The 15 Best Books I Read in 2020

I began 2020 with a modest goal of reading 15 books. Did I think it was a modest goal at the time? Of course not, or else I would have aimed higher. Reading has always been a hobby of mine. I have such fond memories of scouring the shelves of the library each week with my Grandma during the summers of my youth. I usually picked books based on the design on their cover but nonetheless, I loved reading them just as much. Reading provides an escape for me; and in 2020, that escape was much needed.

I'm currently writing this about two weeks out of 2021 and I've more than doubled my goal of reading 15 books. I am set to read a little over 40 books this year, and I am extremely proud of that accomplishment. The books below are not all of the books I've read, obviously, but if you'd like to take a peek into my bookshelf, follow me on Goodreads.

Without further adieu, here are my favorite reads of 2020:

15. The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

This is the first of a series of 6 other novels that transport you around the world to follow the lives of seven sisters. Loosely based on the mythology of the 7 Sisters of Pleiades, each book within the series follows a separate sister on her search for her true identity. I'm currently on the second book of the series, The Storm Sister, and it is just as good as the first. While they are rather long books, they are quick reads that keep you hooked from the beginning with stories of love, travel, and a deeper understand of self.

14. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert is known for her books such as Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic (both of which are incredible), but this novel was a beautiful escape that took me to life as a Broadway performing in the 1940s. This thrilling adventure of a small town girl who moves to NYC to live with her Aunt who lives and runs a small playhouse is filled with scandal, sex, love, and performing.

13. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

This book had been recommended to me many many times over the years as I have gotten deeper into spirituality. I'll be honest, this book was hard to read. I enjoyed it and think there was so much value within it, but it took me a while to read. Reading about the life of Paramahansa Yogananda was extremely interesting and left me with a deep understanding that we must follow our own path even if we do not understand it. A must-read for any yogis or spiritual seekers.

12. To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins

I read this book towards the beginning of quaratine and boy, oh, boy did it give me wanderlust. This is the story of Jedidiah Jenkins embarking on a multiple year long bike ride from the United States to the tip of South America. As someone who dreams of traveling throughout South America, this further peaked my interest. This is a beautiful journey of self discovery through travel (which you all know is my favorite type).

11. The Places That Scare You by Pema Chödrön

Pema Chödrön's book, When Things Fall Apart, is pretty popular in the spiritual/self-help community, and for good reason! I read both books this year and I resonated more with The Places That Scare You. This book highlights the importance of fear and walking towards it. Chödrön walks through various Buddhist teachings in a simple and straight forward way. One of my favorite quotes is as follows,

"To stay in the middle prepares us to meet the unknown without fear; it prepares us to face both our life and our death."

10. The Colossus of Maroussi by Henry Miller

Henry Miller is an author that I hadn't been too familiar with before this year. But when you meet someone who raves about something or someone, you listen. Miller is most well known for his provocative style of writing and his book, Tropic of Cancer. I read The Colossus of Moroussi on a whim because I love Greece and was intrigued by all the good things I heard about Miller. Upon opening the pages of Maroussi, I was intoxicated by Miller's style of writing. He has a special way of recalling memories, experiences, and people–it feels as if you are sitting next to him at the moment. Henry Miller and I have a lot of similar views of the human experience and I felt oddly connected to him in this book. Since then, I read a couple more of his books and felt a lingering urge to question all of my beliefs upon finishing them.

9. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Normal People was released in 2018 but became popular this year after Hulu released a series based on the book. Thankfully, I read it before I watched the show so I feel like I got the best of both worlds. Normal People follows two friends as they move in and out of different stages of their lives always wanting to be together but things always getting in the way. It is a beautiful yet heartbreaking story of loving someone but the timing never being quite right. I highly recommend you read this novel before watching the show (even though the show was SO good on its own).

8. Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss

If you're fascinated by reincarnation or past lives, this is the book for you. This book follows the work of Dr. Brian Weiss and retells his experiences working with patients and using hypnotherapy to access their past lives. I believed in past lives before this book but this furthered my belief in the hundreds (or thousands) of lives we have lived before this incarnation. Ever wonder why you've always been drawn towards a certain decade or era in time? It's highly likely you lived during that time!

7. Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

This book is one that I had been familiar with for the past 3 or 4 years but I knew that it was one I needed to let come to me. While I easily could have sought it out, I knew the lessons in this book would present themselves to me when I needed them most. While always on the lookout, I never found a copy until one day a few months ago when I was on an Artists Date. As I suspected, it came to me at the perfect time. This book explores various myths and folklore about the Wild Woman Archetype. A must for all women to read. It's a guide book to living in our Divine Feminine essence and gives us the permission to live the life that is most innate to our soul.

"Long ago the word alone was treated as two words, all one. To be all one meant to be wholly one, to be in oneness, either essentially, or temporarily. That is precisely the goal of solitude, to be all one"

6. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

I've learned this year that I love books that contain an adventure or search for deeper meaning. The Celestine Prophecy follows a man who is guided by synchronicities to discover and understand an ancient Peruvian manuscript. While it is a novel, the teachings of the manuscript and the lessons the main character learns throughout his journey is deeply profound spiritual advice that moved me in a way not many books have.

5. Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Another popular 2020 book, Untamed was one of those books that everyone was talking about. I've phased out of my self-help/empowerment book phase but Untamed served as a beautiful reminder to live life unapologetically. I read this book around the same time that I was finishing up school and seriously doubting my abilities to function as an adult upon graduation. Glennon Doyle's story brought so much comfort to my own journey and inspired me to continue on the uncharted path I am following. This book is funny, honest, and a must-read for anyone who needs a little bit of inspiration to live more authentically.

"Why do women find it honorable to dismiss ourselves? Why do we decide that denying our longing is the responsible thing to do? Why do we believe that what will thrill and fulfill us will hurt people? Why do we mistrust ourselves so completely?"

4. Journey of Souls by Dr. Michael Newton

So if you've already read Many Lives, Many Masters, or want to dive deeper into what happens between incarnations, this is the book for you. Journey of Souls, hands down, was the most fascinating book I read all year. It follows the work of Dr. Michael Newton who explores the soul's journey, past lives, and incarnations through hypnotherapy. So, very similar to Many Lives, Many Masters but it focuses more on the stuff between the lives. Like how we choose the exact body and life we come into (before we are even born), our guides and fellow soul family, the structure of where our soul goes upon death, and the "school" we go to between lives. I'll warn you; it is very metaphysical and very out there so it does require an open mind. But nonetheless, so fascinating and brought me a lot of comfort in my own human experience.

3. Polishing the Mirror by Ram Dass

Polishing the Mirror is the first Ram Dass book I've read and I wouldn't say it changed any of my ways of thinking but it definitely solidified a lot of the thoughts I had been having about life. Ram Dass has such a beautiful outlook on life and the human experience. In this book, he talks about living with an open heart in the presence moment. This book taught me how to live life more open to the present moment and I can say that that practice is one of the biggest reasons why I can look back on 2020 and say that I had a really great year. A lot of the spiritual books I read (aka most of the books I read) are all teaching the same concepts but in a slightly different way. By continuing to consume similar ways of thinking, I rewire my brain into deeply understanding these concepts and lessons. It has changed my life in more ways than one.

2. True Refuge by Tara Brach

True Refuge is a recent read and definitely goes down as one of my favorite books of the year. You'll see that 2020 was a year of learning how to live with an open heart. I am very much still learning and this book has furthered my practice and understanding of what that means. True Refuge explores the awareness of the present moment and finding refuge in that moment–no matter what happens, we open our hearts to what is right in front of us. If you're new to meditation, this book provides countless meditation practices that can ease you into your own practice.

"Our ultimate refuge is none other than our own being. There is a light of awareness that shines through each of us and guides us home.

1.The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

I wrote an entire blog post on this book...so of course, it is my favorite book of the year. The Artist's Way changed my life and came at the most perfect time. I won't say too much if you want to read more, check out the post. The Artist's Way is perfect for anyone who feels stuck, uninspired and disconnected from themselves. It is a guided exploration and self-recovery of our inner self. If you're willing to do the work, this book can change your life too.

I'm grateful for 2020 and all of the downtime to read 40+ books. If you want some more recommendations of my favorite spiritual books, check out my resources page. And follow along for the books I read in 2021 :) Do you have any suggestions?