My 2020 in Books

 

I read 284 books in 2020.

Yes, that’s a new record and a crazy high number. While I try to avoid reading a book again, 2020 called for comfort, and what can be more comfortable than diving back into a favorite book again? 

So at least 41 of those titles were re-reads.

I struggled with the loneliness of isolation in 2020, and books served as an escape from a reality. Combine that with VERY low energy levels and sprawling about with a book or my tablet let me feel like I was at least accomplishing something.

Twenty-four of the books were titles I own. The rest I borrowed from my libraries. If you are not using your local library, get out there and get a library card ASAP. More than 160 of the books I read were e-books (because my library was closed for nearly three months). 

At least 230 of the books I read were part of a series. I tend to mostly read female authors, so only 36 of the books I read  were written by men, while two were written by multiple authors. I read 21 books by Charles Todd, a pseudonym for a mother/son writing team.

More By the Numbers:

Approximate pages read: 94,193 (about 257 pages a day)

Average length of a book: 331 pages

Longest Book: 876 pages (Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati)

Shortest Book: 32 pages (The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld)

Mystery: 120

Romance: 52

Non-Fiction: 11

Sci Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal: 47

Young Adult/Children: 21

Novellas: 9

Authors I read the most:

Charles Todd - 21

Patricia Briggs – 18 (almost all re-reads)

Charlaine Harris – 11 (all re-reads)

C.S. Harris – 10

Karin Slaughter – 10 (The Grant County and Will Trent series)

Sara Donati – 8

Sophie Jordan – 6

Susan Elia MacNeal – 7

Chloe Neill – 7

Julia Quinn – 6 (five re-reads in anticipation of Bridgerton dropping on Netflix)

Julia McElwain - 5

Carola Dunn- 5

Kerry Greenwood – 5

Beverly Jenkins – 5

Craig Johnson – 5

Molly Harper - 5

Rachel Caine- 5

 

Top Books/Series of 2020 

(in no particular order)

The Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd

Both are set in the UK and Europe in the 1910s. Ian is a Scotland Yard detective and veteran who is haunted by the war. Bess is a nurse dedicated to her patients who gets pulled into solving mysteries. Both are utterly amazing. I confess to staggering out my library holds so I don't have too long a wait before I can dive into the next titles.

The Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson

I’ve read the first five books and binge-watched the series on Netflix.

 

Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris

I started this mystery series in 2019, and caught up to the author this year. Set in Great Britain in the Regency period, the series begins with the heir of a nobleman who has to prove his innocence in a murder, then goes on to solve cases, losing and finding love along the way.

The Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal

Another discovery in 2020 is this series set in the UK during WWII, following a British woman raised in the USA who works for Winston Churchill and eventually becomes a spy.

 

The Kendra Donovan series by Julie McElwain

I confess to being a complete sucker for time travel stories. This is part romance/part mystery featuring an FBI agent who stumbles back in time.

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

Book 6 in her The Ravenels series, with lead characters I really enjoyed.

 

Bone on Bone by Julia Keller

The latest in her Bell Elkins series, set in West Virginia.  Keller won a Pulitzer and her writing grabs you by the short hairs and holds on.

 

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

The latest in her Armand Garmache series. I cannot recommend these books enough.

 

The Wilderness and Gilded Age series by Sara Donati

I read the first book in her Gilded Age series and could NOT put it down. So engrossing, I almost forgot to eat. The Wilderness series is written about the ancestors of the two women featured in the GA series, starting in Upper New York in the 1790s and ending after the War of 1812. Hannah and Curiosity in the Wilderness series are my favorite characters.

 

The Daisy Dalrymple series by Carola Dunn

A cozy mystery series set in the UK post WWI starring a female aristocrat who finds herself entangled in murder mysteries. Delightful.

 

The Scarred Woman by Jussi Adler-Olsen

A police procedural sent in Denmark (and translated from Danish) about a jaded detective given charge of the cold case files because no one else wants to work with him. I started this series in 2019, and am slowly catching up to the author. DARK stories, but excellent.

 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

A debut novel that I  found FUN to read.

 

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams

I love historical mysteries and this has intrigue, romance and amazing characters.

 

Hate to Want You, Wrong to Need You, and Hurts to Love You by Alisha Rai

A contemporary romance trilogy that does SUCH an excellent job talking about mental health issues as many of the characters struggle with them. I loved them, especially the second one.

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

A young adult romance trilogy that inspired two Netflix movies. Delightful and fun.