My 2020 reading life did not start off well. When March and April hit, it took a complete dive. I’m sure a lot of people experienced that as life turned upside down in the pandemic. I barely read two books in each of those months.
Then thankfully I was able to find comfort in books and reading again. I credit Rene Denfeld’s mystery thriller The Butterfly Girl with pulling me out of that slump. A couple of years ago I read The Child Finder for book club and it was a big hit for me, one of my favorite books of 2018. The Butterfly Girl is the sequel. I started it just before bed and then stayed up all night reading until I knew how the story ended. It felt amazing! Even the lack of sleep. It had been so long since I experienced a story that I couldn’t put down. From there I was hooked all over again.
My reading life slowed down again in September as my family came together to deal with the loss of my grandma and help my grandpa. I’m so grateful that month I finally picked up The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and rekindled my love of romance. For the rest of the year I leaned heavily into my need for wonderful banter, love conquering all, and some guaranteed happy endings. In the last quarter of 2020, I discovered several new authors who offered escape.
2020 Reading Goal
When 2020 began, my only reading goal was aiming for 52 books read by the end. One book a week seemed very doable for me. In the past I had burnt myself out on too many challenges, goals, and self imposed restrictions. Eventually it took some of the fun and joy out of reading. If there was ever a year to give yourself grace, it was this past one.
I wound up reading 104 books, doubling my goal! That was only the second year that I’ve read more than 100 books, which used to be an annual goal for me. Thank goodness for my library’s online book catalog! It was huge in helping me reach that number. I also explored Kindle Unlimited last year and am definitely a fan! Rediscovering romance and devouring backlist series from new favorite authors kept me reading in the last months of 2020.
Some Favorite Books Read in 2020
The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld
In this follow up to The Child Finder, investigator Naomi has made a promise not to take another case until she finds her younger sister who has been missing for decades. Her search takes her to the grittier side of Portland, Oregon where homeless children struggle to survive. Despite her promise, she finds herself drawn to twelve-year old Celia, who ran away from an abusive home. Celia can see butterflies guiding her to remain safe on the streets but dangers are always near.
The Child Finder left so many questions about Naomi’s past. I loved how this book explores those further. The way Denfeld writes magical realism into how her young female characters deal with terrible traumas is amazing. I’m not sure that I could read her work without it. Her writing is beautiful and remains hopeful while dealing with horrific topics like kidnapping, abuse, and rape.
Like A Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy by Angela Garbes
I read this eye opening book back in May and my original thoughts can be found in this post.
It has been deemed the book on pregnancy to read after What to Expect. Pregnant with her first child, Angela Garbes embarked on a quest for scientific information after realizing how difficult it was to find answers to her questions. Through research and her own experience of motherhood, Garbes explores the science (and sad lack of studies) of what is happening to a woman’s body during pregnancy from the placenta forming to the components of breast milk to postpartum hormones.
While I found the science she shared fascinating, I was also rightfully angered that we’re only just now beginning to explore such topics. Most of the studies surrounding pregnancy involve the fetus not the mother. I loved her emphasis on all methods of childbirth being natural. Her nonjudgmental tone is encouraging to women to do whatever works for them without mommy shaming.
Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan
In this ongoing web comic series, Alison Green was once a crime fighting teenage superhero known as Mega Girl. Now Alison is just trying to escape her past as a “normal” college student. As she tries to find ways to still help the world, she discovers everyone has their own idea of how to be a hero.
I really enjoyed the grey areas of humanity, society, and morality that this story explores. So far this series is gathered into two volumes. After I checked them out from my library, I went on to read the most recent issues on the website. The creators are on a long hiatus wanting to do the conclusion of the series justice. I can’t wait to see how it ends.
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal
I read this book back in June when it was highly recommended to me by a friend.
Kit Bianci lost her sister, Josie, when she was killed on a train during a terrorist attack. At least that’s what she believed until she sees Josie fifteen years later on the news half a world away. With her life as an ER doctor in Santa Cruz turned upside down by the revelation, Kit takes off to Auckland to find her sister and deal with their past.
When We Believed in Mermaids was set in two areas of the world that are dear to me – Santa Cruz, California and New Zealand. I loved how this book wove the past and the present, as well as the points of view of the two sisters. I’m intrigued by any story filled with dark family secrets to overcome and relationships to rebuild and this delivered. The book had a little bit of everything – I enjoyed the historic mystery and the love story subplots too.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
I came across this book right when I needed to last year. It kept me out of a reading slump after two disappointing reads in August.
Normal People follows Connell and Marianne as they form a hidden relationship in secondary school and then a year later find their lives intertwined once again when they study at the same college. The story explores the push/pull of their connection as they explore other people and opportunities but always find themselves drawn back to one another.
I was surprised by how much I loved this book. I should be better about keeping an open mind, but I usually associate award winning literary fiction with being slow moving and dull. The way Marianne and Connell’s lives weave together was anything but boring. I started this book late at night and tried to stay up to finish it all in one sitting, needing to know how their story ended.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
The Kiss Quotient hooked me back in September and reignited my love for romance right when I needed to escape into happily ever afters.
