Books to look forward to in 2020

A New Year means new opportunities to rediscover adventures within the pages of books. Literature can take you on many journeys, and there are multiple releases scheduled for 2020 within all genres. Book readers will have the pick of the literature from each of the release dates. These are some of the books that are on the top of my reading list this year.The Paper Bracelet – Rachael English (27 Feb 2020)From bestselling author Rachael English comes a book inspired by true events, The Paper Bracelet. It tells the story of Katie who in the past worked as a nurse in a mother and baby home in the west of Ireland during a dark time in Irish history. Memories may fade but objects remain, and Katie has kept a box of secrets. The box contains many identity bracelets of the babies she cared for while working in the home. Katie reaches a decision that she had kept at arm’s length for a long time and reaches out on an online forum, determined to reunite these adopted individuals with their birth mothers. This book is already on my reading list for this year. It reaches back into the past to explore a darker time in Irish history, but it shows the decency in humanity portrayed through Katie.Our House is on Fire - Malena and Beata Ernman, Svante and Greta Thunberg (5 March 2020)Greta Thunberg already made waves across the world in 2019 when she spread her message of school strike for climate. This message spoke to and inspired a generation to follow her footsteps and organise their own school strikes on behalf of the climate. Now in 2020, Malena and Beata Ernman and Svante and Greta Thunberg recount their story in their book ‘Our House is on Fire’. It tells the story of how Greta Thunberg worried for the sake of the planet and about how Earth would deal with the consequences of human actions throughout the years. It had become clear that the climate had been changing for years through major weather phenomena and other sources.A family of four took the weight of the world on their shoulders to deal with one of the biggest threats to humanity today, climate change. While many tried to silence their efforts, the family found that only made their cause stronger. Then one day in August 2018 Greta started a school strike.The Glass Hotel – Emily St. John Mandel (24 March 2020)From the author of ‘Station Eleven’ comes a new book release named ‘The Glass Hotel’. It is a title that was mentioned to me quite a bit as I researched books for 2020. Vincent is a bartender in Hotel Caiette, located on Vancouver Island, Canada. On the same night she meets the owner of the hotel Jonathon Alkaitis, a cryptic message was left on the lobby’s glass wall; “Why don’t you swallow broken glass”. Leon Prevant, who works for Neptune-Avradimis saw the threat painted across the wall and ordered a drink from the bar to calm his nerves. Prevant never knew this threat was intended for Alkaitis. Alkaitis, a wealthy investment manager, arrives at the bar too late to see the threat. He disappears into the night after he leaves Vincent his business card and a one-hundred-dollar tip. Fast forward a year later and Alkaitis and Vincent are married and living together as husband and wife.The story jumps location to Manhattan NY where crimes are being committed by Alkaitis as he runs a Ponzi scheme, moving imaginary sums of money through numerous clients’ accounts. Among his clients is Leon Prevant and as Alkaitis’ financial empire begins to crumble along with the rest of the financial world. It devastates many lives and leaves clients penniless, and Vincent disappears into the darkness of the night. Years after, Vincent finds herself stepping aboard a Neptune-Avramidis ship and subsequently disappears from the ship while it is at sea. This book has mystery, suspense and thriller within its pages.