Well, that's pretty amazing. I read the exact same number of books in 2020 as I did in 2019! I missed my Goodreads goal of 75 books, but I'm still quite pleased with my year of reading. I participated (unofficially) in three reading challenges (20 Books of Summer, RIP XV and Nonfiction November), which helped motivate me to read more from my own stacks. I listened to a lot more audiobooks than last year, knocked a few of the older ARCs off the stacks, but didn't read a single ebook. Contemporary fiction and mysteries (look at all those favorites by Louise Penny!) were the main focus of the year, but memoirs and historical works were also favored.
Books Read: 55
Print: 39
Audio: 17 (one read/listen combo)Ebooks: 0
ARCs: 6
Rereads: 1
Fiction: 42
Nonfiction: 13
Mystery: 15
Series: 3
Science Fiction/Fantasy: 1
Classics: 0
Poetry: 1
Teen/YA: 0
Children's: 1
Memoirs: 8
Science Fiction/Fantasy: 1
Classics: 0
Poetry: 1
Teen/YA: 0
Children's: 1
Memoirs: 8
History: 4
Graphic Novels: 0
Graphic Novels: 0
Books in Translation: 1
Epistolaries: 0
Culinary Memoirs: 0
Male Authors: 12
Female Authors: 43
New Authors: 28
New Authors: 28
From My Stacks: 34
Borrowed: 21
Ratings:
5 stars: 7
4.5 stars: 3
4 stars: 19
3.5 stars: 1
3 stars: 15
2 stars: 8
1 star: 2
Borrowed: 21
Ratings:
5 stars: 7
4.5 stars: 3
4 stars: 19
3.5 stars: 1
3 stars: 15
2 stars: 8
1 star: 2
Top Ten of 2020:
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett Graff (5/5) - Favorite Nonfiction
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (5/5)
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant (5/5)
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (5/5)
Glass Houses by Louise Penny (5/5) - Favorite Mystery
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (5/5) - Favorite Novel
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (5/5)
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (4.5/5) - Favorite Audiobook
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (4/5)
The River by Peter Heller (4.5/5)
Honorable Mentions:
Two Girls Down by Louise Luna (4.5/5)
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center (4/5)
The Janes by Louise Luna (4//5)
Oona Out Of Order by Margarita Montimore (4/5)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (4/5)
The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (4/5)
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (4/5)
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson (4/5)
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (4/5)
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (4/5)
A Better Man by Louise Penny (4/5)
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (4/5)
The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin (4/5)
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough (4/5)
When My Time Comes by Diane Rehm (4/5)
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (4/5)
Blood Harvest by S.J. Bolton (4/5)
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (4/5)
A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read (4/5)
Find my complete 2020 list (including all reviews) here.
You had a great year. I've read 7 from your tops list, some in past years. Hope you enjoy your 2021 picks.
ReplyDeleteDiane, I'm quite pleased with my reading in 2020, especially since there were so many distractions!
DeleteI read one book less in 2020 than I did in 2019. I was surprised at that, though I really shouldn't have been. Lots of stopping and setting aside of books. I've read 4 of your top 10 and 10 of your honorable mentions. A Field of Darkness brings back memories. Don't think that author is writing at this time. I think I read all the books in that series. By the way, lovely picture in your header. :-)
ReplyDeleteKay, I think a lot of us put aside several books this past year. Far too many distractions. Yep, it looks like that last book published by Cornelia Read was back in 2012. Thanks for your nice comment about my header photo. It was such a beautiful day!
DeleteOooh. What a nice variety. :) Some of my favorite authors and books and some new ones to investigate!
ReplyDeleteJenclair, I hope you enjoy the new ones!
DeleteYou had a great reading year, Les, and I congratulate you on the challenges.. I couldn't get there this year. Nothing to See was my favorite audio of 2020, too. Not at all what I expected, but I loved it.
ReplyDeleteThe Only Plane in the Sky has been on my list since the moment it was released. Didn't feel like I could face it, but hopefully I will soon. State of Wonder was a favorite the year I read it, and Bean Trees was a winner for me, too.
Your review convinced me to put American Dirt back on my list and The Snow Child is already waiting on my kindle. I look forward to seeing where your reading takes you in 2021!
JoAnn, it was a pretty decent year and I had fun with the challenges. Nothing To See is such a memorable book. I may have to add it to my re-read list (not that I ever really re-read my favorites). I hope you get around to reading The Only Plane in the Sky. While it's a sad topic, the book is so well-done. And, yes. Move American Dirt and The Snow Child to the top of your TBR list for 2021. They are both so well-written and thought-provoking.
