Discussion: Do These Popular Books Deserve The Hype?

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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.