In all the uncertainty and anxiety of 2020, we continued to find sustenance, refuge, learning and enjoyment in books. On walls, they lent gravitas to Zoom calls, and contributed to year-end Christmas cheer as they danced into tree-like piles. But most of all, they lent warmth to the hands and delight to the eyes and mind, whether on the backlit screens of kindles or in varied font on creamy rag.
In this special episode of Reading for our Times, a few readers look back at their year in books—what they meant, what they gave, and why reading is for all time.
Here’s a list of books featured in the episode:
A Memory of Light (Book 11 in The Wheel of Time Series) by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
To the Lake by Kapka Kassabova
Home by Marilynne Robinson
Beastly Tales from Here and There by Vikram Seth
A Beginner’s Guide to Japan by Pico Iyer
Vesper Flights by Helen McDonald
Farthest Field by Raghu Karnad
The Spirit of Indian Painting by B N Goswami
The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson
If you’re ever short of book recommendations, you may wish to check out Suroor Ali Khan’s blog, which has a wealth of reviews, posted weekly: Talking About Books
Our Year in Reading--Wrapping up 2020