top 10 reads of 2020.
It’s no secret that 2020 left us with a LOT of spare time to invest in hobbies — including reading. I'm certainly no stranger to loving books (lifelong bookworm here), and for 2020, I participated in the 2020 Goodreads Challenge and decided to see if I could read 52 books and I did it! YAY! I tracked all of my book goals through goodreads (link to mine at the top of this page) and finished the year with 55 books and 16,409 pages under my belt! A personal best for one year, I think. I also created a bookstagram in April (@ohheyimreading) to post the books I read and my reviews of them in real-time. Feel free to follow along — it’s a fun little bookish gang over there.
And while we’re talking about reading - I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not the type of reader who has to finish a book even if I don’t like it. I honestly can’t be bothered to waste time reading books that don’t captivate me. If it’s vulgar/raunchy, repetitive, slowww, or just doesn’t resonate with me, even mid-way through, I’ll stop reading it. I think that’s what keeps reading special and enjoyable for me and I probably canned around 20 books last year just because they weren’t my jam. Sorry, not sorry!
Anyway, given all of that, here are my top 10 reads of 2020 (in no particular order because I simply cannot rank them):
1.) The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer
WHY I LOVED IT: This was the first book I read in 2020 and it was such a game changer. It’s about acknowledging that we become what we give our attention to and the importance of aligning our schedule to our values. It’s both a question and an answer — a gentle invitation to [live deliberately] and it changed my life. Hurry is killing our relationships, it’s killing our joy, love, gratitude and appreciation. If you’ve talked to me about books, I’ve probably talked about this book. It’s motivated me into action and awareness and I’m so grateful. Even if you don’t believe in God, don’t think you have the time to read, don’t have a library card, or don’t think you’re in a perpetual state of hurry — I hope you’ll read this. You’ll take something from it, I promise. I’m actually going to read it again this year, just to get a renewed reminder to slow down.
2.) Party of One - Joy Beth Smith
WHY I LOVED IT: If you’re single, you gotta scoop this book up. It’s one of those books that rocks you deeply and rattles your insides. It’s a call to action, it’s a comfort, it’s full of fierce hope and gentle conviction and honesty. Being single is hard, and being a single Christian feels even harder (especially dating in 2020 during a global pandemic). But walking in joy, not living in wait, all while pursuing God and dwelling in hope is what this book does. If i could, I’d give a copy of this book to every single girl I know and to all my married millennial friends, so they understand what it’s like and how to navigate this path alongside me. This book goes hard, in all the best, most vulnerable ways, and it points you back to Jesus in a sweet way, too. This was the 2nd time I read it, and it slayed just as much as the first time. SO GOOD.
3.) The Ministry of Ordinary Places - Shannan Martin
WHY I LOVED IT: Oh, this book. I picked it up and put it down a few times at first, but, as with anything, I finished it during the perfect season. It’s full of tangible examples about grace and love and showing up for people wherever you are with whatever you have. It’s an invitation. It’s a confirmation. It’s a vulnerable and funny and relatable insight into being the literal hands and feet of Jesus. It’s pure gold wrapped in nuggets of hope and connection. It’s a gentle reminder during this pandemic full of global ache and hurt and fear to be present — to look for God in the ordinary day-to-day. I’m so happy i got to curl up with this book and i know you will be, too. ♥
4.) Educated - Tara Westover
WHY I LOVED IT: Wow. wow wow wow. This book is a memoir and it’s unbelievable (at times, literally). Tara, one of seven siblings, born to radical survivalist mormon parents had a wild upbringing, full of injuries and turmoil, hardship and violence, bravery and struggle — she grew up without an education, and against all odds, she survived near-death experiences, family hardship, abuse from her brother, fear and a family deep-rooted in devout mormonism and loyalty, to go on to school, to navigate life outside of her family’s place in buck’s peak to get her PhD! It’s hard for me to put all of this book into words, but it’s a great read. It’s non-fiction that feels like fiction (a personal favorite of mine) — it’s heavy at times, jaw-dropping at others, but I ended it in such awe and amazement at how much strength and perseverance and grit someone can have
5.) The Happy Ever After Playlist - Abby Jiminez
WHY I LOVED IT: SWOON. That’s all i can say about this book. It’s perfect in all the ways. If you’ve ever wanted to fall in love with a touring musician, you’ll love the narrative of this book. I won’t give away any spoilers, but this story is just the best little love story filled with all the tiny details that make you giddy inside. Plus, the author made a Spotify playlist with a song for each chapter and I listened to them and read along the whole time which makes me feel even more immersed. SO FUN. And the songs were really good, too. I highly, highly, highly recommend this gem. It’s so sweet, and it will make you want to fall in love with a good-hearted man, ASAP (unless you have one already, in which case, it’ll probably make you want to hug him a lot).
