I'm sure there were plenty of good things that happened in 2020, but I'm afraid they will always be overshadowed by the bad, with Covid-19 at the top of the list. Coming in a close second for me is my mom's health, which is largely why I've posted nothing recently. She is now home recovering from surgery but not out of the woods and needing lots of help. Hence my absence.
But. I always share my books with you all at the end of the year and I did do some serious reading in 2020. In total, I read 44 books. I've marked my faves with an asterix but honestly, there are no bad books on this list.
1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman – straight up history
2. A Memory called Empire by Arkady Martin* - scifi winner of the 2020 Hugo award for best novel
3. The Ten Thousand Doors to January Alix E. Harrow - fantasy
4. City of Bones by Martha Wells scifi/fantasy
5.Artificial Condition by Martha Wells* scifi
6. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher - fantasy
7. Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone – scifi/fantasy
8. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
9. The Wonderling by Mira Bartok* – MG fantasy
10. Circe by Madeline Miller* - fantasy
11. The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith* - fantasy
12. The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne - thriller
13. The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne - thriller
14. The Girl Who Drank Down the Moon by Kelley Barnhill* - MG fantasy
15. A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor Chronicles of St. Mary* - fantasy
16. The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heldig - fantasy
17. Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd* - fantasy
18. Middlegame by Seanan McGuire* - fantasy
19. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – thriller (with ghosts)
20. The Haunting of Maddie Clare by Simone St. James – mystery (with ghosts)
21. Shards of Honor (The Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold - scifi
22. Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah - ? mysterious child shows up
23. The Missing Sister by Elle Marr - Thriller
24. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold - Scifi
25. The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold - Scifi
26. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides – Psychological Mystery
27. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -fantasy
28. Ghost by Jason Reynolds - MG
29. The Unadoptables by Hannah Took - MG fantasy
30. Who’s That Earl by Susanna Craig* - Regency Romance
31. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Sand - Spculative
32. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare* - Regency Romance
33. The Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope - Contemporary/missing child
34. The Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher* - MG Fantasy
35. Find Layla by Meg Elison - YA
36. The Lost Girls of Devon by Barbara O’Neal - Family Drama
37. Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergei Dyachenko - Speculative
38. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire* – Fantasy
39. Jack by Marilynne Robinson - literary
40. Things in Jars by Jess Kidd* - fantasy
41. A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay - Horror
42. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson - ? kids catch fire but aren't harmed
42. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw - YA
43. Far Away by Lisa Graff - MG
44. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells- scifi*
The only bad thing about having read so many books is that I'll feel like a total loser if I don't read at least the same number again in 2021. On the other hand, 44 is less than a book a week and considering I can read a book in a day I shouldn't have any trouble. Right? Right.
I'll leave you with a bunch of pics my son sent me, mostly birds. Any mis-identifications are my fault!
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| Black Crowned Night-Heron |
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| Loon |
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| Sandhill Crane |
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| Red-Headed Woodpecker |
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| Downy Woodpecker |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Hawk |
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| Turkey |
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| Ruby-throated hummingbird |
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| Mallards |
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| Loon |
Happy New Year and let's hope 2021 is a better year for all of us!
Happy New Year, Happy Reading - and thanks for the feathered enchantment.
ReplyDeleteI hope your mother's recovery is smooth and complete. Look after yourself too please while you are looking after her.
That's a lot of books indeed! Happy New Year, so happy that our Luanne G. Smith has the third book in the series coming out this month!
ReplyDeleteI know! I read the first book and loved it! The second is on my list to buy :)
DeleteHappy New Year. I ended the year reading 53 books, which is in my average range (for the last 30 years I have read 40-60 books). I've not read any of yours, but have read three of the authors!
ReplyDeletehttps://fromarockyhillside.com
44 was a good number. I feel like I should be able to read that many books in a year (at least!), especially as I read even more when I was younger and would stay up all night finishing books and regularly read 2 or 3 a week. Ah, the good old days, lol
DeleteI always enjoy your son's photos. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat's an impressive list of books. I especially love the title for #34.
Happy New Year!
I adored #34. I love my son's photos, too :)
DeleteI hope 2021 is starting well for you.
DeleteThe only book from your impressive list that I've read is "Circe" and yes, it was excellent! I read online that a mini-series is being made of it now for some streaming service or another. Have you read Madeline Miller's first book "The Song of Achilles"? It's even better!
ReplyDeleteMy 2020 book list will be posted on Wednesday. Nowhere near as long as yours, I'm afraid.
Happy New Year and wishing a speedy recovery and better health to your Mom.
I need to read Song of Achilles. And thank you.
DeleteGlad to hear your mother is on the mend. One shouldn't compare years to 2020. It was its own thing. However many books you read this year will belong to 2021.
ReplyDeleteNo, I shouldn't compare, but...I should be able to read at least one book a week, unless it's some massive and complicated literary tale.
ReplyDeleteWhew! So 2020 is finally behind us. I hope somebody chained the cosmic door shut behind it, so it doesn't try to sneak back in. (Evidently, the truly evil can't concede that their time is done...)
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a list of books. Ordinarily, I
average close to 100 books a year, but I barely read more than the newspaper this past year. Hopefully, I'll return to more reading and writing this year. Maybe. I dunno. I'm still figuring things out.
Sorry to hear about your mom. I wish her a speedy recovery. But don't forget to take care of yourself, too.
Your son's bird pics are fantastic. :)
100!!! Wow. Now that's a lot of books! I'd like to see your list sometime, maybe next year after you've gotten back into it.
DeleteI love my son's bird pic, too :)
I think I ended my year with 42 or 43 books read. Below the goal, but an improvement over the past few years.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your mother's on the mend.
The pictures are gorgeous!
My reading numbers were greatly improved over the previous year. Just have to keep it up!
DeleteYour son's pictures are lovely and your masthead picture is gorgeous! Forty-four books is a fine accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with 44 and yes indeed, my son takes some pretty awesome pics :)
DeleteWell, I'm shaking a virtual finger at you for ever thinking you might be a loser. :) Thanks for the well wishes toward my brother's health. I am sorry your mother has been unwell. Take care and thank you for sharing some amazing photos.
ReplyDeleteSeeing that loon makes me homesick for Maine! We definitely have to get there THIS summer! Great photos from your son!
ReplyDeleteI'm just catching up, Marcy. So sorry to hear your Mom's been ill, and I hope she's feeling better. That's an impressive list of books you read. I read a few of the same books in 2020, including GHOST by Jason Reynolds!