The 20 Books I Read in 2020

At the beginning of the year, I challenged myself (at my Goodreads account) to read 20 books. I’m happy to report that I succeeded and was able to finish exactly 20! I don’t finish books that I don’t like. So these 20 titles are all titles I really enjoyed.

Here are the 20 books I read in 2020. I tried to make the captions brief so I divided it into 3 simple categories: What it’s about, why I like it and to whom I would recommend it for.

Note: These are arranged beginning with the latest that I finished all the way down to the first one. I know the arrangement is weird, but Goodreads arranged my books that way and I didn’t wanna confuse in case you were going back to the photo to refer. Haha.

Disclaimer: Just because I read all these books, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I agree with everything they espouse.

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20. Walkable City by Jeff Speck

About: What makes a city walkable and why we need them.

Why I like it: Learned so many interesting things about city planning that I never knew before. From the way our cities are built to how they change our lifestyles and affect our lives in a huge way without us realizing.

Recommended for: People who work in local governments (please!), those in city planning, engineers or just regular people like me interested to learn something new and interesting that affects us all.

19. Essentialism by Greg McKeown

About: Knowing what is essential in life, saying no to things that are not. It’s like Konmari for your life.

Why I like it: I really believe in the concept of essentialism and would encourage everyone I know to practice it too. Been doing it for years (though I still need lots of improvement,) and I’ve never looked back!

Recommended for: Those looking for a practical productivity book. Applicable to anyone.*

Note: I agree with a lot of reviews that say it could’ve been made more concise (ironically haha) and that it definitely comes from a privileged point of view. Nevertheless, this still goes in my “Favorites” shelf anyway because the whole idea of Essentialism is a worthwhile idea to share!

18. Joyful by Ingrid Fetall Lee

About: What makes things and spaces joyful.

Why I like it: The power of design! As someone who loves all things white, grey and minimalist, I love how this book challenged the way I see things. Enjoyed learning tips on how I can incorporate more aesthetics of joy in our lives! 😉

Recommended for: Those who have an interest in the psychology of design, people working in designing spaces (public or private) or anyone who wants to get ideas on making life more joyful.

17. Why Smart Kids Worry by Allison Edwards

About: Title is self-explanatory. First part of the book is about understanding your child. Second part is filled with tips on how to address your child’s anxiety. Loved the first part but not the second because I found some of the tools questionable (such as encouraging a reward system, which I don’t recommend.)

Why I like it: I read this at a time when I was struggling with my son’s anxiety. It felt like somebody really understood our situation! It helped me understand him more and how to better help him.

Recommended for: People who have kids who are extremely anxious compared to kids his age and if this anxiety is affecting his life.

16. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

About: The importance of making sure female voices are heard and the consequences otherwise. A good mix of research and personal anecdotes from the author’s experiences while working for their foundation.

Why I like it: Eye-opening is an understatement.

Recommended for: People in power or position, CEOs (no matter how big or small your company is!), those working in or are involved with non-profits.

15. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

About: Gender bias: how it happens and how it affects us all without us realizing it. And why it’s important to spot and correct these biases.

Why I like it: It’s a book that expanded my perspective and allowed me to see the world differently. However, I felt some points (author’s opinions about the data presented, NOT the data themselves,) were exaggerated to point to gender bias as the culprit, when I don’t feel like it’s a fair judgment to make. But don’t let that deter you from reading and learning from this book!

Recommended for: Women, for perspective and so they can fight against the bias. Men, so they can be allies for change.

14. The Triple Package by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld

About: What makes certain cultural groups in America more successful than others?

Why I like it: It’s provocative for sure (a lot were quick to label it racist even before reading the book *ugh, pet peeve; people, please read!*) but authors present great stats, well-researched data and strong arguments for their conclusions. Overall they make a great case for their thesis.

Recommended for: People who are not easily offended by the fact that this book groups people based on their culture, race or faith.

13. Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday by Valerie Woerner

About: Not being a grumpy mom. Haha.

Why I like it: I’m a grumpy mom so this was written for me. 😀 I enjoyed all the practical advice. Fun writing, encouraging, great tips, very relatable. But I have one VERY big pet peeve about the book: it presents Bible verses in “The Message” translation and that translation is not an actual official Biblical translation and definitely not one I would trust. Otherwise, it’s a WONDERFUL book.

Recommended for: Grumpy mommas like me who want to leave their grumpy personas behind. 😉

12. Glory in the Ordinary by Courtney Reisig

About: Why your work in the home matters to God.

Why I like it: Read this when I was taking care of my youngest 24/7  (who was then just over a year old) on top homeschooling my eldest and taking care of our household. It was such a great encouragement to me at a time when I felt so overwhelmed by the repetitive daily routine and all my seemingly endless tasks.

Recommended for: Stay-at-home moms, primary caregivers of young kids

11. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

About: Story of how the author raised up her children (strict, asian style!)

Why I like it: I’m not one to read autobiographies but this one was just too good to pass up! Being an Asian (though not growing up in a strict Asian family,) and raising a new generation of Asians (Chinese, too!) this book was so entertaining to read. I am not a Tiger Mother like Amy Chua and for the most part, I do not agree with her parenting style. But I believe that there is always something to learn even from people you don’t agree with. Highly recommend not as a parenting guidebook but as an entertaining read about parenting.

