FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2020
In 2020, I read 60 books. Some of those books were amazing and some of them were not. I touched on the books that I loved in my 2020 || In Retrospect post. In this post today, I will go into more detail as to why I loved those books so much.
(LADY TRENT MEMOIRS BOOK ONE)
AUTHOR: MARIE BRENNAN
GENRE: FANTASY
What I loved about this book was the writing style. It truly read like a memoir where the protagonist herself was writing it and talking to the reader. 'Lady Trent' would address the reader specifically and reference parts of her later life as if we already knew about it. It was such an interesting narrative choice on Brennan's part. It worked spectacularly. I was hooked from the beginning. I found Lady Trent to be very witty, intelligent, and gung-ho. For a Victorian-esque lady, Lady Trent reminded me of Helen Magnus from Sanctuary in her boldness and unwillingness to accept mediocrity. She wanted to explore. She wanted to attend college. She was fascinated by dragons and wanted to learn, study and watch them in their native habitats. I was along for the ride with her and her husband. When anything I read can relate back to Sanctuary, you can nearly guarantee that it will be a favourite book. I could easily see Lady Trent and Helen Magnus being friends.
AUTHOR: KEN FOLLETT
GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR: EMILIA FOX
This book was such a surprise to me. I listened to the audiobook because I needed something to listen to at work and I was hankering for something from Emilia Fox. I wasn't interested in classics or Sophie Kinsella, so I went with 'Jackdaws.' I did not regret one second of that decision. From the get-go, this book had my attention.
I usually love WWII fiction by default anyway. I tend to like unapologetically brutal books about WWII, because, let's be honest, it was brutal. There are no two ways about it. Follett gave me that and so much more. He presented a group of characters that were not invincible, that were not infallible, and that were not the bravest of the brave but went into the fray anyway. I also loved that the situations were not textbook raids or easy assignments; things went wrong and there was no easy fix. The characters had to think on their toes and I was incredibly invested in their assignment and whether or not they would accomplish it. Also, Follett is not afraid to hurt his characters and he does not apologise for doing what he does to his characters. I appreciate an author that does that. There were moments where I felt incredibly uncomfortable and I felt uncomfortable that Emilia Fox was reading it to me. But I loved it. There were moments where I felt that I had to stop what I was doing and just listen.
Jackdaws is also my favourite audiobook from Emilia Fox. For an audiobook that I picked on a whim, it turned out to be the best decision. Fox's reading is compelling and the character voices that she provides do not verge on caricature. I live in fear of narrators doing pantomime voices for characters of the opposite sex. I will say that one or two voices do verge on caricature but those are very minor characters so they are only in and out before you know it.
(FALLING KINGDOMS BOOK ONE)
AUTHOR: MORGAN RHODES
GENRE: YOUNG ADULT FANTASY
Okay, this book is a curve ball because it is not necessarily a great book. It isn't anything particularly unique but it made my little fangirl heart flutter. There were a lot of elements in this book that related back to my favourite characters, favourite television shows, and also to my own head-canons for those shows. I read this book is 36 hours. I have never read a book as quickly in my life. I read 250 pages of this book in one sitting. That has never happened to me before but I could not put it down because I wanted to see what would happen to Emilia. There were characters that I didn't like and then there were characters that I related back to 'Merlin' and the character, Morgause. I was living for those moments. It's hard to review it impartially because of the fact that I was essentially reading something else entirely. I got so much more out of it than any other reader possibly could because I made those mental links to things that no-one else knows about or understand. It's simply a nostalgic and sentimental read but I couldn't leave it off this list. I loved it probably for all of the wrong reasons.
AUTHOR: JANE AUSTEN
GENRE: CLASSICAL ROMANCE
2020 was the year that I finally read 'Pride and Prejudice.' Despite studying Literature for GCSE, A-Level and at university, this book was not part of any required reading syllabus. Before this year, I had only read 'Persuasion' by Austen, which I read in 2007. In 2020, I read this book as part of an 'Emilia Fox Reading Month' where I read books related to her in one way or another; she played Georgiana in the BBC mini-series adaptation with Colin Firth.
With any Classic book, I am terrified of the writing style. My brain struggles to digest the sentence structures and it makes for a very unpleasant reading experience. Mercifully, 'Pride and Prejudice' was a very enjoyable reading experience. I found that I followed what was happening easily enough (although I did have SparkNotes open on my phone just to be certain). I found myself engaging with the characters and liking the banter between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book and how fiercely I wanted to protect and defend Mr. Darcy....and throw Lydia off the Brighton pier.
