What. A. Year.
I think we can all agree that at this time last year we had NO idea what the next twelve months would bring. The clock striking midnight won't magically make all our problems go away but 2021 is a fresh start and a chance to start as we mean to go on. Be anti-racist. Be a better neighbour by staying home as much as possible and wearing a mask when you do go out. Be a champion of local businesses. Let's take the good from 2020 and keep up with it and learn from the bad and grow as humans.
Like a lot of readers, I found the year to be a weird one. Sometimes I read book after book in quick succession, and other times I wanted to do anything but read. Of course there wasn't a whole lot else to do so there were a lot of phone games being played and TV and movies being streamed. At the start of the year I didn't think I'd get to 100 books. I barely made it in 2019 and there is no point stressing about a number because reading is more than your Goodreads goal. Imagine my surprise when I hit book #100 (In a Holidaze) over Thanksgiving weekend in October! As I write this, I'm working on book # 123 (Little Women) and will start # 124 (The Duke and I so I can watch The Bridgertons) shortly. Needless to say, it's really, really hard to narrow down my favourites from such a long list. But I shall try!
First up: authors I read multiple titles from and who deserve shout outs so other titles can make it on The List! I listened to both The Flatshare and The Switch (review) by Beth O'Leary this year and absolutely adored them both. I also read an abundance of K.A. Tucker's novels and, no surprise here, loved each and every one. She wrapped up Jonah and Calla's story in Forever Wild (review) after two full length and amazing novels. She also gave us The Player Next Door (review) which I swooned over. Karina Halle also had a number of releases with Lovewrecked (review) and One Hot Italian Summer (review) being up there for me.
My favourite debut was The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (review) and, not surprisingly, my favourite reread (something I actually did this year!) was Pride and Prejudice.
I only read four non-fiction titles which, for me, is actually a high number. Desmond Cole's The Skin We're In is a must-read.
Broken down by genre and in no particular order, I present you: The List!
Historical
Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown (review)
The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham (review)
The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe (review)
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly (review)
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester (review to come soon!)
Mystery
This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf (review)
Contemporary
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis (review)
Better Luck Next Time by Kate Hilton (review)
Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter (review)
Romance
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (review)
Beach Read by Emily Henry (review)
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (review)
All Stirred Up by Brianna Moore (review)
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (review to come tomorrow!)
What books did you love this year? Do we share any favourites?
Love it! Going to have to add a ton of these to my TBR shelf!
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