2020 was my first full year of reading and reviewing the books I read. I’ve really enjoyed this journey, ever since starting it in July 2019. I’ve had some ups and downs with my reading–months packed with books and months where I barely got through any. But I’m so glad I’ve gotten back into the habit of reading regularly, which I left behind when life took over!

I read 117 books in 2020, with a total page count of 35,558, making my average book length for the year 304 pages.

Below are the books I read in 2020. The link is to my review for that book, and a link to the book on Goodreads is at the bottom of each review.

January

I Want to Punch You in the Face But I Love Jesus by Sherri Lynn (5 / 5)
The Gray Chamber* by Grace Hitchcock (3.5 / 5)
Stealth Power by Vikki Kestell (4 / 5)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness* by Andrew Peterson (4.5 / 5)
His Name Was Zach by Peter Martuneac (3 / 5)
The Land Beneath Us* by Sarah Sundin (5 / 5)
Head On by John Scalzi (4 / 5)

February

Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America by Leslie Knope (3 / 5)
Seconds to Live* by Susan Sleeman (2.5 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (4.5 / 5)
Blessed Are the Misfits** by Brant Hansen (5 / 5)
This Light Between Us* by Andrew Fukuda (3.5 / 5)
Heaven’s Open Book by Sheldon Peart (2.5 / 5)
Sneak by Evan Angler (4 / 5)
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
The Blue Cloak* by Shannon McNear (3.5 / 5)

March

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (5 / 5)
Home Song by Thomas Kinkade & Katherine Spencer (4 / 5)
Stealth Retribution by Vikki Kestell (3.5 / 5)
North! or Be Eaten* by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (3 / 5)
Hope Is a Dangerous Place by Jim Baton (3.5 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (4 / 5)
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun (4 / 5)
The House at the End of the Moor* by Michelle Griep (3 / 5)
The Dandelion Killer** by Wanda Luttrell (4 / 5)
The Treasure Map by Tyler Scott Hess (4 / 5)

April

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen (3.5 / 5)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness** by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)
The Outcast by Taran Matharu (3.5 / 5)
Star of Persia* by Jill Eileen Smith (4 / 5)
Storm by Evan Angler (4 / 5)
The Wounded Spirit by Frank E. Peretti (5 / 5)
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (5 / 5)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (4 / 5)
Adorning the Dark* by Andrew Peterson (4 / 5)
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (5 / 5)
The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin (4 / 5)
Fahrenheit 451** by Ray Bradbury (3.5 / 5)

May

4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace* by Johann Twiss (4.5 / 5)
Deep State Stealth by Vikki Kestell (3 / 5)
Time Benders: The Machine by J.B. Yanni (2 / 5)
Healing Her Heart by Laura Scott (3.5 / 5)
Unoffendable by Brant Hansen (5 / 5)
North! Or Be Eaten** by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)
A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter (4 / 5)
Daughter of Cana* by Angela Hunt (4 / 5)
The Green Dress* by Liz Tolsma (4 / 5)

June

The Tech by Mark Ravine (3 / 5)
A Soldier’s Promise by Laura Scott (3.5 / 5)
The Monster in the Hollows* by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (4.5 / 5)
Eye of the Storm* by Ryan Stevenson (4 / 5)

July

A Bride of Convenience* by Jody Hedlund (3.5 / 5)
The Warden and the Wolf King* by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)
Paris Never Leaves You* by Ellen Feldman (3.5 / 5)
What You Wish For* by Katherine Center (4 / 5)
Loving a Rebel by Linda Ford (4 / 5)
Final Chance by E.B. Roshan (3.5 / 5)
The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne* by Elsa Hart (4 / 5)

August

Forsaking All Others by Kari Trumbo (2 / 5)
Don’t Keep Silent* by Elizabeth Goddard (2.5 / 5)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (4 / 5)
The Black Midnight* by Kathleen Y’Barbo (3 / 5)
A Gathering Place by Thomas Kinkade & Katherine Spencer (3.5 / 5)
Shoelaces and Brussels Sprouts** by Nancy S. Levene (5 / 5)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets** by Nancy S. Levene (5 / 5)
Grapefruit Basket Upset by Nancy S. Levene (5 / 5)

