Top Ten Reads of 2020
To be honest, when I made this list I was surprised. Apparently 2020 was my year for thrillers. Here’s my list, in descending order, of my ten favorite books for last year:
10. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
5 stars for telling the stories in such detail, while still respecting the survivors.
9. Pride by Ibi Zoboi
5 stars because it’s one of the most creative takes on Pride and Prejudice I’ve ever read. And because I felt like it was a gift to experience the very real cultures of these fictional characters.
8. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
4 stars because it had great Veronica Mars vibes and sucked me in from the beginning. Just a really good YA Mystery!
7. Air Awakens Series by Elise Kova
5 stars for the entire series because I could not stop reading until I finished all five books. Great world building, great magic system, great supporting characters. I think it’s a crime this series isn’t more popular.
6. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
5 stars because I have never read anything like this in my life. Is Historical Comedic Fantasy a genre? The audiobook version of this was also fantastic.
5. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
5 stars because it’s a very original point of view for the thriller genre. I devoured it in under four hours, and in the end I wasn’t sure I liked any of the characters.
4. He Started It by Samantha Downing
5 stars because WHAT THE HECK. Even though I despised every character, had no idea what was going on, and wanted to throw my phone against the wall at the end, somehow I loved this book so much. It’s a masterpiece as far as mysteries go.
3. Loving a Lady by Nichole Van
5 stars because this book had possibly the biggest plot twist since “Luke, I am your father.” And the main characters Ewan and Violet were perfection.
2. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
5 stars because Lazlo Strange is the best hero ever written, this duology made me cry twice, and Laini Taylor’s way with words is magical.
1. Find Me by Anne Fraser
5 stars (and my number one read) because when I looked through the titles that I read this year I wanted to reread this one the most. I remember being giddy about how GOOD this story was when I read it this summer. It was pure enjoyment for me, and in 2020 we have to take joy where we can find it!
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.