What I Read in 2020
I don’t think I’m alone in saying 2020 was a messed up year. But that’s too big a topic, to begin with, so let’s talk about how it affected my reading. For the last 2 years, I had set my reading goal at 50 books a year, comfortably hit about 40 by the beginning of December, then had a mad rush to complete the list by New Year’s Eve, which somehow I managed. However, to avoid that mad rush in 2020, I lowered my goal to 30. But then, due to lockdown, I achieved that by about June. So I reluctantly set the goal back up to 50, and what do you know?! I did it! In total, I read 54 this year. And here they are, in the order I read them.
All links are affiliate links, which I make a tiny percentage from - but it doesn’t cost you any extra! Also, the * at the end of the listing, means that the book was sent to me for free by the publisher - but all opinions are my own!
1. A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
This was a wonderfully festive way to begin 2020, with a children’s book by one of my favourite authors, read to me by Stephen Fry. Also, this is being turned into a film! Which I’m sure will become one of my all-time festive favourites.
2. ———
Was a book by someone, I no longer wish to support… Three guesses who.
3. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
After watching the Amazon Prime series featuring David Tennant and Michael Sheen, how could I not want to read this? My friend Shuhui lent me her copy, and it was just as brilliant as the TV series. It also made me aware of how brilliant the adaptation was, and how closely it followed the book.
3. minimal: how to simplify your life and live sustainable by Madeleine Olivia *
I loved this book. I’ve been trying to live more sustainably for a while now, and this was the perfect non-preachy book to help me with this. It’s also got lots of great tips and recipes which are bookmarked in my copy - and I found the most informative part about compost…
4. Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad *
This book was sent to me by Quercus Publishing, and it was an incredibly eye-opening and difficult book to read. Brilliantly written, but it really makes you do the work when it comes to race and your white privilege. It really made me reflect upon things I had done which at the time seemed fine, but now I see was incredibly problematic. I still think about this book regularly, and I hope it’ll be something I pick up and work through each year.
5. F*ck No! by Sarah Knight *
In 2019, and the many years before that, I had a really terrible habit of saying yes to everything. Of wanting to be included, of not wanting to let people down, and burnout was a regular occurrence. And although I’m not quite out of the woods yet, I’m stood in a clearing, and this book helped me to get there. It helped me to get better at setting boundaries, and realising that my time is more important to me than to others. I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone who thinks the same.
6. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
This fiction book brilliantly showed how stories are truly told from the perspective of the author. Such a Fun Age really explored this idea, and had a brilliant level of tension and character development (or intentional lack of), and I really enjoyed it. (I even made Fergus read it!)
7. The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight
You may notice a lot of Sarah Knight’s books in this list. I’ll admit that none of them hit me quite as much as F*ck No did, but that doesn’t mean the books were any less brilliant.
8. Finale by Stephanie Garber
In 2019, I read the first two books in the Caraval series, and early in 2020, I read the finale. This book was just as magical as the first two in the series, and ties up all the loose ends I could have wanted. If you’re looking for some magical, fantasy, escapism, then this is the book for you.
Buy Caraval (the first in the series) →
9. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I bought this 50 page book on my Kindle and read it in about half an hour. It perfectly summarises every argument you have when defending feminism, and from now on I’m just going to send people a link to this book. It was also really interesting to hear thoughts on feminism from a perspective that wasn’t my white one.
10. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
I absolutely loved Queenie. It was raw, it was real and it was so moving.
11. Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen *
After I’d read this book I thought I’d enjoyed it, but I will admit it was very odd. I’m not sure I recommend it, but also if it sounds like your thing, then go for it. It’s the story of Majella who works in a chip shop and tries to live a quiet life. It definitely made me think a lot, again about perspective, so maybe it is a good book. I’m not sure what I think as I’m sure you can tell…
12. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig *
I was lucky enough to read this book back in April, and then be included in the online blog tour on my Instagram for this book. Matt Haig is one of my all-time favourite authors, and his new book was everything I could have hoped for. A library, endless possibilities, and self-exploration. This book follows Nora through a library, full of books which allow her to visit all the lives she could have lived. This book was incredibly moving, and as always with Haig, brilliantly written.
13. Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
The sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this book again follows young amateur detective, Pip. I was apprehensive to read this book as the first book ended so nicely. But this book exceeded my expectations and I think I preferred this to the first - which is saying something!
