2020 was certainly a year, but one of my highlights is that I finally started taking my reading more seriously and became more open to different formats of reading because being an author who isn’t reading voraciously is kind of embarrassing.
I had just gotten into audiobooks at the very beginning of this year and then the pandemic hit and then I had personal stuff happen. Audiobooks became the primary reason why I drastically increased my reading despite all of that.
I still read print and ebooks, just at a slower pace.
That said, here is my wrap-up of all the books I read in 2020! For the most part, I really enjoyed everything I read and only had one or two books that I didn’t like.
These screenshots are mostly in reverse order. By the way, you can follow me on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17201948.Taylor_Ramage.
Here are my top faves of the year:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Fantastic. I was invested from start to finish. I love a good first-person present POV and this worked very well. Every character was memorable and had some type of arc, and for a story dealing with so much trauma, there was also copious amounts of love, joy, and laughter.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
Amazing. Probably my favorite fantasy I read this year, and it’s a 2020 book so look at me keeping up with what’s new! The dual POV worked really well, the characters are nuanced, and the world is rich. Very much looking forward to the sequel.
The Belles series by Dhonielle Clayton
These were great books with a whimsical yet ugly world and amazing characters. I kind of wish the series was longer so we’d get some more world building and the character development could go at a slower pace, but it definitely works as a complete story.
I loved this book with my entire soul. In fact, it’s on my comp title shelf for my current WIP. I still think about it and I still have 525,600 feelings.
A Black Theology of Liberation by James Cone
This was my favorite nonfiction read this year. Everything Cone says is still relevant today and it really proves that a decolonized Christianity has a central place in all liberation movements. A very important read for any church folks wanting to engage in racial justice work.
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater
This series is so weird and beautifully written. It’s definitely more character-driven, but all of the characters are really interesting so it works for me. It has that great vibe of a completely contemporary story with rich speculative elements and I love that.
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
Amazing. I have loved most of Scott Westerfeld’s books and this one is no exception. It’s a frame novel and partially a book about publishing (which I usually find corny), but it works so, so well. I want a sequel because both stories are super interesting.
I hope to stay on this increased reading trend in 2021. It’d be great to make a serious dent in my want to read list and my physical bookshelf, but other than that I’m not making super specific goals.
Did you read any of these books on my list? What did you think?