Mike's Favorites of 2020
Late last year, I complained to our newly hired General Manager Nick that I’d barely read since opening the store. It was true! Since opening this bookstore, I’d read less than ever. Running a small business is all encompassing. Nick replied “We’ll get you reading again.” And despite this being the hardest year, I did. I read again!
While reflecting on my list, I settled on four novels and four non-fiction books that I kept thinking about all year, long after reading them. The non-fiction books are mostly about, well, workplaces. Go figure. One in particular, David Chang’s Eat A Peach, really resonated with me. I was moved by his story of building his restaurants, and the many stresses and failures along the way.
The novels I loved most are sort of all over the map. There are some real curveballs— I mean, a baseball novel! But, mostly, these books are about relationships and how we interact with and effect each other. That’s really all we’ve wanted this year, am I right? I’d also be remorse to not shout out the truly best book that came out this year: Emma’s All Adults Here. It’s funny, sad, and reminds us that regardless of what’s happening in the world, we still have each other. It’s her best book yet and I think you should buy it.
Non-Fiction
Fiction