14. The Eve Illusion by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher
I loved this book. It was, to me, a novel and unique dystopian world in which girls have stopped being born, and the hopes of humanity surviving are pinned on Eve, the first young girl born for many years. This is the second in the trilogy and I’m eagerly anticipating the third.
15. The Place I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Jackson
This was the first of Jackson’s books I read, and it follows Amelie visiting al the places Reese, the boy she thought loved her, made her cry in public. This book handles a multitude of difficult topics including; emotionally abusive relationships, rape, and trauma.
By the end, this book had me sobbing uncontrollably, and if that doesn’t show the power of this writing I don’t know what will.
16. The Sight of You by Holly Miller *
This was not the book I expected. By the end of this book, I was in tears. This book follows the love story between Joel, who has dreams of people he loves that always come true, and Callie, a wonderful person who's hung up on the past. Their relationship, this story, and the writing are all so beautiful and you can't help but keep reading. This book will make you feel love. True and overwhelming love. Cheesy like real life, but also tough like real life. An absolutely phenomenal read.
17. The Missing Pieces of Me by Amelia Mandeville *
Firstly, the story was absolutely beautiful. It’s about the “perfect” couple, Willow and Dustin, and their baby. And the story and mystery of what happens when Dustin comes home to find the baby alone with no explanation of where Willow has gone. This book is so easy to read, and draws you into a plot of lies, mystery and heartbreak.
Secondly, I interviewed Amelia about this book for my podcast (you can listen to it here), and since then we’ve become really close friends. We’ve spoken if not daily, then multiple times a week since this interview, and I couldn’t imagine not having her at the end of a phone (or voice note) to rant to, cry to, or laugh to. So this book will always hold a special place for me, because it brought me a best friend.
18. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
When I was younger, I constantly reread The Hunger Games, the story and plot so disturbingly fascinating, and the characters so incredibly well written. But I’ll admit I haven’t read them in a while. When I saw this book was coming out I was, of course, very excited, but I didn’t really look into what the book was, or who it would follow. I simply saw the words “Hunger Games” and “prequel” and I was sold. So, when I began reading this book, I was surprised to see the name we know from the original trilogy, ‘Snow’. This book follows his journey as one of the first mentors in the 10th Hunger Games. This book is absolutely fascinating with the way it adds historical context to the Hunger Games, with memories of the war beforehand, how it was established and how simple they once were. Following this time in this dystopian world through the eyes of the villain from the trilogy is an absolute strike of genius and really plays with your emotions.
I’d definitely recommend this book to any fan of the Hunger Games, or anybody wanting to be swept up in a horrifying dystopian world.
19-21. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
How could I not? Having fallen back into this world? I had to reread the series and over analyse every scene with President Snow.
22. Pretending by Holly Bourne
*trigger warning sexual assault and rape - maybe skip to number 23*
‘Pretending’ is a book following the journey of April, who starts dating by pretending to be the girl ‘every guy wants’. Whilst being hilarious and very self-aware, the book also deals with issues around trauma, sexual assault and rape. According to Rape Crisis, 20% of women and 4% of men have experienced sexual assault since the age of 16. It’s heartbreakingly such a common occurrence that’s rarely talked about and it’s handled so well in this book. The characters are self-aware enough to know what’s causing the trauma, and how they shouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of actions that weren’t their fault, and yet they still blame themselves. This book handles this so well, and although it’s emotionally very difficult to process, it’s very easy to read. If you’re able to read this, I’d really recommend it as it covers such important and pressing issues in a digestible format.
23. I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite
Since hearing Candice talk at the Quercus 2020 event held in October 2019, I’ve wanted to read this book, and I was not disappointed. I downloaded this on Audible and it was brilliant to hear her tell her own story of being a Black British mother. I’d really recommend this.
24. Calm the F**k Down by Sarah Knight
Are we even surprised I bought and read another of her books?
25. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Girl, Woman, Other is a book teeming with life. Just life.This book so beautifully links so many people’s stories together and shows what a complicated web the world is, and how there’s always more than one side to a story. I was apprehensive to read this as I don’t normally like books described as “a series of short stories” but the way they all wove together made it an absolute joy to read. I definitely recommend this.
