20 Favorite Books Read in 2020

It was quite challenging to narrow down my favorite books from last year, there were so so so many good ones! In no particular order, these are my top 20 recommendations from last year:

(1) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

A beautiful and captivating story with exceptional writing, and a well thought out plot to boot! It’s a slow burn but by no means boring. It was also extremelly thought provoking, on so many levels.

(2) Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

Wow! My goodness I loved this book. The writing was fantastic, seriously fantastic. And if you’re into magic, witchcraft, and all things alike this is a must read. Thrilled to discover it’s part of a series and cannot wait to binge the others. Also, Samuel Dias, marry me?

(3) Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

It would’ve been weird to have read a Fredrik Backman novel and not include it in my top 20 of the year, right? He’s just too good. His characters are so well thought out and his plots are lovely. I obviously cried and very much loved it.

(4) Memorial by Bryan Washington

I bought this book impulsively and so glad I did, it was a really good story. Though the format was quite unique and took some time to get used to, however it was captivating and impossible to put down.

(5) The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

This was very bingeable. I was hooked almost immediately and found it tough to put down at night. Pretty heavy topic that was tackled exceptionally well. Bravo!

(6) The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Gah! So sweet and adorable. It was really fun to listen to as an audiobook. I laughed out loud several times and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it — I’m usually not into romance.

(7) The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

This is actually my second time reading The Power of Now. I know how mixed people feel about Tolle, but I’m in the ‘life changing’ camp.

(8) One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Absolutely loved! This book was seriously wonderful in every way. It was impossible not to route for Bea and it felt like reading a Behind the Music, but for the Bachelorette.

(9) Beach Read by Emily Henry

I really enjoyed Beach Read. It was sweet, funny, charming, and just everything. I loved our two main characters and found the book tough to part with at night. I would definitely recommend to a friend.

(10) Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This book was just perfect. I laughed, I cried, I loved everything about it.

(11) The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Surprising nobody, The Vanishing Half won Book of the Year (according to Book of the Month Club) for 2020. And rightfully so. It was lovely and sad and intriguing.

(12) Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan

I really loved this novel. I found it exceptionally relatable, given I read it right after I had my second baby, and deeply resonated with Elizabeth. And of course, in another life (literally a decade ago) felt all the things Sam felt. The complexity of our two main characters and their struggles felt so real, to who I am today, and who I was my senior year of college. This book was wonderful. Also, shout out to George, who needs an honorable mention.

(13) A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

Loved! This story had me hooked from the very first page. It was an excellent and bingeable novel. However, the ending felt very rushed and wasn’t very convincing. The novel tackles a lot of big issues, mainly race, class, and privilege. Worth the read!

(14) Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

Outstanding writing. Intense plot. Unforgettable characters, I loved their strength and resilience and watching them grow throughout the story.

(15) Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao

A lot of reviews call this novel ‘torture porn,’ which isn’t totally inaccurate. Sometimes it was too intense to keep going, but the writing was beautiful (you know, in that ‘torture porn’ kind of way (that’s a joke!)), and I’m glad someone gave this story a voice.

(16) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

This has book has been around for a while and sat on my ‘to be read’ shelf for quite a while. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I absolutely loved and adored it — five stars for sure, but the other narrative that got woven in felt so boring and tedious at times, I thought about not finishing. Overall, glad I pushed through, because it’s definitely worth the read.

(17) Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Really enjoyable. I listened to this via Audiobook and it was just a fun and totally addicting read.

(18) Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Very slow build but by no means boring. This was a gorgeously woven story with fanatic female characters who are all touched by a tragedy. God I loved this book. Thank you to SBucks for mailing it to me during lockdown!