Books I've Loved Archives

Book I’ve Loved So Far in 2020

Jul 19, 2020

It’s July! Can you believe that? This year has been…something. But through it all, I’ve also read a whole bunch of books that I’ve loved. So I thought I would share my favourite books that I’ve read so far in 2020.

My reading this year has been very broad. I’ve read YA, romance, historical fiction, verse, you name it. And I love that this is happening. My favourite books are also very different, and I think that goes to show all I’ve read this year. There are still so many books that I want to read, and I hope to get to them in the next few months. Anyway here is my favourite reads of 2020 so far, like always these are in no order.

Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu: I’ve read both half of this series and gosh they are so good. It’s a sports romance, graphic novel and I don’t know what is better. The romance is adorable. Bitty just gets me and I want everyone else to read it.

This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield: I have spoken this one quite a bit. This book made me feel so many things from anger to hope. From sadness to being proud. This poignant coming of age story that captures the lives of those that struggle day by day. That tries to make the best of what they have. Full Review.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim: An empowering novel that explores family, mental health and trying to find your own feet. And while there is darkness in this novel and sometimes you feel like there is no hope. There is also warmth. It has one of the cutest romances every. Full Review

Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1) by Cassandra Clare: Of course this has made it onto my favourites list. Like, come on. It was brilliant and fantastic and everything that I wanted it to be. The friendships and banter were brilliant, and I loved being back into the world. I am so not ready for the next book.

Great and Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros: This one is heartbreaking, beautiful and just so good. It explores the notion of guilt and grief, as well as a fresh start. Rebecca Yarros knows how to tear me apart and she did again. The romance in this one is so perfect, it’s a friend to lovers, to absolutely perfect. Full Review

Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women #1) by Evie Dunmore: I loved Bringing Down the Duke. It was fun and entertaining, while also being heartbreaking and challenging. The romance between Annabell and Sebastian was swoon-worthy and exactly what I want from my historical romances.

The Fallen Men series by Giana Darling: I didn’t think I was going to like these books as much as I did, but I can’t wait to read the next one. I’m dying to know what is happening with these characters, especially how the last book ended. Check out my series review for more.

Hades Hangmen by Tillie Cole: This is another series where I was expecting to like it as much as I did. It’s dark and that is normally not my thing. But I enjoyed reading in this world and with all these characters. There were some books that I liked more in the series than others, but overall it’s a great series so far. You can check out my series review for more.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: This was a re-read for me and I loved reading it as much as I did the first time. It’s fantastic and just want I needed it. The romance is adorable and the story is great.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune: No surprise that this one is on my list. It’s my favourite book of the year so far. It is a magical and profound novel that truly takes the reader on an experience. It explores family and the notion that sometimes you find them in unlikely ways. It’s about love, that isn’t just about blood family or falling in love. Full Review.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: I listen to this one and it was simply fantastic. I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful and stunning The Poet X is. The passion and thought that went into every word, every poem was just perfect. The Poet X is an emotional book. As I said I cried for the last 40 minutes or so of the book. It was hard-hitting and did take a lot out of me. Full Review.

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes: I can’t believe that it took me so long to read this one. I adored Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes. It was an excellent novel that does focus on mental health. Full Review.

Rebel (Women Who Dare #1) by Beverly Jenkins: This one is such a fantastic historical romance and I can’t wait to read more. The romance was fantastic and I enjoyed reading a book set in a different time than I normally read in my historical romance. Full Review

Dear Martin (Dear Martin #1) by Nic Stone: Is an emotional read, but it’s also powerful and beautiful. Justyce was such a fantastic protagonist. He felt real and honest and that made for such an incredible read. If you haven’t read this book, please do. It is a powerful but brutal read. Full review

Duke Dynasty series by Sabrina Jeffries: This series so far by Sabrina Jeffries is fantastic. It’s brilliant and amazing and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to pick it up. They are so much fun, the romance is adorable and I love the story that is intertwined throughout. I can’t wait for more books.

Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards #1) by Sarah MacLean: Sarah MacLean has been on my TBR for some time now and I finally picked this one up – and feel in love. It’s the perfect historical romance and I need to the rest of the books in the series because I am so intrigued but it all.

And that is it! Wow. I’ve read over 170 books this year and I’m pretty proud of the number of books that I have loved. What are some of the books that you have loved this year? Let’s Chat!

Diverse Books That I’ve Recently Read and Loved

Mar 10, 2017

The notion of #WeNeedDiverseBooks has become stronger and stronger over the past couple of years. I’ve seen diversity grow in YA and the need for it increase. And although it’s nowhere near where it needs to be – I can see the community and publishers changing.

I am a massive activist for diverse books, especially books that feature disabilities. At the start of this year, I did a week long feature called Disability Diaries. And I plan to continue to talk about health in YA books. If you haven’t already you can check out my post on living with chronic pain.

But, today it’s about diversity, of all kinds. Here are some of the books that I’ve loved over the past couple of months that have included diversity throughout the novel. I can’t be sure that some of these are bad representations. But from what I know and have research – they are pretty good representations.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: I don’t think anyone will be surprised that this one is on my list. I adored this book. The Hate U Give is a brilliant and powerful story. It’s heartbreaking, poignant and so so true. It’s a book that everyone should read, and understand | Full Review

Nova by Rebecca Yarros: I love when authors surprise me and this is one of those books. The female protagonist in this book is half Koren from my understand. She was born in Korea and was adopted not long after her birth to an American family. Nevertheless, it wasn’t something that I was expecting and I enjoyed it.

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom: It explores life, family, and friendships. A poignant novel that explores mental health. And the influence it has on the person, their families and everyone around them. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful is a beautiful story that evokes all types of emotions | Full Review

Him/Us by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy: I know I’ve talked about these two books quite a lot recently. But I was surprised with how much I liked them. One of my favourite things about this series is that it shows two different sides. One protagonist is gay and has been for some time, while the other is finding himself and who he wants to be.

The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil Okay so I read this one last year while I was interning and feel in love. It features a whole range of diversity, included anxiety which I think was explored and represented extremely well | Full Review coming soon

Things I Should Have Known by Claire LaZebnik: Now I am cheating a little here. I didn’t love this book, I liked it a lot. But didn’t love it. However, I thought the representation of autism in this book was so well done. It’s raw, it’s real and it’s beautiful | Full review coming soon

And that is it for this post. These aren’t all the books that I’ve read with diversity, but are a handful that I really enjoyed. Have you read any of these books? Did you like them as much as me? What are some recent books that feature diversity that you have loved? Let’s Chat.

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