Month: January 2021

That’s a Wrap! The Best and Worst of my 2020 Reading

Published on by Meaghan Elizabeth

Hello Lovely Readers! I hope your week has been treating you well. My day job has been ridiculously busy and stressful this month and I have barely done any reading. Unless something drastic changes this week, my January wrap up is going to be short… unless we can count hours played in Stardew valley?

Now that we are over halfway through January, I figured that I should get around to doing a 2020 reading wrap up. Despite everything negative about 2020, I had a successful reading year. I read over 100 books and, though most of those books were within my comfort genres, I did stretch myself a bit to read outside my comfort zone. I hope to continue stretching myself in 2021.

I wasn’t sure where to focus this wrap up or how to wrap up an entire years worth of books in one post, so I picked just a few categories to discuss. I decided to share my favourite reads, my least favourite reads, and my favourite series’ from this past year. I picked 5 entries for each category, and the lists below are in no particular order. It is hard enough to pick only 5 for each category without also trying to rank them.

Top 5 Reads of 2020

5 Favourite Reads in 2020

1. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

This book managed to sneak in at the end of the year to become a top read. I had so much fun reading this book, and it was exactly what I wanted in a Christmas romance. If you haven’t read this one yet, I would highly recommend it even though we have passed the holiday season. This feel good romance is perfect if you need something to take your mind of the current situation or any other stresses in your life.

2. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

This is without a doubt my favourite Riley Sager novel so far. I think this one is listed as horror, but in my opinion it is mid level horror. It is definitely spooky (it’s dealing with a haunted house) but it’s not gory or overly terrifying. I wouldn’t recommend it if you scare easily, but if you are okay with a bit of spookiness, then I would highly recommend you pick this one up.

3. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

I think this might be my favourite Louise Penny so far. I love how her stories are intricate and woven together slowly; almost to the point of being meandering. I have learned that like a good dessert, you cannot rush through a Louise Penny novel. The mystery is well worth it and the way that she writes atmosphere and place is amazing. I have a note that I could literally feel the cold while reading.

4. A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

If you have been reading this blog for awhile you will know that I fell down an historical romance hole in the spring that continued off and for the rest of the year. This is book 2 in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series, and though I enjoyed the first book, this is the one that convinced me to continue in the series. I loved both of the main characters and I enjoy how the author incorporates humour into her romances. I look forward to the third book in this series.

5. The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

I was surprised to find two historical romances on this list, but this one definitely deserves its place in my top 5. Strangely enough, this is also book 2 in a series. I picked up Tessa Dare on the recommendation of a BookTuber that I enjoy and I am so happy that I did because I love her writing. I probably wouldn’t have picked up this series based solely on the covers, but I am glad that I did. I guess that reinforces the sentiment that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover… (We all do it. Don’t pretend that you don’t)

Honourable Mention: I was surprised to find that I didn’t pick any Dresden Files books for this list. In many ways my enjoyment of these books is a series level enjoyment. Though there have been books that are more enjoyable than others, I have read so many of them this year that based solely on my star reviews alone, I could not pick one to include in the top 5.

5 Least Favourite Reads in 2020

5 Least favourite reads in 2020

1. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle

I discussed this book in more detail here, and I won’t go into the details of why I didn’t enjoy it in this post. Suffice it to say I was very disappointed with this read. I had memories of reading and enjoying a book or two in this series in the past, and so I had high hopes going into this one that were not realized. I don’t think I’ll be reading any more books in this series.

2. 1st to Die by James Patterson

I debated including this one here because I still think that the series has potential, and I may still give it a second shot. But this book was not high on my list of reads this year. While I didn’t actively dislike this one in the way I did others in this category, it also did not hit the mark. And, considering the high expectations I had for such a high profile author, even a mediocre enjoyment of this one was bound to be disappointing. I may try book 2 in this series if it comes available while I’m in the right reading mood.

3. Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

If you read my wrap up of this one, you will know that I was incredibly disappointed with this read. As it is written by Agatha Christie, I had a certain level of expectation going into it and those expectations were not met. This book wasn’t terrible by any means, but it also wasn’t to the level I would have expected and there were more many aspects of the story that grated on my nerves. If you are looking to get into Christie I would recommend that you do not start with this one.

4. Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich and Promise of Love by Tamie Dearn

So I am cheating with this entry by listing two books, but I wanted to include both of them without removing any of the others. I started to put this list together early in December, so one book was already given a reprieve after I read these two. I won’t go into details of why I didn’t like these books, because I discussed them both in my last post, but I actively did not enjoy either of these books.

5. He Started it by Samantha Downing

With two books in the previous entry, this book shouldn’t be on this list. And in many ways, this book doesn’t really belong in this category since I didn’t dislike it that much. But I wanted to leave it here because I know that I have an unpopular opinion when it comes to Samantha Downing. I have now read both of her books, and I have not enjoyed either of them. The writing, in my opinion, is just okay and I found myself having to force my way through both of them. It’s never good to be bored while reading, and it’s even worse when the book is supposed to be a thriller. Many people have enjoyed this book, so I think it just may not be the style for me. I don’t think that I’ll be reading any more books by this author.

5 Favourite Series I read in 2020

5 Favourite Series read in 2020

1. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

I imagine that you are tired of hearing me talk about the Dresden Files series, but if we’re talking about the series’ I read in 2020, this one needs to be on the list. After picking up book early in the year, I made it a good way through the series by the end of December. Though there are aspects of the series that I haven’t loved, I am so glad that I picked it up and I think that there is a lot to love about this paranormal/fantasy mystery series. I particularly enjoy the combination of fantasy with mystery and, despite his numerous faults, I like Harry Dresden. This is a series I will definitely be continuing in 2021.

2. The Paranormal Investigation Bureau by Dionne Lister

I came across this series by accident as a daily deal on Amazon. I had the first three books in the series in a bind up, and since they were short, easy to read, and immensely enjoyable, I quickly found myself hooked. I blew through the first few books in the series in a matter of weeks and then took a break to prolong the enjoyment. I am more than overdue to pick the series back up again. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a fantasy or supernatural twist, then I would highly recommend picking up this series.

3. Band on the Run by Samantha Chase

It is hard to believe I first picked up this series just over a year ago, but January 2020 really does feel like such a long time ago. Over the past year, Samantha Chase has become one of my favourite romance authors. Though this is the only fully series I have read so far, I enjoyed each of them. Chase always leaves me wanting more with her books and I look forward to reading more in the upcoming year.

4. Girl Meets Duke by Tessa Dare

As I mentioned earlier, I never would have expected to enjoy this series so much if I was going solely based on the covers. But I loved the first two books of this series this year, and I can’t wait to read the next books. I think it is amazing how Dare combines humour with romance, and I love that her characters have depth and exhibit growth over the course of the book. This series definitely caused me to reconsider how I view the romance genre.

5. League of Extraordinary Women by Evie Dunmore

When everyone was raving about this series early in 2020, even those who don’t normally read historical fiction, I knew that I had to pick it up. While I didn’t love the first book as much as some, it was a really fun read and I enjoyed it more than enough to know I wanted to read book 2. And book 2 was what landed this series on this list. I loved the characters in book 2 and I found that I resonated more with the story. Dunmore is also able to combine humour and romance in a wonderful way and I look forward to book 3.

I read so many great books in 2020 and I escaped to so many amazing worlds. I wish that I had the space, and the time, to look back on the year in more detail, but I think that these lists do a decent job of summarizing the year’s reading. I had initially intended to include some reading goals in this post, but I think that this post is more than long enough for one week, so the look ahead to 2021 can wait until next week.

Until next time,

Meaghan Signature

December 2020 Reading Wrap Up

Published on by Meaghan Elizabeth1 Comment

Hello Lovely Readers! It has been awhile. I hope, despite everything that was different about this year, that your holidays were good and that you were able to find some bright spots. My Christmas was definitely different, but there were still bright spots and happy memories that will come out of it. In some ways it was also nice to have a more relaxed season and to have a few days that were genuinely “off” time to recuperate a bit from how busy December was for me work wise.

Early in the month my reading got a major kick start when In A Holidaze came available from the library. I was on the wait list since the release date and was certain that it would come available in time for Christmas in July if I was lucky, so I was beyond excited when I got it in perfect time to read for this Christmas. As you will see below, it was exactly what I needed to get me into the reading mood.

