My Favorite Books of 2020

2020 was not a good year for reading for me. Working from home since mid-March eliminated one of my primary reading opportunities: listening to audiobooks during my daily commute to and from work. During Q1, I read 18 books. None in Q2. None in Q3. Then the holiday season in the last two months of the year allowed me to read another 6 for a grand total of 24 for the year. To put that in perspective, I read 50 in 2019 and 37 in 2018. A side-effect of no audiobooks was that fiction reading was way down (only 6 of the 24). That's simply because I'm unable to listen to non-fiction in the car because I get bored.

Anyway, enough about reading and more about what was read. Here are my favorites from 2020. Or more accurately, my favorite because there's only one standout. And honestly, 2020 scrambled my memories of what I read early in the year.

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon is another reason why I say "I should read more science fiction." And maybe they made it into a (short-lived) TV series for a reason. In the far future, your mind, memories, and personality can be downloaded to something like a hard drive and installed in another body. Awakening in a new body, Takeshi Kovacs (an elite soldier) finds himself in the role of private detective. His super-rich client wants Takeshi to solve the client's murder - yes, the murder of the client. 

Morgan creates vivid characters in a fantastic setting and weaves an attention-keeping tale. Highly recommend.

In case you've watch the TV series, there are many differences between the book and the show. But that just a warning - it won't prevent you from enjoying the book.

If you're new to this, hang on to your stack. It's a wonderful ride. 

Here's my full 2020 reading list.