I started my blog 3 years ago today! I still love blogging and am proud of my blog although I still have zero confidence in what I write! The book world has been very different in 2020 – there was a period where proofs could not be sent out, where publication dates were moved and there were certainly no in-person book events after March, although I got to see plenty of amazing authors during virtual book festivals, including Maggie O’Farrell, Bernadine Evaristo, Patrick Ness and Robert Webb. And before Covid struck, I was lucky enough to be involved in a podcast with Brighton Book Club.

2020 was a difficult year for us all. On a personal note, the biggest change for me was the end of my marriage of 22 years in August (a huge shock) and learning a new normal with my boys. Some days have been terribly hard and I know I’m not over the worst yet. But as 2020 comes to a close, I have met someone whom I really like so as far as I’m concerned this year is ending on a real high!

Lockdown was OK for us. I worked throughout from home at the dining room table. It was hard at times but I have gotten used to voice and video calls. Towards the end of this year, I started going back into the office a couple of times a week as I was suffering from being at home alone and I found it to be a good balance, as the office is really quiet. My youngest son managed home schooling OK, but I wouldn’t say he enjoyed it. My older son had his A-Levels cancelled but he had worked hard throughout and got the grades he deserved and took up his place at Chichester University to study Psychology and is doing really well.

What I did love about lockdown was how life got quieter. I went on daily walks with the boys (we were blessed with great weather) and we are lucky where we live to have some really beautiful walks on our doorstep. 2020 is certainly a year none of us will ever forget!

Before we get to my top 10 of 2020, here are all the books I have read (and listened to in 2020)

• I have published 111 posts which include all the books I’ve read and some of the bookish events I’ve attended (before Covid!)
• I’ve read 107 books, up from 102 in 2019.  My original target was 80 and I’m sticking at 80 for 2021 – life is busy!
• That’s 35043 pages!
• I gave 5 stars to 38 books
• I’m going into 2021 with 265 unread books on my shelves (up from 220 last year – oh dear!)
• The shortest book I read was 20 pages; the longest 656 pages
• If you want to be friends on Goodreads, you can find me here

Top Ten Books of 2020 (in the order in which I read them with links to my original reviews)

• Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

• Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

• The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff

• Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

• The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

Do you agree with any of these?  I hope I’ve influenced a few of you to add more books to your lists!

I haven’t included any non-fiction on my list but I feel I need to mention some of the great non-fiction reads I read and listened to in 2020.

• Educated by Tara Westover
• The Five – The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
• I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
• Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink
• Dear Life by Rachel Clarke (Audio)
• What Have I Done? by Laura Dockrill (Audio)
• I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite (Audio)

Thank you for reading.  Happy New Year to you and here’s to lots more bookish fun in 2021!

You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter