Outstanding Reads in 2020

Top 2020 Reads:

Happy New Year's Eve! At the end of every year, I like to look back at my Goodreads list of "read" books and pick out the ones that impressed me the most. Without further ado, here they are in no particular order.

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Booked by Karen Swallow Prior - Read my review.

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Emberhawk by Jamie Foley - Read my review.

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A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy - Read my review.

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The Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski - Read my review.

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Awaking Wonder by Sally Clarkson - Read my review.

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Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar - Read my review.

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The Right Kind of Fool by Sarah Loudin Thomas - Read my review.

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Great Poems compiled by Kate Miles

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Love and a Little White Lie by Tammy L. Gray - Read my review.

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With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander - Read my review.

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On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White - Read my review.

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Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green - Read my review.

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Book Review: Booked by Karen Swallow Prior

About the Book: 

A life of books. A life of soul. Professor Karen Swallow Prior poignantly and humorously weaves the two, until you can't tell one life from the other. Booked draws on classics like Great Expectations, delights such as Charlotte's Web, the poetry of Hopkins and Donne, and more. This thoughtful, straight-up memoir will be pure pleasure for book-lovers, teachers, and anyone who has struggled to find a way to articulate the inexpressible through a love of story.


My Thoughts:

From beginning to end, Booked by Karen Swallow Prior treated me to a delectable blend of memoir and literary explication. The engaging narrative held my attention as she discussed life experiences and related literature. The author shares candidly about her life and doesn’t shy away from topics like drugs, sex, and spiritual doubt. I loved her blunt, common sense approach to addressing issues in a healthy way that leads to empowerment rather than choosing blind naivete. In short, her life journey and its connection to books fascinated me.

Each chapter of Booked focuses on a literary work, though others may be mentioned. I read some, but not all of the chosen literary works back as an English major in college. While all the works were explained clearly, I absorbed her points more intensely on the ones I was already familiar with. Some of my favorite chapters included:  Books Promiscuously Read (John Milton’s Areopagitica), Beholding is Becoming (Jane Eyre), and The Only Thing Between Me and Tragedy (Tess of the D’Urbervilles). That chapter on Tess had me crying – yes, crying – because of its message/theme.

Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me by Karen Swallow Prior made me want to go back and read some of the classics that I’ve tucked away on my bookshelf for many years. This is a book I’ll keep an read again in the future.

December Recap & January Reading

My December 2019 Reads: 

With December being a naturally busy month, I'm surprised and pleased that I read as many books as I did.

In December, I finished:

1. Love You, Truly by Susan L. Tuttle. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. Praying With Jane by Rachel Dodge - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


4. The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


5. Above the Fold by Rachel Scott McDaniel - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review coming soon.


6. The Way of the Brave by Susan May Warren - ⭐⭐⭐ - Review coming soon.

My favorite book this month was.... Love You, Truly by Susan L. Tuttle. Honestly, I wasn't sure I even wanted to read this book, but I gave it a chance and I'm so glad I did! 

Expected January 2020 Reads:

In January, I expect to read:

1. On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White - I'm already hearing good buzz about this book so I'm looking forward to it!


2. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - Still in progress! It's not a review book and has slid to the bottom of my stack.


3. The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden - My local book club's January selection!


4. Isaiah's Legacy by Mesu Andrews - Both my husband and I will read this one. He loves Mesu Andrews' books!


5. Booked by Karen Swallow Prior - I'm currently reading this memoir and it's amazing.


6. Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery - I may or may not read this one. I haven' t read the prior books in the series, but the online book group I joined is reading it.

 What will you read this month?