Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!
This may be a tad depressing, but I have truly never been more excited for a to end! 2020 has been a year straight from hell, and I am hoping for a lot of positivity, health, and healing for everyone in 2021. Fortunately, one of my favourite strategies to escape from all of the horrible things this year brought on was to read a lot of books! I completed my original 2020 Goodreads reading challenge of 45 books, and ended up reading a total of 50 books this year! Last year I completed 58 books, and I definitely could have surpassed that goal if I continued reading at a high pace during the last quarter of the year. With school and some other personal things, I had practically no motivation to read if the book was not for school, but I hope things will change and I will be more motivated heading into 2021.
That being said, I managed to read some phenomenal books in 2020! I read loads of 2020 new-releases (thanks to some book shopping retail therapy!), and was so happy with all of the novels I picked up this year. Out of the 50 books I completed, I have selected eight novels that solidified themselves as new all-time favourite novels!
#8: Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney
This was one of my favourite thrillers of 2020! Ironically, last year, JP Delaney’s 2019 publication was on my top books of 2019 list, but I have to say that I enjoyed this one even more! I love a good family driven thriller, and that was exactly what this book was all about. This thriller had SO many unexpected twists and turns, and I absolutely loved it. You can read my full review of this novel here!
#7: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book absolutely blew me away. Believe it or not, prior to 2020 I had never had the chance to fully read this novel, and I am so glad I did. This book features some of the best written characters I have ever read about. Additionally, this book moved me to tears on several occasions, especially since so many of my elder family members have memories from WW2 that are just as frightening as the ones featured in this novel. Because of this book, I plan on reading some more historical fiction novels next year!
#6: The Switch by Beth O’Leary
Beth O’Leary’s 2019 release, The Flatshare, just missed my top reads of 2019 list, so I am incredibly happy that this one made it so high on my 2020 top books list! This book was such a delight to reader, and featured some incredibly memorable characters and storylines. Historically, I tend to avoid adult contemporary novels because I often find them very predictable and forgettable. However, this one was not like that at all! I had such a fantastic time reading this novel, and I cannot wait to read all of Beth O’Leary’s future releases! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#5: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Thousands of people are placing this book in their #1 favourite book of the year spot, and that makes perfect sense to me! This book was absolutely stunning in every single aspect. The characters, plot, and themes present in this novel are handled and written about so beautifully. I am not normally a big fan of hard-hitting contemporary, but this book is an absolute must-read.
#4: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
I was a very late member of The Silent Patient train, but once I read this book, there was no stepping off it! This novel will go down as one of my favourite mystery-thrillers of all time. This novel was written so carefully and precisely, and the plot-twist was one I had never experienced before. If you ever find yourself craving a perfect thriller, I would highly recommend picking this one up! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#3: The Passengers by John Marrs
If you are a frequent reader of my blog, it should not come as a shock to see a John Marrs book land on this list! This year I purchased Marrs’ entire written collection thus far, and while I am still making my way through it, the Marrs novel I enjoyed most this year was The Passengers. This book was an absolute delight to read, and I hope it gets adapted into a TV series one day! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#2: Beach Read by Emily Henry
In the year that was 2020, I often seemed some fun, adventurous romance novels, and this one was my favourite by far! While there was not much actual romance, the conversations between the two main characters were so interesting to read, and my overall experience of this novel was one of the ones I have had in a long while! You can read my full review of this novel here!
#1: The Mothers by Brit Bennett
There are very few words that would do justice to my experience and emotions towards this book. I find it quite amusing that this book made it to the top of my favourite books list of this year, as the experiences the characters go through in this novel are unlike any I have yet to experience. That being said, the writing, characters, and themes in this novel are written to perfection. This book will remain an all-time favourite throughout the depths of time, and I cannot wait to read every future Brit Bennett novel in the future!
Those were my absolute favourite reads of 2020! If you would like to see all of the books I read this year, click here. What was your favourite book of 2021?
Wishing you all a fabulous and safe New Years Eve, and I am looking forward to reading with you all next year!
Good Night Book Owls!
Reading, Reading, Reading 