Throughout both the first and second lockdown, reading really got me through some of my days that would have no doubt been spent endlessly scrolling through social media or not doing anything productive, because seventeen weeks of furlough gave me a lot of free time. Following on from my last blog post where I shared my Beauty Favourites of 2020, I thought I’d do a round up of my favourite books from 2020 in the hope it gives you some recommendations.
If you’re looking for some book recommendations, continue reading to see which were my favourites books of 2020!
Reading for me has always been something I’ve enjoyed but until last year I never had that time, or so I thought to properly get into reading. When in reality I have always had the time, it just boils down to how I spend my weekday evenings and weekend mornings. I’ve found that through not endlessly scrolling through my social media and spending as little as half an hour each morning or evening (or sometimes even both!) reading has massively improved my mood and productivity, and funnily enough I actually get a lot of enjoyment out of it. I think people often think reading is boring because in school it probably was, but let me tell you I bloody love it! So lets get into the reads that have made my favourite books of 2020 list!
Queenie – Candice Carty-Williams
I have already spoken about and somewhat reviewed this book in my blog post where I recommended 3 Female Empowerment Books You Need To Read and it’s safe to say that this book sits firmly at the top of my favourite books of 2020. This book was one that I and many read back in the summer when the #BlackLivesMatter movement was prominent and in wanting to open my mind up more, this book came highly recommended by many. I am just gutted that I hadn’t heard of it or even read it earlier because it truly is an amazing read. Not only does the story of Queenie resinate with many young women through the many topics that this read covers, but I found this read to be very educational when it comes to racism and what is still happening in this day and age that I/we as white people would never really know otherwise. If this book has been on your to-read list or sounds like something you would enjoy, do not hesitate to get yourself a copy.
The Flat Share – Beth O’Leary
One of the first lockdown books that I purchased was this book after seeing a fair people that I follow on Instagram recommending it, saying how good a read it was. Similarly to the above book, I have already somewhat reviewed this in my post where I shared a few Reads I’ve Loved Recently Through Lockdown, but of course it had to get a mention here too! I really enjoyed this little love story of two people who live together, but essentially don’t meet for the first half of the book. Although I found the first third a little slow, once I’d gotten into it I ploughed through and thoroughly enjoyed this book. I do love a little romance story and this one was just so cute!
Where The Crawdad Sing – Delia Owens
This book is one I discovered through Beth’s Book Club of which I’m not subscribed to, but I do follow for the book recommendations as they do provide some great reviews and generally recommend books that I like the sound of. This was another that I’d seen some rave reviews on and ordered around the same time as Queenie as I believe it was on offer, so I snatched it up there and then. Now, this book is one that I nearly didn’t read and it took me a week to read the first three chapters. Yep you read that correct! I just couldn’t get into this book and it took a lot of persevering to continue to read, but I am so glad I did. The story itself is about a girl who grew up in the marsh on the outskirts of her town, fending for herself and her survival who then finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. The last third of this book had so many swings and turns that I read it within the space of a day or two and I am so glad that I forced myself to read this book, as I truly loved it! It’s one I would read again, that is how good it is!
Where The Crawdads Sing (£8.50)
If You Could Go Anywhere – Paige Toon
This was one of my last reads of 2020 and firmly one of my favourites books of 2020. As I have mentioned, I love a romance novel especially when its an unexpected romance and this just ticked those boxes for me. The story of a girl who has never left her home in Australia through caring for her ill Gran, but has always wanted to travel and often asks people she meets ‘If you could go anywhere, where would you go?’. Following her Grans death, she discovers the identity of her birth Father and flies out to Rome for the Summer to meet him and the other half of her family that she didn’t know existed. When reading this book it threw me back to when I travelled to Rome in the Summer 0f 2019 and it brought back some amazing memories of the last time I actually left the UK. All in all I loved this book. From start to finish. It was amazing!
If You Could Go Anywhere (£8.20)
So those were my favourite books of 2020! As well as these four books, I read a further six books in 2020 which is really good going for me. If you’re interested in seeing what other books I read and also want to read, be sure to follow my Good Reads. I have set myself the challenge of reading twenty books this year and I’m already one book down, and onto the second as I am writing this post.
What were your favourite books of 2020?
