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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2021)
6 Thursday, January 7, 2021 GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon At least 2020 was a great year for books Best novel set during a plague “Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrell Colette Bancroft Tampa Bay Times (TNS) — Americans are united on one thing: 2020 has been a ter- rible year. But there were some spots of sunshine in the past 12 dreary months, and one of them was this: It was a pretty terrifi c year for books. Despite huge disruptions in the publishing industry that ranged from supply chain gridlock to the abrupt cancellation of thousands of author book tours, many won- derful new books were published and millions of readers welcomed them. Spending more time at home meant that many of us had more time to read, and we took advan- tage of it. Book sales have risen all year. Final fi gures aren’t available, but Publishers Weekly reports that print sales during the fi rst week of December were 16.9 % above the same week in 2019. Young adult and children’s books have seen especially strong increas- es in 2020, but almost all categories and formats showed gains. Another positive development came in response to the pandemic’s impact on author book tours and book festivals. Many authors, bookstores and book fair organizers turned to virtual events, whether it was single-author book talks sponsored by bookstores or mas- sive multi-author extravaganzas like the Miami Book Fair and the National Book Festival. Best memoir “A Promised Land” by Barack Obama Best book about a president who is not Barack Obama “Squeeze Me” by Carl Hiaasen Best comic novel “Deacon King Kong” by James McBride Best pub crawl novel “Love” by Roddy Doyle Best novel about millennials in love in the gig economy “True Love” by Sarah Gerard Fans could watch authors on Zoom, Facebook Live and other platforms, either as the event hap- pened or, in many cases, afterward. As a book reviewer, I saw no fall- ing off in either the number or the quality of the books that came my way in 2020. As always, there were far more than I could possibly read. So here is a list of not the best books of 2020, but the best that were covered by the Tampa Bay Times, most of them reviewed by me. They’re organized into eccentric categories, and I’m starting with a two-category winner (three if you count that it also has my favorite book cover of 2020) — Maggie O’Farrell’s magnifi cent novel “Hamnet.” Best historical novels “The Cold Millions” by Jess Walter “The Long Petal of the Sea” by Isabel Allende “The Night Watchman” by Louise Erdrich WHAT MAKES US Keisha Anderson Mobile App Differences that Matter! • • • • • Our Compassion! • Our Visit Structure! Response Time! • C.A.R.E. Program Extensive Bereavement Program Level 5 We Honor Veterans Partner Hospice is all we do. It’s our specialty! BAKER CITY (541) 524-7688 Best books about family dysfunction, fi ction division “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett “Memorial” by Bryan Washington Your One Stop Music Shop Best 40th novel by a national treasure “A Private Cathedral” by James Lee Burke STAND OUT FROM THE REST? Real Estate www.johnjhoward.com Best book by the 2020 winner of the National Book Foundation’s lifetime achievement award (tie) “Trouble Is What I Do” by Walter Mosley Walter Mosley “The Awkward Black Man” by Walter Mosley Best book about family dysfunction, nonfi ction division “Hidden Valley Road” by Robert Kolker HOMETOWN 541.910.8827 Best memoirs-in-essays by former journalists “My Life as a Villainess” by Laura Lippman “Where I Come From” by Rick Bragg “Rules for the Southern Rulebreaker” by Katherine Snow Smith Best 2020 book by Michael Connelly (tie) “Fair Warning” “The Law of Innocence” Specializing in Real Estate Agent “The Book of Lost Names” by Kristin Harmel “The Committee” by Sterling Watson LA GRANDE (541) 624-5800 Get Everything You Need to Keep the Beat Going Lessons Rentals Jam Sessions Direct Music Source 1206 Adams Ave La Grande, Oregon 97850 (541) 962-0307
