35 Books For Your Consideration From My 2020 Reads
So it turns out that one of the side effects of lockdown was a sharp uptick in my reading as my social life evaporated overnight. Living in Paris is defined, in part, by coffees and meals with friends and with that option off the table for large portions of 2020, I threw myself even more into my stacks of books than I would have normally and in so doing managed to read 150 of them. The number staggers me a bit, but seems about right given all those languorous days that seem to run together in my mind as I think about the past year in the rear view mirror.
Of those 150 I’ve picked 35 that you might consider adding to your 2021 reads. Who knows? Given the ongoing worldwide incompetent response to Covid-19, you might have a lot more time to read this year as well.
History
1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley. The fall of Constantinople was not just a military event, but a cultural and religious one as well. Crowley’s book manages to competently and concisely explain the buildup to and the effects of this catastrophic disaster. (My review)
Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World by Peter Chapman. People are most likely to know “banana republic” as a clothing company, not a type of government that was developed by…
