Discussion: Do These Popular Books Deserve The Hype?

 

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Way back in February 2020, I made a 5-star TBR predictions post. I picked a variety of popular books that I hadn’t read (or hadn’t read in years). They sounded like my kind of stories, so I thought I’d love them and give them all 5 stars. The books in my predictions post all had 100,000+ ratings and mostly positive reviews on Goodreads. I hoped I’d love them as much as everybody else did.

During the never-ending adventure that was 2020, I read the books. Did give them 5 stars? Let’s find out.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books Of 2020

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday. Today is my favorite post of the year. I get to talk about the best books I read in 2020! I read over 100 books, and narrowing my list to 10 was agonizing, so I had to find a way to cheat. I picked 10 books across 4 categories, and then gave honorable mentions for each category. That way, I could have 20 books on my list. Nicely done, me. Way to cheat at Top Ten Tuesday.

While making this list, I discovered that 2020 was an exceptionally bizarre reading year for me. Normally, I like “serious” books that teach me things. You’ll definitely find some serious literature in this post, but the books that stuck in my brain in 2020 are the ones that helped me escape. The ones with far-fetched plots or quirky, loveable characters. Or, the ones starring people who’ve had very different experiences from me. Or, the ones about vampires and magic pigs. I guess I had limited interest in the real world in 2020. I wanted escapist literature.

Basically, this is a long-winded way of saying, “Every book on this list is stunning. They’ll teach you things or give you a break from your life. Please read them!”

 

The Sunday Post #255

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Book Releases I Desperately Want To Read

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s topic is ten books I hope Santa brings me. There are already a few mysterious book-shaped objects under the tree, so I know I’ll be getting books for Christmas, but I don’t know which ones! I hope some of them are recent releases. I don’t get to read many brand new releases because I can’t afford them. New hardcovers are expensive! Whenever you see a recent release on this blog, it was either a gift from my bookish friends, sent to me from the publisher in exchange for a review, or it came from the library. (There’s a little peek behind the blogging curtain for you.)

Here are ten 2020 releases that I’m desperate to get on my shelf. I’ll read them eventually, even if I have to spend years prowling used book websites.

The Sunday Post #254

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books To Read This Winter

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s topic is ten books I want to read this winter. Most of these books have been sitting on my to-be-read shelf for months. They’ve even appeared in past seasonal TBR blog posts. Oops. It’s time I get my butt in gear and actually read them.

The Sunday Post #253

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Can’t Wait Wednesday: December 2020 Book Releases

 

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to show off the interesting new books that are coming out in the next few weeks. December is pretty light on the new releases, but I managed to find three books that I need in my chilly little hands ASAP.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set During Winter

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s topic is books with winter vibes. All of these books either take place during winter, or are set in a location that’s often cold and dreary. If you’re looking for an atmospheric book to read while drinking hot cocoa and sitting by a roaring fire, please check out these recommendations!

 

The Sunday Post #252

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Wrap Up: November 2020

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can’t Stop Thinking About

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s topic is books I want to reread (because I can’t stop thinking about them). There are a lot of reasons why I reread books. Sometimes I miss the characters and want to see them again. Other times, I fall in love with the setting and want to be there. Or, the book discusses an interesting topic, and I think I’ll retain more information if I read it again. Here are 10 books that have taken up residence in my mind and won’t leave. I can’t wait to revisit them.

 

The Sunday Post #251

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Book Haul: November 2020

 

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Welcome to Stacking the Shelves and Mailbox Monday, where I get to show off the books I’ve gotten recently. I tried really hard to slow down the book shopping because I’m going to get a bunch of books for Christmas. My slow-down attempt was . . . profoundly unsuccessful. Where do all these books come from? I swear I order one book, and four books turn up on my porch. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! Here’s what I’ve acquired in the past few weeks.

 

The Sunday Post #250

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Holiday Gift Guide: Best Books For Babies And Toddlers

 

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It’s that time of the year! The time when we think about our friends and family, then spend hours scrolling through the Internet, hopelessly wondering what to buy for them. I’m here to help with the littlest humans on your list. These are the best books I’ve come across for babies and toddlers. My 20-month-old—Baby Brooklyn—agrees. These are her favorite stories. The books on this list are board books, which means they’re sturdy and will stand up to rough re-readings. I chose a mix of classics and newer releases. Let’s get into it!

The Sunday Post #249

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Giveaway: Win A $100 Book Shopping Spree

 

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I love the holidays and want to spread holiday cheer. (We could all use some cheer in 2020, right?) I’m giving away a $100 (US dollars) Book Depository shopping spree. The winner can choose one expensive book or a ton of cheap books. Whatever they want! The giveaway is open internationally, as long as Book Depository ships to your country for free.

