Sunday, February 21, 2021

My FAVORITE BOOKS from 2020!

I have always love to read and as an adult, that love has continued! In the last few years, I've become a part of the bookish community on YouTube (BookTube, or Authortube for writers) and on Instagram (or Bookstagram). It's been so fun and put so many books on my radar that I want to read! 

I also have been doing a bookish bullet journal the last few years to track my reading and some different bookish stats and goals. It's been fun and I love sharing things like this. I share a lot more on my channel, ReaderTurnedWriter, but as I was trying to decide what to write about today, I thought this would be a fun topic. 

Here are my top ten books from 2020!

Hope in the Mail by Wendelin Van Draanen 


This is a nonfiction book by one of my favorite authors. She talks about her life and her writing journey, and gives some tips to aspiring authors. She is such a funny storyteller and I found her story so inspiring!

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie 




This is not only my favorite my Agatha Christie of the year, but my favorite that I've read so far. I loved the book and I loved the twist!


The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale 




This is a darling little chapter book, and I love Shannon Hale. One of the reasons it made my list was because of how much all three kids loved it, especially Parker (which isn't surprising since it's about Princesses and Super Heroes and those are Parker's favorite things).


Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson




I tried not to add books that came later in a series, but I couldn't resist with this one. It is the fourth in the Stormlight series and came out in November. It was really good and every book in the series so far is five stars for me.


Caroline: Little House Revisited 




This is Little House on the Prairie but from the perspective of Caroline. I cried often and connected so much with Caroline as a mother. It left me feeling grateful for my life (rather than living in the time of pioneers) at a time when I struggling and honestly helped me feel excited about homemaking and motherhood again.


There is one scene where Caroline and Charles are intimate. It was more explicit than I normally read, though I felt it was tastefully done and wasn't vulgar or inappropriate.


All that Makes Life Bright by Josi S Kilpack 




This was another book I connected to because of the way motherhood was portrayed. This is a historical fiction about Harriet Beecher Stowe's early marriage and motherhood as she was trying to balance homemaking with pursuing her writing. As someone who wants to write and do YouTube, but struggles to find a balance, I found it so relatable. I loved watching her and her husband's growth as they came together to find a way to make it work for their family. It's also very clean!


Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson 


This is an adult thriller and it's probably my favorite that I've read. It really kept me on the edge of my seat and while the twists were not crazy, I didn't guess them. It had enough language and sexual content that I would never own the book, but not enough that I didn't feel I could finish it.


Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy 




This is a historical fantasy with a really fun mystery subplot. The magic system is cool and is explored in really interesting ways, the characters (even the side characters) are all fleshed out and amazing, and the book is so well paced. It's also really clean and I can't recommend it enough!


The Enemy by Sarah Adams 




This is a sweet adult romcom. She describes her books as steamy and clean, which I think is the perfect description. There's enough attraction that it's fun, but kept very clean. I also love her characters, they have a lot of depth that makes the romance more than just fluff. And her humor is exactly my kind of humor, I laugh out loud reading her books.


Eleanor Oliphant is Perfectly Fine by Gail Honeyman 




This was one of the last books I read in 2020 and I loved it. I fell in love with Eleanor's character. She is different from others and I loved seeing her thought process as she interacted with others. She also had so much to work through and her growth was amazing to witness. There is language and sexual references.


My other 5 star reads: 

Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (reread) 

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (reread) 

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson (reread)

 Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson (reread)

 Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (reread) 

The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis (reread) 

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (reread)

Love Your Life Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze (reread)

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (reread) 

Harry Potter 1 by JK Rowling (reread) 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (reread) 

Atomic Habits by James Clear (reread) 

Avatar: The Search by Gene Leun Yang (reread) 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (reread) 

A Face in the Shadows by Susan Evans McCloud (reread) 

Holes by Louis Sachar (reread) 

Small Steps by Louis Sacher 

The Borden Murders by Sarah Miller 

Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller

The Storm Descends by Gerald Lund 

The Shadow Falls by Gerald Lund 

The Proud Shall Stumble by Gerald Lund 

Into the Flames by Gerald Lund 

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 

His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle 

One of us is Lying by Karen M. McManus 

Batman: Year One by Frank Miller 

TMNT Change is Constant by Kevin Eastman 

Front Desk by Kelly Yang 

Murder Most Unladyike by Robin Stevens 

Inside out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai 

An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington 

Across a Star Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund 

The Match by Sarah Adams 

A Ceiling Made of Eggshells by Gail Carson Levine 

Hum if You Don’t know the Words by Bianca Marais 

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon 

Snape: A Definitive Reading by Lorrie Kim 

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty McDonald

Renegades by Marissa Meyer 



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