September

Armada by Ernest Cline (2 / 5)
The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow* by Kim Vogel Sawyer (5 / 5)
Sadie by Courtney Summers (4 / 5)
Time and Again by Deborah Heal (3.5 / 5)
Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery (3.5 / 5)
The Shepherd’s Wife* by Angela Elwell Hunt (5 / 5)
The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lilian Jackson Braun (4 / 5)
Jubilee Manor by Bethany Hagen (4 / 5)
The Door in the Dragon’s Throat by Frank Peretti (3.5 / 5)
before i knew you by Beth Steury (3.5 / 5)

October

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead** by Tom Stoppard (4 / 5)
The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin (5 / 5)
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (5 / 5)
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (2.5 / 5)
The Lost Lieutenant* by Erica Vetsch (4.5 / 5)
Imagine… The Tower Rising* by Matt Koceich (2 / 5)
Imagine… The Great Flood by Matt Koceich (2 / 5)
The Truth About Us by Brant Hansen (5 / 5)
P.S. Goodbye by Tari Faris (3.5 / 5)
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (4 / 5)
This Little Dark Place* by A.S. Hatch (2 / 5)
Redshirts by John Scalzi (4 / 5)
Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery (5 / 5)
The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson (1 / 5)

November

The Monster in the Hollows** by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)
A New Leaf by Thomas Kinkade & Katherine Spencer (3.5 / 5)
To Steal a Heart* by Jen Turano (3 / 5)
The Death Cure by James Dashner (3 / 5)
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (5 / 5)
Obsessed** by Ted Dekker (4 / 5)
Unclaimed Legacy by Deborah Heal (2.5 / 5)
A Castaway in Cornwall* by Julie Klassen (4.5 / 5)
The Cat Who Turned on and Off by Lilian Jackson Braun (5 / 5)
Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (4 / 5)
Prophet by Frank E. Peretti (4 / 5)
Escape from the Island of Aquarius by Frank E. Peretti (4 / 5)
A Tale of Two Hearts by Michelle Griep (2 / 5)

December

An Ivy Hill Christmas* by Julie Klassen (5 / 5)
The Tombs of Anak by Frank E. Peretti (4 / 5)
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein (5 / 5)
A Christmas Star by Thomas Kinkade & Katherine Spencer (4 / 5)
The Gentleman Spy by Erica Vetsch (4.5 / 5)
The Old Lace Shop by Michelle Griep (4 / 5)
Cupcakes for Christmas by Kate Hewitt (3.5 / 5)
Joy to the World* by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt, & Erica Vetsch (4 / 5)
All Through the Night* by Tara Johnson (4 / 5)
The End of the Magi** by Patrick W. Carr (4 / 5)

This list includes 32 ARCs (marked with a *) and 11 re-reads (marked with a **). I’m not going to try to pick my single favorite book from the year, but I did post about my top 10 favorites already. During the last year, I started 13 series and finished 10 series (some started in 2019). I currently have 10 series in progress. I also DNF’d 2 books (not listed anywhere in this post).

I’m really glad to see that I gave a much higher ratio of 5-star ratings this year than I did in 2019. Also a higher ratio of ratings 4 stars and above, which are all books I consider very good. I’ve started to find my preference in books, I think, while still trying to make sure I read outside of my preferred genres some, to keep things fresh and keep my mind open to new things.

Here is a break-down of the ratings I gave (there were a few books I read twice during the year, so I only counted them once each):
1 star: 1
1.5 stars: 0
2 stars: 7
2.5 stars: 5
3 stars: 9
3.5 stars: 21
4 stars: 39
4.5 stars: 7
5 stars: 24
Average rating: 3.85

Based on 2020’s results, I’ve set my 2021 reading goal on Goodreads at 125 books. I know I have a lot of short and/or middle-grade books I plan to read, so interspersing those will make 125 not too difficult to reach, barring unforeseen circumstances.

My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here. I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads, if anyone is interested in that.

What did you read last year? Let me know in the comments, and even feel free to link to your own summary post!