31-40 Books of 2020

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And because I didn't want my monthly wrap to be a shorter version of this, I decided not to post this until now. 

And now I've just reached book 50, so it's time for 31-40 books of 2020! 

Enjoy! 

31. Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3), by Seanen McGuire 

After loving book 1 and 2 of the Wayward Children series, I had high hopes for Beneath the Sugar Sky. It sounded a little different to the other two, because it was a "let's travel to different places and go on an adventure" type of novel, instead of being situated in one place for any length of time. And even though it was a little different, I gave it a shot. And honestly, it wasn't my favourite. It was a very good story, and I liked it enough to continue on with the rest of the series, I just happened to not like it as much as it's predecessors. Wonderful world-building though. 

32. All Your Twisted Secrets, by Diana Urban 

No joke, I read this nearly 400 page book in two days, it was that good. After Beneath the Sugar Sky, I did not hesitate for a second before reaching for this, hoping it would like me a complete change of pacing. And I got exactly what I was hoping for. It might have been because I'd had to wait an extra two months before I could get my hands on this, or something else, but I feel completely into the story and the characters. They were the typical high-schoolers you would find in this day and age, which kind of made me enjoy it more. All Your Twisted Secrets is about six teenagers that are stuck in a room for one hour. They have to choose one of them to die, or they all do. It switches back and forth to that night, and the events over the past year leading up to present time, and it's so cleverly done, I can't wait to see what else Diana Urban will release.

33. Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2), by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

Gemina. The second book in The Illuminae Files. I really wish I'd read this trilogy sooner. Gemina was amazing. I don't really need to say more than that. We meet some insane kick-ass characters, that I loved, and there is a superhuman computer that makes a reappearance. Also, everything that happens is going on at exactly the same time as the first book. Also, it's made up of text messages and reports and it makes my Ravenclaw brain very happy indeed. 

34. The Henna Wars, by Adiba Jaigirdar

I wrote a review for this, so if you want my more in depth thoughts, you can click the title, but The Henna Wars is most likely going to be on my favourite books of 2020 list, I loved it that much. It deals with a long list of issues, but in a way that doesn't make it feel too heavy, or like it'll send you spiraling into a reading slump. I'm actually having trouble to explain just how much is packed into this novel in just a few hundred pages. I love the characters, I loved how there was a message at the front of the book warning readers about the trigger warnings, but most of all I love the message that this book portrays. I urge everyone to pick this up because you will not find another book like it. 

35. The Call (Grey Land #1), by Peadar O' Guilin 

36. The Invasion (Grey Land #2), by Peadar O' Guilin 

I read The Call way back in, I think 2016, and I thought it was a unique, creepy story with very graphic description (of the mangled way children return back to the mortal world after being Called), I didn't think much more about it after that. Come 2020, when I see The Invasion, and I decided to not only, complete the duology, but to re-read the first book on my Kindle. It wasn't the best duology I've read in my life, but it was interesting, and if you're looking for something to fly through, with creepiness, for a readathon, or during Halloween, I highly recommend the Grey Lands duology. (The Invasion is the aftermath of The Call, by the way.)

37. In An Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4), by Seanen McGuire 

After the third book in this surreal series, I was hesitant about what the fourth book might bring. However, I had nothing to worry about. In An Absent Dream follows a girl called Lundy, a normally studious young girl that finds herself in a door where her father once called home. When she finds a world full of logic, deals, and riddles, she thinks she's found paradise. But when she makes a deal at the Goblin Market, where everything has a cost, she must pay up, or it won't end well. There was something about this installment that I found, that I had missed since the second book. It's arguably my favourite of the series so far, but we'll see. 

38. Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3), by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

Such an epic conclusion! All our heroes come together in the final book to kick ass once more! Such an explosive ending, The Illuminae Files will for sure be making an appearance in my favourite series list! I read the trilogy over the course of three months, and I know that this will not be the last time I pick the series up! The characters were amazing as usual, the plot was crazy, and it took my emotions on a frickin' roller-coaster! Read this if you haven't already!

39. How to Make Friends with the Dark, by Kathleen Glasgow 

I'd had my eye on this book for a while, and I was always going to read it, I just wanted to be in the right head-space for it, because I knew how heavy the subject matter is. And for some reason, I decided that now was the time. How to Make Friends with the Dark is about Tiger, a teenage girl that has just lost her one remaining family member- her mother. This is a story of how she learns to make sense of what has happened, and finds her way to reality again. I'm going to say this now- it's a very hard hitting, and realistic read, so if you're questioning whether to pick this up, odds are you shouldn't. Because it will hit you like a punch to the stomach. That's how difficult it is to read at times. But I'm not going to say I regret reading it, because I very much enjoyed this read (as much as you can enjoy a book about grief.)

40. Scythe (Arc of A Scythe #1), by Neal Shustermann 

Honestly... WHY DOES EVERYONE ENJOY THIS BOOK SO MUCH? I genuinely don't understand why! Okay. I bought the whole trilogy, so I must have liked this a little bit, else I would have just DNF'ed the whole thing. But I was bored, until about the halfway point. Which is like 230 ish pages?! Like if someone told me that I was going to be halfway through this book before I started to enjoy it, I would have stayed far away from this trilogy. 3 stars, and that's being generous. Sorry, guys, but this book just didn't go down well for me. 

Okay! That's it for now! As always, feel free to comment on any of the book discussed here, and we can chat about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll be seeing you soon with my next post! 

Stay safe, and happy reading! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx