This is one of my favourite things about the end of the year, looking back over my past year of reading and forward to next year as well! I missed this tradition last yea, but I’m excited to bring it back this year. This annual survey is hosted by the incredibly talented Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner.
2020 Reading Stats
Number of Books You Read: 95
Number of Books You Re-Read: 10
Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary, as usual, but I think I also read more fantasy this year?
1. Best Book You Read in 2020?
Hands down, House of Earth and Blood (which I’m going to try to not use for every single question on this survey, but no promises!).
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Ninth House – I had to set it down, and then switched to audio to read most of it. I adore the Grishaverse, but this one fell victim to the hype monster for me.
3. Most Surprising (in a good or bad way!) Book of 2020?
Untamed (which I will also try not to use for all of the questions). I knew going into the book that Glennon Doyle and Elizabeth Gilbert are BFFs and I just CAN’T with Elizabeth’s books, so I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy Glennon’s. I tore through Untamed in a day and adored it.
4. Book You “Pushed” the Most People to Read (and they did) in 2020?
Everything Christina Lauren! I got one co-worker and one of my best friends hooked on their books … MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
5. Best Series you Started in 2020? Best Sequel of 2020? Best Series Ender of 2020?
Obviously House of Earth and Blood, but I also started and finished the Section series this year, so I can easily use this series for all three questions.
6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2020?
Robyn Harding – I absolutely devoured The Arrangement and I can’t wait to read more of her books.
7. Best Book From a Genre You Don’t Typically Read/Was Out of Your Comfort Zone?
The Library Book. I’m not a huge non-fiction reader (unless it’s a book that my boss has recommended for me) but I picked up this one because it’s on Reese’s book club list and I loved it!
8. Most Action-Packed, Thrilling, Unputdownable Book in 2020?
Look Again, my first Lisa Scottoline book, but certainly not my last!
9. Book You Read in 2020 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
If the second Crescent City book is going to be released in 2021 (currently planned for November 2021), I will definitely read the first book (and cry all over again).
10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2020?
Just LOOK at that cover. It’s perfection in book form.
11. Most Memorable Character in 2020?
Addie LaRue (see what I did there? Ha ha ha).
12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2020?
I have to go with Addie LaRue again.
13. Most Thought-Provoking / Life-Changing Book of 2020?
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid was portrayed racism in a way that I hadn’t contemplated before, so it was definitely eye-opening.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2020 to finally read?
I finished the Mistborn trilogy — finally!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2020?
“Through love, all is possible.” ~ House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2020?
How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this year that was the shortest and longest.
Longest — COVD-128 (17 pages)
Shortest — House of Earth and Blood (803 pages)
17. Book that shocked you the most?
The Guest List by Lucy Foley was one of the best thrillers I read this year, and my heart was in my throat while I finished it.
18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!)
Bryce and Hunt – is there any other OTP?!
19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?
The mother’s love for her son in Look Again
20. Favorite book you read in 2020 from an author you’ve read previously?
The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult – I’ve loved almost all of her books, but I really, really enjoyed this one.
21. Best book you read in 2020 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else?
The Selection series – I’d honestly brushed it off as not my thing (even though I do love a good dress cover) but Lauren @losetimereading convinced me to give it a try! Actually, I read a LOT of Lauren’s recs this year.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2020?
Hunt, oh Hunt mmmmmm….
23. Best 2020 debut you read?
Sun a Fun Age – I can’t wait to read whatever Kiley writes next!
24. Best worldbuilding / most vivid setting you read this year?
It took me a while to get into House of Earth and Blood, and I even had to reread the first few chapters because I was super confused, but once I settled into it – WOW.
25. Book that put a smile on your face / was the most FUN to read?
You Should See Me In a Crown – I INHALED this book. It had so much in it: loveable characters, diversity, own voices, a stellar plot, and I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time I listened to it.
26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2020?
For the entire last chunk of House of Earth and Blood, I sat on my back deck SOBBING, not even caring which neighbour(s) heard me. After I finished, I sat there hugging the book and sobbed some more.
27. Hidden gem of the year?
I think I have to go with The Arrangement. I picked it up on a whim last year at Chapters when it was on sale on the new releases shelf because I’d seen it all over Bookstagram. I was definitely surprised by how captivating and un-put-down-able this thriller was.
28. Book that crushed your soul?
Without a doubt, House of Earth and Blood. So much so that it took me a few months to stop thinking about it craving a reread.
29. Most unique book you read in 2020?
Although the story is seriously icky, I think I have to go with All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. A much older man, much younger girl story is usually a total no go for me, but for some strange reason this one worked. It’s not a book I would necessarily recommend (and it comes with nearly every trigger warning possible) but at the same time I couldn’t put it down because the story was so compelling.
30. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
I don’t know if any books really made me mad exactly, but I did read the second and third Dash and Lily books at the end of the year, after watching (and loving) the TV show. A trope in YA that does bug me sometimes is when the characters are annoyed at one another but it’s just a miscommunication or a lack of communication. It makes me want to reach into the book and shake them a little — if you just TALK to each other, you’ll stop assuming how the other person feels!
1. New favourite book blog/Bookstagram/Booktube channel you discovered in 2020?
I didn’t do much blog discovery this year, but Lauren @ Lose Time Reading is one of my favourite people and she brought her blog back AND started really getting into making Bookstagram photos, so I pick her.
2. Favourite post you wrote in 2020?
Haha, there was only one New Year’s post and then … the world kind of flipped upside down.
3. Favourite bookish related photo you took in 2020?
Scrolling through was a trip through memory lane, so many great books! But this one, taken on my way home from San Francisco on March 14, 2020, feels like such a monumental moment, and features one of my favourites books of the year!
4. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
My most significant accomplishment was my commitment to The Unread Shelf Project in 2020. In 2019, I bought a ridiculous amount of books, but in 2020 I only added 26 books to my shelves. I started the year at 174 unread books and finished the year at 148. I still have a ways to go, as I’d ideally like to have all of my unread books fit on two shelves, or just my book cart, but I’m really happy with the progress that I made this year and the approach that I took towards the books that I did buy by being more intentional with the books that I chose to add to my shelves.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2020 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2021?
I read half of Les Misérables but I didn’t keep up with the chapter a day plan that I had started with. It will definitely be a book that I finish this year!
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2021 (non-debut)?
So many! A Court of Silver Flames, The Heart Principle, Take Me Home Tonight, Malibu Rising, Chain of Iron, Act Your Age Eve Brown, The Soulmate Equation, While We Were Dating, and maybe, if we’re really lucky, Crescent City #2?!?
3. 2021 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
I haven’t seen any that caught my eye yet…
4. Series Ending / Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2021?
Chain of Iron and A Court of Silver Flames are probably my top two.
5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging in 2021?
Continue along the path of being more intentional with my book purchases. I think I’ve spent the past few years getting sucked into what’s hyped and popular and I really need to trust my instincts and recommendations from those I trust. I want to broaden my reading horizons, but in a thoughtful way by exploring books that will challenge me but also ones that I know I’ll enjoy, if that makes sense? I decided to ask 12 friends to each recommend a book and I’m reading one per month. I love the diversity of the selections that have been chosen for me and it’s going to be one of the best parts of this year.
6. A 2021 Relase You’ve Already Read & Recommend to Everyone:
Concrete Rose! It was so, so, SO good and I’m looking forward to hearing Angie Thomas speak next week (and receiving my signed copy in the mail!)
If you filled out this survey, please leave me a link to your post and I’ll stop by! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to visit my little corner of the internet.
Writer Grrl Reads 