6.) QUENCH - Dana Cohen, MD + Gina Bria
WHY I LOVED IT: This book is such a game changer! Did you know that at the cellular level we are all 99% water?!! I heard about this book from @thyme_is_honey and it did not disappoint! Amazing. So many of us are dehydrated and if you’re only drinking one or two water bottles per day, or the recommended mythical 8-cups a day, you’re likely dehydrated, too! If you need some convincing that hydration is one of the most essential, crucial, and complexly simple parts of your health, this book is for you! It’s all about the science of optimal hydration and it’s amazing! brb, going to fill up my water bottle. 💧
7.) Come Matter Here - Hannah Brencher
WHY I LOVED IT: Ah, I love this book so much. It’s the kind of book that meets you where you’re at every time you read it. I read a chapter a week this time around and it was like getting coffee with a great friend. It’s beautiful and honest and transparent and is chalk full of words combined in such a way that it makes you feel seen and heard and deeply known and loved by God. It’s relatable, it’s full of hope mixed with grace and grit and boldness. Hannah Brencher is one of my most favorite authors and her words soothe my soul and renew my spirit. No matter what season of life you’re in, this book will bless your heart and keep you walking forward and remind you that you always have a seat at the table. ♥ (p.s. be sure to check back here next week because her newest book is launching on the 5th and ya gurl is part of her launch team!)
8.) The Hand on the Wall - Maureen Johnson
WHY I LOVED IT: This is the last book in the YA Truly Devious series, and let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint! If you haven’t already, start out by reading Truly Devious (book #1), and The Vanishing Stair (book #2), then you’re ready to cruise through this book! It’s the perfect combo of adventure, mystery and puzzles with a side of cute romance (PG). SO GOOD. The whole series is a wild delight.
9.) Present Over Perfect - Shauna Niequist
WHY I LOVED IT: I read this book in one sitting. LOL. I’ve always loved Shauna Niequist’s writing and this book is no exception. It confirmed what I’ve come to know as truth in my own life: being present will always matter more than being perfect. It’s filled with examples of how important it is to peel back and look at the layers of your life — making sure you know where your worth comes from, inviting you to ‘live a life of meaning and connection instead of pushing for perfection’, and if you’re not, some ways to step back and reset. It’s a relatable, gentle reminder to not succumb to the numbing busyness the world throws our way on a daily basis and to instead, live a life with extra helpings of grace and rest and love and playfulness. ♥
10.) A Court of Thorns and Roses / A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas
WHY I LOVED THEM: Yes, there’s two books here. A Court of Thorns and Roses is book #1 of another YA series (fyi - there’s a few steamy parts 🔥) that immerses you in another world. It’s so vivid in detail, with robust characters, action, suspense and romance and i could NOT put it down. if you can get through the first few chapters, you are in for a WILD ride. Book #2 - A Court of Mist and Fury, is somehow even better than Book #1, so if you thought the first one was good, then you’ll absolutely love book #2! I won’t give away any spoilers, but, ACOMAF is SO GOOD and such a nail-biter (and let me tell you, crushes on fictional characters are REAL 😉). The second book is quite lengthy at ~620+ pages, but don’t let that deter you — it’s worth every minute spent! I plan on finishing the series this year (because I for some reason didn’t hop right in to book #3. lame).
Phew — that’s all of them! Have you read any of these?! Let me know if you have, or what your favorite reads of 2020 were in the comments below.
ALSO — If you want to read more this year, I encourage you to start your own Goodreads Book Challenge for 2021 — you can view it by clicking HERE. And if you’re asking yourself, “Kaylee, how do I even find good books to read?”… I’d say that in addition to word of mouth for book recommendations, Goodreads 2020 Books of the Year are a great place to start. They’ve got recommendations of the top voted books for 2020 in each genre for you to peruse and choose from. To see what other books I loved this year, or to maybe find a book to start yourself, check out my bookstagram! Hope that helps!
Happy reading (if you’re into that sort of thing),
-kaylee
