2020 was a… year. But with all the lockdowns and escapism this turned out to be a pretty good reading year for me. I read around 50 books this year. And I know this does not determine your status as like a ‘true’ reader, but it is also a pretty huge milestone for me, so I am really glad about it. Anyway here are my favorite reads from the year. Not in order because just selecting them was kinda difficult.
Ok fine if I had to choose this would definitely be on top. A beautiful Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920 shanghai with rival gangs. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 and the sequel is in my most anticipated 2021 books. Chloe gong turned out to be a new favorite author. The tension, the betrayal, the loving, the yearning. It was perfect. The characters are diverse, written beautifully, and are really dynamic. It has the trope: friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. Also, Juliette Cai can kill me and I would probably thank her. (My Review)
Six of crows
I read this sometime at the starting of the year. This is a staple in ya fantasy. There is a lot of hype around this duology and it is very well deserved. Six criminals break into an impenetrable ice court for money. That is the baseline, initially, there is literally no moral ground for those six. This book contains amazing diverse characters who have their own arcs and dynamics and goals. Nian and Inej are perfect and Kaz is the edgy bad boy we all deserved after many many toxic bad-boy tropes.
Ya, I gushed about it enough in my review. But Laini Taylor’s worldbuilding? I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like that. I am currently reading Daughter of smoke and bone and it’s just as beautiful. (My Review)
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe
I read this sometime in March. It had been on my shelf for months and lockdown happened so I finally picked it up. And finished it in a single sitting. It is a really beautiful story about these two boys Aristotle and Dante. It has friendship and love and also a family dynamic that was perfect and I was so happy to read. It has been my go-to read so many times that I’ve hit a slump.
The song of Achilles
I cried. I know what happens in the Iliad, I know how the story goes, and yet I just cried. After I read this book I was still hungover it for maybe like two weeks. And I wanted this book from Achilles pov but then I realized I would probably never emotionally recover from it. “He is half of my soul, as the poets say.” and I am supposed to be fine and go on with my life? No. Also if you’ve been keeping this off because it is hyped through the book community, just read it. It is well-deserved hype and especially the writing by Madeline miller, it is poetic, exceptional, and out of this world.
Honorable mentions:
Monsters of verity because this Schwab duology is seriously underrated
Thank you so much for reading. Do we share any favorite books? Authors?
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