Top 5 Stories of the 2020s
Recommendations for books and TV shows
I’m almost done with my novel revision! That means I’ll have the freedom to read and watch anything I want.
I don’t have any books or shows lined up for my upcoming writing break, so I’d love to hear about your favorite books and shows from the last three years.
To get the conversation started, here are my favorite books and television shows from the 2020s so far.
Novel
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Three college students design a video game while trying to navigate the complexities of love, family, and ambition.
This is the best novel I’ve read in the last ten years. I’ve never felt such a full range of emotion while reading fiction before. On a craft level, Zevin’s use of point of view, experimentation, and narrative structure is a wonder to behold. On a personal note, I’m also new to the game industry, and the novel reflected a lot of my own experience as a woman in this industry. I’m grateful for this book because it made me feel less alone.
Available everywhere books are sold. You can support local bookstores by ordering on Bookshop.
Short Story Collection
The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
These six stories and novella explore love and grief within the context of the Black experience.
When Evans put together this collection, she really said, “Bangers only,” and every story is an absolute banger. We talked about “Anything Could Disappear” in our first craft lesson.
My favorite story in the collection is “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain.” Set at a wedding, this story follows a photojournalist who must help the bride track down the runaway groom while managing her own family crisis. Evans is a master of tension and scene craft. This is an excellent book to pick up if you’re interested in learning how to structure and pace scenes. In addition to the brilliant craft in this book, I also felt a deep personal connection to the novella’s representation of Black women in academia.
Memoir
The Magical Language of Others by E.J. Koh
Structured around the letters Koh’s mother wrote her in Korean, this memoir follows Koh’s coming of age experience as it explores questions around what it means to be a daughter, a mother, and a grandmother within the context of Korean history.
I read this memoir in nearly one sitting, totally absorbed by its structure and engagement with both personal and international history. I also felt completely seen as I read the ways in which Koh tries to define herself within the context of family, location, and ambition. This is one of my favorite memoirs. Highly, highly recommend.
Animated Television
Kotaro Lives Alone
Kotaro, a four-year-old boy with old-fashioned sensibilities, moves into an apartment alone and forms a found family with the manga artist, gangster, and nightclub hostess who live in his building.
Y’all. This show. THIS SHOW. I started it on a whim one night when I got home from work, and I was hooked. Found families are my favorite thing to write about, and this show impeccably presents an absurd concept (a four year old living alone) in a way that beautifully renders the full spectrum of the human experience. The show is so heartfelt that I’m tearing up writing this paragraph. I feel like earnest sincerity is uncommon in western media, and this show was a breath of fresh air from the dark, cynical themes that often dominate western storytelling. You can watch Kotaro Lives Alone on Netflix.
Live Action Television
My Country: The New Age
My Country: The New Age follows the lives of two childhood friends who end up on opposite sides of war as Goryeo falls and becomes Joseon.
Okay, this drama technically came out in late 2019, but I watched it in 2020. The show has sixteen 90-minute episodes. My partner and I watched it all in two days because we physically could not stop. The action is incredible. The war battle sequences are astounding. And, in my opinion, the performances of Woo Do Hwan, Yang Se Jong, and Jang Hyuk are unparalleled. My Country is easily my favorite historical drama and one of my all-time favorite television shows in general. Watch it on Netflix today. The storytelling is just mind bogglingly good.
What are your favorite books and TV shows from the last three years? What should I add to my watch and reading lists? Share your recommendations in the comments.
This weekend, I finished my revision pass. I have to go back and line edit the new chapter and do one more proofread, but I’m very close to the end and catching up on all your brilliant comments and emails. Thanks for your patience!
Next week, we’ll be exploring the best practices of writing the first act of a story in our next craft lesson.
See you then,
Kat
Thanks for the recs!
I wanted to add a question for your AMA at the end of the month! I just started reading parts of Save the Cat and am not sure about it. If you're familiar, what are your thoughts on the method?
I stumbled upon the book by accident as it was a gift, and when I read about the 15 beats, I decided on a whim to see if they matched up at all with my book. I was shocked to find out that almost the entirety of the story lines up! The only thing that doesn't is my setup length, which is about 1-40% of the book instead of the suggested 1-10%. However, this story's a memoir, so I'm thinking maybe the beat sheet doesn't need to fit perfectly. Or maybe the beat sheet isn't actually a great method for any book! Or perhaps I need to cut a lot of my beginning.
So I wonder what you and other people think about it.
Wowow. Thanks for these recommendations-- adding them to my lists!