Books I've read in 2020, a thread:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. 2/5 stars. Too many unanswered questions. Her writing improved but there's very little character development

Mad About Castle by M. A. Lopez. 3/5 stars. It's good - and I love a great friendship story! - but I felt like it ends abruptly as if it's a draft instead of the final copy

The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo. 5 stars. I'd actually give this a 4.5/5 but I'm being generous since the story is excellent! I wish it were longer & delved more into The Darklings backstory but Bardugo wrote enough into it for me to understand

Oligarchy by Scarlett Thomas. 2/5 stars. First DNF of this year. I just couldn't get into it. There's some LOL moments but the narrator is all over the place as if she can't hold her attention for a moment

Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo. 3/5 stars. Pace is too fast, plot is basic but I appreciate Bardugo's lesson for girls to be wary of older men who seek them out for romantic intentions; they aren't truthful

Siege and Storm (Grisha Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo. 5 stars. MUCH BETTER than Shadow and Bone!

Ruin and Rising (Grisha Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo. 3.5/5 stars. I appreciate that plot twist! But I wanted to see Alina's angst over The Darkling's betrayal. She loved him but doesn't go through any emotional withdrawals! How!?!

The Poppy War by R.F. kuang. DNF'd but I'll give it 3/5 stars just for the writing. I don't see why Shamans need to get high for them to speak w/gods. It just doesn't make any sense

Furyborn by Claire Legrand. 2/5 stars. DNF'd. I couldn't get into it

Graceling by Kristin Cashore. 3/5 stars. Check my Goodreads review for more info

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen. 4/5 stars. Great Asian #ownvoices work!

Days of Distraction: A Novel by Alexandra Chang. 4/5 stars. Another great #ownvoices work about interracial dating, being Asian-American inthe 21st Century, misogyny, & racism between Whites & Asians and Asians & POC

The Alienist by Caleb Carr. 4 to 5/5 stars. Contains trigger warnings but didn't deter me from listening. Planning to watch the TV show soon
#thealienist

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig. 4 stars. A gothic horror retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses. There is a plot hole that messed up the story & made me drop a star but overall its non-gory

This Is My America by Kim Johnson. 5 stars. ARC. Timely own voices contemp fic YA mystery/thriller focusing on White Supremacy, racism, and police brutality

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. 4 stars. Boring until 80-something% through

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee. 5 stars. Beautiful hist-fic mystery about a Chinese-American teen's search for her bio parents during post-Civil War Georgia