My 2020 Reading Stats and Favorite Reads

2020 will undoubtedly be remembered as the year of the pandemic and isolation. It is the year of working and schooling from home, of not being able to travel or see friends. But because of mostly staying in, this was also the year, I read and worked on crafts more than ever before. In terms of the number of books and pages, I surpassed all of my previous results: I read 135 books or 43,644 pages. My previous best was in 2017: 127 books or 37,872 pages. 

Here are some additional stats about my reading this past year:

I read 12 classics, 11 non-fiction books, 35 fantasy, 23 romance novels, 15 Sci-Fi and 18 historical fiction books. In terms of age, 85 were adult books, 36 - YA, and 14 middle grade. I read 55 books in paper, 55 as an e-book and 25 audiobooks. I read and reviewed 30 advanced reading copies for NetGalley.com (these are books that are provided by publishers in advance of official publication dates in exchange for an honest review). Finally, I read 49 books from my local library and 85 were my own.

Now let's take a look at the books that made a lasting impression on me. They are the ones I still think about and consider my favorites of the year (listed in no particular order):

1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

2. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

3. The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little

4. The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You by Dorothy Bryant

5. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

6. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

7. Submission by Michel Houellebecq

8. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

9. The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

10. The Lost Diary of Venice by Margaux DeRoux

11. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

12. Agent Sonya by Ben MacIntyre

13. The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

 

"The Chanel Sisters" by Judithe Little

The Chanel Sisters is a fictional account of the life of three Chanel sisters: the famous Coco (nee Gabrielle) Chanel, her older sister Julie-Berthe and the younger Antoinette. According to the author's note, very little is known about Antoinette. She was clearly very close to Coco for most of her life, from their time in a catholic orphanage to the establishment of Chanel Modes boutiques. Because Coco always adamantly tried to hide her humble origins, biographers had to piece things together from various records and accounts of others. Judithe Little focuses her story on Antoinette. She is always a bit in the shadow of her famous sister but is never truly overshadowed. She stands on her own. Little did largely imagined what Antoinette's personality was like. She also invented key biographical aspects of her life. Nonetheless, her Antoinette made sense to me. Her story was rags to riches and both tragic and romantic. In some ways, she makes a better heroine than Coco because so little is known about her. 

Overall, I thought the story was engaging. The pacing was good. I did not feel that the narrative dragged. I enjoyed the plot itself as well as all the tidbits about the fashion, culture and events of the early 1900s. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

December Holiday Reads: Five Books

I do love the idea of seasonal reading: beach reads for summer, dark academia for fall, supernatural tales for October and then of course, we have Christmas books for December. This year, I managed to read 5 books that are set around Christmas (and it is not the end of December yet!). Below I am including the five titles and their brief summaries. Some of them are better than others, but overall, I was glad to have read some holiday-themed stories. These are listed in the order that I read them.

1. A Nantucket Christmas by Nancy Thayer

This novella was my favorite out of this bunch, and it is probably because it is the most Christmassy of all. It is set right before Christmas on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts. There are plentiful descriptions of Christmas decorations and foods. The weather is also very wintry. In addition, the book revolves around a rather engaging family drama, and there is also a puppy in need of a home. Overall, it was cozy and heartwarming. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

2. A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

This was my second book by this author, and so far I have enjoyed her writing. She writes wholesome clean romances set in Victorian England. This particular novella is no exception. It is a Victorian romance and will appeal to Elizabeth Gaskell's fans. I definitely got distinct North and South vibes while reading it. Could we also take a moment to appreciate this cover? It is festive and absolutely beautiful. This was a 5-star read for me.

3. A Christmas Gathering by Anne Perry

Anne Perry is quite a prolific mystery writer, so if you like mysteries, chances are you have heard of or read some of her books. This was my second book by this author. She apparently has quite a number of Christmas mysteries. The plot itself was not anything gripping. However, Perry is a master of writing characters. Even though it is a novella and is just over 200 pages long, Perry manages to paint very well fleshed-out main characters with enough background for the reader to feel immersed in the story. It is a closed-circle mystery set in the 1930s in England. There is not a lot emphasis on festivities even though the party has assembled at a country manor house for the purpose of celebrating Christmas. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I am frankly much more fascinated by Anne Perry's personal history than by her work. If you don't know, at the age of 15 she and her close friend murdered the friend's mother. Perry served 5 years in prison for her role in the murder and then changed her name. The truth about her past was not revealed until the 1990s when a movie was made based on this incident.

4. Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler

This is a quintessential holiday romance, similar to the Hallmark channel movies. It is set in a fictional town of Moose Springs, Alaska, and focuses on the budding relationship between Lana Montgomery, whose family owns pretty much all businesses in town, and Rick Harding, the owner of a local pub. The author apparently has a series of books all set in this town. Each book features a different couple. This particular one is book 2 in the series but you can definitely read them out of order. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I listened to the audiobook and I highly recommend this format.

