Today marks the end of my 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge. If you didn't see what I read in January-March, April-June and July-September when it comes to my Goodreads Challenge, you can click through to see the 24 books that I'd read up until this point in the year.
Before we knew just how much of a dumpster fire 2020 would be. I aimed to read 28 books as part of my Goodreads Reading Challenge, as I would be turning 28 in February.
SHOP THE POST
So here is everything that I read between October and December this year, in chronological order;
Incomparable by Nikki & Brie Bella
A raw, honest, and revealing co-memoir by Brie and Nikki Bella: twin sisters, WWE Hall of Fame inductees, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and stars of the hit E! shows Total Bellas and Total Divas. The Bellas may be identical twins—but as individuals, they have proven themselves Incomparable.
Even though I grew up watching the wrestling thanks to having a younger brother who was obsessed with it. I've never seen Nikki and/or Brie actually wrestle. I ultimately found out who they were after watching Total Divas and then Total Bellas. And I've not missed an episode since then. So I did already know quite a bit about what they've been up to recently. However, I didn't expect to read what I did when it came to what happened to them and what they've overcome when they were younger. From their upbringing to abuse and the death of Brie's first love as a teenager, these chapters were particularly powerful, honest and insightful. It does, however, feel a little preachy at times. And unlike other autobiographies that I've read, some of it definitely didn't read as in Brie or Nikki's voice. I wasn't a huge fan of how it was structured either, in terms of jumping about all over the place timeline-wise for no real reason. But I did only pay 99p for it, as it was one of Kindle's daily deals.
3.5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves - A female cop with her first big case - A brutal murder - Welcome to THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB. In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?
When I think of Richard Osman, I think of someone who is incredibly clever, witty and likeable. And that's exactly what you get with The Thursday Murder Club. This is a murder mystery but with many twists, several murders/possible murderers, red herrings, all set in an incredibly believable world. But it's not just all about finding out 'who dunnit'. It goes on to explore friendship, loneliness, secrets and much more. The characters are so well developed, as is the world that they live in. And it was an absolute pleasure to immerse myself in their world. This was easily one of the best books that I read as part of my Goodreads Reading Challenge this year.
5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Sleepless by Louise Mumford
Thea is an insomniac; she hasn’t slept more than three hours a night for years. So when an ad for a sleep trial that promises to change her life pops up on her phone, Thea knows this is her last chance at finding any kind of normal life. Soon Thea’s sleeping for longer than she has in a decade, and awakes feeling transformed. So much so that at first she’s willing to overlook the oddities of the trial – the lack of any phone signal; the way she can’t leave her bedroom without permission; the fact that all her personal possessions are locked away, even her shoes. But it soon becomes clear that the trial doesn’t just want to help Thea sleep. It wants to control her sleep.
I was really intrigued by this book as soon as I read the blurb. And from the beginning until things at the trial started to go awry, it felt really engaging and believable. I felt for Thea and understood exactly how desperate she felt. But once things start to take a turn, it becomes incredibly far-fetched rather quickly. Even when you seriously suspend disbelief, it still feels completely unbelievable. The other characters, in addition to Thea and her mother really, felt pretty throwaway. There is suspense but it feels more like a dystopian horror than a typical thriller, as it is billed. In the end, it just felt too far-fetched for me and the ending pretty basic.
3.5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Return To Virgin River by Robyn Carr
Kaylee Sloan’s home in Southern California is full of wonderful memories of the woman who raised her. But the memories are prolonging her grief over her mother’s recent death. A successful author, Kaylee hoped she could pour herself into her work. Instead she has terrible writer’s block and a looming deadline. Determined to escape distractions and avoid the holiday season, Kaylee borrows a cabin in Virgin River. She’s surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a friend - or a stranger - in need. And when she rescues a kitten followed by a dog with a litter of puppies, she finds her heart opening up to the animals who need her. And then there’s the dog trainer who knows exactly how to help her.
Having watched the Netflix adaptation of Virgin River (see my review here) and really enjoyed it. I was excited to read this follow up story, which sees a lot of the characters from the Netflix show many years later. This is just such a feel good book that is incredibly easy to read. The community of Virgin River is so well crafted and built that you wish you could actually visit. And to see how much Kaylee's world and life grows as she ends up there is brilliant. The author also does a great job of capturing grief and the difficulty of moving on from someone who was so integral to them. You best believe that I've got A Virgin River Christmas, another spin off story, on my list to read over the Christmas holidays.
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent
Have you ever imagined running away from your life? Well Birdy Finch didn't just imagine it. She did it. Which might've been an error. And the life she's run into? Her best friend, Heather's. The only problem is, she hasn't told Heather. Actually there are a few other problems. Can Birdy carry off a summer at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend (who incidentally is a world-class wine expert)? And can she stop herself from falling for the first man she's ever actually liked (but who thinks she's someone else)?
When I saw that this was compared to Beth O'Leary's The Flat Share, which I really enjoyed, I was immediately interested. And, for me, The Summer Job is even better. Birdy is such a great character. And I adored how much personality and authenticity (even though she spends most of the book telling far from the truth) oozed from her. I also found myself so invested in the lives of the accompanying characters. Each of them was so well constructed. And you could definitely imagine yourself at Loch Dorn encountering all of the characters. I really loved the way that Lizzy Dent wrote this. Her writing style was right up my street. When you start reading this you assume that you know exactly how it will end. And it does end in a similar fashion but with enough twists and differences to totally make up for that. The Summer Job is out in April 2021. And I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially if you like Beth O'Leary, Lindsey Kelk, etc. It is easily one of my favourite reads as part of my Goodreads Challenge this year.
