If you saw my 10 New Books To Read This Summer blog post, you might recognise a few of these books to read in 2020. I've also been trying to keep up with sharing what I've been reading on my Instagram and this Twitter thread.
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If you'd like to read my book reviews in full, or keep an eye on what I'm reading/adding to my to be read list. Be sure to check out my Goodreads page.
But here is everything that I read between April and June this year, in chronological order;
The Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware
Rowan stumbles across a job ad for a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. Plus, she'll be working and living in a luxurious 'smart' house in the Scottish Highlands. It seems like too good an opportunity to miss. What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare - one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
This is is one of the only books that has ever made my stomach churn with fear. It even had me apprehensive to turn the next page because of all the suspense, scares and suspicious characters. You truly feel like you're in Rowan's shoes as she experiences life at Heatherbrae. From the creepy older parts of the grounds to the even creepier technology being used, such as the cameras and the 'Happy' app, this all added up to a book that I couldn't put down.
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Lion's Den by Katherine St. John
When Belle is invited by her old friend Summer on a luxurious girls’ getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend’s yacht, the only answer is yes. But once aboard the opulent Lion’s Den, the dream holiday quickly turns into a nightmare. Belle and the other six women Summer has invited are treated more like prisoners than guests by their powerful host, locked into their cabins at night, their every move controlled – and Belle finds Summer herself is no longer the girl she once knew. Pulled into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Belle realizes she must keep her wits about her if she is to make it off the yacht alive.
This is so much more than your typical beach read! There are several great twists, particularly when you find out why Belle really did agree to attend, despite how Summer is now. And that's before everything concludes, with Belle unsure as to who she can trust.
5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
One By One by Ruth Ware
Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world. But when a company retreat of coworkers, meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?
This has such a brilliant premise! And there were plenty of twists and turns, quite literally sometimes on the slopes of the mountain. Plus, the setting and them being cut off from the rest of the world, whilst the body count increases, makes this a 5 star murder mystery/thriller for me. It isn't out until the 12th of November. But I would definitely keep your eye out for this book when it is released. It is one of my top books to read in 2020.
5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Switch by Beth O'Leary
Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen. So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire.
Much like O'Leary's first book, The Flat Share, this is just such a lovely read. It is rather predictable. But both Eileen and Leena are strong characters, that I wanted to find out more about. The concept of the two of them switching lives, also made for a great read.
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a ‘take me home’ look in his eyes is about to change everything. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: he wants Tucker back. Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection.
Get ready to laugh, cry, swoon and smile, whilst reading this. You're rooting for Sloan and Jason to be together, even though it might not be the easiest option at stages throughout this. It did remind me of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books at times. So if you enjoy her writing, I would certainly recommend checking out Jimenez's work. And it has to be another of my top books to read in 2020.
5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Set on a remote island off the Irish coast, this is one guest list no one would want to be on. Lives unravel amid the revelry on an eerie and remote island as family and friends assemble for a glam wedding in an updated Murder on the Orient Express. Each of the principal characters has a reason to want one of the party dead. There are old secrets and ultimately, one of them is murdered.
I've been wanting to read The Hunting Party, also by Foley, for a while now. So when I saw that she had released a new book, I was really excited to get reading. I was immediately drawn in by the setting, which was so well described that you actually feel like you're there on the island with them. It is a bit of a slow burn, which I didn't necessarily mind, as I was hooked from the very beginning. And I loved that it wasn't obvious from the outset who the killer was. The way in which it is revealed was brilliant too.
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Last Resort by Susi Holliday
When Amelia is invited to an all-expenses-paid retreat on a private island, the mysterious offer is too good to refuse. Along with six other strangers, she’s told they’re here to test a brand-new product. But the guests’ excitement soon turns to terror when the real reason for their summons becomes clear. This is no luxury retreat - it’s a trap they can’t get out of.
Now, the premise for this book is unlike anything that I've read before. And the 'secrets' that each of these individuals have, ready to be revealed to us throughout, reminded me of the Saw movies. But in a good way, I must add. I was completely engrossed until probably the last 30/45 minutes. As the ending really let it down for me. But it was still an interesting read. It's out on November 1st.
3.5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Rearranged Life Of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore
Oona Lockhart is about to celebrate her 19th birthday and ring in the New Year. But at the stroke of midnight, she is torn from her friends and boyfriend, finding herself in her fifty-one-year-old body, thirty-two years into the future. Oona learns that on every birthday she will enter a different year of her adult life at random. Still a young woman on the inside, but ever changing on the outside, who will she be next year? Wealthy philanthropist? Nineties Club Kid? World traveller? Wife to a man she's never met?
This has serious 13 Going On 30 vibes. But it is an even better and smarter take on the time travel genre. I really enjoyed each and every one of the jumps, with each one adding something to the story. It was that good that I'd actually love to see a follow up with more years and jumps showcased. I wasn't expecting to find myself feeling an urge to live life to the fullest. And truly appreciate each and every year that you are given. But that's exactly what happened with this book.
4.5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Sex And Vanity by Kevin Kwan
The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself. And she adamantly denies having feelings for George Zao. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, she finds herself drawn to him again. Soon, Lucie is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé and ultimately herself, as she tries to deny George entry into her world – and her heart.
I was absolutely obsessed with the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy of books by the same author. So I was literally counting down the days until Kwan's next book came out. But sadly my expectations were dashed with this. Lucie was not a character that I warmed to. And I actually found myself liking her less as the story progressed. Plus, the big 'incident' actually wasn't all that shocking. It hasn't put me off reading more from Kwan in the future though.
3 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
32-year-old Nina Dean is a successful food writer with a loyal online following, but a life that is falling apart. When she uses dating apps for the first time, she becomes a victim of ghosting, and by the most beguiling of men. Add to that her beloved dad is vanishing in slow motion into dementia, her mother is in the midst of a mid-life crisis. And all her friends seem to be slipping away from her.
I absolutely adored this book! I'm not sure that I've ever resonated with a character quite as much as I did with Nina in this. There are so many quotable lines, which I made sure to take a note of. And I love the way that Dolly writes. I've just ordered Everything I Know About Love, which I can't wait to read next. But, basically, if you're a woman in your late twenties/early thirties, I cannot recommend this book enough. Ghosts has got to be on your list of books to read in 2020. And it's out on October 15th.
5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
I was quite surprised to see that I'd read another ten books, much like I did in the first three months of 2020. This means that I'm only eight books away from my Goodreads reading challenge goal of reading 28 books in 2020.
Have you read any of these books? Are you looking for books to read in 2020? And is anyone else doing the Goodreads reading challenge this year?
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