At the very beginning of 2020 I saw The Knight is Dark and Full of Books do this with their 2019 books and I was in awe. I knew I wanted to do the same for my 2020 books but I also knew that if I didn’t make it a monthly habit it would be a hot mess at the end of the year. I did better than I thought I would considering the stress of COVID during March but I hope to get back into the reading groove come April.
Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living for Best Life by Ali Wong: Intimate is the word this books holds most dear as the author spends a tremendous amount of time talking about her body, body hair, body functions, and how many public incidents with those body parts she has had. The best parts are when she talks about her parents and her heritage with an extremely helpful chart on how to pick fantastic Asian restaurants.
The Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah Jean Horwitz: This middle grade fantasy features Clementine, the daughter of the Dark Lord, who is trying to hold their castle together when her father is cursed. A sweet adventure about self-discovery and finding your place in the world and in your home.
The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend: I thoroughly enjoyed the movie so when I discovered it was a book I picked up a copy right away. I regret reading this though because the movie did the story some huge favors – this one is not worth the read.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: The first in the Flavia de Luce mysteries introduces this 11-year-old chemistry wiz to the world. An adult book featuring a middle-grader is such a unique spin and a five star read.
Cary Grant: A Class Apart: Graham McCann’s autobiography of Cary Grant carries the reader through his life from birth to death with intimate looks at every stage. I have loved Cary Grant since the first time I laid eyes on him and this book did nothing to shake that love.
The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag (Flavia de Luce #2): This second book had me just as riveted by Flavia’s sleuthing and adventuring. A bold, and slightly scarier, follow up has me even more infatuated with Flavia!
Midnight at Austenland: Hello gorgeous! This romance book set in the world of Austenland was a perfect mixture of romance and intrigue for me.
Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything: This brief history of the worst ways to cure everything is the ideal nonfiction primer on the many ways humans have attempted to extend and enhance their lives through the years. Written by a practicing medical doctor, Lydia Kang, and historian / librarian, Nate Pedersen, the book reads like a duo of friends explaining to you the various ways science put the cart before the horse and why we should be grateful to have been born late enough to avoid so many of these treatments.
The Matchmaker’s List: I was so mad when I finished reading this book that I wrote a five paragraph hate review (and immediately threw it away). This book was not a romantic comedy, which could have been forgiven, by the character’s willingness to pretend to be gay to avoid matchmaking is not.
A Darker Shade of Magic: A slow burning magical book that features a layered London and the struggle between each iteration’s use, or lack, of magic. I have had this book on my shelf for far too long and I cannot wait to read the next in the series.
To Be Honest: After The Matchmaker’s List I was worried about being burned again but this was actually a romance book. Although, I was more moved by the main character’s self possession in the face of her own mother’s body shaming.
