Hello book nerds! Surprise, it’s my favorite 2020 reads!
I know, I know. I’m kind of late. December has been hectic and was a little stressful, so I never got around to writing and publishing this one. But hey, I’m here now, and ready to share my favorite reads of 2020! A fair warning though, I meant to keep this list up to 15 books only. But I couldn’t (????) I just can’t, please don’t make me *cries* In my defense, these are all great books that truly left a mark on me this 2020. Books that made my 2020 a little bit better, books that made my 2020 a little brighter.
So without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2020!
The House in the Cerulean Sea
From my review: “I went into this book not really knowing anything other than the synopsis and that it’s queer. I never knew that it will blow me away with such a beautiful, breathtaking, wholesome story. Because that’s what this book is: a beautiful, breathtaking, wholesome story from start to finish.”
Each of Us A Desert
From my blog, Four Books That Are Guaranteed To Give You Comfort: “Each of Us A Desert is just a masterpiece. There’s no other way I could describe it. Reading it is a journey you won’t ever forget, and I know for a fact the stories and little poems within this book will bring you comfort and emotions like no other.”
Raybearer
From my review: “I gravely underestimated this book. I’ve heard about Raybearer only a few times and then I saw the author in a few panels in YallStayHome, but I never really knew how precious it was until I read it myself. This book is just incredible in every way possible…”
Cemetery Boys
From my review: “I’m convinced Aiden Thomas is a mastermind. because this book is just too good. It’s lush, it’s well-crafted, and best of all, it will get you invested.”
Felix Ever After
From my review: “Felix Ever After is a story that needs to be heard, a story that needs to be amplified. It’s honest and raw, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s absolutely beautiful… there’s something poetic and mellow about it that provokes emotion and thoughts out of the reader.”
You Should See Me in a Crown
From my blog, Immersing Myself in Audiobooks: June 2020: “This was so good! So cute and wholesome and full of fluff. Showed the importance and beauty of friendships, of family, of young love. There are also great character developments, especially the main character’s.”
I’ll Be The One
From my review: “…once I read the whole thing, I found myself loving it for more and more reasons. I’ll Be The One is a fun and wonderful book, brimming with romance, confidence, and body positivity. Safe to say, it’s exactly what I needed in my life.”
Only Mostly Devastated
From my review: “This book was just a breath of fresh air! It was the perfect YA romcom novel I’ve been craving for lately. It was funny and cute, but it was also sad and heartfelt.”
Harrow the Ninth
From my review: “Reading [Gideon the Ninth‘s] sequel, Harrow the Ninth, now is like enjoying a nice, eventful walk… and then getting hit by a bus. This brilliant, confounding, and heartstopping sequel will quench the thirst of the fans, but not without leaving a new set of mysteries to keep us hooked.”
Wicked As You Wish
From my review: “Wicked As You Wish is an exciting and adventurous book perfect for fans of classic fairy tales and those who hunger for Filipino representation!”
Blazewrath Games
From my review: “With great character arcs, exciting plot twists, remarkable world-building, and queer rep, Blazewrath Games is a fantastic debut fantasy to watch out for!”
Master of One
From my review: “…I have to say, there was a lot more yearning than I anticipated (which of course is not a bad thing!). It reminded me a bit of fanfiction… You know, the ones that are slow burn and have 300k words and end up hurting you more than you’d like to admit… yeah, that.”
Last Girls
From my review: “Last Girls has a unique and palpable suspense that will have the readers hold their breaths or clutch the armrest or send their minds reeling.”
The Electric Heir
From my review: “The Electric Heir is one conclusion I will never forget. It’s powerful, it’s gripping, it’s intense, it’s heartbreaking, and above all, it’s beautifully done. I am truly in awe of this book.”
The Unspoken Name
From my review: “The Unspoken Name is a glorious story and an epic journey about a girl who learns how to defy her fate, to make her own choices, and to pursue freedom.”
