In all honesty, 2020 was an infamous year in so many ways. 2020 is the opposite of joy. That said, as far as my personal reading life goes, I read a glorious amount of outstanding books. I read so many great books that compiling this list to just 10 was almost an impossible job. So I had to create some criteria to make this at least manageable. The criteria I settled upon is as follows...
With that criteria in mind this is the list I settled on. As I said, I have read so many books in 2020 that I have truly LOVED. We are talking possible 50+. These 10 are the ones that I cannot let go of, however. They keep popping up in my mind and so that tells me that they are something special, at least to me.
There is no particular order to these. They are not from least favorite to favorite. I can't do that! Don't ask me! These are just the books that made the cut.
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
I think is this the only YA book on here, which surprises me because I read so many great books in that genre this year. This is the one that keeps on sticking with me though. There is something about the characters in this one that felt so fully fleshed out that I almost felt like they were my family. If I had to give an award to Most Charming Read of the Year, I would probably give it to this one because it charmed the socks off of me.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
If we want to talk about another charmer, here she is in all her glory! I don't think there was ever a moment in this one where I was not smiling. I have quite a few rom-coms on here and I believe there is a reason for that. These rom-coms brought me joy in 2020 and, as already established, 2020 was itself devoid of joy. Joy was very much needed and this was such a joyful read. I also legitimately have a book crush on the character of Zafir, who I think is the most compelling hero in a rom-com that I have read. I am so glad Dani found this King!
Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
This is one that hit me when I read it and still would randomly hit me long after. Something about this tale both broke my heart but also inspired me. The women in this novel are complex and imperfect, but absolute survivors. These characters got inside of me and have stayed there ever since. I cannot let go of them and I do not really want to.
The Girl with a Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Continuing on the theme of inspiring characters, here comes Adunni. She is my favorite character of the year, hands down. She is another survivor and her zest for life comes jumping off of the page. She narrates her own story and I so enjoyed spending the time with her. These book deals with extremely heavy topics and yet Adunni somehow infuses such light into dark places that I cannot forget about this book and her as a character.
This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel
This is such a precious book about the most heartwarming family I have read about in a long time. If there was a book that blessed me, this was it. I think this would definitely be a backlist title, but I read it in 2020 so I am bringing it back into play. Not that really many people read this blog, but if you are one of the few that do and you have not yet read this, pick it up. You will not regret it. Nothing about this book could in anyway feel like a waste of time. It is all the good things in life.
The Sun-Down Motel by Simone St. James
There were some absolutely fabulous thrillers this year, but this was my top. There was nothing about this I did not love. It was enjoyable from beginning to end and I cannot find fault with it. It also scared me in the best way and kept me guessing. I read this in January! Ah, we were all so young and innocent then! I have still not stopped talking about this one so that is the best recommendation I can give a book.
Long, Bright River by Liz Moore
This is another January 2020 book that I have been unable get off of my mind. This is technically a thriller, but it weaves between boundaries. It is both thriller and literary fiction. I have never read a fictional book about the impact of addiction most fully explored in an effective way than in this one. This is one that I appreciated while reading and appreciated immediately after reading, but have appreciated even more as the year has gone on. It just has not been matched as a detective novel.
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
You will probably get sick of seeing this one in all of my blog posts again and again, but I don't care. This one meant a lot to me when I read it. I was in desperate need of a hopeful read and this absolutely delivered. My hope was soaring by the time I turned the page and it was a balm to so much anxiety I was dealing with on a daily bases. This one is raved about by not only me and there is a reason for it. Pick it up.
Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan
So to continue on the anxiety train, this book was also a balm. I have read quite a few books about anxiety that never quite felt like really represented what it is like to live with an anxiety disorder (The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, I am looking at you) but this one did. I felt seen and I had never read a book where I actually felt seen and represented before. This one has meant a lot to me. At the time I gave it 4 stars, but as time has passed I really think it deserves 5 for all that it has meant to me.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
I got to this one late in the year. I feel like it had a lot of hype early in the year, but by the end of the year not many were talking about it. That of course means I need to pick it up. I now know why it got a lot of hype and honestly the hype train needs to keep going for this one. I have not read a better social satire this year. If I have an award for Best Social Satire of the Year, it would be this one! It is funny, but also kind of backhands you with truths that leaves you surprised because you were not expecting it. The way it is written disarms you only to shine a light on the ugliness of society. You thought you were reading a comedy, but what you are left with is profound.
So that's it! These are the books that I cannot let go of! These, for all various reasons, stick with me and mean a lot of me. I would be curious what your top reads of 2020 would be? What has stuck with you?
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