I swear, this has been the hardest year to narrow down my top ten books.
Quick update, before I get into it...I finished draft 2 of Acktorek Book 2! Didn't quite make 50,000 words, so I didn't technically win NaNo, but I made my goal, and that's what matters. It's still messy, but it's a huge step in the right direction. My poor Emma. And Mitchell. You don't want to know what I did to him in this book...
Anyway, let's get on to my book list for the year. It was SOOOOOOO hard to narrow down. Seriously. I've read/listened to over 100 books this year and still counting. And even though a lot of them were in series and some were rereads (or relistens...Narnia...), that's still a LOT to narrow down to my top favorites. Because there were so many good ones! And I'm still not sure this list is entirely accurate, but I did my best. And there will be honorable mentions at the bottom.
So. Here goes.
I was first introduced to Terri Blackstock this year via the Restoration series, which I very much enjoyed. I've since listened to a number of her books, all of which I've liked, but this series is my favorite, so it goes on the list. Casey Cox's DNA is all over the crime scene. It looks like she's the killer. But something just doesn't add up. And Dylan Roberts, tasked with tracking her down, is determined to find the truth. Even if it's not what the authorities want found out. This series is so intense and action packed and deep and emotional. I was listening to it while doing inventory at the library, and it definitely made the time go by faster. One of those series that made me text family members going, "Did this really just happen?" Actually, that seems to have happened a lot this year. Recommended for older teens and adults because of certain criminal and abuse situations.
This was kind of a random read after Jill Williamson mentioned it, and I'm glad I went for it. It took me a decent portion of the book to really get oriented in the worldbuilding, but once I did, wow. Dragonriders, revolutionaries, alliances, family, secrets, past trauma, terrible decisions that need to be made, and did I mention dragons? Dragons are always awesome. Probably will need to give it a reread before the next book comes out next year, but I ended it going, "Wait, you mean I have to wait to find out what happens next?" There's a little bit of crude language, but on the whole, it's pretty clean. And super exciting.
First time I've actually gone ahead and put Star Wars books on my top ten list. I've read so many (and I've enjoyed them so much) that how could I not? It was hard to decide which made the list, but I decided to let Fate of the Jedi win out. Even though Mara's dead at this point in the timeline. ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ Because this series is epic. And Luke and his son Ben are just... 💕 Luke's being held responsible for Caedus, so he goes into exile to trace his steps and find out what went wrong, and sixteen-year-old Ben insists on accompanying his dad. Meanwhile, Jedi are going mad, insisting that their friends and family are all imposters, and Chief of State Nataasi Daala is enacting a plot against the Jedi, and there's the Lost Tribe of the Sith (which includes young Vestara Khai who I actually really like despite her bad decisions), and ties to the Mortis arc in The Clone Wars, and it's all pretty epic. (Plus there's Jaina Solo and Jagged Fel and I just love them.) Now, this is towards the end of the Legends novels timeline, so there's a lot of in between stuff I just know the gist of, so now I've read Young Jedi Knights and once I get through New Jedi Order, Dark Nest trilogy, and Legacy of the Force, I'll proooobably give it a reread. You know, once I actually know who everyone is. Not that I didn't (obviously) love it anyway.
7. Angel Eyes trilogy by Shannon Dittemore
This is another one I can attribute to Jill. She posted about Shannon's new book, Winter, White and Wicked. Well, it was too new to get from the library, so I decided to try her earlier books instead. And I ended up loving it. It reminds me a bit of Peretti, but it didn't freak me out the way This Present Darkness did. Not sure if it's because Angel Eyes is legit less scary or simply because I'm no longer a young teen. Anyway, it's about spiritual warfare and angels and halos and what fear does and about faith and fighting for what's right. And it's really powerful. I have to admit, I felt like the romance was a little instalove and I don't love that, but I like Brielle and Jake's pretty awesome, so I got over it. Brielle's a dancer, and while I felt like detail in that area was avoided, I still loved that she's a ballerina. It gets pretty intense and people die and it's sad, and it's awesome, and I definitely like Shannon Dittemore. Just hope I get Winter, White and Wicked for Christmas so I don't have to wait until the library decides it's no longer "new." And I don't want to know how late I stayed up Thanksgiving night finishing the last book despite being tired and having more than half the book to go. I couldn't stop reading, okay?
Was it really this year that I read this series? Pre-quarantine seems so long ago. First, I only recommend it for mature teens and adults because the dystopian world is quite depraved, much of the plot deals with an STD, and teen girls are kidnapped and forced into a reproductive program to (hopefully) produce uninfected offspring, and thus it deals with reproduction a lot from a scientific/biological standpoint. It's heavy stuff and not for every reader. That said. Wow. This was a pretty intense, medically focused dystopian, and I LOVE that sort of thing. Not quite sure why. But I do. Betrayal of your family, redemption, what faith really means, figuring out how to not die...the story is rushing back to me as I write this, and I don't want to give spoilers, but it was pretty awesome. A little unresolved, but I guess that's okay. It's not the kind of story you can wrap up with a neat little bow.