Recommended for: Asians (it’s relateable, on way or another!) and those interested in reading about an extreme version of asian parenting!

10. When Children Love to Learn by Elaine Cooper

About: Practical application of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy

Why I like it: Good followup and a bit similar to For the Children’s sake. Helped me in my understanding of CM method better. This book is included in my list of recommended books on homeschooling.

Recommended for: Those interested to dig deeper on Charlotte Mason’s method.

9. Introverted Mom by Jamie Martin

About: Navigating otherhood when you are an introvert!

Why I like it: I’m an introverted mom and could relate with the author in so many levels. I love my kids but I long for a lot of quiet moments as well. I always felt guilty about this but now I’m learning how to embrace that this is how God made me. Awareness helped me come up with ways I can relate with my children better too!

Recommended for: Introverted moms (obviously!) 😉

8. Consider This by Karen Glass

About: Explores the classical method of teaching and links Charlotte Masons ideas to it.

Why I like it: It explained why certain methods of both teaching styles have worked so well for so long. The book helped solidify my decision to teach my children with a mix of both Classical and CM practices.

Recommended for: Those interested in both Classical Education and the Charlotte Mason method of teaching. This book is included in my list of recommended books on homeschooling.

7. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren

About:  “Framed around one ordinary day, this book explores daily life through the lens of liturgy, small practices and habits that form us.”

Why I like it: Very interesting perspective. It is similar in a way to another book I mentioned earlier called “Glory in the Ordinary” (see #12) except this isn’t directed solely to mothers/parents. I would recommend “Glory in the Ordinary” more, if you were only choosing one book on the topic.

Recommended for: Those who feel stuck in an endless loop of things to do and those who are starting to find no joy in their daily routine. Disclaimer: To Christians who prefer to read faith-based books only from other Christians with the same belief, it may be of interest to you to note that the author is a priest from the Anglican Church of North America and is not an evangelical Christian.

6. The Art of Making Memories by Meik Wiking

About: The key to happiness is making lots of great memories.

Why I like it: I may be biased but I’m a fan of Meik Wiking’s “Hygge” and “Lykke.” Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute (it’s a real thing!) I know the concept of the book sounds so simple but it encouraged me to be more intentional about making AND recording (photos, letters, etc.) memories, especially for the kids! Lots of practical advice on how to make good memories stick.

Recommended for:  Anyone interested in making memories more memorable! 😉 If you’re an auditory kind of person, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version read by Meik himself. I listened to it at Scribd (you can get a free trial here!)

5. Education by Israel Wayne

About: The first half of the book is all about having a Biblical perspective at the core of your homeschool. The second half is a practical guide on how to apply this Biblical perspective in every aspect of your homeschool.

Why I like it: A great reference for homeschooling parents. This book is included in my list of recommended books on homeschooling.

Recommended for:  Christian parents thinking about homeschooling their children.

4. Indistractable by Nir Eyal

About: Self-help/productivity book to keep you “indistractable”

Why I like it: I fall for productivity books especially if you mix it with research and some facts about human psychology. So, I enjoyed it. Not the best on the topic but it pretty much gave solid practical advice on how to contain our digital addiction! I read this book before Netflix’s Social Dilemma came out, so a lot of the info were new to me then.

Recommended for: Those who wish to make better use of their time!

3. For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

About: Teaching the Charlotte Mason way and why it’s relevant.

Why I like it: One of my top recommendations for homeschooling parents, especially if you’re interested to learn more about the Charlotte Mason approach. Simply one of my favorites. This book is included in my list of recommended books on homeschooling.

Recommended for: Those interested to explore Charlotte Mason’s method. It’s a great first introduction to her principles and teachings.

2. Everybody Lies  by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

About: Works on the premise that a lot of things about us can be learned from the massive amount of the data that we constantly provide the internet. It discusses a wide range of topics, from health, ethics, race, our personal biases, preferences and more.

Why I like it: Highly interesting points and learned a lot.

Recommended for: Those who enjoyed books from Malcolm Gladwell or the Freakonomics titles. Also if you were intrigued with Netflix’s “Social Dilemma.”

1. Sage Homeschooling by Rachel Rainbolt

About: Basically an unschooling 101 book.

Why I like it: I enjoyed reading this at the start of the year, a time when I was determined to improve my homeschooling approach. The author presents many interesting observations and thoughts. I do not agree with everything 100% but I still learned a lot of things from reading it.

Recommended for: Those interested at exploring a gentler homeschooling approach as compared to having a structured educational environment. Worth noting that the author has a secular approach to homeschooling. So many homeschooling books are written from a Christian perspective and this is not one of them. Just giving a heads up in case you had other expectations.

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And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed reading through my recommendations! I’m just happy to have a space to ramble on about the books I’ve read. Haha. Here’s to a new year with a new set of books, by God’s grace! Should I make another pledge of 20 books or should I make it 21 for 2021? 😉