Last year, I set myself the challenge to read more, and scroll less.

I increased my reading challenge this year, and I plan to do the same in 2021. I love getting lost in a good book!

Side note: I also find that reading in bed helps me fall asleep quicker, rather than looking at a phone screen.

I never write book reviews, but I thought I’d do a quick roundup of my favourite books that I read in 2020! (You’ll notice that I have a penchant for sci-fi and thriller genres.)

If you’re looking for something to add to your to-be-read list, you may (or may not) find this useful.

5-Star Books

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

I wasn’t expecting The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires to be a 5-star book for me. I tend to avoid vampire or fantasy-style books, but this was far from one — I couldn’t put this book down!

As the cover says, it’s a thriller about a book club that has to deal with a neighbour who happens to be a vampire. It has the right amount of suspense and gore without being over the top, alongside some welcomed dark humour — it would make a great TV series.

The One

One of the first books I read this year, The One, is a thriller about an app that is essentially Tinder and Ancestry DNA combined, helping users find their “one true love.”

The book is split between different characters, giving you multiple perspectives throughout. This flow makes it fast-paced and full of suspense — an excellent read for fans of thrillers and sci-fi genres.

Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling

I may be biased, but I loved the Irish humour in Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling.

This book has been around for a few years now — in fact; it’s the first in a trilogy. I don’t know why it took me so long to read this, but I really enjoyed it, and I will certainly read the second and third books. (The second book is sitting on my shelf, waiting!) Plus, it was nice to read something based from home (Ireland) while living abroad.

If you enjoy lighthearted humour and romance, give this series a read.

Where the Crawdads Sing

I think anyone who read Where the Crawdads Sing this year loved it — I did too! Although, technically, it was more like a 4.5 star for me due to the slow beginning. But, the slow beginning is made up for, and it is well worth reading.

4-Star Books

My 4-star ratings for 2020 reads:

• American Dirt
• Animal Farm
• Ask Again, Yes
• Beach Read
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold
• Blood Orange
• Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
• The Catcher in the Rye
• Dark Places
• Exhalation
• Impostor (Alexander Gregory Thrillers, #1)
• Know My Name
• The Nightingale
• One of Us Is Lying
• The Other Half of Augusta Hope
• Queenie
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
• The Thursday Murder Club
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Where the Forest Meets the Stars

Special Mention: Station Eleven

Station Eleven is about a pandemic that hits earth, and the book begins in Toronto (where I currently live.) The perfect choice for 2020, right? Let’s just say I’m glad that I read this later in the year and not during the early stages of the COVID-19. It would’ve been terrifying to read this as the news was breaking!

For me, Station Eleven was a 3-star book, but it gets a special mention, given the year 2020 was. If you’re like me and enjoy apocalyptic/sci-fi genres, you’ll enjoy this read. I just personally felt it was missing something and could have been a lot better; that’s why I gave it 3 stars.

What did you read?

Did you read any amazing books this year? Please let me know in the comments!

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