If you can think way back to the beginning of December, you might recall that I am testing out the idea of setting myself both seasonal and monthly reading Bingos. We are currently in the middle of the first seasonal Bingo, so I’m not going to talk about that one, but I have completed the first of the monthly Bingos, and I am going to incorporate the results into the wrap ups below and then at the very end we can take a look at the finished product and see how I did with my board.

1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (3 Stars)
Family and Friends

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

I originally added this to my TBR back in October with the intention to read it for one of my spooky or atmospheric reads. I didn’t have any trouble getting it from the library, but I had real trouble actually picking it up, and then even when I finally started it, I could not get past the first chapter. I wish that I could say that it was worth pushing through and finishing, but I found it to be an average read. I gave it a 3 stars because I didn’t dislike it in anyway, and there were aspects of the main character that I really enjoyed, but overall I found it just okay. I used this book for the “Family and Friends” prompt, and if you have read this book you will know that it’s a bit tongue in cheek but also very fitting.

2. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (5 Stars)
A Book Published in 2020

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

This is the latest Christina Lauren romance, and this time there is a bit of a time travel twist mixed in that I was 100% there for. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and though I have only read 3 Christina Lauren novels so far, this one may have pushed The Unhoneymooners out of it’s place as my favourite, though only time will tell. I loved the groundhog day/time travel aspect and I loved how the romance developed between the main characters. I also really enjoyed seeing the main character’s growth and the way she came into herself over the course of the book. Overall, this was the perfect holiday romance for this year and it was exactly what I needed to get me into the reading mood.

3. Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich (1 Star)
A Christmas Mystery

Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich

This is the first Janet Evanovich book I have read and, based on her popularity I expected so much more. I may still give her another try since I have since discovered that Goodreads has very mixed reviews for this particular novella – people either love it or they absolutely hate it as compared to her other works. The only thing I enjoyed about this novella was that there was occasionally a great line of dialogue or thought from the main character that makes me think she may be enjoyable in a different story. Not only was this story too short and underdeveloped, but some of it was borderline, if not outright offensive. I don’t give 1 star ratings very often, because I think that sometimes it is just that a book was not right for me, but in this case I would actively recommend that you do not pick this book up.

4. Americanos, Apple Pies, and Art Thieves by Harper Lin (4 Stars)
Many Happy Returns

Americanos, Apple Pie and Art Thieves by Harper Lin

This is book 5 in the Cape Bay Cafe mystery series, and like the others in this series, I really enjoyed it. I have found this to be a solid cozy mystery series and I don’t know why I’m not making my way through it quicker. I like the main characters and all the secondary characters, and I really like the relationships that the characters have with each other. I am also a sucker for a cozy series set in a cafe, so there is that. The only thing that could have made this better was if I was on the “Christmas” book of the series instead of the Thanksgiving book.

5. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (4 Stars)
A Book with Green on the Cover

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

This book technically could have counted for one of the free spaces, but it felt a bit cheaty to me to count a book as both “free” and something else. So here we are. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this one, but I had a lot of fun with it. I like the concept of a group of guys reading romance novels and banding together to help each other fix their relationships. I also liked the commentary about romance novels that appeared throughout the story. If you enjoy romance novels, this is one that I would recommend, and I look forward to picking up the second book in the series.

6. Snowy Nights at the Loney Hearts by Karen King (3.5 Stars)
A Christmas Romance

Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel by Karen King

This book was a pleasant surprise. It was one that I picked up on a deal on Kindle, and since I have mixed success with those picks, I am always happy when I find a winner. I liked that the Christmas theme was prevalent throughout the story instead of just being a thin backdrop to an otherwise normal romance story. In this case, the main character is tasked with taking over and running an annual Christmas dinner at her sister’s Bed and Breakfast while her sister is unable to get home from her vacation in time. Overall, this was an enjoyable seasonal read and I am glad that I picked it up. I would read more from this author.

