5-Star Rated Reads
2020 has been a fabulous reading year for me, and I’d love to highlight my favorites for you! There are a variety of genres and I’ll continue to add to this list as I finish up December!
Use the links below to find the genre you would like to read about.
General Fiction – Or Books I Didn’t Know How Else to Classify!
The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult
This book was AMAZING! I can’t fully do this book justice in a review, but I’m going to try. It was incredibly researched and stuffed full of Egyptian history. The way Picoult writes this story, it absolutely draws you in. The characters are real and so captivating. I actually held my breath at times because I was so worried about what was going to happen!
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
I LOVED everything about this book! The time travel was fabulous, Oona was a wonderful character, and the story unfolded with surprises big and small. I thought that this book had some great, thought-provoking ideas about the ability to see what is coming in our lives. Can we change it, should we? It was interesting to see how Oona’s choices impacted the rest of her year.
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Undeveloped was an absolutely beautifully written story with characters you fall in love with, wonderful revelations, and heartbreaking moments. It is well worth the read, and I hope everyone picks it up!
What You Wish For by Katherine Center
What You Wish For is categorized as romance, and I would agree, there is definitely a romance element, but it felt like SO much more than that. There is hope, grief, inspiration, and friendship all mixed into this beautiful story!
Amazon ~ Kindle ~ Audible ~ Goodreads
I am unable to say the right words to express to you just how much I loved this book. The author’s ability to utterly hypnotize me with her words was wonderful. I was 100% invested in Wildland and could not put it down. What an excellent job Rebecca Hodge has done with this book!
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Historical Fiction – Stories that Swept Me Into the Past!
Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen
What an absolutely lovely surprise this book turned out to be! I loved everything about this book. The characters, the setting, the plot, the mystery…everything. It’s a light, easy read, but was beautifully written with a captivating story that drew me in right from the beginning.
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
This one tackles a terrible time in American history. The story was written so well and with such emotion that I was beautifully captivated. Lisa Wingate’s writing was impressive, and turned this book into a must-read!
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
Well, I loved EVERYTHING about this book. The Book of Lost Friends gave me an absolutely stunning story with amazing characters, adventure, a quest for answers and missing people, and above all, insight into the history of the time. It was a beautiful story, and I cannot say enough how much I loved this book.
Bookshop.org Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
I loved that this story was about a working position in history that I knew nothing about. I was fascinated by what the Sin Eater must do and the long list of things they must not do. The writing was beautiful and made the story flow from scene to scene with ease. The character, May, was the perfect character for this story to revolve around, and the plot was exciting and different.
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
The Tattooist of Auschwitz featured a new perspective for me in the overwhelming number of WWII historical fiction books out in the world. While the main character, Lale, is a prisoner, he is also working with the Nazi’s as the Tätowierer, the tattooist. I knew that many jobs within a concentration camp were done by the prisoners, but had never encountered a book focused on the person tattooing the people there. It was such an interesting story and I really loved it.
Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
This was a beautiful story that I loved reading. The overarching idea behind this story was to show the hardships of traveling west for people in the 1800s. I was completely drawn into this one from beginning to end by the descriptions of the travel and the people. I loved every single page.
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
Dystopian & Post-Apoc – Either Way, The World is Changed!
Damage in an Undead Age by A.M. Geever
I loved the adventure that Damage in an Undead Age took me on! I enjoyed the new characters that were introduced and the twists created by their addition to the story! What I loved the most though, was the emotional journey that I wasn’t expecting. It was beautifully woven into the zombie apocalypse and left me unable to put the book down.
Escaping Eleven by Jerri Chisholm
This book was amazing! It kept me glued to the pages. The storyline was interesting, and I loved the characters! This was also just the right amount of YA. The romance is soft with kisses, but nothing further really. Eve’s relationship is an enemies to lovers trope, which is one of my all-time favorites. I loved the persistence of him and the stubbornness of her.
Romance – I Fell in Love!
Christmas Ever After by Karen Schaler
I could not have loved this book more. Seriously, go buy this right now if you love Christmas and romance! The characters were amazing, the feel-good Christmas spirit was everywhere, and I’m honestly ready to start the holiday season immediately. This one put me into the holiday mood.
Never an Amish Bride by Ophelia London
Can I give a book more than 5 stars? I loved every word of this story. The two main characters were adorable together, and I loved their relationship growth. This was a beautiful, slow-burn romance filled with Christian themes, the strength of family, and some fabulously humorous scenes.
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Thrillers and Mysteries – Books that Gave Me that Heart-Racing Feeling!
Call of Vultures by Kate Kessler
This book was amazing! It is packed with action scenes, sassy quips, and an awesome story that kept me gripped from start to finish. I absolutely adore the characters, and I found myself completely sucked into the story!
