My Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2020

After a long, chaotic year, it’s time to reflect on all the books I’ve read! I was lucky to have read seventy books this year, more than I think I’ve ever read. I love writing posts like this because it gives me the chance to look back not only on all the books I’ve read so far, but the events that were happening in my life as I read them.

This list comes in no particular order, with the exception of the first book that reigns as my favorite book of 2020. I tried to pick one or two books out of each genre or topic that I read about this year to make the list as varied as possible, though I will be honest in saying that I definitely need to expand my tastes in the new year. 

Overall, each of the books on this list stood out to me in some way this year, whether it be plot, characters, or the time the book came into my life. I would highly recommend each of the books on this list, and I hope you love them as much as I have!

1. Circe by Madeline Miller

Circe is a fictionalized retelling of the myth of the Greek goddess Circe after she is banished to an isolated island and discovers the magic she possesses. Circe was my favourite book I read this year and is the reason I started my blog. I absolutely adored the character of Circe, who in my opinion has one of the best character developments I’ve ever read, and the sweeping plot absolutely drew me in.

2. From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle

From the Ashes is a memoir about the life of Métis author Jesse Thistle and follows his journey from being homeless and an addict to entering university and writing this book. I’ve read a number of memoirs this year, but From the Ashes stands out for Thistle’s great writing, amazing poetry, and important perspective into the often hidden side of Canada.

3. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Alias Grace is about the life of Grace Marks, an Irish immigrant imprisoned for over a decade after the gruesome murder of her master and his mistress in mid-nineteenth century Canada. This year, I read a number of Margaret Atwoods’s novels for the first time and out of all the books I could have chosen, I picked Alias Grace for Atwood’s historical fiction. Not only does the book offer insight into what life was like for early Canadian women, but probably one of the most interesting studies of the mind that I have ever read.

4. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue is a fictional account of a forbidden relationship between the first son of the President of the United States and the grandson of the Queen of England. I felt that this contemporary romance deserved a spot on the list for all the laughter it brings me every time I read it. Red, White & Royal Blue is the perfect escapist fiction book with loveable characters, hilarious situations, and all kinds of love and acceptance.

5. Antigone by Jean Anouilh

Antigone is a French play that retells Sophocles’s Antigone, exploring happiness, freedom, and childhood as the young Antigone disagrees with her uncle’s regime. I read and watched the French version of this play, I absolutely fell in love with the story. While simply staged and a straightforward story, there’s something about Greek tragedy that always manages to pull you in and make you forget that bad things must happen at the end.

6. The Nightingale be Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale follows two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, in WWII occupied France as one tries to survive on her family’s estate and the other joins the French Resistance. This book is one of my all-time favourites of the historical fiction genre because of how many aspects of the war the story of the two sisters covers. The Nightingale is far from a happy novel, but I love the story of love and resistance.

7. The Black Friend* by Frederick Joseph

The Black Friend is a nonfiction book about being an anti-racist aimed at teenagers. I read a lot of anti-racist books this year, and I decided to pick The Black Friend because I think it is the best introduction to anti-racist reading for anyone of any age or background. Joseph’s writing is vibrant and the book perfectly balances humor alongside the serious topics.

8. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 

Sense and Sensibility follows two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they move into a new home and deal with matters of love. This was my first ever Jane Austen novel and I had so much fun reading it. I love reading old books that are the forerunners of genres today, and I think Austen’s romance still gives books of today a love for their money. In Sense and Sensibility, Austen’s prose is amazing and her characters are all so relatable.

9. The Hunger Games series (including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games series follows Katniss Everdeen as she survives the Hunger Games and later helps to lead a revolution to overturn the authoritarian regime of Panam. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the prequel to The Hunger Games, showing how the games took place and exploring more about the world. The Hunger Games is a dystopian series and technically a re-read, but I had to put it on this list because I think both the series and the prequel offer such an interesting take on current western culture.

10. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Bringing Down the Duke follows Annabelle as she attends one of the first British universities open to women in the nineteenth century, campaigns for women’s suffrage, and falls in love with a conservative Duke. This book was so much fun and probably my favorite lighthearted historical romance of the Victorian period. Not only does the book offer an accurate look into early feminist movements in England, but mixed fun and romance with feminist and class issues.

Happy Reading!!

*I received this book as an ARC a couple months ago. I have not been paid to put this book on this list, I just truly loved it!