If you already follow Read All The Things! on social media, thank you! You can still enter the giveaway. Just include links to the social media profiles you use to follow the blog.

Like Santa Claus, I’ll be popping into the winner’s email inbox on December 25, 2020. The giveaway ends on December 24. Good luck!

Can’t Wait Wednesday: November 2020 Book Releases

 

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to highlight the intriguing books that are coming out in November. Since it’s currently Nonfiction November, and bookworms everywhere are devouring as much nonfiction as possible, I have two hot-off-the-presses true stories for you.

 

Wrap Up: October 2020

 

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Nonfiction November: Best Nonfiction Books Of 2020 (So Far)

 

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Welcome to Nonfiction November, a reading challenge where bookworms devote a whole month to reading nonfiction. When most people think of nonfiction, they picture college textbooks. You know, the dry, tedious stuff. Today, I’m going to bust that stereotype. Nonfiction can be creative, entertaining, engaging, insightful, and beautifully written. It can keep you on the edge of your seat or make you laugh while you’re learning about the world.

Do you want to participate in Nonfiction November but don’t know what to read? I’ve got you covered! Here are the most thought-provoking nonfiction books I’ve read in 2020 (so far).

The Sunday Post #248

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Book Haul: October 2020

 

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Welcome to Stacking the Shelves and Mailbox Monday, where I get to show off the books I’ve gotten recently.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books For Halloween

 

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Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! Today, I’m recommending ten books for Halloween. I chose a wide variety of books, from adorable board books to creepy horror novels. These books would make perfect additions to your children’s Halloween treat bucket, or you could curl up with them while ignoring the ringing doorbell and eating all the chocolate. Let’s get into it!

 

The Sunday Post #247

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

The Sunday Post #246

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Discussion: Does Instagram Give Good Book Recommendations?

 

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One of the challenges of owning a big shelf of unread books is choosing what to read next. I want to read everything. How am I supposed to choose? What if I end up starting a book I hate and ignoring one I’d love? And, there are always new books coming out! Life is too short for this. I’m overwhelmed by choice.

Since I’m conflicted about picking books to read, I outsourced my decision to random strangers on Instagram. This is the exact type of problem Instagram polls were created to solve, right? I decided to grab two books from my shelf and let people vote on which one I should read. I was hoping that the crowd—with its infinite mob wisdom—would choose the better book for me.

The Sunday Post #245

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Can’t Wait Wednesday: October 2020 Book Releases

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to talk about the intriguing books coming out this month. October has two of my most-anticipated releases of 2020, so it should (hopefully) be an excellent month for books.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Fall Vibes

 

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The Sunday Post #244

 

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Wrap Up: September 2020

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Fredrik Backman Book Quotes

This week, we’re talking about book quotes. That’s a big topic, so I narrowed it down to quotes by one writer. Fredrik Backman is a Swedish author who writes humorous contemporary fiction about outsider characters. I’m always impressed by his compassionate, thoughtful, hilarious observations about the world. Here are 10 brilliant quotes from Fredrik Backman books.

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The Sunday Post #243

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

 

Book Haul: September 2020

 

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Welcome to Stacking the Shelves and Mailbox Monday, where I get to show off the books I’ve gotten recently. I’ve already read a few of them, so *pats self on back.* I’ll give mini reviews of the ones I’ve read.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books To Read In Fall

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week, we’re talking about my autumn reading list! I’m ecstatic for my upcoming reads because fall is my favorite season. (Yes, I’m a basic American White girl stereotype. I love comfy fall clothes, cute spooky decorations, cold weather, and all the pumpkin junk. Feel free to judge me.) Here’s what I’ll be reading while devouring my Halloween candy.

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The Sunday Post #242

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Illustrated Blue Nature Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week, we’re talking about covers. I was looking through my book wish list Pinterest board, and I noticed that I’m drawn to books with a very particular type of cover. Since I am clueless about art, I call them “illustrated blue nature” covers. They’re startlingly blue, and they feature weeds or critters. Here are 10 of my favorites.

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The Sunday Post #241

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

*This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

The Sunday Post #240

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

*This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: September 2020 Book Releases

Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings. I get to show off intriguing upcoming book releases. Check them out and tell me which new books you’re excited to read.

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Wrap Up: August 2020

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The Sunday Post #239

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

*This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Book Haul: August 2020

Welcome to Stacking the Shelves and Mailbox Monday, where I get to show off the books I’ve gotten recently. I’ve already read two of them, so *pats self on back.* I’ll give tiny reviews of those.

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The Sunday Post #238

The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. I’m linking up with The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

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