Margaret Peterson Haddix remains awesome. This is the second Greystone Secrets book—the first one was in last year's list and the third will undoubtedly be in next year's—and it's just as awesome as you would expect from a Haddix book. Chess, Emma, and Finn's mom is stuck in the parallel world along with their friend Natalie's mom, Mrs. Morales, and things are about to go from bad to worse. Danger, getting stuck in other worlds, puzzles that are nearly impossible to decipher, not knowing who to trust...and things aren't over. Next book in April!
Second book I read this year. And man does that seem like a long time ago! This is actually a prequel to The Safe Lands trilogy, all about what happened initially to cause all the disease and awfulness that is that trilogy. A waterborne disease has sprung up worldwide, killing people and animals alike in droves. (Yes, it freaked me out a bit to see roadkill while driving to a student's house when I was in the middle of this book.) Eli is on a church trip when everything—happens. Trying to get home with no electricity, no communication, difficulty getting gas, dead bodies literally everywhere, very little that's safe to eat or drink, and people trying to kill you over basic necessities. No run on toilet paper, though... Anyway, this book was super intense, a quick read because how do you put it down? and just awesome. Now, if only the Hunger release date would get here so I can read more of Eli's story.
Melanie Dickerson is one of those authors I've been aware of for a long time, but hadn't gotten around to. (Part of that was because for a while the only one my library had was The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest and I've never been able to like Robin Hood stories...though now I've given that particular book a chance and loved it, mashed up with Swan Lake as it was.) I've been listening to a lot of books at work this year, and after my sister gave it a listen, I decided to try it. And became a tad bit obsessed with Melanie Dickerson, and very much annoyed that my library only has three of her books on eaudio. It's a historical Sleeping Beauty retelling (also not one of my favorite fairy tales), but after a few chapters I was totally invested. Some things were predictable, especially knowing that it was Sleeping Beauty, but honestly, overall it was less predictable than Cinder, and we go into fairy tale retellings for a new take on an old story, not for something brand new. I'm rambling. Anyway. This book was awesome. One of those texting-my-sister-"did-that-really-just-happen?" books. I said earlier this year that I like my romance with a side of near-death. Melanie Dickerson DELIVERS on that every time. It's a perfect blend of sweet, fluffy, fairy tale romance and people literally almost dying. It's great. And I'm almost done with my library stack, so I'm thinking I need to load up on Melanie Dickerson next.
If you've been following my blog this year, you're not surprised. I did a post about the series earlier this year trying to detail my love for it without giving spoilers, which was a momentous task. THIS SERIES IS SO GOOD. I mean, yes, I still love THG more, but I've also read it more times. I've always loved underground stories, and this is 100% that. And while it's not technically portal fantasy by the strictest definition, since Underland is in this world, just beneath it, it's basically portal fantasy. Gregor and his little sister Boots fall down a shaft in the laundry room and find themselves in Underland, the subjects of many prophecies, and end up going on quests and participating in fighting a war, making many friends (and also enemies), and it's just awesome and definitely a series I'm going to have to reread. But I've already said a lot about it this year, so go check that post out. "Fly you high, Gregor the Overlander."
Essie! Farrendel! I need Troll Queen, like, now! Yeah, no one is probably surprised I'm putting this first on my list. BECAUSE IT IS SO AWESOME AND YOU MUST GO READ IT NOW. I read all of these as much in one sitting as is possible considering work and meals, but basically when I get a new one, I drop everything and only the most necessary things get done until I've finished it. And no, sleep does not count as a most necessary thing in this case. Essie agrees to marry an elf prince to create an alliance between her human kingdom and Farrendel's elf kingdom, and there's danger and war and kidnappings and betrayals and emotional trauma and choosing to love and FARRENDEL IS THE MOST PRECIOUS CINNAMON ROLL (though technically I guess he could kill you if he really wanted to) AND I AM GOING TO TAKE HIM AWAY FROM TARA AND WRAP HIM IN BUBBLE WRAP AND PUT HIM WHERE SHE CAN'T HURT HIM ANYMORE AND HE CAN BE HAPPY WITH ESSIE. There. Read it. And wait anxiously with me for Tara to finish writing Troll Queen. Because I need it. I'll never get enough of Essie and Farrendel. My precious babies.
Honorable mentions: Crucible and Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning, The Warrior Maiden and The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson, The Thrawn Trilogy, The Hand of Thrawn duology and Survivor's Quest by Timothy Zahn, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, Poison's Dance by Tricia Mingerink, and the Restoration series by Terri Blackstock.
And I have to feel sorry for King's Folly by Jill Williamson and The Missing Prince by John Flanagan which I fully expect to be amazing, but will be read in December and therefore not actually make it onto a top ten list.
What are your favorite books of 2020?
