"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

Sunday, January 3, 2021

Top 25ish Reads of 2020

 Once upon a time there was a little girl who was not a good reader. That little girl was me. At the end of first grade I was below average of where I should be, at the end of second grade I was still below average, but my reading was average for the second grade, however at the end of third grade, I was above average and was reading in at a fourth grade reading level. So what changed? The difference is that I had good teachers who loved me and motivated me. My second grade teacher got me a reading tutor and really challenged me. That year I won first place in the second grade reading club for having read the most books. This was a huge accomplishment for me, and the prize was two books. I believe this is when my love of reading really started and took off. I was always an A/B student, but it wasn't because I was smart, I really had to work hard for those grades. Had it not been for my second grade teacher taking such an interest in me, I would have struggled more in school and would have stayed a poor reader. (Never under estimate a good teacher) Fast forward to today and I still love to read.

For 2020 I set a reading goal to read 100 books, once I surpassed it I reset it to 150, then I set it for 184. I ended up reading 225 books, which is probably more than I have ever read in a year. It was not necessarily because of the pandemic, although that helped, but going from homeschooling 2 kids to 1, freed up some time, then closing our foster home freed up quite a bit more time. Plus, all the time we didn't get to travel and visit family and friends. So, now I am going to try and narrow down 225 books to 20 top books of 2020, in no particular order (if you click on the title it will take you to my review:
1.  Autumn Skies by Denise Hunter
Autumn Skies (Bluebell Inn Romance #3)
2. Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer 
 Head in the Clouds
From This Moment The Duke Meets His Match The Dress Shop on King Street (Heirloom Secrets, #1)
3. From this Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer
4. The Duke Meets His Match by Karen Tuft 
6. Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green 
Things We Didn't Say The Silver Suitcase A Man Worth Shaving For (Shaped By Love #1) The House on Foster Hill
7. The Silver Suitcase by Terrie Todd 
8. A Man Worth Shaving for by Michelle Pennington
9. The House on Foster Hill by Jamie Jo Wright
10. The Cost of Betrayal by Dee Henderson 
The Cost of Betrayal The Bristol Park Detective (Reboot Mystery, #1) Divine Intervention (Divine Christian Cozy Mysteries #1) The Lost Art of Reverie: (Aveline Book 1)
11. The Bristol Park Detective by Ellie Thornton (book 2 as well) 
12. Divine Intervention by Hope Callahan
13. The Lost Art of Reverie by Rae Walsh 
14. Fried Chicken and Gravy by Sherri Schoeborn Murray 

2 comments:

  1. I discovered Terrie Todd this year. My #1 book of 2020 was her Bleak Landing--brilliant book. I haven't read The Silver Suitcase yet because I was listening on audiobook and I didn't like that narrator. I'll have to order the paperback now, though. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chautona-I have not read Bleak Landing, but will add it to my list :) A narrator can make or break a book, sadly. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

      Delete

Comments bring me joy! Please share your thoughts below. I look forward to hearing from you.