In 2020, I read more books than I have in one year since I was in college. Perhaps the one silver lining of Covid-19 lockdowns. For posterity's sake, I decided to make a list of my books from the year along with some ratings and notes.

TitleAuthorRatingNotes
A Promised LandBarack Obama⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐The best political memoir I've ever read. Fascinating stories from Obama's life, 2008 campaign, and first term. Although Obama doesn't explicitly make the comparison, you can't help but think about Trump when reading this book. Obama's patriotism is admirable and a painful reminder of his successor's greed and corruption.
The Great BelieversRebecca Makkai⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I read this book before Covid-19 took hold in the US, but it continues to make me feel lucky to be living in 2020.
The Uninhabitable EarthDavid Wallace-Wells⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Before reading this book I would have laughed at anyone who described a book on climate change as a "page turner." This book is just that, though — it is completely gripping and reminded me of those horror movies where everything is just so terrible that you can't look away.
Uncanny ValleyAnna Wiener⭐⭐⭐⭐Inside beltway but so fun. If you work in technology, you must read this book.
The Topeka SchoolBen Lerner⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Glass HotelEmily St. John Mandel⭐⭐⭐⭐
How To Change Your MindMichael Pollan⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Path to PowerRobert Caro⭐⭐⭐⭐The first two books in this marathon series made me hate Lyndon Johnson but love America — and Robert Caro.
The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Means of AscentRobert Caro⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Three-Body ProblemLiu Cixin⭐⭐⭐⭐The last 150 pages of this book took it from two to four stars. It is very slow to start but left me thinking for a long time after I finished about the universe and, well, aliens.
The AlchemistPaulo Coelho⭐⭐⭐⭐I felt major FOMO about not having read this book. It's a fast read — I got through it in basically a day — and feels a little unnecessarily heady at times. Still, it has a powerful message that stuck with me about the importance of pursuing your dreams.
White FragilityRobin DiAngelo⭐⭐⭐I gasped at various points throughout this book. It made me feel uncomfortable and was tough to read at times, but I guess that's the point.
AntisocialAndrew Marantz⭐⭐⭐Raised a lot of questions for me about the value and hidden costs of free speech.
On Earth We're Briefly GorgeousOcean Vuong⭐⭐⭐
Catch and KillRonan Farrow⭐⭐⭐The audiobook version of this was hilarious. Ronan Farrow fully commits to some very thick fake accents when quoting the Ukrainian and Italian characters he interviews for the book.
Swimming in the DarkTomasz Jedrowski⭐⭐⭐
Never Let Me GoKazuo Ishiguro⭐⭐⭐
Hidden Valley RoadRobert Kolker⭐⭐⭐
Red, White & Royal BlueCasey McQuiston⭐⭐
On TyrannyTimothy D. Snyder⭐⭐
RageBob Woodward⭐⭐Did we really need another Trump book from Bob Woodward?
Twilight of DemocracyAnne Applebaum⭐⭐
Normal PeopleSally Rooney⭐I've heard the TV show is great, but I hated this book.
The Velvet Rope EconomyNelson D. Schwartz⭐Got old pretty quick. TL;DR being rich in 2020 is great because you can cut the line basically everywhere.