Books I Read in 2020

I’ve been tracking my reading for the past 5 years, and it turns out that 2020 was my biggest reading year yet. I guess that shouldn’t come as any surprise–2020 being what it was–but I actually didn’t have a lot of downtime like a many folks did. Since I work from home it was pretty much “business as usual” for me. I did, however, read a lot of children’s books, as well as my usual fiction, so that likely explains the higher volume.

Here’s my reading list by category. The title link will take you to Amazon where you can usually read a description and a few sample pages. I also have to disclose (as if you didn’t know) that they are affiliate links which means I might earn a little bit if you end up ordering from Amazon. I’ve included a star rating (on a scale of 1 to 5) with cover photos for the ones I rated 5-star.

I’ve also indicated which titles are available on Kindle Unlimited if you have a membership. If you don’t, you can try it free for a month.

I plan to discuss some of these books more in-depth in future posts. If you’re on Goodreads I’d love to connect with you there. Or follow my Instagram account for bookish posts throughout the year.

Christian Fiction

• The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck ****
• From Sky to Sky by Amanda G. Stevens ****
• An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz ***
• The Red Dirt Hymnbook by Roxie Faulkner Kirk ****
• The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep ****
• The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson ****
• Death in the Mind’s Eye by Rick Acker **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Distorted by Christy Barritt ****
• The Weight of Shadows by Alison Strobel ****
• The Heart of Memory by Alison Strobel ****
• My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. Gray **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Rachel by Jill Eileen Smith ****
• You Belong With Me by Tari Faris ****
• Mending Fences by Suzanne Woods Fisher **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher ****
• Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Davidson Politano *** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The 49th Mystic by Ted Dekker *** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Protective One by Shelley Shepard Gray ****
• Sticky Notes by Sherri Schoeborn Murray **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• A Stolen Heart by Amanda Cabot **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Make-Believe Fiance by Vivi Holt *** (currently free on Kindle)
• This Road We Traveled by Jane Kirkpatrick **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews *** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Collision of Lies by Tom Threadkill ****
• Dead of Winter by Tom Threadkill *** (Kindle Unlimited)
• An Appalachian Summer by Ann H. Gabhart ****
• A Woman’s Place by Lynn Austin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Before the Scarlet Dawn by Rita Gerlach ***
• Sound the Trumpet by Gilbert Morris ****
• Sandwich, with a Side of Romance by Krista Phillips ***
• Under a Turquoise Sky by Lisa Cox Carter ****
• The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin ***
• Last Family Standing by Jennifer Allee ****

Survivalist Fiction

• Black Swan trilogy by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Beginning of Sorrows trilogy by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Days of Noah trilogy by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Days of Elijah 4-book series by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Seven Cows, Ugly and Gaunt 4-book series by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Cyber Armageddon trilogy by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Ava’s Crucible trilogy by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Economic Collapse Chronicles trilogy by Mark Goodwin **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Daughter of Babylon 7-book series by Jamie Lee Gray **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Once Upon an Apocalypse trilogy by Jeff Motes **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Cost of Survival by B.R. Paulson ** (Kindle Unlimited)

Mainstream Fiction

• The Guardians by John Grisham ****
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman ****
• Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger ***
• This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger ****
• When We Were Strangers by Pamela Schoenewaldt ****
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens ****
• New Mercies by Sandra Dallas ***
• Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart ***
• Emily, Gone by Bette Lee Crosby *** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman ****
• The Lost Orphan by Stacey Halls ***
• Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima ***
• An Invisible Client by Victor Methos **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Thinnest Air by Minka Kent *** (Kindle Unlimited)
• When I Was You by Minka Kent *** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Bleak Landing by Terrie Todd **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton ****
• The Testaments by Margaret Atwood ****

Nonfiction

• House of Dreams: The Life of L.M. Montgomery by Liz Rosenberg ****
• Keep the Doors Open: Lessons Learned from a Year of Foster Parenting by Kristin Berry ****
• Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport ****
• Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis ****
• 100 Extraordinary Stories of Prayer for Courageous Girls by Jean Fischer ****
• Rescuing Randy by Geneva Paulson ***
• Amazing World War II Stories (4 books)
• 24-Hour History series (5 books)
• Blitz by David Horowitz ***

