we’ve read every single day for the first six weeks of school.

I don’t tell the kids what to read, how to read, where to read…I just ask them to read.

I have over 1,300 books in my classroom. I display intriguing titles, have books grouped by genre, and we talk about books – a lot.

I challenge them to read 25 books before June. It’s definitely a big goal, but I believe they can reach it – and most kids have already finished at LEAST one book.

I don’t care if they read graphic novels, informational books, teen fiction, series…I just ask them to read.

And this little guy isn’t doing it.

He’s the classic fake reader – opening to the middle of a book and hoping I don’t see that he’s not turning pages. Reading the dictionary. Oh – and he finished ‘reading’ the entire textbook in two sittings.

But what I’m most frustrated by is that I can’t figure out WHY.

I know that the ‘fake reading’ is an avoidance behavior. I won’t get into a power struggle, I won’t get agitated. I just calmly ask, every day, what he’s reading and urge him to find one book he can stick with.

He’s still in the excuses stage. And I’m ready to shoot down every one, calmly, kindly.

So today I started digging. I looked at his IEP – worthless. Nothing about reading, just talked about math and graphic organizers. I looked at his grades – failing. I talked to his case manager, the counselor, and still…nothing.

I could feel the frustration, the agitation, the disappointment rising.

We are going to lose this kid if we don’t do something to figure him out.

And then I got a “by the way, we’re adding kid #37 to your English class today” comment, and that was it.

This is how public education fails kids, and how teachers get frustrated and burned out.

It’s not the kid. He’s 12. He’s likely scared, worried, and well aware that he needs to practice reading, even though today he told me he didn’t think he did.

Ashleigh Warner, Psychologist, is reading my mind when she says, “Beneath every behavior is a feeling. And beneath every feeling is a need. And when we meet that need rather than focus on the behavior, we begin to deal with the cause not the symptom.”

His mom doesn’t return my emails. I feel like I can do something to help him, to help deal with the cause…but having 37 12-year-olds to give face time and true attention in a 50 minute period is darn near impossible.

We are going to lose this kid if we don’t do something to figure him out…fast.

This post doesn’t have a happy ending – yet. It’s not about finding the right book, or giving him a beanbag to be comfortable. I know in my gut it’s something bigger –

And I need help to figure him out…fast.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place, you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.” – Roald Dahl

https://bookroo.com/blog/the-100-best-quotes-about-reading

Routinely, my middle school students want to know if I’ve seen this-or-that movie, or talk to me about what they binge watch on Netflix.

When I tell them, “No, I haven’t seen it,” or “I don’t go to the movies often,” they are shocked. I did see Bohemian Rhapsody when it first came out – but that was the only theater movie I’d been to in YEARS.

But what really shocks them is when I say I don’t have Netflix. Watching their eyes crinkle together in confusion, I follow up with, “Yeah, I just read – a lot.”

It’s true. I’d much rather race home to furiously flip pages in a great novel than sit for two hours watching a movie. I’ve just always, always, always, been a reader.

So which were my favorites? Here we go!

Almost Everything, Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Wow. This is such a powerful look at history and racism and how hard, powerful and vitally important it can be to look at where we come from and how much the past continues to impact – or impede- our progress forward. I couldn’t get Beloved out of my mind…

The House At Riverton by Kate Morton

A perfect escape read, set between World Wars in the English countryside. Great storytelling of a mystery around a lavish estate, complicated family, love, disaster, heartbreak, and death. Author Morton’s plot was
strong enough to keep me going – a nice, intriguing, easy read.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

This one has been on my ‘want to read’ list since it published in 2010 – and after reading it I can’t believe I waited so long! This is a great story of current day immigration issues, acculturation, feminism, class inequity, love, family and survival. Author Jean Kwok weaves all this around the life of Kimberly Chang and her mother as they move from Hong Kong to Brooklyn.

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Set along the North Carolina coastal marshland in the 1960s and 70s, this novel tells the story of Kya, aka ‘The Marsh Girl’. I honestly couldn’t believe this was author Delia Owen’s first novel – the writing was lyrical, seductive, and enchanting. Blending nature, poetry, and coming-of-age alongside a developing mystery, Owens absolutely had me transfixed and left me empty at the end.

To be honest, I’d recommend ALL of my 13 reads so far this year. I don’t finish books I don’t love. I’ve learned to abandon books after 100 pages or so if I don’t look forward to rushing home and picking it up. These five are just the best books of the favorites! If you’re looking for more of my best books, check out my book lists in past blogs.

