Top Twenty 20 Books of 2020

 What a year 2020 has been for everyone around the globe! It has certainly been a year that we will never forget. In the same way that my parents generation would talk about their experiences as children during WWII, those of my sons generation will be telling their grandchildren what it was like to live through 2020. 

Reading has played an enormous part in keeping me sane this year and, up to a point, I have been able to read my way through the chaos. Thank goodness for the escapism that books have given us all. 

Thank you for following my blog this year. It means so much to me to know that you are sharing in my reading experience. If you would like to read my reviews of the books that I have selected just click on the underlined titles and it will take you directly to the review page.

I want to wish you all a happy New Year and hope that we can approach 2021 with optimism.

In no particular order here are my favourite 20 books of 2020:

The Temptation of Gracie by Santa Montefiore - I am a big fan of this author and have enjoyed all of her books.

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason - This is an excellent book set during WWI and I highly recommend it.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams - I have yet to write my review of this excellent book. I veered from not liking it much to thinking that it was one of the best books I have ever read.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - A wonderful book which tells the story of a researcher who goes to the Amazon jungle in search of a colleague.

The Power by Naomi Alderman - I read this book with my book group via a virtual meeting and it got very mixed results. Personally, I thought it was a brilliant book.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - This was a re-read for me and I think I enjoyed it even more second time around.

A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville - This is the first book I have read by this author and I thought it was exceptional.

Girl by Edna O'Brien - A story of the the girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. An incredibly powerful book.

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell - I have loved all of the books that I have read by this author and this one was no exception.

Focus by Arthur Miller - written in 1945 this was the author's first novel. An interesting and enjoyable read.

Witches: James I and the English Witch Hunts by Tracy Borman - this excellent non-fiction title gave a fascinating insight into the 17th century witch hunts.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd - this book was written from the perspective of the wife of Jesus. A very enjoyable fictional account.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - this is an author which I had been wanting to try for ages. I loved this book and will definitely be reading more by him.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - I had this book on loan from the library and found it so interesting that I bought myself a copy before I had even finished reading it. A remarkably different non-fiction account of the Ripper's victims.

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier - I have read almost all of the books written by this author and loved each and everyone. This was a wonderfully gentle story which hit absolutely the right note for me during such troubled times.

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier - this was my second reading of this novel and just as good a reread as it was the first time around.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith - this is the fourth in the Cormoran Strike series. Having read the previous three I thought this was particularly good.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I have lost count of how many times I have read this novel. It is definitely my favourite of the novels written by the collective Bronte sisters. A controversial view perhaps?

Momento Park by Mark Sarvas - an interesting story about the complex relationship between the protagonist and his father. It was the first book I read in 2020 and was thrilled that my reading year had got off to such a good start.

Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner - when this was first published in the UK in June 2019 I really wanted to read this. However, I made myself wait until it was published in paperback. Not only was it worth the wait but it exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend this book.