My Books of 2020

Books read in December 2020

A Dark Horizon by T.W.M Ashford - 4 stars

Recap: Jack must stop Everett Reeves from building a black hole and destroying billions of lives.

Review: Realising that things weren't going to resolve in this book was at first worrying as I got towards the end then with relief as we learn there will be another book - yay! I really like Jack's relationship with the robots and his semi-mentor like status with Klik, she is a cool character so I look forward to more from her. Jack's goodbye to Earth was very sad so the twist at the end of the book was a great moment, nothing like a good cliffhanger. This being book three, it felt very much like settling back in with old friends which is what you want with a series. This space opera is a smooth read with solid worldbuilding, good pace and a dollop of humour.

Bells and Spells by Lana Melyan - 4 stars 

Recap: Four witches are trying to get to a festive ball but the Knock Knock Santa has other ideas.

Review: A quick supernatural festive read with a little heat at the end. I liked the friends dynamic and the fact they had to reveal their secrets. The relationship part was so bittersweet, I hope this is the first of more novellas so that will be explored further.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - 3 stars

Re-read because I just re-watched the TV series and had nostalgia. I read most of the series last time except for the last few books so figured this was the perfect time to begin again and then finish all the books.

I enjoyed the scenes that matched the TV series because I had clear images in my mind but I'd forgotten how much sex HBO added lol.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris - 3 stars 

Enjoyed the re-read, having just re-watched the TV show it's interesting to see what the scriptwriters decided to change, expand and leave out. 

Books read in 2020

This past year I've read 80 books so once again I am short of my 100 book target. Even a pandemic didn't give me more time to read! 

Here's what got a 5-star rating from me this year:

• Thief of Stars by T.W.M Ashford
• The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane by Jaimie Admans
• The Last Secret by Lana Melyan
• The Vidents by J McClean
• A Shaper's Farewell by Karen MacRae
• Sweethearts of Ilford Lane by Farzana Hakim
• The Silence Of The Girls by Pat Barker
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
• The Watchmaker's Daughter by CJ Archer
• Esio Trot by Roald Dahl
• Blameless by Gail Carriger
• The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
• Soulless by Gail Carriger
• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

You can read all my reviews and see the other 66 books I've read in 2020 on my Goodreads profile. You'll also be able to find all my books listed and maybe something will tickle your fancy to read in 2021.

It's time for the big question now. What will be my reading goal in 2021? I've tried three years in a row now to reach the elusive 100 I hit in 2017, it can't have been a fluke. Let's do it!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.