As I shared at the end of 2019, I read a lot more self-improvement than usual last year. I personally fall into a cycle where I’ll read self-improvement, then take a break for a while and read mostly fiction, and then start picking up self-improvement again.
2020 was a year of reading fiction for me and I’m really happy with how it turned out. This year, more than most years, I turned to reading as a form of relaxation and escape.
As with most people, my plans for this year were severely interrupted. I had planned to spend the most time in Canada visiting family since I moved to the U.S., and of course, haven’t traveled since March, 2020.
Reading became a source of comfort. I spent this year rereading some of my favorite series. Reading was also a way to travel without leaving home. I’m more grateful than ever this year for the role that books and reading have played in my life.
Here’s a high-level recap of some of my favorite books and series this past year. If you want the full list of all 100 books I read in 2020, you can check it out on Goodreads.
Series rereads
The same way that some people (myself included) retwatch favorite TV shows or movies, I reread books. This year, I had a craving for long series. Here are the ones I reread:
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson
Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas
New series
My craving for reading series was not sated simply by rereading a few of my favorites. I also picked up several new series.
Evermen Saga, by James Maxwell (on Audible)
The Daevabad Trilogy, by S.A. Chakraborty (on Audible)
Dublin Murder Squad, by Tana French
The Folk of the Air, by Holly Black
Rockton, by Kelley Armstrong
The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan (In progress, this is a long one)
Standalone novels
While I generally avoid standalone novels purely because I want longer stories, a few caught my eye this year and I’m really happy I read them. These books were all captivating and I would recommend them to anyone.
City of Girls, by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett
Your Perfect Year, by Charlotte Lucas
Non-fiction
I read very little self-improvement or non-fiction this year, but I did read some. White Fragility of all of the non-fiction I read, was an important read in the context of racial justice and the work we all have to do for a safer and more equal world.
Big Friendship, by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman
Educated, by Tara Westover
White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo
Check out my 2019 reading recap here, and a popular post I wrote about how I read 127 books in one year. If you want the full list of all 100 books I read in 2020, you can check it out on Goodreads and feel free to add me as a friend there as well.
Happy reading! 📚
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