AUTHOR: DAPHNE DU MAURIER
GENRE: CLASICAL GOTHIC FICTION
When I started reading Rebecca, also part of the 'Emilia Fox Reading Month,' I would not have expected it to become a favourite book. Initially, I was on the verge of putting this book down and quitting it. I didn't like the heroine, I hated Maxim and his attitude towards the heroine, and the housekeeper reminded me of O'Brien from Downton Abbey. That being said, I pushed through and I am so thankful that I did because the last 200-250 pages were like a vice-grip. I did not want to put the book down. It was gripping, compelling, and I did not want to rest until I found out what was going to happen to Maxim and the heroine. Du Maurier truly wrote a book that is timeless and still influential to this day; I could see where contemporary books, films, and television series pulled influence from this book. It was truly gripping and a very atmospheric read. When I inevitably read this book again, I will have to do so in the winter months when it's stormy outside and the mock-fire on with a nice cozy blanket.
(RENEGADES BOOK THREE)
AUTHOR: MARISSA MEYER
GENRE: YOUNG ADULT FANTASY
After reading 'Arch-Enemies' the previous year, I was sceptical about going into 'Supernova'. 'Arch-Enemies' largely suffered from 'Middle Book Syndrome' and I didn't know a lot about 'Supernova' on the lead-up to its release. I stayed away from the synopsis or any clues that the author spilled about the book.
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
I was fearful that it would focus on the will-they-won't-they relationship between Nova and Adrian like 'Arch-Enemies' did and I'm happy to say that it did not. Yes, it was there but it was not the main focus of the book 'Supernova' held my attention from the very first word to the very last word. I couldn't believe the twists and turns that Meyer pushed me in. She didn't bring me along on a ride, she put me right into the thick of it. I don't think that my eyes have bulged so wide in surprise as many times as they did throughout this book. Usually, I'm a very neutral reader; I just sit and read. This book had me gasping and cheering practically every other page. I loved it. I honestly loved it. Meyer masterfully wrote this book for any Marvel or DC Comics fan. It read like a comic book but had the action of a blockbuster movie. AMAZING.
AUTHOR: TAYLOR JENKINS REID
GENRE: LITERARY FICTION
This was a cheat entry because this was the third time that I read this book. I simply love it. I love the characters. I love Evelyn's uncompromising attitude. I love how beautifully this book is written. It's just amazing and I will be reading it again and again.
THE KING OF CROWS
(THE DIVINERS BOOK THREE & BOOK FOUR)
AUTHOR: LIBBA BRAY
GENRE: YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL FANTASY
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR: JANUARY LAVOY.
This series. THIS. SERIES. This series will go down as one of my favourite book series of all time. I listened to every book in this series on audiobook, narrated by the incomparable January LaVoy. This series follows 'diviners' who are people with supernatural abilities (telepathy, clairvoyance, manipulation etc.) in 1920s New York City. The first two books have a supernatural murder mystery at the heart of them that are both very compelling and gripping. As the fourth book was on the horizon of being released, I started listening to the audiobook of 'Before the Devil Breaks You' at work and I did not want to stop listening to it. There were moments where I had to stop what I was doing to listen to what was happening and god help anyone that tried to talked to me at the time because they would've had a bite taken out of them. Amazing book.
At the time, I hadn't planned on reading The King of Crows so soon but as soon as the audiobook for 'Before the Devil Breaks You' ended, I immediately went into 'The King of Crows.' I couldn't leave this world for a second. I simply had to continue on. I'm so glad that I did because it was just as amazing. I cannot stress enough just how much I love this series. The twists and turns within this series were so thrilling and there were moments where I gasped aloud when listening to the audiobook. I loved the character development that all of the characters went through. There are 10 leading characters and each and every one of them had the most spectacular arc. Words cannot express how amazing this series is. I love it so much.
HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD(CRESCENT CITY BOOK ONE)
AUTHOR: SARAH J. MAAS
GENRE: ADULT FANTASY
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR: ELIZABETH EVANS
Honestly, hand up, I was not expecting to buy this book never mind love it. When this book was getting promoted, I felt as if I wasn't going to buy it. I may have dabbled with the audiobook when I got a credit and I needed an audiobook for a Sunday morning shift. Cue me being in Waterstone's antes de 'Lockdown 1.0' and this book was sitting on a shelf with a '£5 off' sticker on the cover.... The book left the store with me.
Then I started listening to the audiobook. At first, I wasn't sure of the narrator. I didn't gel with her voice or her narrator accent for a while. I listen to audiobooks between 1.5x and 2x the speed. At first, her accent didn't suit the faster speed but I eventually warmed to it once the story started to grip me.
Boy, did this story grip me. I fell in love with these characters.
I was glued to my AirPod when I was at work. Especially at one point. I also nearly cried. I don't get emotional when reading but this moment got me right in the feels. I wanted to stop what I was doing and just listen to it. There are a few moments that are not safe for work but since no-one else was listening to it, it was fine. I'm invested in these characters and this world.