5. One Day in December by Josie Silver

This book is a contemporary second-chance romance set in the UK. Laurie and Jack see each other very briefly one December evening when she glances out from a crowded bus and sees him outside at a bus stop. All they do is look at each other but at that moment she inexplicably feels a deep connection or a recognition and resolves to find him. She eventually does meet him in person, when her best friend and roommate Sarah introduces him to her as her boyfriend and the love of her life. The book is not really centered on or around Christmas. In fact, we follow Laurie and Jack for a number of years while they wind their way back to each other. At times, this book really frustrated me, at other times, I really did not like Jack as a character. In the end, what I really loved about the book is the ending. It is magical and truly worth the read. 4 out of 5 stars. 

"Ten Rules for Faking It" by Sophie Sullivan

Ten Rules for Faking It is a contemporary romance novel which I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It is always tricky to rate a romance novel. I tend to give them a star rating based on my level of enjoyment and if there were any particular aspects in the plot that I really liked. Ten Rules for Faking It ended up being a 3 star book for me. Here are the things that I really liked:

The main character Everly has a severe social anxiety. I thought the author did an amazing job describing Everly's panic attacks and her struggles with anxiety. I don't think I've ever encountered such vivid descriptions in any other book. I also really enjoyed Everly's relationship with her friend Stacey. Finally, the hero and the main love interest Chris is a truly swoon worthy character. His ability to understand Everly's anxiety and read her mood is uncanny. Obviously, romance novels rarely have realistic heroes. Chris is young, rich, understanding and completely in love with Everly. She on the other hand, does act quite unreasonably on several occasions towards him in second half of the book, and his patience and loyalty were truly astonishing to me.

In terms of the shortcomings, I think this book could benefit from some editing. I think at least 50 to 75 pages could be edited out. The author gets way into too much detail on what the characters think or feel and gets overly repetitive on some points. I think she might lose some of the readers who read a lot of romance because they will simply get bored with unnecessary descriptions. 

Finally, I would like to note that this is a clean romance. There are no explicit sex scenes and the entire relationship is quite slow developing and angsty. Overall, I did like the book and as I already mentioned the anxiety representation was outstanding. 

"The Silent Companions" by Laura Purcell

I have owned a copy of this book for quite some time now, and finally picked it up earlier this month. I loved it so much that I immediately ordered another novel by Laura Purcell and hope it will be just as good. The Silent Companions is a delicious mix of a Gothic ghost story set in a Victorian period, a twisted family drama, and a spooky thriller that will make you jump at every sound if you stay up late reading this book.

Our main character Elsie Bainbridge is newly widowed and moves to her husband's estate in the country. Her husband died there quite suddenly and of unknown causes. So Elsie not only has to deal with the shock of his death but also the disturbing history surrounding the house, which she slowly begins to uncover. Finally, Elsie and her husband's cousin Sarah, who moved to the estate with her, discover that the house has silent companions - wooden cutouts with people painted on them. Needless to say, these companions are quite creepy and seem to have a mind of their own.

The book is beautifully written and the plot if quite immersive. Purcell is a master of suspense. I was often at the edge of my seat compulsively (albeit with my heart pounding) reading page after page trying to find out what is going to happen next. I also liked that the author ties all the loose ends at the end in a nice neat bow. So you shouldn't worry that the book will have an open ending. I felt the ending was quite satisfying, and I overall very much enjoyed this book. 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend.

"A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman

I am definitely late to jump on the Fredrik Backman bandwagon! As any voracious reader, my to-be-read pile is so huge that it is impossible to keep up with all the books that get a lot of buzz. However, as far as I can tell every single book that Backman has put out to date has been extremely well-received by readers. 

A Man Called Ove is a story of a 59-year old man whose wife recently died and now he has also been asked to retire from work. He has no other family and is struggling with finding purpose in life. Ove is an extremely likeable character. He is grumpy and set in his ways, but also has an innate sense of justice and desire to be helpful to others (even if he himself would never admit caring much for other people). 

His life begins to take a new turn when new neighbors move in next door and unexpectedly invade his space, his time and, yes, eventually, his heart. This book made me laugh out loud and also shed a quiet tear. It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, just like real life. It is about finding meaning to one's existence but also realizing what it means to live a meaningful life. Ove is not a man of many words, and when he does speak, he does not always say the most politically correct or polite things. However, his actions, the way he selflessly helps others, speak much louder than any words ever could. 

I adored this book and the characters. A truly new favorite. All the hype that Fredrik Backman is receiving is hands down well-deserved. 5 out of 5 stars. I will definitely read more from this author.