So the dumpster fire of a year is finally over!! wow it has been a million years and also one day of a year and holy I think I speak for all of us when I saw I’m glad it’s over.
but there were some decent things too and those were good books! so as usual, I’m writing a wrap up post for my favorite books of the year!
also my last post is my list of my least favorites of the year so for the snark and rants go read that one haha. But this one is for gushing about the gems that genuinely saved 2020 for me!!
10. The Downstairs Girl
I’m surprised considering I don’t usually like historical fiction haha. But that’s a testament to how amazing this book was that I could fall so in love with a genre I usually dislike! This book was phenomenal! And I loved reading about a Chinese girl in US history too, for a change. And also we stan a Chinese hat making teenage girl writing an advice column from the basement and absolutely owning all the people prejudiced against her haha.
(also I will sell my soul for an ARC of Luck of the Titanic)
9. Far From The Tree
This was such a masterfully done book about three adopted siblings with their vastly different lives coming together, and I absolutely loved reading it! It was such a sweet, deep, compelling story about family and identity and friendships and the bonds with the people we love and I really bonded with and loved this book. Definitely hung around in my mind for quite a while after I finished reading, and I’m okay with that!
8. The Surprising Power of A Good Dumpling
This book is so underrated it needs to be on your radar now! I mean, dumplings, need I say anything else?? That was what enticed me to read it anyways haha but also it has amazing Asian diaspora rep, and mental health rep, and is a wonderful story about family and identity. Also I really enjoyed reading a contemporary set in Australia for a change, comparing it to high school in America. Also a swoon worthy romance. Also did I mention dumplings??
7. Among the Beasts and Briars
This book is a literal fairy tale and I mean that in the absolute best way! It felt like I had stepped directly into an enchanting whimsical world full of curses and spells and magic and I was so loving it! It was definitely the wonderful fantasy escapism we all needed this year, that’s for sure. Also I love Ashley Poston’s contemporary books so I wasn’t sure how she would write fantasy… anyways now we can rest assured that she’s an absolute queen who can write a masterpiece in any genre!
6. Instant Karma
Nobody is surprised to see this here since I am self proclaimed Marissa Meyer trash. At this point she knows me better than I know myself because I didn’t know I needed a sea rescue beach town marine biology enemies to lovers contemporary romance but I did and my life is better now that I’ve read it!! I read it this past fall and it was just the right dose of joy and fluff I needed to get me through midterms! Marissa Meyer = auto read and I haven’t been disappointed yet!!
5. Ash Princess
Meanwhile, this one is another surprise because yeah I thought I would like it but I didn’t anticipate loving it so much!! I devoured the entire thing in one sitting and then just stared at the wall and tried to comprehend my life tbh. Like I can’t even describe why but I just absolutely loved it?? I mean princesses, fantasy, romance, secret plots, I’m just throwing words around idk all I know is I loved this book.
4. Loveboat, Taipei
Part of why I loved this so much was inevitably because it’s about a Taiwanese dancer and I’m a Taiwanese dancer so yeah. But I’m sure even non Taiwanese dancers can love it!! I mean the setting was so enticing with all the bustle and life of Taipei! The description of food!! (obviously, I mean). The dancing pulled me right in! And the romance was certainly swoon worthy and I need to get my hands on the sequel asap to see what my beloved Asian babies are up to!
3. The Mark of Athena
This year was a Percy Jackson resurgence and it partly saved my year. I read the entire original series back when I was… 10? 12? Idk but I hadn’t thought about it in years and I randomly decided to reread it and then read the HOO series and holy zeus this book was intense and amazing and I am a percabeth stan. And the ending… the ending… THE ENDING!!! you’re not getting away from me… never again……. alksfjasklfjslafad I’m nOT OKAY!!
2. Harley in the Sky
I read this book in January and I predicted then that it would be my favorite book of the year and was I wrong?? No I was not because 100 books later this book still stands out! It was so dreamy and whimsical, and I was completely captivated and swept away to the enchanting circus! The characters were so amazing and I loved them all! The family themes were so wholesome and powerful. And best of all, the absolutely best multiracial rep (and also incredible mental health rep!) I’ve ever read, and I just felt so happy, so loved while I read it ❤ ❤ ❤
(also I will sell my soul for an ARC of The Infinity Courts)
1. These Violent Delights
There is only one (1) book that could have dethroned Harley in the Sky and that is These Violent Delights!! This book was so violently delightful and delightfully violent!! I first heard of it in June and it’s been living rent free in the back of my mind since then and then I read it in September and it’s been living rent free in the front of my mind since then and it’s been mONTHS and my life is a mess because I canNOT think of anything else!! I mean Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai??? YEs pLEASE!!!
(also when the time comes I will sell my soul for an ARC of 2 Violent 2 Delightful)
Let’s Chat
Have you read (and loved???) any of these books? Or are you interested in reading them? What was your favorite read from 2020, a good book to save a shitty year? I’d love to chat in the comments below!
I haven’t read any of these 🤐
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eek I recommend them all!
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I still haven’t forgive Rick for Mark of Athena’s ending 😂
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faksldfjsldkf that ending!!
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Great post, I really want to pick up Among the Beasts and Briars as it sounds so good 💜
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it’s amazing ❤
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Wonderful list! I really enjoyed Among the Beasts and Briars, and Mark of Athena is one of my all-time favorites! I can’t wait to read These Violent Delights, and The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling definitely just made it on my TBR! Happy New Year! ❤️🎉
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those are all such amazing amazing books ❤
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Great list! I absolutely loved The Lunar Chronicles, so I really need to get to Marissa Meyer’s other books as well!