7. Christmas Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke (3.5 Stars)
A book that includes Baking

Christmas Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

After the disaster that was Visions of Sugar Plums, and my mixed enjoyment of the Leslie Meier seasonal mysteries, I was happy to find myself thoroughly enjoying this book. I liked all of the characters, and I liked that the main character has a bakery. I read this as an audiobook, so the recipes included at the end of each chapter were a bit distracting, but once I realized they were always at the end of the chapter, they became easy to skip. Even after discovering that, I found myself listening to them on more than one occasion – who would have thought that listening to someone read a recipe aloud could be so enjoyable. This is book 26 in the Hannah Swensen series, but it is the first one that I read and I had no trouble understanding what was going on. I will be adding more in this series to my TBR over the upcoming year.

8. Promise of Love by Tamie Dearen (2 Stars)
A Book with Red on the cover

Promis of Love by Tamie Dearen

After being pleasantly surprised with the last two books on this list, this one was a let down. I wanted another fun Christmas romance, and though this one fit the category, I did not enjoy it. I didn’t like the main character, I didn’t like her love interests, and there was something off about the pacing. I wrote in my Goodreads review that the book felt like it was trying too hard and I stand by that still. I don’t think I will be picking up anything else from this author.

9. Small Favor by Jim Butcher (4 Stars)
A fantasy Read

Small Favor by Jim Butcher

I don’t really have anything to say about this one other than that it was another solid, and enjoyable entry in the Dresden files series. I am still enjoying this series, though I am starting to get concerned because I know that there is a book coming up shortly that takes the series in a different direction that people either love or hate. I am both looking forward to that book and dreading it.

Other Completed Squares

  • Read 5 Books
  • Snuggle up by the Tree or Fire
  • 2 Audiobooks
  • Hit 100 Books in 2020

Missed Squares

  • A Book Under 100 pages or a Short Story
  • Both Free Spaces

I didn’t think it was going to be possible, but I managed to complete all but 3 squares on my Bingo this month – and two of those were free spaces! I am also didn’t need to use any book for more than one square – not counting the “other” category. I would say December Bingo was a success, though honestly I’m not sure how much it shaped my reading. I can’t tell if I picked books to fit the squares or if I got lucky, so I think it’ll take a few more months to determine if this is a good tool to help me meet my reading goals.

And along those lines… you may have already guessed this, but there is not going to be a Bingo for January. It’s only the second month in and I’ve already missed it. I am going to try for February, because I did enjoy the process, but I may end up abandoning the monthly Bingos and focus on the seasonal ones only. I love the idea of Bingo, but I can’t help feeling there has to be some other, more original, game idea that would work for me.

How did your reading go in December? Has your January reading game started out strong or, like me, are you struggling to actually pick up a book and read? Let me know your favourite read from December in the comments.

Until Next Time,

Meaghan Signature
Fall Leaves on a Book

Fall 2020 Reading Wrap Up – How Did I Do?

Published on by Meaghan Elizabeth

Hi Friends, as I was working on my new post for this week, I discovered that this post somehow got stuck as a scheduled post and never went live. Since I spent the time working on it, I decided to post it even though it’s late. I hope you enjoy this bonus, very late, fall wrap up. I will see you with my December wrap up on Thursday!

Hello Lovely Readers! I am a bit behind with this post (can you believe next week is Christmas?!), but I still wanted to take the time to review my fall reading. For those of you that are new, I am terrible at following reading lists and reading goals, but I still like to set myself seasonal challenges and goals to work towards. I try to keep them broad and include many categories so that I don’t get bored or discouraged.

This Fall, I set myself a number of reading goals that I shared with you all here, and now it is time to see how I did. I decided that the easiest way to review my goals was to list them below alongside the discussion of whether I met the goal or not. I set myself 4 main goals each of which had either specific books listed along with them or sub-goals.

I read a total of 23 books, 9 of which were audiobooks. I DNF’d 2 books and my average rating was 3.5 Stars.

Goal #1: Fantasy

My focus for this goal was to read more fantasy overall and focus on those that were atmospheric or had “fall vibes.” Of the specific books that I listed for this category, I read only one – Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab. Though I didn’t do well with reading the specific books that I chose, I am going to mark this goal as successful. Overall this Fall I read 8 Fantasy novels and 5 or 6 of them were atmospheric. My fantasy game was on point this season.

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
I honestly cannot get enough of The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher right now

My favourite book from this goal was probably Dead Beat by Jim butcher, but almost any of the books I read from the Dresden Files would fit.

