Our Favorite and Most Disappointing Books of 2020 So Far

Hello friends! Sabrina and I went a bit back and forth about posting our favorite novels of 2020 so far, and we were kind of undecided for a while there. (Okay, that may have been mostly me – I’m really bad at making decisions.) Thankfully, two of our incredible blogger friends decided this question for us by tagging us in the Mid-Year Book Freak Out, so:

Many thanks to Abi @ Scribbles & Stories and Caro @ Book Cheshire Cat!

This means that today we’re sharing some of our favorite (and least favorite) novels, as well as a couple we haven’t yet had the chance to read.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020?

SABRINA: There are several books I could choose for this question, but I am trying not to repeat any in this post, so for this question I’ve gone with Letters to the Lost!  I loved this YA contemporary romance that deals with grief and loss.

VERA: Ahh, this was such a difficult question – especially because I tend to feel more strongly about books I’ve read recently than about ones I read months ago. Ultimately, I picked Felix Ever After, which is an incredible novel all-around. Highly recommended!

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020?

VERA: The Fifth Season is one of my favorite novels ever, and The Obelisk Gate is such a fantastic sequel to it. I loved to see how certain characters changed, developed, and became even more complex and morally grey than before.

SABRINA: The Burning Shadow was such an amazing sequel – it really changes the game and has left me more invested in the series than I thought possible.

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?

SABRINA: I read and loved Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman last year, so I really want to read Harley in the Sky by the same author as soon as possible!  It’s also got a circus setting and I love that aesthetic.

VERA: I’ve heard lots of excellent things about Something to Talk About, and I’m really-really excited for this F/F romance novel.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

VERA: I really struggled with this question, because there are loads of exciting books being released later this year, but I ultimately chose When Villains Rise, the final Market of Monsters novel. I love this series in all its dark, morally grey glory and I can’t wait to see what surprises the finale will have for us.

SABRINA: There are so many!! books that I am excited for in the second half of the year but I would be lying if I said anything other than A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik for this question.  Uprooted and Spinning Silver by the same author are two of my favourite books ever, so I have really high hopes for this book.

Biggest disappointment?

SABRINA: Havenfall by Sara Holland was sadly a DNF for me.  Considering it had been one of my most anticipated releases, it was a huge disappointment to me.

VERA: Prior to picking it up, I’d wanted to read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for years. Around the time the new adaptation was released it seemed like everyone was reading and loving this novel, including people who aren’t big fans of classics. So, I was excited! Unfortunately, it really didn’t live up to my expectations; I found the characters boring and/or annoying, and I just couldn’t get into the story.

Biggest surprise?

VERA: I went into Foolish Hearts expecting an adorable story – and I definitely got that, but it was so much more emotional and memorable than I thought it would be. Oh, and the plot with the school play was bloody incredible.

SABRINA: Gideon the Ninth surprised me in a few ways.  To start with, I really thought I was going to hate the humour in it (I thought it would be too dirty, lol) but I ended up smiling a lot.  And then I ended up loving almost everything else about it too – particularly the setting.

Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)?

SABRINA: Wai Chim – she really knows how to tell a story!  I recently read and adored both The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling and Freedom Swimmer.  I hope more people pick up these books in the future, because they are both incredibly powerful and enjoyable stories.

VERA: Sophie Gonzales, for sure. Only Mostly Devastated is such a beautiful, wholesome novel, and I loved every moment of reading it. All the relationships – the friendships, the family and the romance – were so well-written, and these made this one of my favorite reading experiences ever.

Newest favorite character?

VERA: Many characters could have qualified for this question but, in an attempt to shout out as many of my favorite novels as possible, I’m choosing a character from a book I haven’t yet mentioned. I adored Rob from Call It What You Want! He was such a fantastically written character and he deserved all the hugs for what went through.

SABRINA: Emoni from With the Fire on High has to take this spot.  I just adore her personality and her development over the course of the book. I would read a million books about her.

Newest fictional crush or OTP?

SABRINA: Ryann and Alexandria from The Weight of the Stars!  I just love them both so much. I mean, they had me in tears so I guess that’s all I need to say.

VERA: Crier’s War is easily one of my favorite novels of 2020, and a big reason for that is Crier and Ayla, the protagonists of the novel. These girls are so well-written and complex, and I loved reading their story and the slow-burn enemies to lovers romance they had going on.

Book that made you cry?

VERA: I don’t cry on books, but if I would, The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling would have certainly made me bawl my eyes out. It’s rather heartbreaking and painful, but it also offers a lot of love and hope.

SABRINA: I did not expect a romance book to bring me to tears, but A Duke By Default did exactly that.  There were several moments related to Portia’s family life that really hit me and before I knew it, my eyes were welling up.

Book that made you happy?

SABRINA: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee was such a fun book and I loved it so much!  The humour worked for me and I loved how fast paced it was.  I hope I can read the second book sometime soon.

VERA: The novels that make me the happiest tend to be romance novels, and Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite romance authors. She ended her Ravenels series with Chasing Cassandra earlier this year, and it was such a satisfying conclusion to the series.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

SABRINA: Gosh I keep saying it, but I really have to read Ruin and Rising.  I’ll be so angry if I don’t do it!  Other than that, I still have a bunch of books on my shelves that I should be getting to.

VERA: I still have three books to read for my five star predictions, and at the top of that list is The Poppy War. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this novel, and I’m excited to join in on the hype.

Favorite review?

VERA: I’ll have to go with my review of The Diviners by Libba Bray, as I had a lot of fun discussing the series as a whole, especially as I reread the first three novels before jumping into the finale. You can read my review – with the spoilers clearly marked – by clicking here.

SABRINA: Okay, this answer is kind of by default, because I haven’t talked about this book in the post yet and it’s one of my favourites 😛  I do actually like my review for Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful though!  I can read it and remember exactly what I was talking about.

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LET’S CHAT!

What about you? Have you had a good reading year so far? What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2020? What’s a book that made you happy? Let us know!