5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton
In a rural English village in the middle of a snowstorm, the unthinkable happens: the school is under siege. From the brave, wounded headmaster barricaded in the library, to teenage Hannah in love for the first time, to the pregnant police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, to the terrified 8-year-old Syrian refugee, to the kids trapped in the school theatre still rehearsing Macbeth, all must find the courage to stand up to evil and try to save the people they love.
This is definitely an immersive and gripping book which feels incredibly relevant, in terms of what is going on in the world right now. And for the most part, it easily feels like it could really take place. Some things definitely worked for me. But a few things detracted from my overall enjoyment and final thoughts on the book. There are a lot of different characters to keep track of, particularly peripheral characters. However, Rafi and Basi, the Syrian refugees, will no doubt be the two characters who have the biggest impacts on the reader. It is well written. But I go into a bit more depth about what stopped me from giving it any more than 4 stars over in my Goodreads review (link here).
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
When I saw that Mindy Kaling, one of my favourite people ever, was releasing her third book I was so, so excited. It then turned out that it was going to be released in six parts and would only be available via Amazon as an e-book. So I finally took the plunge and signed up for a Kindle Unlimited trial to read all six parts.
Kind Of Hindu (Nothing Like I Imagined Book 1) by Mindy Kaling
The first of the Nothing Like I Imagined books deals with Mindy's relationship with Hinduism. If you saw Mindy's latest TV venture, Never Have I Ever, which I absolutely adored (see my review here), you will be able to picture so much of what Mindy is talking about here. Because it's exactly what goes on in Devi's life. It's also the first time that I've seen Mindy speak at length about her baby daughter Kit. And as always with Mindy, there were so many lines that had me laughing. But I was also getting teary eyed when she was talking about raising her daughter without her mother.
4.5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Please Like Me (But Keep Away) (Nothing Like I Imagined Book 2) by Mindy Kaling
I've always felt like me and Mindy share many a similarity when it comes to our personalities. And never have I felt that more than with this collection of stories. It focuses on friendship, making friends versus acquaintances, social anxiety and showing up for the ones you love. There are so many quotable moments. And I too would rather be "lonely than bored" or "lonely than have fake friends".
5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Help Is On The Way (Nothing Like I Imagined Book 3) by Mindy Kaling
We get to hear more about Mindy's experience with pregnancy and what happens when her daughter is born in this part. There's a great mix of touching and comedic parts, as Mindy does so well. Like, I loved this little section;
"And when it came to a baby, I was not prepared. I had read the baby books, of course, but could remember literally nothing but one fact: “babies are born without kneecaps.” What the hell was I supposed to do with that information? Invite some gangster to take retribution against me by kneecapping my baby and then laugh when he realizes it’s physically impossible? That was no good to me; I would have needed to lay the groundwork ages ago!"
It's also a lovely tribute to Rose, the baby nurse who helped Mindy with her daughter in the first few months. The whole notion of a baby nurse is pretty foreign to us in the UK. But it sounds like the kind of thing that all mothers should have access to, in a dream world.
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Searching For Coach Taylor (Nothing Like I Imagined Book 4) by Mindy Kaling
This part instantly reminded me of Mindy's two previous books, one of which I read as part of my Goodreads Challenge last year, where she would she would dedicate pages to pros and cons. This time it's the pros and cons of having a husband. And so many of them are incredibly relatable. It's also nice to hear Mindy discuss living life against what is the societal norm. Even though I've only seen a short snippet of Friday Night Lights/Coach Taylor, I 100% get what she means about Kyle Chandler. I think it's time to watch one of my favourites, Game Night, again.
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Once Upon A Time In Silver Lake (Nothing Like I Imagined Book 5) by Mindy Kaling
This felt like a bizarre inclusion, especially when this entire part is dedicated to this one story. It's kind of unnerving, instead of funny. And I really wasn't sure what to think once I'd read it. It was nice to find out a bit more about Mindy and B.J.'s friendship. But this felt like it was more of an anecdote that could have been told on a talk show, for example. Instead of something that an entire part of Nothing Like I Imagined should have been about.
3.5 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
Big Shot (Nothing Like I Imagined Book 6) by Mindy Kaling
I need to know who 'Max Davis' is and will no doubt spend the next hour doing my best to Google/find more clues about him. This part was just okay but it still had enough insight into Mindy's Hollywood life to make it interesting. The bonus sneak peek into a day in Mindy's life wasn't as good as I thought it would be, given that it was ultimately the end of this series of essays.
4 out of 5 stars · Buy it now
So there we have it, what I read between October and December this year. Even though there is still about a week of December left. I would have counted the six Nothing Like I Imagined books as one. But on Goodreads they class each one as a separate book. So I definitely had a little boost when it came to my numbers towards the end of my Goodreads Challenge.
FINAL 2020 GOODREADS READING CHALLENGE: 35/28
Given what went down in 2020, I'm pretty happy to have exceeded my goal of 28 books. I spent a lot more time this year going out for long walks and binge watching TV shows with family, than I usually do. But I am happy to report that I've got quite a few books on my Kindle and bookshelf ready to read over the Christmas break and into 2021. So I will most definitely be doing another Goodreads Reading Challenge next year.
Did you attempt the Goodreads Reading Challenge this year? If so, how many books did you get through? And did we read any of the same books this year?
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