The Books That Made My Year

The Books That Made My Year - 2020

Well, that's another year done.

And I think I can speak for all of us when I say - thank god that's over!

This has been a tough year for all of us, but while being stuck at home, one of the things that managed to get me through was sitting at the window with something to read - transporting myself somewhere else entirely. Especially at times like this, it's so important to appreciate the arts, and the artists that make our lives that much more enjoyable, that get us through the tough times and the good times - artists are really an invaluable part of our lives.

I've managed to totally smash my reading challenge for this year - currently I'm up to 124 out of 100 books!

And this year has been a wonderful year for literature, I've discovered so many new books this year that have firmly cememented their place on the favourites shelf from now on, so let's take a quick look back at my top five books from 2020.

In Five Years (March 2020)

This book honestly opened my eyes to the world of contemporary romance, a genre that I've definitely been sleeping on for far too long - it was so different to every romance novel I've ever read and I still think about it now!

The Switch (April 2020)

Beth O'Leary just has a way of writing that just makes you fall in love with everything about her characters. Her first book was so uniquely charming and The Switch was no different - it was the freshest take on a coming of age story that I've read in such a long time and it had everything - romance, family, hilarity, and it was such a heartwarmer.

Women Don't Owe You Pretty (June 2020)

I don't know how many times I've read this book in the last six months but I'm probably going to read it many more times in the future. It's a must-have on the bookshelf of any feminist.

Pretending (April 2020)

This book was a masterpiece - but that's just typical of Holly Bourne at this point. Speaking to the angry woman inside all of us, this book managed to fit in so many witty commentaries on serious issues, but also packing in so many funny and beautiful moments. This may be my favourite book released this whole year.

Beach Read - May 2020

A romance novel ... about writers ... writing novels ... and being romantic.

Do I have to say anything else?

There were just so many beautiful books that came out this year that trying to choose five to put in a list was near enough impossible - nearly everything I read this year was honestly amazing and I've had the privilege to check out some upcoming authors who I'm sure we'll be talking about next year.

Now, if you know what your favourite books of the year are - please send me a message/comment, I'd love to know what you loved this year and check out your favourites too!

Happy new year, and happy reading!

- Bethany x

Comments

REVIEW: This Could Be Us by Clare McGowan

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REVIEW: Live, Laugh, Lesbian by Helen Scott

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BOOK TOUR STOP x RANDOM THINGS TOURS: Thirty Days of Darkness by Jenny Lund Madsen

" This town has secrets that are best left alone." Author Hannah is a success, on paper at least. She's receiving critical acclaim and praise worldwide and her work is regarded as some of the best. She writes literature, not just books. But the reality is, outside of the literary circles nobody actually reads her work. But when she finally snaps at a book event and publicly criticises the genre fiction books that outsell hers, claiming they're easy and mindless she's challenged to write her own crime fiction novel in just thirty days by an author she loathes. Desperate not to lose to him, her editor arranges for her to spend a month in a quiet, cold village in Iceland hoping that the solitude will spark inspiration. But instead of writing a murder story - she's in one . Just before she arrives, the body of a young man is pulled from the icy waters and her search for ideas soon becomes a search for a killer. And if she's not careful, she might end up the...

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