Hi everybody, here’s a little bonus post for the new year! I wanted to wrap the year up with a small post about my favourite books of the year. At the end of my last post, I briefly mentioned which novels they were, but I figured a full post was better! I also thought about doing a wrap up of all the books I reviewed, but that seemed a bit redundant. So instead, I’ll just be posting a small snippet for my top three books of the year. (Listed in no particular order.)
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Vanishing Half is my most recent post, but it stuck out to me immediately. This story of twin sisters separated and living two completely different lives, one as white and one as black, is remarkable. The writing is some of the best I’ve ever read and the story was so relevant to what’s been happening in the world. It was truly a touching read that allowed me to analyze my own privilege while also learning about another culture in a respectful, interesting, and insightful way. I rated this 4.5(maybe 4.75)/5.
To read my full review of The Vanishing Half click here.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Anxious People is another one that probably isn’t shocking to see on this list. It was a funny, touching story about a bank robbery gone wrong, how hard being an adult is, and the importance of human kindness. This novel made me laugh and cry all in the span of one page—and it happened every page. Backman’s writing is so down to earth and relatable that I think anyone reading this book could see themselves in parts of it, and that’s truly a beautiful thing to me. I rated this 4.5/5.
To read my full review of Anxious People click here.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Surprising no one who reads my blog regularly, My Dark Vanessa is on this list. A hauntingly beautiful story about a young girl whose life is forever shaped by an inappropriate affair with a professor. This novel touched my soul and spoke to me in so many ways, specifically the extremely accurate depiction of life with depression. It was definitely a difficult read content-wise, but the masterful writing made it easier to get through. I rated this 4.5/5.
To read my full review of My Dark Vanessa click here.
Well there you have it, another year done! I know I can’t wait for the next one and, as with so many others, I’m hoping it’ll be a better one! I surprisingly didn’t read as much as I normally do this year. You’d think with all the time the pandemic has given us I would’ve read more, but in normal times I would do 90% of my reading on the bus. So, without that I just didn’t read as much. My main reading goal for next year is to read one book a week. My secondary goal is to try and finally get through my pile of TBR books that have been sitting on the shelf for years. Anyone reading this now please try and hold me to this!
Thanks for reading and sticking around for my first year of blogging/reviewing. And, as always, let me know if you read any of my top books of the year. Stay tuned for many more posts, including one this Sunday on The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Happy New Year!