Top Ten-ish Favorite Books of 2020

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. More information here.

Once again, I struggled to narrow down my favorites to just 10. So there are 6 extra honorable mentions :) I feel like overall, I had a pretty good reading year. I have completed reading 88 books - only 2 DNFs. I rated those two at a 1 star. I rated 13 books at 2 stars, 22 books at 3 stars, 32 books at 4 stars, and 21 books at 5 stars.

Top Ten Books on My Winter 2020/2021 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. More information here.

I'm finally making some progress. I used to have quite a few of these in my honorable mentions because I had more than 10 for the list. I really hope to try and add some of these to TBRs for the Words and Whimsy reading challenge that happens every month. At some point in time I have wanted to read each of these really badly, so I have no excuse :)

November Book Haul

I finally had a decently minimal haul month. Only 1 physical book, 3 Netgalley books, and 4 library books. I'm hoping to read one of these Netgalley books and possibly the physical book in December. We'll see how that goes though. I've been averaging about 9 books a month recently, so I'm trying my hardest to read books I'm hauling.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

1. Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston - received in November Owlcrate subscription
   

KINDLE BOOKS

1. A Royal Disaster by Jennifer Bonds - gifted an eARC from Netgalley
2. First Comes Like by Alisha Rai - gifted an eARC from Netgalley
3. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey - gifted an eARC from Netgalley
   

LIBRARY BOOKS

1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - borrowed audiobook from my local library
2. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory - borrowed audiobook from my local library
3. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump - borrowed audiobook from my local library
4. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory - borrowed audiobook from my local library
   

What did you buy, borrow, or receive in November?

Have you read any of my books?

Books I Read in November

I read 9 books in November.

• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi (Hardcover, 355 pages, 2018, MG Fantasy, Purchased) - 4 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge, series challenge, Owlcrate Jr challenge
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Audio, 17 hr 10 min, 2020, Adult Fantasy, Borrowed) - 4.5 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge
• The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (Audio, 8 hr 58 min, 2018, Adult Contemporary, Borrowed) - 4 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump (Audio, 7 hr 5 min, 2020, Adult Nonfiction, Borrowed) - 3 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge
• The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory (Audio, 9 hr 15 min, 2019, Adult Contemporary, Borrowed) - 3.5 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Assistant by John Tristan (Kindle, 178 pages, 2020, Adult Erotica, Netgalley) - 2 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge, Netgalley challenge
• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisen (Kindle, 138/512 pages, 2015, Adult Fantasy, Borrowed) - 1 stars | DNF
• Cat's Got Your Heart by Jem Zero (Kindle, 288 pages, 2020, New Adult Contemporary, Netgalley) - 2 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge, Netgalley challenge
• The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill (Paperback, 60 pages, 2017, Middle Grade Fantasy, Purchased) - 3.5 stars | My Review - Goodreads challenge, Owlcrate challenge
  

Pages read: 881 + 42 hr 28 min
Pages DNF: 138

READING STATS
BY FORMAT

• Kindle: 41 (51% for 2020) +3 this month
  
• Audio: 35 (43% for 2020) +4 this month
• Physical: 6 (7% for 2020) +2 this month
  

BY PAGE COUNT

• Under 250 pages: 12 (15% for 2020) +3 this month
  
• 250 to 400 pages: 50 (62% for 2020) +4 this month
• 401 to 700 pages: 20 (25% for 2020) +2 this month

BY METHOD OF OBTAINING

• Purchased: 15 (19% for 2020) +2 this month
• Borrowed: 52 (64% for 2020) +5 this month
• For Review: 15 (19% for 2020) +2 this month
  

BY RATING

• 1 star: 1 (1% for 2020) +1 this month
• 2 stars: 13 (16% for 2020) +2 this month
  
• 3 stars: 17 (21% for 2020) +3 this month
• 4 stars: 31 (38% for 2020) +3 this month
• 5 stars: 20 (25% for 2020) +0 this month

BY AUDIENCE

• MG: 4 (5% for 2020) +2 this month
  
• YA: 28 (35% for 2020) +0 this month
• NA: 1 (1% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• Adult: 49 (60% for 2020) +6 this month

