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
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
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
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,