Goal # 2: Fright

This category included more than just your typical scary books; it also included some mysteries and thrillers and some fantasy. When I first reviewed this goal, I thought that I was unsuccessful, but when I looked a bit further, I did not too bad. I would say that I had mid-level success in this category.

I read Home Before Dark by Riley Sager and The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw, which were both on the list. I did not read We Have Always Lived in the Castle but I started it and, hopefully, I can finish it this month. If I didn’t slip into a bit of a reading slump, I would have finished it since it is short. I also read a couple of miscellaneous thrillers, with mixed success, as I didn’t love any of them.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
I loved this book. Definitely my favourite Riley Sager so far

My favourite book from this goal was definitely Home Before Dark, which I think was also my only 5 Star read this season. If you have not picked this one up yet, and enjoy books that are ghostly and creepy but not too scary, then I would highly recommend this one.

Goal #3: Cozy and Chic

This goal was intended to be a mixture of cozy, and less intense, mysteries as well as chick-lit. It’s an odd combination, but it worked for me. There was one sub-goal in this category that I did not meet (reading a Murder She Wrote novel), but overall I did very well. It was probably the most successful category this season. In addition to the specific sub-goals below, I also read 3 additional books in this category.

I) Read at least 2 Leslie Meier books – I read all 3 of Meier’s Halloween themed mysteries. I still have mixed opinions about this series, but I don’t regret reading any of them, so that is a bonus. I am going to continue reading this series.

II) At least 1 Agatha Christie – Though I successfully met this goal, the book I chose was my most disappointing read this season. I read Hallowe’en Party and I did not enjoy it. You can see more of my thoughts here, but I would not recommend this one if you are looking to get into Agatha Christie.

III) Start a new series by Samantha Chase – I started the Shaugnessy Brothers series this fall, and I am really excited to continue reading it. The book I read, Made for Us, wasn’t my favourite by Chase, but it was a solid read and exactly what I was looking for out of this type of romance novel.

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore

My favourite book from this goal was A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore, which I talked about last week.

Goal #4: Miscellaneous

I had a few more general reading goals for the fall and a few books that didn’t fit into the other categories that I wanted to share as well. When I set these goals, I suspected that they would be the ones I was least likely to accomplish, and I was only partially correct in that prediction.

I) Make some progress on my “Book Lists” – I didn’t do all that well with this category, though I did read one book off my “must reads list” for this year. After putting it off for so long, I finally picked up An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, and I am so glad that I did.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
I ended up enjoying this book more than I anticipated. An excellent intro Sci-Fi read in my opinion

II) One or Two Non-fiction books – I actually managed to read one non-fiction book this season. I wasn’t going to count it, because it was a book I had to read as part of a weekly Bible study I joined. But then I decided that I chose to join the study, and I chose to read the book each week, so it should count. Baby steps.

III) Graphic Novels – I read one book for this category, and though I really enjoyed it, I would say that I was not successful in meeting this goal. The primary reason for setting this goal was to read The Lumberjanes and I did not do that. This goal will continue into the winter season.

IV) Something Mermaid – I am so disappointed that I did not accomplish this goal. I had a book for this category out from the e-library for at least a month, maybe two, and I just never picked it up. Perhaps I’ll read it in the next few months.

V) Start a ‘Walking Book’– I did not meet this goal even a little bit. Though I was doing well at walking most days during the week during September, I didn’t manage to keep up with that habit, and when I did walk, I was either with someone or listening to music. I do still want to work towards walking more, so maybe this will be a goal I revisit next year, but we shall see.

Though there were a few sub-goals and books on this list that I did not read or accomplish, I think that overall I had a successful reading season. I met many of my goals, and though I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked in November, I read a lot of books this fall that I really enjoyed. Depending on how you do with goals, you may think that my results are disappointing, but knowing me as I do, I would say this is a resounding success. I am looking forward to seeing how I do with my Winter Reading Goals that I shared last week.

How would you rate your fall reading? Did you accomplish your reading goals or read all the books you hoped to read? What was your favourite book that you read this fall? Let me know in the comments!

Until Next Time,

Meaghan Signature