BY YEAR

• Before 2000s: 2 (2% for 2020) +0 this month
  
• 2000 to 2010: 2 (2% for 2020) +0 this month
• 2011 to 2015: 12 (15% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• 2016 to 2018: 25 (31% for 2020) +3 this month
• 2019: 21 (26% for 2020) +1 this month
• 2020: 20 (25% for 2020) +4 this month

BY GENRE

• Classic/Historical Fiction: 2 (2% for 2020) +0 this month
• Contemporary: 39 (48% for 2020) +3 this month
• Dystopia: 1 (1% for 2020) +0 this month
• Erotica: 5 (6% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• Fantasy: 21 (26% for 2020) +4 this month
• Horror: 1 (1% for 2020) +0 this month
• Mystery/Thriller: 3 (4% for 2020) +0 this month
• Nonfiction: 4 (5% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• Paranormal: 2 (2% for 2020) +0 this month
• Sci Fi: 4 (5% for 2020) +0 this month

December TBR & Monthly Challenge

Another month up, another month of Words & Whimsy reading challenge coming up! The theme is Island of Misfit Toys. I have been having a really good time with it and I've been reading more than normal (although I feel I could read more). I'm trying to find a good routine and I may have figured it out which hopefully means a better reading schedule. Here are the books I hope to read (to get points for my team), the last two are hopeful reads if I finish the rest. As you can see, I'm focusing on trying to read a lot of Netgalley books!

My Tentative TBR for December:

• Ten Rules to Faking It by Sophie Sullivan (Netgalley)
  
• You Have a Match by Emma Lord (Netgalley)
  
• Shipped by Angie Hockman (Netgalley)
  
• Grace & Fury by Tracy Banghart (Physical) 
• Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (Physical)
• The Toll by Neal Shusterman (Physical)
• Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai (Library)
• Lore by Alexandra Bracken (Netgalley)
• First Comes Like by Alisha Rai (Netgalley)
• Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory (Library)
• Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz (Kindle)
  

2020 READING CHALLENGES: should be at 91% 
Goodreads Challenge: 81/50 books - 162% AHEAD!
Series Challenge: 6/10 series - 60% BEHIND!
Netgalley Challenge: 15/12 books - 125% AHEAD!
Owlcrate Challenge: 1/12 books - 8%  BEHIND!
Owlcrate Jr Challenge: 1/6 books - 16% BEHIND!   What are you planning on reading in December?

October Book Haul

I really have to stop hauling books. It's getting rough LOL. This month I received 2 Owlcrate books (the special edition I preordered and my regular sub), I won a Goodreads giveaway, I received 4 Netgalley books, and borrowed 6 books from the library (4 of which I read, 1 I returned without reading, and 1 I'm currently reading). It's a lot of books. :/

Books I Read in October

I read 9 books in October.

• This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Kindle, 12 hr 42 min, 2014, YA Sci Fi, Library) - 4 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (Kindle, 499 pages, 2012, YA Dystopia, Library) - 2.5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco (Audio, 13 hr 39 min, 2018, YA Fantasy, Library) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory (Audio, 8 hr 28 min, 2018, Adult Contemporary, Library) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Shadow Glass by Rin Chupeco (Audio, 13 hr 37 min, 2019, YA Fantasy, Library) - 4 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Witches by Roald Dahl (Audio, 4 hr 28 min, 1983, Childrens/MG Fantasy, Library) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling (Kindle, 336 pages, 2019, YA Fantasy, Purchased) - 3 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (Audio, 20 hr 1 min, 2017, Adult Fantasy, Library) - 4 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• Brownies & Broomsticks by Bailey Cates (Kindle, 335 pages, 2012, Adult Mystery, Purchased) - 2 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
  

Pages read: 1170 + 72 hr 55 min
Pages DNF: 0

READING STATS
BY FORMAT

• Kindle: 38 (52% for 2020) +3 this month
  
• Audio: 31 (42% for 2020) +6 this month
• Physical: 4 (6% for 2020) + this month
  

BY PAGE COUNT

• Under 250 pages: 9 (12% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• 250 to 400 pages: 46 (63% for 2020) +4 this month
• 401 to 700 pages: 18 (25% for 2020) +4 this month

BY METHOD OF OBTAINING

• Purchased: 13 (18% for 2020) +2 this month
• Borrowed: 47 (64% for 2020) +7 this month
• For Review: 13 (18% for 2020)

