Quick announcement: You'll have noticed that the blog has had a small revamp and the logo has changed. It's a little more pink, (which I love), and after attending a webinar by The Financial Diet, I thought it was more representative of me since I learnt that pink signifies compassion, and sweetness, which are two traits that I like to think I can associate with myself. I've kept the orange colours in it too as that signifies bravery, so I felt like those colours together summed up 'small but fierce' quite well?! The new logo will also feature on my Etsy store, which will open for business in January. I will be selling Calligraphy prints, and there will be a page on this very blog with a 'buy on Etsy' button, just because I enjoy everything being linked in one place. If you click the instagram logo on my homepage, it now takes you to my linktree which allows you to follow either of my instagrams, or take you to the Etsy store. I hope that you're looking forward to all of that - now, on to the books!
Also, how cool is it that I've been writing for this blog long enough that I can put the word 'annual' in the titles of posts? SO cool.
Anyway! I read 30 books this year, and in this blog post, I will discuss my top ten. I've decided to put this blog post out a little earlier than last year so that it's in time for anyone who is a bookworm like me and wants to add any of these books to their Christmas wish list.
1) Tweet Cute - Emma Lord
This is one of the most adorable books I've ever read. It's a light, quirky read about two teenagers, Jack and Pepper, who each live a double (or triple) life online. The pair of them are simultaneously perpetuating a digital PR rivalry over twitter between their families' businesses, whilst flirting shamelessly over Jack's homemade app! It's YA, it's cute, it's light-hearted - perfect for a cosy winter read. Her next book 'You Have a Match' comes out early next year, and I'm so excited for that, too.
2) The Love Square - Laura Jane Williams
I am obsessed with everything that Laura Jane Williams puts out, and would honestly follow her to the ends of the Earth at this point. I fell in love with 'Ice Cream for Breakfast' in 2017, and have followed her on every platform I can since. 'The Love Square' is her second fictional novel, following Penny through her trials and tribulations as she navigates a Bridget Jones-esque love triangle... but there's more than just Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver she has to choose from! Furthermore, the story features a more diverse cast of characters, and tackles serious issues such as cancer, infertility and grief without being heavy-handed with it.
3) Untamed - Glennan Doyle
This book changed my life. It was recommended to me by one of my closest friends, Jade, and I'm so grateful for that because I seriously learnt so much from it. This book reminded me that I am strong, capable, brave, empowered, and every other buzz word that you can think of along those lines. One of my favourite quotes from the book is 'being fully human is not about feeling happy, it's about feeling everything'. The book is full of real and raw truths that I needed to hear. Please pick this up, for yourself and for your best friend. They deserve it.
4) Her Every Fear - Peter Swanson
Not many people would guess this about me, but I absolutely love a good thriller/horror book. I've been reading Peter Swanson books since 2015, and this year, I made it my mission to read all 3 of the books that I hadn't read of his yet, 2 of which made it on to this list. He is a genius, and one of the few authors who can successfully put out thriller after thriller and have them all be so different, and the absolute furthest from predictable. 'Her Every Fear' follows Kate Priddy. who has decided to swap apartments, with her second cousin, Corbin, (whom she has never met). Kate is massively enjoying Corbin's lavish Boston apartment, (in comparison to where she lives in London), until she finds out that the woman next door has been murdered.. and she has a feeling Corbin has something to do with it. In terms of female empowerment, Kate is written to be SUCH a strong character, which only adds to wildly engaging and addictive storyline for me. A must-read. In the words of my fiancé, "it's 'The Holiday', but with murder". Who wouldn't love that?
5) Before She Knew Him - Peter Swanson
Another Swanson book which made it to my favourites list this year, except I think this one is even more sinister and creepy in my opinion. I won't say much as I don't want to spoil it, but it does go to some dark places so just be careful of that. It's basically about two couples who bond over the fact that they are the only childless people in their neighbourhood, but when Hen spots a trophy in her newfound friends' house, the exact trophy which was identified in a murder case which was never solved, she becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth. The twists in this one are intense, and glorious, and I personally loved it. I can't wait for his next book, 'Every Vow You Break', to come out next year.
6) Shagged, Married, Annoyed - Chris and Rosie Ramsey
I don't have a lot to say about this one, except for the fact that it is absolutely hilarious. I actually hadn't listened to their podcast until I had read the book, and I still loved it. This one really made my return to work better after coming out of the 1st lockdown, as I would listen to this on my commute and giggle to myself under my mask. Please grab this for someone in your life who needs a good cheering up.
7) Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
I was so enthralled by this book. I really didn't want it to end, but believe me when I tell you that it has the absolute perfect ending. The characters are so poetically written, which makes them so super memorable and difficult to say goodbye to. It's a story about Kya, otherwise known as 'the marsh girl', who finds herself wrapped up in a murder trial when the popular boy, Chase Andrews, is found dead. So beautifully descriptive that I could almost hear the birds singing. You have to read this - it's simply stunning.
8) Fattily Ever After - Stephanie Yeboah
As I mentioned in my 'TBR' blog post, I recently started following Stephanie on all of her social medias around June this year, and I absolutely love her. I love how unapologetically she lives her life, and she’s absolutely hilarious too. I loved this book so much, and I can't believe how much I didn't truly know or understand about the body positivity/fat acceptance movements, which she explained so well through the lens of her own journey to body acceptance as a plus sized black woman. Everyone needs to read this.
9) Our House - Louise Candlish
This is essentially a thriller about a woman who comes home from work early one day, and realises that a family is moving into her house – and they have the paperwork to prove that they bought it – but she didn’t put on the market. The premise of this book is so wild that I really don't want to let anything else out except for that, because that was enough for me before I read it. I went in entirely blind, and I think that's the best way to experience this book. I finished it in a mere week, and it is one of the best written books I've read in a long time. SO enthralling, so engaging, so intensely insane.
10) The Magpie Society - Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch
This is a YA murder mystery which is set in an elite boarding school, but tragedy strikes when a student is murdered and discovered with an elaborate tattoo of a magpie on her back. The story moves back and forth between Audrey and Ivy, roommates, and mortal enemies. Audrey is determined to solve the case, while Ivy was very close to the murdered girl. The two cannot stand each other, but as they are drawn deeper into this mystery, they learn something dangerous about their superficially perfect school. This was another book which I devoured in a week or less because I absolutely couldn't stop listening to it. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy when it comes out!
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