Favorite Books of 2020

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every Tuesday, you pick ten books on that week’s topic. And this week, we spotlight our favorite books of 2020.

This is a necessary ritual for wrapping up the year, and so here are my top ten reads for 2020.

1. The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

I reviewed this book here previously. In Udolpho, young Emily St. Aubere finds herself orphaned and in the clutches of her wicked uncle-in-law, Montoni. Montoni is up to no good, and more than one skeleton hides in his closet. This is Gothic suspense at its finest, and is highly recommended. It’s on this list because it took me seas away from all of that pandemic fatigue.

2. House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

A book which took me completely by surprise. It is a very spooky retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and gives that old folktale a sea-folk / mer-folk twist. There are curses and ghostly visions and ghastly bargains as Annaleigh’s house starts to crumble. I genuinely had to keep myself from reading it at night. Brr.

3. A Political History of the World: Three Thousand Years of War and Peace by Jonathan Holslag

To Holslag, goes the the enviable award of making global political history accessible, creative and vastly entertaining. He also makes it very simple to read, by focusing on the primary causes for how things turned out and why kings behaved in certain ways and how the king’s neighbors perceived that behavior… Even if you dislike history or political history or non-fiction, give this book a try. It reads like a story and you won’t be able to put it down.

4. Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

I have a great love for poetry, but I usually stick to the older ones, such as the ones I sometimes put up for Poetry Friday. I’m not sure how I discovered Kaur’s Instagram-fueled poetry, but it was so precise, so subtle, so spot-on, straight to the core of things.
I recommend her work to everyone — a few pieces here for you to see for yourself.

5. Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox by Forthright

Do you like Anime? Manga? Are you interested in kitsune / fox-human folklore? In that case, you will like Tsumiko. I found this recommended online by Ilona Andrews (very popular husband-wife author duo who write SFF), and what a welcome find. I devoured it one sitting. A human girl inherits an enslaved kitsune-like creature, and decides to set it free. I think we know how that’s going to end up.

6. Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer

I recall reading this years ago and not liking it. But this year, when I was going through my Georgette Heyer spree again (as you do), I ended up adoring this book. Poor, down-on-her-luck Kate finds herself bulldozed into a mansion and life of luxury by her long lost aunt. But when there is no love to charity, it’s unpalatable, and that’s soon brought home to Kate. May everyone have friends like Kate’s, who swoop down in the nick of time and show us that all is not lost.

7. The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person by Harold S. Kushner

This is a hard-hitting book. Kushner examines, from a spiritual lens, why bad things happen to good people: a question for the ages. If there is a God, then why is there suffering? This is not a religious book as such, but it is a deeply emotional book, and Kushner’s own personal journey was equally moving. Reading this book may help to explain some of the unfairness in the world, and may give you some hope in a crisis.

8. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

I reviewed this book recently, close to 2020 finish. Theodora is faerie-cursed. You see, when she was just a wee scamp, someone stole away half her soul, and now she lives in a dream-like state, disconnected from her emotions, unable to fully grasp the rules of polite society. Of course, a comedy of manners ensues. A delightful Regency-era fantasy surprise, light, amusing and deftly plotted.

9. Jill Kismet Series by Lilith Saintcrow

I sometimes feel like the golden age of Urban Fantasy (UF) is over, and very few new series have anything innovative and emotionally charged to offer. But Seanan McGuire (one of my favorite authors) recced the Jill Kismet series, and it’s great! Yes, it leans to the melodramatic a bit, as the grouchy, self-doubting, foul-tempered, prickly Jill goes hunting down demons in the dark. But the fight scenes are amazing and the plot is complex and intriguing. Give it a try if you like UF.

10. Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier

Juliet Marillier rarely goes wrong, I feel. A brawny immigrant hero who is not very smart and a wise islander heroine with secrets make an odd couple. But together, they make a very strong force against a king hell-bent on annihilation. Very atmospheric, and the portrayal of the king is really spine-chilling as he slowly descends into a maddening hunger for absolute power.

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So, which reads were your favorite books of 2020? Would love to hear from you!