2020 was going to be the year I devoted to reading. I had grand plans to expand my book list out of self-help and business development into a compilation of fiction and stories and poetry from voices that would remove me from my bubble and take me into a world outside myself. Grand plans rarely come to fruition, which is the biggest lesson I learned last year. Instead of lamenting over the small(ish) list of books I actually ended up reading in 2020, I’m thinking about how special my time with each truly was. And I think that makes it all the more exciting to pick up the next book and restart that journey where I left off. 

When we shared last year’s reading list, we were wowed when thousands of people signed up to browse through it. We received such great feedback from that post that we decided to do it again in 2021. This year’s book list includes the books that made it to my bedside table; the ones that are now well worn and wrinkled, because that’s just how life happens to the pages of the books I can’t put down. It also includes those books that were wonderful to listen to, often read by the authors themselves. 

Instead of lamenting over the small(ish) list of books I actually ended up reading in 2020, I’m thinking about how special my time with each truly was. And I think that makes it all the more exciting to pick up the next book and restart that journey where I left off. 

From those small moments where I had just a bit of time to read a few pages, to the long weekends where I had hours to dive deep into another world, today we’re sharing my favorite books from 2020, the books I can’t wait to read in 2021, plus the many book recommendations Wit & Delight readers sent our way. We’ll be adding more titles over the course of the next week, so please check back for updates to the list! And if you have any additional suggestions for books you’d recommend, please add them in the comments below!

Without further ado…

To view Wit & Delight’s list of book recommendations for 2021, click here.

Happy reading!

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.