Stella Lane is a successful math genius but she believes she struggles with intimate relationships due to her Asperger’s. She comes to the conclusion that she needs to practice and who better to give her sex lessons than a professional. Enter Michael, a sexy and patient escort. Michael hates what he does to make ends meet, keeping it a secret from those who depend on him. As they shift their lessons from the bedroom to a fake relationship, the lines blur between practice and real emotions.
The chemistry Hoang creates between Michael and Stella kept me reaching for romances for the rest of the year. The Kiss Quotient was steamy, funny, honest, and heart warming. It is easy to see why it’s recommended on so many best of romance lists since it came out in 2018.
The wonderful thing about the romance genre is it regularly delivers new favorites for me to fall in love with. When I finish a beloved series, I fret over having a book hangover but I’ve been lucky to discover one favorite after another.
New Favorite Series Discovered in 2020
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
This trilogy was one of my few reading successes at the beginning of 2020. In the first book, Crazy Rich Asians, Rachel Chu has no idea what she’d signing up for when she agrees to spend the summer with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, in his home country of Singapore. Nick’s family is old money, the home he grew up in resembles a palace, and he’s one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors. American born Rachel attempts to navigate this extravagant new world and the disapproval of Nick’s family.
In this case I fell in love with the movie first and then picked up the book series. I’m glad it worked out that way because there’s a huge cast of characters within the different family branches and seeing the movie helped me keep them all straight. It was a fun to get a peak into their luxurious world and crazy family.
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, and Grace Ellis
Early in 2020, I stumbled across this comic series available through my library. This comic series is just delightful. It offers an escape into the colorful, magical world of the Lumberjane Scout Camp where summer passes slower than it does in the outside world as April, Jo, Molly, Mal, and Ripley battle supernatural forces between earning merit badges.
This first volume of the series was featured on my list of short books to read before the end of the year.
Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
I read the first book, The Bromance Book Club, and the second one, Undercover Bromance, back in August.
The first book tells the story of Gavin, a major league baseball player, and his wife, Thea, who has just asked for a divorce. His teammates and various friends bring him into their secret romance book club and assign him a historical romance to study as a guide to winning his wife back. Turns out they’ve all been there at some point with their wives or girlfriends and reading romance has helped their relationships.
Some parts of this book were so hilarious, I read them out loud to my husband because he wondered why I was laughing so much! I can’t wait to read more of this series. The third one, Crazy Stupid Bromance, is currently on hold with my library. I hope we get a prequel at some point to see how Gavin’s best friend, who started the club, saved his own marriage.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache by Louise Penny
After hearing this mystery series recommended everywhere that I listen to or read about books, I finally began it last fall. I’ve only read two books so far but plan to continue as soon as I’m in the mood for more mysteries. I read Still Life in September and A Fatal Grace in October.
It’s hard to believe how much character detail, atmosphere, and insight into human nature Penny fits into these books. I always expect them to be longer than 320 pages because there’s so much heft to her character development, setting, and mystery. I love the magical village of Three Pines and cast of characters she’s created.
Pucked by Helena Hunting
Helena Hunting may be my favorite of the new-to-me authors I discovered this year! Her Pucked series had me falling in love with hockey players. A huge surprise to me because I’m not a sports person at all and didn’t really think sports romance was for me. Hunting’s raunchy humor, wild hockey stars, and eccentric heroines won me over.
I started the seven book series with the first book, Pucked, in November and finished reading it with the last book, Pucked Love, in December. My favorite of the series is definitely the third book, Pucked Over, following Randy Ballastic and Lily LeBlanc. I think this series will be one I return to in the future for comfort and laughs.
Wild by K.A. Tucker
This series was a last minute find for me as I binged the three released books in December. The first one, The Simple Wild, was definitely the best but I’m so in love with Jonah and Calla I would read anything K.A. Tucker writes about them.
This series made me ache for Alaska and for just a moment entertain my husband’s sudden idea of getting his pilot license. I’m just not that cool though. I would be a mess worrying about his safety everyday just like Calla’s mother in the beginning of the book. This is another series with an amazing cast of characters and I’m so happy to know that she plans to continue the series with side character’s getting their own love stories.
New Authors I Found in 2020
2020 was a huge year for me to discover new-to-me authors. All of the authors listed above, besides Rene Denfeld and Noelle Stevenson, were authors I read for the first time last year. There are tons more I haven’t mentioned yet.
I fell in love with Elle Kennedy through her Out of Uniform series and can’t wait to read more from her. I picked up Sarah Morgan for the first time with her romance, Moonlight Over Manhattan. Sarah Morgenthaler’s romantic comedy, The Tourist Attraction, reignited my wanderlust for Alaska as well as my audiobook listening.
Other new authors I read in 2020 include:
- Jen Wang with The Prince and the Dressmaker
- Karin Slaughter with The Good Daughter
- Meg Medina with Burn Baby Burn
- Mhairi McFarlane with Don’t You Forget About Me
- Jill Shalvis with One Snowy Night
- M.L. Rio with If We Were Villians
- Sally Thorne with The Hating Game
What’s In Store for my 2021 Reading Life?
How did 2020 affect your reading life? What were your favorite books and new authors? Did you take on a reading challenge? Let me know in the comments below.