I loved how gritty it was, I loved how dark it went, the twists and turns, the slams into a brick wall; it was brilliant. I've read a handful of SJM books and I think this one has stolen the crown as my favourite. I honestly cannot wait for the next installment.
THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREEAUTHOR: SAMANTHA SHANNON
GENRE: FANTASY
This beefy book was such an unexpected joy. It's 900 pages but it doesn't read like 900 pages. I was intimidated by the size of it, no doubt, but I was also intimidated by the subject matter and ultimately feared a dense writing style. I had never read anything by Samantha Shannon so I went into this book blind to her writing style.
Shannon's writing style was exceptionally easy to get into right away. I wasn't struggling to read it for a second. It flowed beautifully from one paragraph to the next that before I know it, I had a quarter of the book read, then half of it, then the whole thing. I adored the world, the history of it and the characters were wonderful. I loved that they weren't perfect, that they did things wrong and learnt from their mistakes and that the battles were gritty, bloody and had stakes to them.
The book is a stand alone but a part of me thinks that Shannon is in the process of writing a sequel, or at the very least a companion book. Don't quote me on that. I just know what I remember seeing on her social media platforms.
(THE WITCHER BOOK 0.5)
AUTHOR: ANDRZEJ SAPKOWSKI
GENRE: FANTASY
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR: Peter Kenny
This book was undeniably an indulgence. I saw the matching covers in Waterstone's, the Netflix series was getting hyped all over the place and I figured that I would probably eventually get around it. My best friend loved it - I trust her judgement so, I picked up the first prequel book. I read the first two stories and then switched over to the audiobook for work.
I didn't realise that the short stories were largely fairy tale retellings. That surprised me, and I enjoyed that they were. I got to the stage where I thought that I was fed up with 'Beauty and the Beast' retellings and 'Cinderella' retellings because those things have been done to death. More and more books like that are coming out of the woodwork and they do not interest me. That being said, I loved these short stories, especially with the audiobook. The narrator did a brilliant job in bringing these characters to life. I loved Geralt and Dandelion and Yinnifer. Oh did I love Yinnifer in the audiobook. I found myself laughing out loud several times at work. Thankfully, no-one was around me to look at me like something not wise. I haven't continued with the series yet but I'm very much looking forward to the day when I start the story proper.
AUTHOR: PAM JENOFF
GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION
I bought this book back in February 2019 when I was in New York City. It was an impulse buy when perusing the shelves of Barnes & Noble. I saw the cover and was instantly intrigued by it. I read the synopsis and promptly added it to my 'to buy' pile in my arms. I was thoroughly surprised by this book. Usually with WWII historical fiction books, they tend to white wash the brutality of the war and catering to reader sensitivities. I want a WWII book that really packs punch and does not spare my feelings, like with Jackdaws. This book was not quite a brutal as Jackdaws but it reminded me a lot of Jackdaws. From the beginning, I was hooked, I was invested in the lives of these characters. Before I knew it, I had surpassed the first 100 pages and I was not letting up on the gas. At one point, I did fear that the story was going the way of a few historical fictions that I had read. It veered that direction without fully taking that off-ramp. It wasn't the full 5 stars for me, but it was a damn good book. I'm glad that I picked it up on that whim that Monday in New York City.
AUTHOR: V.E. SCHWAB
GENRE: FANTASY
This book was brilliant. There were moments where I wasn't 100% happy with it. I felt as if the ending was a bit of a cop-out and could've been better. I felt that it was very out-of-character given everything that had happened in the book.
That being said, this book in unlike anything that I've ever read before. I could feel Adeline's reservation and apprehension to be married and to suddenly give up all of her freedoms to become someone's wife. A part of me felt that she was too modern for her time period; perhaps if she was a century later, I would've believed it more. However, I adored the flow of this book, I adore Schwab's writing and the way that she portrayed her characters. I wanted to hit the characters a dozen times throughout the book but I enjoyed it. I originally gave it 5 stars because of the fact that I had greatly enjoyed the book up until the ending. It's not the full 5 stars for me, but still a favourite read of the year.
(MISTBORN BOOK FOUR)
AUTHOR: BRANDON SANDERSON
GENRE: FANTASY
And last, but by no means least, we have 'The Alloy of Law'. I listened to the last two books of the Mistborn trilogy and Elantris in 2020. I loved all of them, but there was something about 'The Alloy of Law' that really caught my attention. I loved this book more than any book in the Mistborn trilogy. That may be an unpopular opinion but I stand by it. I adored this new cast of characters with their trademark Sanderson sass. It may be the sass, it could be the fact that these books are shorter than the original trilogy and more easily digestable, but I loved the investigation, I loved the characters and I will forever love this magic system. Not the most eloquent of reasons why I loved it, just incoherent babbling.
There you have it, all of the books that were the best of the 60 that I read in 2020. Have you read any of these books?
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