This was such a fun tag that I did in 2019 so I thought I would do it again for 2020!
Number of books read: 152
Number of rereads: 7
Pages Read: 51,202
Genre you read most: Fantasy
1. Best book you read in 2020?
I read so many incredible books in 2020 but the stand out book for me has to be The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. It was such a beautifully written book with such incredible characters. I couldn’t put it down and I cried at the end. I’m already hoping to reread it in 2021.
2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t?
I was really excited to read the second book in the Mirage duology and although I did really enjoy it it just didn’t live up to my expectations. It was a lot more focused on political alliances that I was expecting and ended up being a 3.5 star read.
3. Most surprising book you read (in a good or bad way)?
I picked up the first book in the Wayward Children series on a whim, expecting to be a quick and fun read but I absolutely fell in love with this series and ended up binging all five books in the series. I’m completely obsessed with this series and I cannot wait for Across the Green Grass Fields.
4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did)?
I pushed the Washington Poe series on pretty much everyone I know who likes crime thrillers. My whole family are now eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.
5. Best series you started in 2020?
One of the best debuts and absolutely the best series I started in 2020 is The Bone Shard Daughter. I loved every second of this book and I am absolutely desperate for more in this world.
6. Best Sequel?
This is a really hard one because I read quite a few sequels I really loved in 2020 including Aurora Burning and King of Fools but my favourite has got to be the second instalment in Joe Abercrombie’s The Age of Madness trilogy.
7. Best Series Ender?
I finished the Godblind trilogy by Anna Stephens and the final book was incredible. I loved every second and can’t wait to read more books from her in the future.
8. Favourite new author you discovered in 2020?
I’m a little bit late to the party but I started reading books by Kerri Maniscalco in 2020 and I loved them. I read Kingdom of the Wicked first and it was brilliant so I picked up her Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I’m about to pick up book two and I can’t wait!
9. Favourite cover of 2020?
The cover for Orfeia by Joanne Harris is just stunning. All the books in this series are absolutely beautiful!
10. A book you can’t believe it took you so long to pick up?
I can’t believe it took me so long to pick this one up. I loved it so much and this series has cemented Amanda Foody as one of my auto-buy authors.
11. Which book made you cry in 2020?
I absolutely sobbed at Five Feet Apart. I’ve been putting off watching the movie because I’m not sure I’ll make it through without weeping.
12. Most action packed/unputdownable book you read in 2020?
My pick for 2019 was Aurora Rising so I think I will continue the tradition and say Aurora Burning. I absolutely devoured this one and I am obsessed with this series.
13. Book you read in 2020 you’re likely to re-read in 2021?
I loved this book so much and it was one of my favourites of 2020. It’s definitely one I hope to reread in 2021.
14. Best book from outside your comfort zone?
This is Going to Hurt is not really the kind of book I would normally read – I very rarely read non-fiction but this book was so hilarious and so heartbreaking at the same time that I couldn’t put it down.
15. Shortest and longest book you read in 2020?
Shortest was Emergency Skin by N. K. Jemisin at 33 pages and longest was King of Fools at 656 pages!
16. Book that shocked you most?
The Game was my last read of 2020 and it was such a twisty turny read, definitely plenty of shock twists.
17. Best debut you read?
I read quite a few debuts that were absolutely incredible but I really loved The Year of the Witching. It was such a dark and gripping read and I am so excited to read more from the author.
18. Most vivid world building/setting?
I loved the world that Bex Hogan has created in this series. I’m so annoyed I didn’t get to Venom in 2020 and it’s one of my top priority reads for 2021.
19. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?
Continuing tradition again, my 2019 pick was The Princess and the Fangirl and my 2020 pick has got to be The Bookish and the Beast. These books are just so cute you can’t help but smile.
20. One book you didn’t get to in 2020 that is first priority in 2021?
This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2020 and I cannot believe I haven’t read it yet. It’s top priority for 2021.
21. One thing you hope to accomplish in 2021?
Read more of the books I already own instead of always buying new ones.
22. A 2021 release you’ve read already and recommend?
I absolutely devoured The Burning Girls by C J Tudor. It was so so compelling. Full of brilliant characters and twists you won’t see coming.
People of Abandoned Character is the dark and gripping tale of Susannah, a young nurse who falls head over heels for a young and wealthy surgeon at the hospital where she works. They have a whirlwind romance and are very quickly married. When they return to her husband’s home she quickly finds that everything changes as he becomes more violent and argumentative. He stays out late, disappearing for days at a time and often returns covered in blood. As news reaches Susannah of a serial killer murdering women in Whitechapel, she begins to wonder if perhaps her husband could be involved.
1. The Once and Future Queen – Clara O’Connor
2. The Burning Girls – C J Tudor
3. The Heiress – Molly Greeley
4. Last One to Die – Cynthia Murphy
5. Hall of Smoke – H M Long
6. The Island – C L Taylor
This is my first time reading a book by Sharon Bolton and I can absolutely say it won’t be the last. This fast paced psychological thriller is a complex tale full of twists and turns with an ending I absolutely didn’t see coming. The Split follows scientist Felicity Lloyd who has taken a job in the remote Antarctic to escape the horrors of her past. She fears that even South Georgia isn’t remote enough to escape her ex-husband Freddie who has recently been released from prison. But Felicity has gaps in her memory and as a doctor begins to unravel the truth of her past, he heads out to Georgia in an attempt to help her.
Wranglestone is the action packed, wintry tale of a world in which the Dead have taken over America. A small group of survives have created a community in a national park and they are kept safe from the zombies by the water that surrounds them. When the harsh winter draws in though, there’s nothing to stop the zombies crossing the ice. Peter is one of the youngest members of the community and when he accidentally allows a stranger to enter the community he learns a hard lesson. He’s forced to learn how to wrangle the zombies with Cooper, a boy he’s long had feelings for. But as winter draws closer Peter and Cooper soon learn that there’s more going on in Wranglestone that meets the eye.
The Thief on the Winged Horse is the beautifully told story of the Kendrick Family and their infamous doll shop. The dolls are magic, evoking a feeling or emotion with a single touch. Though the craft was founded by sisters, the secrets of the magic are now known only to the men of the family. Persephone Kendrick is desperate to be a sorcerer, but her family refuses to allow her to learn the craft. When a stranger arrives at the shop claiming to be a long lost relative, Persephone knows this could be her chance to get what she’s always wanted. When one of the most famous Kendrick dolls is stolen, the family are pushed to the limit as they attempt to discover who could have stolen such a precious item.
The Wolf and the Water is the first in an all new series from Josie Jaffrey, set in the ancient city of Kepos. The story follows Kala, a young girl who loses her father in mysterious circumstances. Her mother is remarried to a cruel man looking to gain more power in his position as head of the household. As Kala attempts to investigate the death of her father she uncovers a secret long hidden in the city of Kepos and must do everything she can to keep herself and her loved ones alive.
Skyward Inn is the strange and beautiful story of Jem and Isley – the co-owners of an inn in the moorlands of the Western Protectorate. Their life is a quiet one, away from the modern advancements in technology and politics. We are similarly introduced to Fosse – Jem’s son who lives with his Uncle. All three characters are trying to find acceptance in this world and survive a world of aliens and travel between planets.
The Bibliophile Chronicles 