I loved the choices the author made to tell this story! It’s written like an actual journalistic investigation into an incident. The story is classified as horror, but I didn’t feel absolutely terrified. It felt like a thriller to me. These sasquatch-type beings are stalking Kate’s camp and someone has to do something to help the community survive.
Bookshop | Kindle | Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
Libro.FM – Get your first month free here!
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
This book is amazing! I was absolutely sucked into the story. The writing is wonderful, and the characters are just perfect! If you are a fan of the Stephanie Plum series, this one is right for you!!
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
The twists and turns that this book took me on were insane! I had absolutely NO idea what was going on, no guesses as to what the truth was. It was an amazing ride, and I loved it!!
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
How have I never read a book by Jennifer Hillier?!?! Her writing is amazing! I have NEVER cried while reading a mystery/thriller before. This is a first for me. Her ability to draw every possible emotion from the reader was impressive. I fully enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading another one by her!
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon
Well, this book was just fabulous! I absolutely loved that the story kept taking me in a different direction. I would think I knew what was happening, and then something would change, and I’d be blown away by the new information.
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Under Glass and Stone by A.N. Willis
This was such an amazing story with a well-written plot and I loved all of it. The house this story circulates around is creepy and intriguing and filled with secrets that just didn’t stop coming. A.N. Willis did an amazing job describing the Byrne House. It was such an integral part of the story and her descriptions made the story flow well and feel so real.
Young Adult – Books For Everyone, Just a Younger MC!
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
I really loved that this was a retelling, but it had really interesting twists. I absolutely LOVED the extreme changes to the Cinderella story that are revealed as the story progresses!
Kindle | Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
OH my goodness…Fable… I loved this book! So, this is my first book by Adrienne Young, and I’m a BIG fan now! This story was told so well! The descriptions just drew me into the story! I could see the glittering water, the coral reefs, the ships…everything! It was beautiful!
Inherent Fate by Geanna Culbertson
In this third book in the series, Crisanta is still on her journey to find The Author. I loved this book! The characters are easy to love (or hate), and I found the adventures to be exciting and imaginative!
I read American Royals and fell in love with the characters and the re-imagining of American history. When I got the chance to grab the second book, Majesty, I was SO excited. This book did not let me down!
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
Alright, so, this book…I have not savored a book like this in a really long time. This beefy-beast was 664 pages long, and I just sat back and enjoyed every word on every page. I loved it, and while I think there are a lot of things that would make some readers completely walk away, for me, it was everything I wanted it to be.
This is my America by Kim Johnson
This. Book. UGH! It was amazing, and I loved every word, every page. While this was a fictional story, it rings true over and over again. I think that it had some hard-hitting ideas that are important to read about, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it!
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads | Audible
Fantasy – Go to a New World!
This was a bit of a slow-burn for me, but it grew on me as the story progressed and stayed with me afterwards. There were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and overall, it was just an excellently told story.
Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The world Ernest Cline has created is one that completely envelopes the reader and takes them into the story and into the game. I loved this world. I loved the storytelling and clues to solve. I enjoyed Wade’s crazy ideas to evade the “bad guys”. It is an exciting adventure in virtual reality that becomes too real.
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
The White Door by Heather Kindt
Okay, if you have been reading this series, I cannot wait for you to grab this one! If you haven’t started this series, it is amazing, and you should absolutely read it! I devoured this book! The first two books in this series are so much fun. They were exciting and adventurous. This one though, took a crazy turn, making the whole story come full circle in a way.
Paranormal – Witches, Zombies, Ghosts!
The Haunting of Beatrix Greene by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons, Vicky Alvear Shecter
This was quite the spooky, atmospheric read! Along with the creepy storyline, it’s a short book, so I felt like we jumped right into the scary stuff, which made it quite fun!
How Much It May Storm by A.N. Willis
I cannot even explain how much I loved this story! What an absolutely amazing mix of coming of age, paranormal, and mystery! The events of this dual-timeline story are exciting, creepy, and absolutely wonderful.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco
I loved, loved, loved this book! The creation of this world of secret witches, hiding in plain sight was wonderful. The details of the magic were not so overly complicated that I got lost, but instead were slipped into the story seamlessly. I loved learning new pieces of the magical system as the story progressed.
A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers
I LOVED this book. Every single word, every page, every character. Can I also just throw in my massive cover-love for this one! It was a wonderful, exciting ride filled with a witch’s curse, a romance that spans lifetimes, secrets, and so much more!
Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Audible | Goodreads
She Just Loves Books 
Reblogged! Thank you for so many reviews and introductions to books! I know many who might just be pleased to receive this list from which to choose …. Happy Christmas!
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Thank you for sharing it! I hope that many people can find a new book to love from this list! Merry Christmas!
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