2020 Favorite Reads
For those of you who know me well, you will already know that I enjoy books, movies, and TV shows that have intelligent, strong female leads. So it should come as no surprise that my top three reads from 2020 feature some badass ladies written by female authors. Since we've been shutdown for what seems like most of a year, and when things were opening up once again, it was encouraged to stay home, most of my reads came from Book of the Month and the To-Be-Read section of my bookshelves. I used to think Book of the Month was pretty hit or miss when it came to the books offered each month, but this year, it felt like the selection had improved.
The first book on my list is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab.
I have previously read other books by this author, the Shades of Magic series, and knew this would be a fantastic story. I took my time reading it, as every detail was important. Even so, I was disappointed when it was over, wishing to read about the next segment of Addie's life. Schwab does an incredible job making the reader loathe and love the God who toys with Addie. The twists and turns in this novel could not be predicted which made it even more enjoyable when something new was revealed (don't worry! no spoilers here!) It's a long read, with characters that you can easily empathize with, and completely worth savoring every moment.
The second book on my list is Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. This novel originally came out in 2017, and it sat in my TBR section for far too long, as only this last year did I finally read it. I'm so glad that I did! I was sucked in immediately and could not put this down. You can ask Aaron; I was curled up on the couch with this book glued to my hands. This was so unpredictable. As soon as you think you had everything figured out, Pinborough would pull the rug, and you'd wind up thinking, what the hell! In the best way, of course. She takes characters in a modern setting with relatable circumstances and spins unreal elements, almost magical, in such a way that they become real.
The last book on my list is Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane. I was in love with the concept of this book from the moment I read the description. Not to give too much away, but the female protagonist is the killer, but the body of her husband has gone missing, and she must find him before the police do, or worse before he finds her. There are a few expected twists and turns, but what drew me in most was the intelligence that both female leads exuded. Kane weaves a marvelous tale of lies, secrets, and violence that you don't want to miss out on.