Children’s Picture Books

• Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young ***
• Dreamers by Yuyi Morales ****
• The Bus Ride by Marianna Dubuc ***
• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires **** (Kindle FreeTime)
• How to Teach a Slug to Read by Susan Pearson **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo ****
• My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey by Jeanne Walker Harvey ****
• Bedtime, Little Bear by John Lancer **** (currently free on Kindle)
• Pipsie, Nature Detective by Rick Donato **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale ****
• Biscuit in the Garden by Alyssa Satin Capucilli ****
• John Deere’s Powerful Idea by Terry Collins **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons ****
• Duck, Duck, Porcupine! by Salina Yoon

Juvenile Fiction

• Out of Left Field by Ellen Klages ****
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang ****
• Melody: Never Stop Singing by Denise Lewis Patrick ****
• Treasure Hunters by James Patterson ****
• Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun ****
• My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz ****
• King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats by Dori Hillestad Butler
• Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya ****
• The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis ****
• Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis ****
• Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo ****
• Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo ****
• The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin ****
• Tell Me by Joan Bauer ***
• A Talent for Trouble by Natasha Farrant ***
• As Simple as It Seems by Sarah Weeks ****
• Honey by Sarah Weeks ****
• The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman ***
• The Space Between Lost and Found by Sandy Stark-McGinnis ****
• Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling ****
• Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling ****
• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt ***
• Blue Daisy by Helen Frost ***
• Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder ***
• Kaya: The Journey Begins by Janet Beeler Shaw ****
• Kaya: Smoke on the Wind by Janet Beeler Shaw ****
• Julie Takes a Stand by Megan McDonald ***
• Julie: The Big Break by Megan McDonald ***
• Coo by Kaela Noel ****
• Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage ***
• The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy ***
• The Orphan of Ellis Island by Elvira Woodruff ***
• Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm ****
• Swing It, Sunny by Jennifer L. Holm ****
• Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm ****
• The Marble Queen by Stephanie J. Blake ****
• Dear Hank Williams by Kimberly Willis Holt ****
• Stella Batts Needs a New Name by Courtney Sheinmel **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Clean Getaway by Nic Stone ****
• Road Trip by Gary Paulsen ****
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney ***
• Positively Izzy by Terri Libenson ***
• Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett ****
• Lemons by Melissa Savage ****
• Stuck by Chris Grabenstein ***
• Slacker by Gordon Korman ****
• Masterminds trilogy by Gordon Korman ****
• On the Run 6-book series by Gordon Korman ****
• Restart by Gordon Korman ****
• Schooled by Gordon Korman ****
• Kidnapped trilogy by Gordon Korman ***
• Tru and Nelle by G. Neri ****

Audible Stories

Free to listen to at stories.audible.com.

• The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado by John R. Erickson ****
• The Case of the Prowling Bear by John R. Erickson ****
• The Watermelon Patch Mystery by John R. Erickson ****
• The Flying Flamingo Sisters by Carrie Seim ****
• Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons by Ashli St. Armant ***
• Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep by Gail Carson Levine *****
• The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine ****
• The Fairy’s Mistake by Gail Carson Levine ***
• The Fairy’s Return by Gail Carson Levine ****

YA Fiction

• All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor ****
• The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon ***
• Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo ****
• The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey ***
• Boston Jane: An Adventure by Jennifer L. Holm ****
• Strange Exit by Parker Peevyhous ****
• Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card ****
• The Liar’s Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson ****
• The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken ****
• In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken ***
• Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner ***
• Like No Other by Una LaMarche ***
• Tweet Cute by Emma Lord ***
• The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais ****
• The Betrothed by Kiera Cass ***
• Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys ***

Christmas Books

• Like a Christmas Dream by Lindsay Harrel **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Christmas Bride by Melanie Dobson **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• Christmas in Nashville by Elaine Littau **** (Kindle Unlimited)
• The Legend of Papa Noel by Terri Hoover Dunham (Kindle Unlimited)
• The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Patricia C. McKissack ****
• Franklin’s Christmas Gift by Paulette Bourgeois ****
• Lucy’s Holiday Surprise by Ilene Cooper ****
• Ming’s Christmas Wishes by Susan L. Gong ***
• Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou
• Over in a Stable by Suzanne Nelson
• A Very Fiona Christmas by Richard Cowdrey
• A Night of Great Joy by Mary Engelbreit
• The Beginner’s Bible Little Lamb’s Christmas

Re-Reads

• Katie John by Mary Calhoun ****
• Betsy and the Great World by Maud Hart Lovelace ****