BY RATING

• 2 stars: 11 (15% for 2020) +2 this month
  
• 3 stars: 14 (19% for 2020) +1 this month
• 4 stars: 28 (38% for 2020) +3 this month
• 5 stars: 20 (27% for 2020) +3 this month

BY AUDIENCE

• MG: 2 (3% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• YA: 28 (38% for 2020) +5 this month
• Adult: 43 (59% for 2020) +3 this month

BY YEAR

• Before 2000s: 2 (3% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• 2000 to 2010: 2 (3% for 2020)
• 2011 to 2015: 11 (15% for 2020) +3 this month
  
• 2016 to 2018: 22 (30% for 2020) +3 this month
• 2019: 20 (27% for 2020) +2 this month
• 2020: 16 (22% for 2020) + this month

BY GENRE

• Classic/Historical Fiction: 2 (3% for 2020)
• Contemporary: 36 (49% for 2020) +1 this month
• Dystopia: 1 (1% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• Erotica: 4 (5% for 2020)
• Fantasy: 17 (23% for 2020) +5 this month
• Horror: 1 (1% for 2020) + this month
  
• Mystery/Thriller: 3 (4% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• Nonfiction: 3 (4% for 2020)
• Paranormal: 2 (3% for 2020)
• Sci Fi: 4 (5% for 2020) +1 this month
  

November TBR & Monthly Challenge

I'm joining in on another month of the Words & Whimsy reading challenge. It's such a fun group and even more fun to have fellow bookworms to talk to throughout the month while doing picture challenges and mini challenges and even 48 hour challenges! This month's theme is May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor. I don't have a lot of dystopian left on my TBR, so I tried my best to fit books to the prompts. Last month I read 9 books and got so close to reading all the books on my TBR. I just had 2 left, so I may try and fit those in this month. I have some chonkers on the list this month, but also a lot of Netgalley too.

My TBR for November:

• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisen (Library)
• The Toll by Neal Shusterman (Hardcover)
• The Young Elites by Marie Lu (Kindle)
• Cat's Got Your Heart by Jem Zero (Netgalley)
• Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (Hardcover)
• The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (Hardcover)
• The Graces by Laura Eve (Netgalley)
• The Rains by Gregg Andrew Hurwitz (Netgalley)
  

2020 READING CHALLENGES: should be at 83% 
Goodreads Challenge: 73/50 books - 128% AHEAD!
Series Challenge: 6/10 series - 60% BEHIND!
Netgalley Challenge: 13/12 books - 108% AHEAD!
Owlcrate Challenge: 0/12 books - 0%  BEHIND!
Owlcrate Jr Challenge: 0/6 books - 0% BEHIND!   What are you planning on reading in November?

September Book Haul

I keep trying to keep my hauled books down and then I get a million and a half from the library or request new Netgalley books. However, I will say this, I only paid for one book out of the whole month and that is Horrid because it was in my Owlcrate box. The rest were all free, gifted, or borrowed. I ended up returning The Guinevere Deception because I didn't read it. I did read The Bone Witch, Malorie, and Would Like To Meet. I'm currently reading/listening to The Darkest Minds, This Shattered World, and the Heart Forger.

Books I Read in September

I read 6 books in September.

• A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (Hardcover, 496 pages, 2019, YA Fantasy, Purchased) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (Audio, 12 hr 8 min, 2017, YA Fantasy, Borrowed) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (Audio, 8 hr 43 min, 2019, Adult Thriller/Mystery, Borrowed) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
• The Princess & the Fangirl by Ashley Poston (Hardcover, 320 pages, 2019, YA Contemporary, Purchased) - 4 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• Malorie by Josh Malerman (Audio, 8 hr 44 min, 2020, Adult Horror, Borrowed) - 4 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge, Series challenge
• Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters (Audio, 10 hr 14 min, 2019, Adult Contemporary, Borrowed) - 5 stars | My Review - Counted towards Goodreads challenge
  

Pages read: 816 + 39 hr 49 min
Pages DNF: 0

READING STATS
BY FORMAT

• Kindle: 35 (55% for 2020)
• Audio: 25 (39% for 2020) +4 this month
• Physical: 4 (6% for 2020) +2 this month
  