26. A Girl Made of Air by Nydia Hetherington *
A Girl Made of Air is as magical as the title would have you believe. It’s the enchanted memoir of a funambulist, and her tales of the circus, the longing to be loved by her mother, and the search for a friend’s lost child. The book is wildly mystical; and will break your heart then put it together again. The book jumps about a bit which is sometimes difficult to follow, but also follows the protagonist’s thoughts. However, when you’re in the midst of the story, nothing else matters, it’s one of those books that does really draw you in. If you enjoy the magical writing of Stephanie Garber or Carrie Hope Fletcher, then this is a book for you. Also, Nydia has been confirmed as a guest for the next series of my podcast, so make sure you’re subscribed!
27. Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo *
Meet Me in London is the classic rom-com plot of a pretend relationship becomes too real. The perfect cheesy Christmas read!
28. Every Colour of You by Amelia Mandeville
I read this having loved Amelia’s first book so much and my goodness this one did not disappoint. It broke my heart, which of course Amelia got a running commentary of as I read it.
29. Older and Wider by Jenny Eclair *
This book is an absolute must-read for any person who will go through menstruation. Whilst being informative - and rather alarming! - it's witty and very easy to read.
30-34. Percy Jackson Series
I read the Percy Jackson series when I was a young teenager, me and my brother used to go to the library and get them out at the same time. Quite honestly, I remember loving them but because we didn't own them, I never read them more than once and I totally forgot what happened in them. But then somebody bought me the first book from my Amazon wish list and then I reread the entire series. I can definitely remember why I loved them when I was younger, and I can't wait for them to become a series I reread for comfort and to get me out of reading slumps.
35. MumLife by Louise Pentland *
Before anyone asks, I’m not pregnant. I read this book because I’ve been watching Louise’s videos for a while now. She shares such joy and happiness but is also very realistic about motherhood. I cried reading this book, which wasn’t something I expected. Louise’s fiction is the kind of happy writing you’ll read on the beach to make you smile. And whilst this book does make you feel so happy and full of love, it also really makes you aware of how hard and cruel life can be to those who don’t deserve it. Whether you’re a parent or not, want to be, don’t or haven’t figured that out yet, I would still recommend this book to you. I think it’s really important to understand the impact we can have on children’s lives, even if they’re not our own.
36. This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens *
This Time Next Year, is a classic modern romance. It follows two people and their connection over the years since their birth on the same night, to the night they properly meet, the first day of 2020. It’s a great easy read and a fun book to escape into.
37. Out of Love by Hazel Hayes
This book broke my heart. This is Hazel Hayes’s first book, but you wouldn’t know it. She writes with incredible maturity, with beautifully lyrical (but not pretentious) language and you slip into a life that’s hauntingly real. It’s the story of two people who fall out of love, told in reverse. Whilst the story itself is heart-breaking, it also reminds you of the good in life; through the characters, their love, but for me, it was the small details. The cups of tea, the records, the inside jokes, the way people find each other and just slot into one another’s lives be it friends, family or partners.
This book is simply wonderful and feels like a classic.
38. Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer *
Where to begin? Firstly, I think it’s important to point out, I’d been waiting for this book for over 10 years. As a teenager, I was thoroughly obsessed with the Twilight series; collecting books discussing their theology, the making of the franchise, anything I could persuade my mum to buy me for Christmas. In terms of a trip of nostalgia, this book was amazing. It pulled me back into the world I’d been obsessed with as a teenager, and added more to the characters than it had the first time. I loved seeing more about Edward’s relationship with his family, and how he struggled to understand what Bella was thinking, having known just her side of it for so long.
What was significantly more apparent to me though, since I read these books when I was younger, is the number of red flags in their relationship. The possessiveness, the seeing her classmates as “children”, and the fact that he literally wants to kill her. I suppose, looking back, these red flags were always there; but to 13 year old Alice, this was just romanticised beyond recognition. However, despite some of the very troubling themes, I still really enjoyed this book; and I would recommend it to any fan of the Twilight series with the caveat that you should try to acknowledge how troubling a lot of the behaviour is.
39-40. New Moon and Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Having fallen back into that world, once again I decided to reread to continue the story.
41. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I’m going to start by saying that it to me far too long to read this book. This book was difficult to read, and I don’t mean the writing. It was wonderfully written, and the story was so brilliantly told, but the plot was so raw it made me feel so much. This book is the story of a Black girl called Starr who witnesses the shooting of her childhood friend by a policeman, and the repercussions of this.
42. The Magpie Society: One For Sorrow by Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch
I read One for Sorrow in a day, I couldn’t put it down. It’s your classic YA murder mystery book, similar in style to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. I found this book really entertaining, and I love how it switched between the perspectives of international student, Audrey, and boarding school roommate, Ivy, so effortlessly. Showing their struggles but also such a strong bond of friendship really helps bring the characters and story to life.
