2020 was a year of a lot of negative things, but thankfully reading wasn’t one of them. Upon consideration, it’s probably the only thing in my life that remained consistent, for which I’m grateful. Out of the 75 books finished, I managed to pick ten favorites to highlight in this post.

Top Ten Books Read in 2020

1. The Light of All That Falls by James Islington: Really, this is for the entire trilogy, as I reread the first two this year before finishing it out. Such great characters, complex plot lines, and absorbing writing. To decide on which book/series would get my top spot, I thought about which one I would most regret not having read. This series edged out my #2 and #3 spot by a smidge. Mostly because of the fantastic ending.

2. Blood of Empire by Brian McClellan: I also read the whole Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy this year and loved it just as much as the Powder Mage trilogy (Promise of Blood is still my favorite book of the lot). I love the dry humor, the subtle magic system, and the many evoking relationships between all the characters. With his works to date, McClellan is now in my top 5 favorite authors category. I can’t wait for his next book to come out.

3. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie: my final full trilogy read this year to make the list, and one I can’t believe I hadn’t read before now. It took a while to get going, but this series is one of the best in the genre for so many reasons. It has one of my all-time favorite characters (Glokta) and is written brilliantly. I swear I don’t know how the author does it, but he someone managed to make me laugh out loud during a brutal torture scene. Of all the authors in my TBR, Abercrombie is the one I’m most excited to devour in 2021.

4. Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs: having not liked the previous book in the Mercy Thompson series, I was thrilled how much I loved this one. It brought back everything I appreciated about the series, had a fun mystery, and was the exciting page-turner I’d been hoping for.

5. Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews: I swear any new book by these authors ends up on my top lists. They are so good! Catalina is one of their most relatable characters to date, and I love her relationships with the other characters – I really can’t wait to see how some things play out. For a series with cheesy covers that’s technically supposed to be marketed to paranormal romance readers, it is a massively robust and complex world on par with the best urban fantasies I’ve ever read.

6. Deadly Education by Naomi Novik: this book took me by surprise in the best way possible. It started out with a really unlikable character who somehow evolved into an unlikable character I enjoyed reading about. The premise for the school was great and there was plenty of classes and magic workings to satisfy my cravings for that brand of fantasy. I can’t wait for the next one.

7. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells: I gave book #5 a high rating, but I feel like this newest novella was even better (which made me question my rating for book #5). In any case, any time I get to spend with Murderbot is golden. Its character profile is only getting stronger and this novella offered a fun mystery to boot.

8. Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon: finally a middle grade series I enjoyed almost as much as Fablehaven. It doesn’t hurt matters that I love Haydon for her Symphony of Ages – an adult fantasy series set in the same world. This series had great pacing, a good sense of adventure, and enough complexity to keep my attention. I wish I’d read these ages ago.

9. Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst: I liked Queen of the Blood, but I LOVED Race the Sands. It had interesting characters (who were perhaps a bit simplistic, but still charming), a great element of competition, and a fun story. The author’s philosophy on writing and what she’s trying to achieve with her stories really sings to me, and I think that’s why I have such good feelings about this book months later. To top it off, it’s a stand-alone.

10. Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson: I’m not quite finished with Rhythm of War, but it would do my list shame to not have a Sanderson in the lineup. His novellas are always good, but this one sang to me. I loved the setting and world building, I loved the flora and fauna, and I loved the major “omgsh” things I learned in these pages. Such a cool piece of work, and I hope I see more from these side characters within the main novels.

What were some of your favorites this year?

by Niki Hawkes