Hey guys I am finally talking about my favorite books of 2020. I just went through the books I ended up reading and I’m definitely struggling a bit to remember some of the plot from different books. I do feel a lot of what I did end up reading in 2020 was a blur. I know we all had a tough year so I’m sure I’m not alone in these feelings. I just feel some of these books I read way over a year ago. So please bare with me as I try to remember. I do have to say I feel 2021 reading is going better. I have been in the mood to physically read which I feel is a big step. So that has me really excited. Overall here is to hoping 2021 reading is better than 2020s. Let’s dive in to my favorites of 2020!
1. One True Loves By Taylor Jenkins Reid
Well once again a Taylor Jenkins Reid book has made it on to my favorites list. I was hooked by this book from the very first line. It pulled me in right away. I feel just from that I knew it was going to break me and I was here for it. This is such an emotional read. It definitely hurt thinking about the choices the main character had to go through. I do feel you could kind figure out the choice the main character was going to make but still it messes with you. This makes me realize I need to get my hands on more of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s backlist titles. I am hoping to get another one once I get rid of more books.
So I do have to admit my memory is a bit flakey on this one. I do remember I did end up enjoying it a lot. It was a nice fluffy contemporary with some nerdy vibes. I did just pick up the audiobook from audible. I was planning to relisten to it because I want to read the third one. I know they’re each their own story but things from book one appeared in two. So I would just like to be prepared and also remember what I liked so much about the story.
3.The Mall By Megan McCafferty
This book gave me such nostalgic vibes. It reminded me of all the times I’d go shopping with my friend and our Moms. That was something we would do constantly and that I miss doing a lot as I get older. It really made me miss the 90s and what it had going on. Plus I felt like I’d rather be a kid then deal with what was going on in 2020. Sure there were a few things I didn’t like about this book. The main character was pretty nasty to her work friend. It was rude and to feel that way towards someone who is a good friend is just messed up. You can find more about my thoughts in my review.
4.House of Salt and Sorrow By Erin A. Craig
This book really ended up surprising me. I’m pretty sure I was drawn to it because of the cover. I ended up absolutely loving the story. It really had me creeped out and that doesn’t really happen often. I feel like I found myself questioning so many things. I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to spoil the experience if you do end up picking this up. This would have been a 5 star read for me if I didn’t end up finding it so predictable. I can’t wait to see what Erin A. Craig comes out with next.
I know Ruth Ware’s books can be very hit or miss for people. I find her stories overall very enjoyable. There have been a couple I didn’t love but overall enjoyed the majority. This one was such an enjoyable read. I do find this one surprising because before reading this I read another book. That book was basically the same story as this one. I didn’t ended up liking that one as much. I ended up finding this one so much more enjoyable. I think I just liked the characters better. The characters in this one all worked for a tech company. I believe this was also a bit predictable. However I found myself drawn to the story by the writing. I didn’t want to put the book down. That is why I decided to put it on this list.
6.Clap When You Land By Elizabeth Acevedo
Wow this story really was something. Imagine finding out the day your father dies that you have a sister in another country. This sad event ends up bringing two sisters together. I feel my mind was just so shocked. This book deals with some heavy topics and it was just interesting to see these two characters come together. I also really enjoyed at the end where Elizabeth Acevedo talks about a plane crash that happened not too long after 9/11. However because of how big of a deal that was you didn’t hear about it. She wanted to shed light on that accident. She said the story in this book happens in real life. I had to rewind the audiobook a couple times to take that in.
Since I listened to the audiobook I do want to mention my thoughts on it. I overall didn’t have any problems with this one. I am just so use to Elizabeth Acevedo just reading her audiobooks, it took me off guard hearing another person as well. Once I got use to it, I thought both these narrators did a fantastic job. They both have such powerful voices that you feel all the emotions these characters are going through.
7.Cirque Berserk By Jessica Guess
I’ve always enjoyed slasher films because they’re known not to take themselves seriously. I never really thought about slasher films turned into book. Well that’s what Cirque Berserk is, a slasher film in book form. I ended up enjoying it so much! It was just a fun experience that had just the right amount of gore. I could totally see this being made into a movie. I would watch it.
I know Unboxed isn’t a book. It’s a short play but I ended up finding it very enjoyable so I wanted to put it on this list. It’s a modern day horror story which I found to be so fun. It’s about a youtuber who buys a box from the dark web. Things start to take a turn for the worst. It was such a fast paced read. I wasn’t sure what to except with it being written in play format but it worked well. I could see myself going to see this if they decided to adapt it. I would say definitely check this out if you like horror.
9.Archenemies (Renegades #2) By Marissa Meyer
I finally started the Renegades series in 2020! I did enjoy Renegades but I just found Archenemies to be so much more exciting. I found it a lot more enjoyable. I don’t want to say much about this since it is the second book in a series but there was never a dull moment in this book. I did end up reading the last book this year and what an exciting ending. I don’t know if it’ll end up on my favorites for 2021 but such a fun series.
I have to say looking at my favorites of 2020, it just feels off. I think mainly just because I wasn’t in such a great headspace. I didn’t give all these books 5 stars but I feel these were books I enjoyed the most. I am sad there aren’t more thrillers on this list. I did read a good amount but some were early in the year that I’m blanking on. It has me questioning my ratings so I didn’t feel like including them. Overall 2020 was a hot mess.Â
What were some of your favorites of 2020?
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