I haven’t been super active, but I have been reading. I’m taking the time to list my favorite reads of 2020, and my least favorite.
Favorites:
- Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
This book too be my surprise and never let go. The story kept going. The characters came alive off the page. While it had a few predictable moments, it kept me hooked – I pre-ordered the next book.
- Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
This book blew me away. I expected it to be a little cliché, you know the star-crossed lovers trope. I could not put this book down. I read it over the course of three days – I LOVED it. The dual POV worked, the world-building was incredible and original, and the writing was amazing.
- Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
I read this one so early in the year that I’d forgotten about it until I looked back over my Goodreads. This series was amazing. It was by far more than I anticipated – I’m not a big fan of fairies and fae, but this series played in the genre so well.
- Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao
Another book that took me by surprise. I loved the characters and the world. The story kept going. I stalked to see when the next book would be coming out.
Least Favorites: (or dishonorable mention)
- Castle of Lies by Kiersi Burkhart
Ah, this book. The one with very little world-building, character depth, or logic – and the incest and teenage drunkenness. It baffles me that someone – a professional in the publishing industry – read this book was thought it was good. I guess it goes to show you how diverse reading tastes are.
- House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
This one is going to make enemies, I know. I LOVE Throne of Glass and SJM’s Court series, and I am anticipated the Court spin-off. So when this book arrived in my library stack, I was PUMPED. I was ready to fall into another of her worlds, another array of well-thought out characters with motivation and history. This book did not give me any of that. I couldn’t get more than five chapters in, and with every page it was just… WTF? The worldbuilding is all over the place and makes no sense, the characters are paper thin and ghastly stereotypically, and it’s labeled as “adult” but the only thing that makes it adult is the splattering of curses every other word and the sex.
Now, I might come back to House of Earth and Blood when my anxiety is lower, but for right now, it is on my dishonored mentions list.
Beatrice B. Morgan 