2020 Reading Wrap - Up

What a massive year of reading 2020 was!

I don't think I'm alone in reading more than usual - extra time at home meant extra time for reading! Although I know many of us also experienced reading slumps along with extended lockdown periods. I found it was a lot harder to concentrate on reading at times.

All the same, I did manage to read 150 books all up, and completed the Dymocks 2020 Reading Challenge.

Here's the list:

✔Australian Author: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA) Review Here
✔Indigenous Author: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) Review Here
✔From Top 101: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Review Here
✔Kid's Top 51: Withering by Sea by Judith Rossell (AA) Review Here

✔Dymocks 'Book of the Month': House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (March) Review Here
✔Re-read favourite book of all time: The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien Review Here, Here and Here (updated from The Three Musketeers)

✔Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA) Review Here
✔Featuring favourite country (France): Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn (AA) Review Here
✔From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA) Review Here
✔Award winner: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
✔Mystery/Thriller: One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) Review Here
✔Memoir: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) Review Here
✔Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts Review Here
Short stories: A Gathering of Ghosts by David Haynes Review Here (updated from Saga Land)
✔Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Review Here
✔Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA) Review Here
✔Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan Review Here

✔Teaches something new: Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall Review Here (updated from The Power of Positive Thinking)

✔Adapted to film/TV series: You by Caroline Kepnes Review Here
✔Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA) Review Here
✔Colour in title: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin Review Here (updated from Beyond Black)

✔Read in a day: Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA) Review Here
✔About books: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury Review Here
✔Makes me laugh: Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA) Review Here
✔Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
✔Said I've read but haven't: The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien Review Here (updated from Wuthering Heights) 

I only ended up switching out five titles which is pretty good for a notorious switcher! (What can I say? I'm a mood reader.) Still, I enjoyed challenging myself with some of the prompts. It also helped me get through some of the books that have been staring at me from my shelves for several years or more!

I had a lot of fun with my reviews as always and enjoyed interacting with others on Goodreads over both shared and opposing views. It's such a fantastic community for book lovers so I'm always grateful when people take the time to like and comment. 

I really did read a lot of incredible books last year, and even discovered some new favourite authors. 

Here's my Top Ten Reads of 2020:

1. The Inner Self by Hugh Mackay (AA)

2. City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

3. Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings (AA)

4. Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke

5. A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA)

6. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

7. Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

8. Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

9. Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller (AA)

10. Honeybee by Craig Silvey (AA)

I was also pleased to read so many fantastic Australian authors! We really are spoiled with talent here so I'm enjoying actively seeking to read more Aussie authors.

Overall, 2020 was a pretty successful reading year for me. :)

You can read my full breakdown of what I loved, hated, re-read, etc. and read a little more of my ravings on my Goodreads review of 2020. Find it HERE

Keep an eye out for my new reading list for the 2021 Dymocks Reading Challenge, coming soon!

Happy reading, friends!