End of Year Book Survey 2020
Happy Tuesday!
I hope you are having a great week so far and enjoying the holiday season! Tj and I were on vacation the last few weeks and I can’t wait to write all about it!
Last year I had a lot of fun doing this end of year book survey I adapted from The Perpetual Page Turner.
This year I was excited to do it again. It’s a fun way to take a moment to think about all the books I’ve read this year. I feel like the questions were harder to answer this year because even though I read a lot more books, I was drawn to either thrillers or mysteries, or really nice, happy books.
Reading Stats:
Number of books you read: 114 (at December 28)
Number of re-reads: only 3! I was surprised by this stat last year so I felt I made I bigger effort to re-read some old faves in 2020, but apparently not. I still seem to prefer listening to the audiobook of books I’ve read before.
Genre you read the most from: thrillers
Best in Books
Best book you read in 2020 - check back in the New Year for my top 10!
Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t? - The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren - I was really excited about this book but I didn’t like it at all. Sometimes a good premise just doesn’t deliver.
Most surprising (in a good way or bad way)? - In Five Years by Rebecca Serle surprised me because the love story wasn’t the one I was expecting from reading the synopsis. I’d say it surprised me in a good way, but it was definitely different from what I expected.
Best series you started in 2020? Best sequel of 2019? Best series ender of 2019? - Ooh I love a good series. The best series I started is the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. The first book is Case Histories. The best sequel would have to be The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan.
Favourite new author you discovered in 2020? - I really enjoyed the two books I read by Megan Goldin. I’d start with The Night Swim.
Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? - I enjoyed the biography The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton. She’s an actress from a TV show I used to love - One Tree Hill. I usually prefer listening to biographies on audiobooks, but I liked this one a lot.
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? - I loved Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell and The Guest List by Lucy Foley.
Book you read in 2020 that you are most likely to re-read next year? - I’d love to listen to the audiobook of The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I thought the premise of this one was a little wishy washy but it was such a charming story, I bet the audiobook would be really good.
Favourite cover of a book you read in 2020? - I love the colours on the cover of The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett.
Most memorable character of 2020? - I’m gonna go with Wilde, the boy who was found living in the woods in Harlan Coben’s book, The Boy from the Woods.
Most beautifully written book read in 2020? - The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister stands out as a beautifully written book.
Most thought-provoking book of 2020? - I didn’t enjoy this book at all, but I have to say My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell was thought-provoking. I’d also like to add Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore because it was such an interesting concept.
Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2020 to finally read? - I don’t have anything that meets this criteria exactly, but I am glad I re-read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant this year.
Shortest and longest book you read in 2020? - The longest books I read were The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett or Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith.
Book that shocked you the most? - The Lies the Bind by Emily Giffin had a twist that I didn’t see coming.
Favourite book you read in 2020 from an author you’ve read previously? - The Huntress by Kate Quinn was the first book I read in 2020 and it’s one of my favourites for sure.
Best book you read in 2020 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure/bookstagram, etc.? - I kept seeing The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune everywhere and it was worth the hype - I loved it!
Best world building/most vivid setting you read this year? - Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker depicts Alaska so vividly. This whole series made me want to travel to Alaska one day!
Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read? - The Switch by Beth O’Leary and The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley was so much fun to read. They were both a breath of fresh air to read during lockdown.
Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2020? - No tears from books in 2020, but I guess the book that almost made me cry was The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver.
Hidden gem of the year? - I really enjoyed One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. This is a fun book about a contestant on a show like The Bachelorette. I also liked The Gown by Jennifer Robson. And I have to add A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday because I read it recently and it’s the perfect holiday story.
Book that crushed your soul? - Has to be In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. The heartbreak in this story was unexpected and slightly soul-crushing.
Most unique book you read in 2020? - 100% the most unique book was The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. The characters are so good!
Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? - The Dilemma by B.A. Paris made me so mad! I wanted a different ending that I didn’t get and I felt like the story was a waste of time because it just made me so angry.
One book you didn’t get to in 2020 but will be your number 1 priority in 2021? - I’ve recently added The Midnight Library by Matt Haig to my ‘Books to Read’ list. It sounds really interesting and I can’t wait until it becomes available at the library.
I read so much this year. It was nice to have a hobby I enjoy so much when I was stuck in lockdown for most of the year. Books took me on adventures around the world when I was unable to leave my neighbourhood. I can’t wait to go on more reading adventures in 2021!
Have a great week!
