My Favourite Books of 2020 So Far!
As if the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag wasn’t enough, I really wanted to do a wrap-up of my favourite books so far in 2020 because I think there are some that missed out on my earlier tag! So here are my top ten books of 2020 so far, in no particular order…
Dangerous Alliance by Jennieke Cohen
I read this back in February, after I saw my friend reading it and… liberated it from her. Temporarily. It’s a regency romance and to be honest I was quite sceptical as I always find these things can be done badly - but it was wonderful! A heroine who knows what she wants, a romantic interest that follows all my favourite Austen tropes, and with a dose of suspicious activity for good measure! It was an easy read and such fun, and I’d read another if it existed!
Heartstream by Tom Pollock
This was SO CREEPY. I expected something really twisty and head-melting after reading White Rabbit Red Wolf last year, but this was next level. It’s all about the power of social media and it’s so vindictive and so twisty, and so compelling. The strength in this is that all of what happens in this rings true; you can see how such extreme situations can come from social media and the power of the internet. Not a comfortable read, but brilliant nonetheless.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
And this of course was SO MUCH FUN. I know, I know, I wanted to bring books up here that I haven’t already wanged on about for hours, but this was too good to leave off. Nimona decides she is going to be Lord Blackheart’s evil sidekick. Lord Blackheart… is not keen on this idea. But also, it means he can rub it in his enemy’s face, the hero Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin. So, there’s that. Nonsense, hilarity, and hijinks ensue, with enough sass and trolling of hero/villain tropes to make my heart sing. An utter joy of a graphic novel.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
This books is truly masterful. The use of language, the way that the story is told, and just the presence of Agnes are the three main things that I adored about this book. I also loved the fact that Shakespeare is never named in this book - the story is about his wife and their children and Stratford, not Shakespeare the playwright. It is a compelling tale of loss and grief and family, and I cried so many times because just the expression of those emotions was so incredible, and so heartfelt, and so authentic and overwhelming.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
I am trash for the Dregs. I cannot believe I didn’t get to Six of Crows sooner. It’s the perfect heist novel, and the whole time you can almost feel Leigh Bardugo cranking the tension tighter and tighter, fraction by fraction, and are completely powerless to save this gang of idiots who are facing almost certain death for the chance of glory - and thirty million kruge by way of prize money. All the characters are so well rounded and developed that they all felt equally interesting and equally worth my love! And that ENDING. Reader, I gasped.
You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson
This was just such a massive bundle of joy, I did not stop smiling for the whole book. I got real Simon Vs vibes from it, but better. I loved Liv, the main character, and her friends. I loved the fact that she was taking on the unenviable task of vying from Prom Queen for non-popularity-related reasons, and I also loved her friendships. I am here for ALL the platonic male-female friendships. More of this please.
This should get its own feel-good movie in the style of Love, Simon. You know what to do, Hollywood.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
A deaf witch and non-binary werewolf team up to save their town from supernatural shenanigans in this adorable graphic novel. Need I say more?!
(Okay, I will). The art style in this is so lovely, and that was one of the main things I enjoyed about this story. It really made the story something I enjoyed even more than I would have done if it had been in traditional prose. The whole thing felt so lovely and homely, and the relationships between all of the characters were so well done. Thank you to Kate for the recommendation!
My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
This was honestly the perfect laugh-out-loud feel-good story. It follows Winnie, who’s just broken up with her supposedly perfect (and fated) boyfriend, who turned out to be not so perfect after all. But they still have to co-run their school Film Soc, and trying to achieve her film ambitions while bickering with her ex is hard enough for Winnie - let alone being distracted by fellow film geek Dev. I smiled the whole way through, I wanted to throw something at Winnie’s ex, and just the friendships and relationships in this were so well done. A book I’ll definitely be coming back to whenever I want cheering up!
Hold Back The Tide by Melinda Salisbury
This is frankly one of the most under-appreciated books of 2020 and I am outraged that more of you haven’t come across it, read it, and adored it. Hold Back The Tide is a dark, twisty, supernatural-esque tale set in the Highlands, where the main character is trapped in a house with a murderer. HOW GOOD?! Mel’s writing is always great, but I really do think that this is her best book yet. I feel like I can’t explain much more about the story without spoilers, but it’s an absolute treat and if this ending doesn’t leave you reeling, I don’t know what ending will.
Every Little Piece Of My Heart by Non Pratt
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this from Walker as part of my work over the last few months with my local indie, which has sadly now had to close. But I am so grateful I got this before that happened, because Non’s latest (out August) is an absolute gem of a story. It weaves together the lives of individuals that knew Freya before she disappeared, as they try to figure out what Freya’s letters mean and what happened to her. Perfect for fans of books like Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard. I also need to make an honourable mention for Sunny, who is hands down my favourite character. I love them all, but Sunny is just the best.