BY PAGE COUNT

• Under 250 pages: 8 (13% for 2020)
• 250 to 400 pages: 42 (66% for 2020) +4 this month
• 400 to 700 pages: 14 (22% for 2020) +2 this month

BY METHOD OF OBTAINING

• Purchased: 11 (17% for 2020) +2 this month
• Borrowed: 40 (63% for 2020) +4 this month
• For Review: 13 (20% for 2020)

BY RATING

• 2 stars: 9 (14% for 2020)
• 3 stars: 13 (20% for 2020)
• 4 stars: 25 (39% for 2020) +2 this month
• 5 stars: 17 (27% for 2020) +4 this month

BY AUDIENCE

• MG: 1 (2% for 2020)
• YA: 23 (36% for 2020) +3 this month
• Adult: 40 (63% for 2020) +3 this month

BY YEAR

• Before 2000s: 1 (2% for 2020)
• 2000 to 2010: 2 (3% for 2020)
• 2011 to 2015: 8 (13% for 2020)
• 2016 to 2018: 19 (30% for 2020) +1 this month
• 2019: 18 (28% for 2020) +4 this month
• 2020: 16 (25% for 2020) +1 this month

BY GENRE

• Classic/Historical Fiction: 2 (3% for 2020)
• Contemporary: 35 (55% for 2020) +2 this month
• Erotica: 4 (% for 2020)
• Fantasy: 12 (19% for 2020) +2 this month
• Horror: 1 (2% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• Mystery/Thriller: 2 (3% for 2020) +1 this month
  
• Nonfiction: 3 (5% for 2020)
• Paranormal: 2 (3% for 2020)
• Sci Fi: 3 (5% for 2020)

October TBR & Monthly Challenge

Another month and another fun challenge to do for Words & Whimsy Reading Challenge. I'm once again asking that you check it out [har har] because truthfully, it is the most put-together reading group and they are champions of diversity and inclusion and I love to see it. They do book club reads and author chats. It's really awesome. This month's theme is Something Wicked and I'm on Team Marie Leveau. Below are my 20 and 10 point books. I found a lot of them on audio at my library and hope that will help me get through them all so I can rack up those points for my team. I'm looking forward to all of them :)

My Tentative TBR for October:

• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi [Owlcrate Jr]
• The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory [audio]
  
• The Witches by Roald Dahl [audio]
  
• The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco  [audio]
• City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty [audio]
• Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
• These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
• The Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco [audio]
• Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cate
  

2020 READING CHALLENGES: should be at 75% 
Goodreads Challenge: 64/50 books - 128% AHEAD!
Series Challenge: 5/10 series - 50% BEHIND!
Netgalley Challenge: 13/12 books - 108% AHEAD!
Owlcrate Challenge: 0/12 books - 0%  BEHIND!
Owlcrate Jr Challenge: 0/6 books - 0% BEHIND!   What are you planning on reading in October?

Top Ten Books on my Fall 2020 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. More information here.

I read 1 book off my seasonal TBR that has been recycled for a while now. I'm currently reading The Darkest Minds. I've tried to read Ace of Shades multiple times, but I may end up having to DNF it. I'm not sure. It isn't bad but I just can't get into it. I keep picking it up and then setting it down again.

1. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab [Winter 2017, Spring 2018, Winter 2018, Spring 2020] - physical copy
2. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp [Winter 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2020] - Kindle copy
3. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer [Spring 2018, Spring 2020] - physical copy
4. Seeker of the Crown by Ruth Lauren [Spring 2018, Spring 2020] - Netgalley copy
5. Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody [Summer 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2019, Spring 2020] - physical copy (Owlcrate)
6. Girls Made of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan [Winter 2018, Spring 2020] - physical copy (Owlcrate)
7. Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz [Winter 2018, Spring 2020] - Kindle copy
8. Ask Me Anything by Molly E. Lee [Spring 2019] - Netgalley copy
9. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken [Summer 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2019] - Kindle copy
10. The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend [Summer 2019, Fall 2019, Winter 2019] - physical copy (Owlcrate Jr)

Honorable Mentions: Daughter of the Siren Queen by Trisha Levenseller [Winter 2019] - physical copy, Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman [Winter 2019]- physical copy, Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff [Winter 2019] - physical copy