Conventionally Yours
From my review: “You know what I think? I think Conventionally Yours would make a great queer rom-com movie… It’s a story that will make you root for the characters, make you feel for their wants and their sorrows. It’s a story filled with tension, self-realizations, and humorous moments.”
Miss Meteor
From my review: “Best of all, I loved the whole message Miss Meteor was trying to deliver to the readers. That we should all try to see our value and self worth, and learn how to lean onto other people as well because we need them just as much as they need us.”
The Magic Fish
From my review: “The Magic Fish is such a beautiful story of families trying to communicate despite that language barrier; of immigrants and the hardships they go through; of friends being there for each other; and of fairy tales inspiring us and representing our lives all at the same time.”
Down Among the Sticks and Bones
From my review: “Just like the first book in the series, that prose is exquisite and it’s my favorite thing in the world. The writing style is clever and puzzling. And overall, this one was dark, eerie, and yet, melancholic!”
In An Absent Dream
From my review: “There was something so bittersweet in this volume that I can’t quite explain. The main character, Lundy, gained so much and lost so much throughout the course of the story. She also experienced so much and missed so much at the same time. This story was just so beautiful and melancholic in every way possible, I am amazed.”
And there you have it! My 2020 favorites! There are also a couple more books that definitely stood out for me throughout the year. Some of them include: The Fever King, Crownchasers, Where We Go From Here, Th Black Flamingo, and Clap When You Land.
2020 Reading Recap
I believe 2020 was a great reading year for me.
For starters, I read 100 books! 100 books, y’all! My original goal was only 50 books, but I managed to read double. I actually thought I wouldn’t achieve 100, but in the last two weeks of December 2020, I read a lot of novellas! *wink* That definitely helped my goal, and as a bonus, I think I’m now starting to like novellas. Have you read a lot of novellas?
Out of those 100 books, 78 are queer. I was so happy about this! In 2019, (if my memory hasn’t failed me) I only read 13 LGBTQ+ books. This was the main reason I started my LGBTQ+ reading challenge. Now, I can say that I achieved this personal goal! Also a testament to this is the fact that almost all of my favorite 2020 books are queer books! I truly love that for me.
Out of the 100 books, 33 also feature a POC cast or are written by an author of color. I discovered numerous new authors of colors this 2020 and I’m glad I was able to read their books! However, I definitely think I can do better though. I hope next year, half of the total books I’ll read will feature POCs!
I also overcame my weakness and listened to several audiobooks—and loved them! Although now, I have reverted back to my old ways, but in my defense, I’m stressed and sleepy to listen to more audiobooks. *cries*
I read several series in 2020 as well. They were the Feverwake series, The Old Guard comics, and Wayward Children series. And goodness, all of them were great!
Time to end this reading recap here! Jumanji-like obstacles aside, 2020 has been an incredible year of reading. My only wish is that this continues into 2021! And of course, I wish you a great 2021 filled with books as well!
How about the rest of you nerds? What were your 2020 favorites? How was your reading in 2020?! Tell me in the comments!
Enthralled Bookworm 
Raybearer and Cemetery Boys were two of my faves as well! You Should See Me in a Crown is high priority for this year.
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Aww yaaayy! So glad you loved those two! They deserve all the hype for sure. And oohh, I hope you like Crown! It’s one wholesome read!
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Cheers for reading 100 books and most of them being queer. I love that! I also really enjoyed Miss Meteor, Raybearer and The House in the Cerulean Sea last year. I’m so excited for the sequel to Raybearer. There are so many books on here I still need to read! I want to up my LGBTQ+ reading this year, so I might also have to try out a reading challenge in 2021. Awesome post!
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Yay! Ohmygosh, I love that you also enjoyed some of my favorites! Hi five! And hey if you want to read more LGBTQ+ fiction this year, I have an LGBTQ+ book reading challenge for 2021! Plus a book bingo to make it more fun 😀
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Yes! I just printed it out and stuck it into my journal so I can keep track thank you!!
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That is a great idea! I love it omg! Good luck 😀
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