DeleteI read the same amount of books as you!! I forgot to review one though but oh well.
ReplyDeleteI read one book on your best of list, Kingsolver. I read that ages ago but loved it.
I've read more of your honorable mentions though.
I am going to sit in my loft today to go through my books to see which ones I own that I still haven't read. I keep a spreadsheet for my Kindle books and review copies but not my physical copies and sometimes they get hidden by things like my daughters audio equipment. I am not a huge book buyer. If I visit an Indie store I will buy to support them but everything else is either used or from Overdrive for my Kindle and yet I still have a long shelf of physical books. It's fun to go through them though.
Ti, well isn't that a coincidence! Yep, I read that Kingsolver many, many years ago and decided it was time for a re-read. Thankfully, it stood the test of time.
DeleteI hope you had fun going to through the books in your loft. I love organizing my shelves of books and should do the same.
Isn't The Bean Trees the best? I loved that book. I'm pretty sure that was my first Kingsolver and have since really enjoyed several of her books. What a great reading year you had. You are caught up on the Louise Penny series right? Now to wait for her next book. I also have several of your honorable mentions on my TBR so I'm excited for those! Here's a great reading year in 2021!
ReplyDeleteIliana, The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven are great novels. Maybe I'll get around to re-reading the latter sometime this year. I am reading Louise Penny's latest right now. Then I'll be caught up, just in time for her new book later this summer/fall.
DeleteI just picked up The Snow Child from the library yesterday. I'm excited to read it! I need to make some substantial progress on my current nonfiction book before I start it though.
ReplyDeleteI read and loved The Bean Trees and State of Wonder a while back.
Several of your other books have caught my eye as well.
I hope this reading year is even better than the last!
Jen, I hope you enjoy The Snow Child as much as I did. My husband thought it was beautifully written, too. Yep, Kingsolver is a master wordsmith, imho. Time to re-read some of those earlier novels. Happy reading!
DeleteI loved The Snow Child. Thank you for recommending it to us.
ReplyDeleteAnd I still (!) haven't gotten around to Nothing to See Here....
Deb, I'm so pleased that your enjoyed The Snow Child. Rod read it as well and thought it was beautifully written. Oh! Nothing to See Here is sooo good, but if you can, listen to the audio. I'm not sure if it's as funny in print.
DeleteGreat list! I've read the last 5 on your Top Ten List and liked them all. And The State of Wonder was a thought-provoking novel! I have a copy of the Garrett Graff 9/11 book but not sure when I'll be able to get to it ... sometime this year! You had a good reading year ... as many of these are good quality, enjoyable reads. Happy reading in 2021.
ReplyDeleteSusan, Graff's 9/11 book is a tough subject, but so well-done. I hope you aren't disappointed. Yes, I suppose I did read some good quality books, in spite of a lot of ho-hum/mediocre ratings on others. I'm anxious to get back to some of the backlist titles I've had on my shelves for decades. Should be a fun year of reading!
DeleteI'm with you on State of Wonder - but then I always love Patchett's books. Isn't if funny that we bloggers find more than 50 books read in a year not as many as we'd hoped to read? I remember when my kids were growing up and there were years I was lucky to read 12 books!
ReplyDeleteLisa, Patchett is quite a storyteller, isn't she? She ranks right up there with Barbara Kingsolver, in my opinion.
DeleteSomewhere, I have a list of the number of books read each year, dating back to the late 1990s. I'll have to see where it is and share it here. I know there were a few years that I didn't read very many, that's for sure!
I appreciate so much that you post your book reviews. It helps that I like your taste in books. :-) I read State of Wonder a couple of years ago and loved it. Thanks to you, I've discovered other books, such as Nothing To See Here and Oona Out of Order and loved them. The Snow Child and American Dirt are on my list.
ReplyDeleteLaurel, I'm so happy to hear that you have found some good reads via my reviews. I would love to know some of your favorites, if you're inspired to make a list. :)
DeleteGreat list, Lesley! I've only read two of them - Nothing To See Here, on my Top 10 list last year: and The River, which I also really liked. I've been meaning to read "The Snow Child, I've read the author's To The Bright Edge of the World, which was on my list in 2016. Also, Louisa Luna, my favorite discovery on thrillers!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee. Nothing to See Here was so good on audio! And scenes from The River have stayed with me all year. I don't think it was as good as The Dog Stars, but close. I plan to read To the Bright Edge of the World. Eventually. I'm about to post my 2021 TBR "list." Need more hours in my day.
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