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Marissa Meyer is a queen and we have no choice but to stan ❤
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I just read Instant Karma and really enjoyed it! I haven’t read too much Marissa Meyer before and was really pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed Instant Karma. Also, I loved all of The Beatles references in it! I also loved These Violent Delights! Great post!!
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it’s super adorable for sure!!
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ahh i haven’t read ANY of these books other than mark of athena!! i just got a copy of instant karma, and among the beats and briars though, so i’m looking forward to start those!! these violent delights is also the january pick for a book club i’m in, and my copy is supposed to arrive tomorrow, so i’m super hyped to read it!! ❤
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those books are all so amazing ❤
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I loved The Downstairs Girl, Far From the Tree, and Ash Princess as well! I’m so glad to see so many great books on your list!
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love those books so much ❤
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I haven’t actually read any of these books but they sound really interesting! Especially ‘Instant Karma!’ I actually did a similar post to you where I shared the books I read in 2020 which I’d love for you to check out here: https://zainabchats.wordpress.com/2020/12/27/books-ive-read-in-2020/
I’d also love it if you could follow as I’m trying to get to 200 on my blog 🙂 Great post Kay!
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instant karma is so amazing ❤ thanks 🙂
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omg instant karma!! there have been some mixed reviews ahh but i am so happy to see it on your list, and my faith in marissa meyer is even more assured haha! ahh i loved ash princess too, it was the last book in the trilogy that completely blew me away! i have yet to read these violent delights and your passion for it is making me excited haha! great list kay!!
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that book is super adorable!! I read mixed review too haha and I can see why people might not like… but I disagree lmaoo. ash princess and these violent delights are so amazing ahh! thanks ❤
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AHHHHH KAY ADORE YOUR LIST!!!! Omg there are so many great ones on here.
I definitely need to read Instant Karma in 2021 ahh SO EXCITED. And you talking about Harley has made me even more hyped, hoping to read Starfish pretty soon and I know I’ll want to read all of Akemi’s other books asap. I also can’t wait to read The Surprising Power of A Good Dumpling which I have on kindle and have not gotten around to yet, it sounds brilliant.
Ugh we LOVE TO SEE THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS!!!! And indeed “violently delightful and delightfully violent” sums up the whole book ahahah
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those books are all so amazing ahh! yes violently delightful and delightfully violent 1000% and we love it!!
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I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Ash Princess- the whole series was great actually.
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ahh can’t wait to read the next books!
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Ooh I also loved Far From The Tree! & I’m looking forward to reading These Violent Delights ~hopefully~ this year 🙂
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such amazing books ❤
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Oh I’m curious about downstairs girl! I hadn’t heard of Among the Beasts and Briars- really curious about it now, cos I like Poston’s books too. Very keen to read these violent delights as well!
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Poston can write literally anything and it’s amazing at this point haha
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i read far from the tree in 2019 and it was definitely one of my favorites from that year too. i didn’t love maya’s POV, but i really appreciated the relationship between the siblings and the discussion of how you can see your future when you don’t know much about your past.
i am glad you enjoyed and related so much to love boat, taipei! unfortunately, it wasn’t much for me and i found the romance to be a bit too tropey, but i know how much it means when we can see ourselves in a book and i’m glad that love boat taipei was that for you!
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far from the tree is such an amazing book! yeah I could totally see the problems with loveboat Taipei (I was like… really?? a love triangle in 2020??) but I loved it for the rep anyways haha ❤
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Fantastic list, Kay! The only one I have read though is These Violent Delights and wow, it completely deserves its place at the top of your list! It’s stunning for all the reasons you could possibly consider 😍 Hope you read lots of amazing books in 2021 ❤
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it’s an incredible book! hope you have amazing 2021 reads too ❤
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ooop I’m so late ahah but this is such an amazing list omg!! So glad you discovered so many amazing books.
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lmao I’m even later at replying to comments so its all good. thanks ❤
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I haven’t read any of these books! My favorite book of 2020 was The Midnight Library by Matt Haig!
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glad you enjoyed ❤
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oh my goodness i’ve been avoiding Downstairs Girl because i usually can’t get into historical fiction, but your post makes me want to be confident & give it a try ❤ ❤
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I usually can’t get into it either but ahh was so good ❤
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I’ve seen These Violent Delights on SO many best of lists! I wasn’t really planning on reading it, but I’m staring to think I should!
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10000000% you should it’s amazing!
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These are such great choices, I’ve been meaning to read Ash Princess for the longest time but.. Now that I’ve seen Among the Beasts and Briars, I’m super curious. Thank you for the wonderful list!
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those two books are so amazing ❤
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They look it! I’ll get to them eventually.. I hope. Maybe I can absorb them through osmosis..
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Instant Karma and These Violent Delights are definitely on my TBR! Reading your wrap up makes me want to bump them up the list haha
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they’re so amazing ❤
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AHHHHHH INSTANT KARMA WAS AMAZING AND I CAN’T BELIEVE I LEFT IT OUT OF MY OWN POST??? I was not expecting the direction Marissa Meyer took – it was such a deep story for a YA contemporary. I also swooned so hard at the romance [and cried so hard when it all fell apart 😭]. I’m thinking a 2021 re-read is inevitable! 💙
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ahh it was so amazing for sure!! truly it’s always time for a Marissa Meyer reread ❤
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Our reading tastes differ a lot, but we completely agree that books made this past year somewhat bearable. I probably bought twice as many as normal, and re-read a bunch. And we made it!
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