My reading pals have been mostly virtual – on Goodreads, Instagram, and Facebook. I’d love to connect with you there if we aren’t already.

You can read my best books list here from 2017. If you’d like to read the best books I read in 2016 click here. For more best books recommendations click over to 2013 and 2014 favorites posts. I’ve also written a Books I Love post and would love to connect with you on Goodreads to share more about reading.

Please add a comment about any of these books, or titles you think I should read next. I love recommendations!

Happy reading!

~Jennifer

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Back in May, a few weeks before school let out for the summer, I decided I needed to have a purge party. In the last 27 years, you see, I’ve taught a huge variety of curriculum and grades, I’ve gone from overhead projectors to DLP to Chromebooks and devices, and yet my paper files were still there, haunting me from five huge, overstuffed beige metal filing cabinets.

I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I needed support…and fortunately, as every teacher knows, there are ALWAYS kids who love to help.

Grateful, tired teacher with purge party helpers.

Here’s how the purge party began:

I thought it would be simplest to start with my bookshelves. This year I returned to dedicated time for READING in my classes, and boy, did we all love it. Every day starting off with 10 minutes of relax and read helped us all to calm down, focus, and get lost in stories. And as a result, I bought new books…which meant purging titles I have had for decades. I didn’t think it would be too big of a deal – books are books, and surely I could make some space without too much heartache.

Letting go of books, to me, is like leaving old friends – and I realized just wasn’t up to that part of the purge party, so I asked some of my most voracious readers if they’d like to help…and boy, did they help!

We purged out an entire bookcase, and then she ORGANIZED what was left! Best of all, as I tried to sneak back some beloved titles, she reminded me that, “OMG, Mrs. Wolfe, you have TOO many books about baseball…and no one is going to want to read that one -just get rid of it!”

This is one huge reason my purge party was a success – I was reminded that while I might feel huge attachment to the books in my room, kids in 2018 have different tastes and I needed to make room for more current titles.

A few other students caught on to the idea of my ‘purge party’ – and to my huge surprise, volunteered to come back the day after school was out to help.

I honestly couldn’t believe they showed up. I HAD promised them a treat from Dutch Bros….but to show up eager to help at 8:30 a.m. the first day of summer? I’m the luckiest teacher…

Another sweet purge party helper!

Here’s how the purge party went:

The purge party went something like this: I open a file cabinet drawer, said just recycle everything, they look at me like I’m crazy, and then proceed to fill my green bins over and over and over with 27 years worth of PAPER.

I tried not to hyperventilate. I tried not to dig through the file folders and workbooks and transparencies, and just let them PURGE.

It was hard clearing out all those memories; I’m transitioning back to 7th grade ELA next year and this felt like the perfect time for purging. I’m grateful to be surrounded by loving students willing to not let me look back, and instead keep supporting me, pushing me forward and reminding me of the fun year they had. And not one part of that ‘fun’ came from those metal drawers.

In truth, I haven’t even touched those five filing cabinets for years. I was trying the ‘if you don’t see it/touch it/use it’ theory to make purging easier for me. I was never again going to teach French, or Yearbook, or 7th grade History…and if by some chance the Universe sent that curriculum my way again, I was now opening up the possibility for something new to enter.

It was a long, emotional day for me. The kids ate pizza, got caffeinated and silly and somehow, by 2:30, the purge party was done. Most of the kids stayed the entire time, supporting me and each other as we cleared out the old and made way for the new possibilities. I’m not sure any of us were really ready to leave, actually. 

The purge party continues:

The success of my purge party inspired me to continue at home. This summer, I’m starting to clear. I’ve done some drawers and closets, and already made two deliveries to the donation center. I’ve brought bags of books to the Little Free Library around the corner. I’m scratched by rosebushes by clearing dead debris in my garden. I’m spreading new mulch and propping up lilies that bloomed so big they fell over.  And I’ll be honest – I’m feeling a bit anxious about it all…just like watching my classroom memories disappear into the recycle bin, my home holds 24 years of memories. I have to learn that right now, clearing out doesn’t mean the feelings are going; instead I’m allowing space for possibilities as we enter this new phase at home and embrace the empty nest.

So this week, on my solo staycation, I’m taking the quiet time to pay attention to the places at home and life that are out of balance and making a daily practice to purge, to put away, and to allow the light to shine in and on and through, one minute at a time. 

I hope you’ll join me on this one. I could use some friendly energy to help me ride out the flood of memories I’m sure will come. I’d really rather not have a purge party for 1! Give me a shout out and let me know if you’d like to be here with me in spirit!

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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