One of the only criticisms I have for this book if the way in which it ends – I felt like it didn’t conclude properly, to try and sell a series which is a pet peeve of mine, but sets the world up perfectly for what I can only imagine will be an incredibly intriguing series.
43. Love Frankie by Jacqueline Wilson
I was obsessed with Jacqueline Wilson when I was younger, so when I saw this book was out, I had to order it! I wish this book had been around when I was younger. I’m so glad there’s more diverse reading for young people now.
44. Into the Spotlight by Carrie Hope Fletcher
As the year carried on, you can see I fell into a habit of reading children’s books for comfort - and I’m honestly not ashamed of it. I’m a huge fan of Carrie Hope Fletcher’s adult fiction, so I saw no reason not to read her new children’s book. It was warm, fun and cosy and gave me the escapism I was after.
45. The Christmas Menagerie by Minna Howard *
I started reading Christmas books really early, but this one just wasn’t for me. I finished it, it just wasn’t for me.
46. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Ghosts is one of those books that makes you feel utterly and unapologetically human. It makes you as frustrated with the characters as you are with yourself, it breaks your heart when their's breaks, and it makes you so grateful for the people in your life who drive you mad. Dolly Alderton has such a beautifully simple way of writing which doesn't feel simple at all. It's easy to read, but makes you feel so much.
47. A Season in the Snow by Isla Gordon *
This cheesy Christmas read is about a woman called Alice (!!), who ends up with a rapidly growing dog (!!) and they go off to find a new beginning and end up in the snow. It combines my favourite things; dogs and Christmas. It also unexpectadly had a very upsetting beginning but that just made the rest of the book so much more heartwarming.
48. The Foundling by Stacey Halls
I was so so late to The Foundling fan club. I preordered this book before it came out, and this signed copy had been sat on my shelf for far too long. This story is set in 1754, and follows the story of a child given to The Foundling (an orphanage) because her mother was unable to care for her. Later, when her mother returns to collect her, she finds that the child has already been collected by someone else posing as her mother. This story was amazing, but so was the writing. I couldn’t tell how it was going to end, or even, more rarely, how I wanted it to end. This book exceeded my expectations set by Stacey’s amazing first book The Familiars.
49. Olive by Emma Gannon
I started reading/listening to this book not knowing at all what to expect or what it was about, but my goodness it was incredible. In this book, Olive starts to discover more about what she wants from life, struggles to understand why she feels that way, and how this differs from her friends. This book made me think about adulthood through the lens of someone very different to me, in terms of life goals, and that in itself was so interesting. Part of the blurb of this book reads “moving, memorable and a mirror for every woman at a crossroads, Olive has a little bit of all of us”, and I can’t express how true this is.
50. The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary *
I absolutely love Beth’s writing and I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. The story follows an ex-couple, their friends and a stranger on a road trip up to Scotland for a wedding, and it explores the messy history they all have. I read this book in less than 24 hours, which probably says a lot about how much I loved it. It had the easy to read style I love of Beth’s, but with a level of intrigue and mystery I felt was really different to her other books. The flashbacks and the uncovering of what happened really grips you and you can’t put it down. I also did a full blog post on this book, if you’d like to read there here.
51. No Shame by Tom Allen
Read by Tom Allen himself, the audiobook for this was brilliant. It was hilarious, heartbreaking and told a story of growing up gay in the suburbs, terrified anyone would find out. Whether you like his comedy or not, I’d really recommend reading this incredible story of his life.
52. The Shelf by Holly Acton
Can you tell I had some Audible credits to use up by the end of the year? This book had kept popping up all over bookstagram so I decided to go for it. Overly self aware of it’s heteronormative values, this book follows a new reality tv program where women are broken up with and left on the aptly titled ‘The Shelf’. This book was as addictive as watching Love Island, and in the same way you can’t stop watching that, I couldn’t stop listening to this.
53. The Split by Laura Kay *
This book is a brilliant contemporary fiction book that follows Ally’s breakup and subsequent breakdown of her life. This book is hilarious, witty and absolutely captivating. But the main thing I love about this book, is it doesn’t make a huge thing about having LGBT characters, they just are. We need more books like this in this world.
54. Intimations by Zadie Smith
The perfect book to end the year. In this collection of short essays, written part way through 2020, Zadie Smith talks the virus, politics and life. A short but brilliant book.