2020 Book wrap up of Nerdy Bookarazzi

Hello beautiful bookish people, I hope everyone is doing incredibly great and let’s pray 2021 will be much more better and enchanting than 2020 in all aspects. I’m really sorry for coming up with this 2020 Book wrap a week after New Year, I was experimenting myself in lot of new things and that’s why this post is coming a bit late, I hope you guys will understand that!!

I know 2020 haven’t been the best year for the whole world but as a bookworm I had a very beautiful and tremendous year. Yeahhh!!! That’s true and you heard me right!! When 2020 kick-started my Goodreads account asked me to set my reading goal for the year and by 01.01.2020, my year seemed pretty hectic and tightly packed and so I decided to read 20 books which was also matching with the year. But even that 20 books goal seemed like a far fetched dream because of my schedule.

And then Corona happened and we were all forced into self quarantine. That’s when I started to read more rigorously. My all time record has been around 35-45 books a year if I’m being quite consistent with my reading routine but this time, I surpassed all my records and I have completed 60 books about which I’m so very proud of. I know it’s not a big number and I know a lot of Book lovers who reads hundreds and hundreds of books in a year, but still I’m happy about this cute little achievement of mine 😀 So technically speaking 2020 has been the best year for my reading journey!!!

Okay so, let’s get into the main part!! Shall we ??

DISCLAIMER : It’s going to be a pretty long post as I will have to cover all the books I have read in 2020, so be a little patient, will you ??

FICTION

Romantic-Comedy

1. The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

I literally love Sophie Kinsella so very much, I have read around some 4-5 books of Sophie Kinsella before this series and I have absolutely loved them all and so I decided to read the most acclaimed series of Sophie Kinsella. This book was a like an introduction to the series and it was very basic.

2. Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella

This book is like the best in the series, I personally loved it so very much because this part had a lot of depth to it. There was this personal touch to the book and it gave a lot of insights about the lead characters in the book. And I loved the way the protagonists made a change in her characterization for good.

3. Shopaholic ties the knot by Sophie Kinsella

Okay, to be very frank, I started with the series in the first place because of this book. A best friend of mine suggested this book to me and she absolutely loves this book. In order to read this book, I started with the Shopaholic series and it was really fun. And god!!!! Only Becky could get herself entangled in problems that are weirdly unique. It was such a witty read.

4. A Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Sophie Kinsella

Oh my god!!!!!! This author is the find of my year!! She is just amazing!! This book made me laugh, smile, feel, relate and all the positive things in the world. This is one of the best books I have ever read. This book is tailor made for bookaholics. The little crazy book lover inside me was so much more happier and satisfied after reading this book and it is a must read book for all the book lovers!!

5. A Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane by Jaimie Admans

I read this book by the end of September and it literally brought Christmas home a lot more earlier than usual. I’m not someone who is very well aware of traditional Christmas celebrations and this book made me realize what I have been missing out all these years!! I made my friend and my sister read this book and they both loved it so much and they started spreading the nutcracker love by buying a lot of adorable nutcrackers. This book would Un-Grinch anybody who hates Christmas. This book will teach you the perfect way to celebrate Christmas traditionally!!!

6. A very Perry Christmas by Marie Landry

This book taught me that holidays is all about spending quality time with family. These Perry Siblings in the book were all very different and unique in their own way. It was a very refreshing read. And I’m so very eager to read the story of Jasper (one of the siblings’ own story)

7. Only you by Marie Landry

This book was suggested to me by my favourite author and friend Jaimie Admans. She loves Hugh so much and he is her only Book Boyfriend and I understand why she is crazy about him. It such a wonderful book with good characters and sequences and it is also a story which is narrated on the backdrop of Christmas. Few characters in this book have their own story penned by Marie Landry and I’m looking forward to consume all those stories!!

8. Accidentally in Love by Belinda Missen

This is the last book I read last year and I’m so happy that I finished the year with this book. I loved the protagonist so much, I instantly fell in love with her character. It is such a wonderful story with the good plot-line and amazing characters. I enjoyed this book so much.

9. Three nights & Four days by Shilpa Jain

This is one of the most unexpected read of this year. Why I am saying so is because before starting this book I didn’t have any expectation but then I was completely blown away. It was very cute and heart filling read. This book made me really happy. What I really liked about this book was, a little girl was narrating the love story of her parents, that was really cute and adorable and very witty as well.

10. The Switch by Beth O’Leary

This is more of a Chicklit than a Rom-Com but that’s fine!! I loved the bonding between the Grandma and the Granddaughter. The life Switch they make was really entertaining and extremely funny. I guess, this is my first every audio book and I liked it very much. I loved this book a little more better because of the narrators.

11. Bombay Heights by Adite Banerjie

I basically love stories that are based on Bombay and this novel has just given me that good experience. This book is more of a romance. There were beautiful romantic moments between the lead characters and there were many funny and witty moments. That made this book really nice to read!!

12. Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

It was a typical Romantic-comedy filled with a lot of funny and heated and fire sparkling moments. This book was really humorous and took me on a tour to Key West and I would never forget the trip this book took me on. And this was the first book I read that was written about Latino families and I absolutely loved how tightly knitted their families are. A nice breezy read.

13. Love Un-stuck by Sudha Nair

It was Typically very romantic and it was such a fulfilling and satisfying read. The spark and the chemistry between the lead characters were extraordinary and I loved the book completely for that!! I’m a sucker for romance and it gave me what I needed!

Women’s Fiction

1. Judge’s Girls by Sharina Harris

The best!!!! I cannot explain how much I love this book and how it brought a great impact on me. I was so engrossed on this plot that it was extremely difficult for me to come out of this book. I loved it sooooooo muchhhhhh. I loved Maya so much, she such a strong and inspiring character. I loved all the characters in the book, I loved everything said in the book. And I’m in love with Roland Hill, he is one of my best book boyfriends.

2. Bahir by Monisha K Gumber

The plot was really very hard and deep and at certain times it was heart-breaking. But on the whole it was quite stereotypical.

3. I won’t be a nun by Michaela Francis

One of the worst reads of the year. The character development of the lead female was really bad and quarter-baked. The title was misleading and the male lead was the victim of this story and I really felt very bad for the guy. Nobody should get a girlfriend like the female lead.

4. The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny

The basic plot-line of the story was really nice. It was about a person who is socially very awkward and doesn’t love human company but the character didn’t develop from there. The protagonist did not even try to become a better version of herself. She was very selfish and insensitive and she stayed the same till the last before chapter. And in the final chapter the author said ya she has changed and that wasn’t very convincing. Not a good read.

Indian Literature

1. Poonachi by Perumal Murugan

A nice book and it is very close to my heart. Throughout the reading process I felt like I was listening to a story narrated by my grandmother or my mother. It had a very typical South Indian and Tamil touch to it and so it felt very personal. I liked the way the author had talked politics through a goat’s life and I loved Poonachi so much.

2. Milk Teeth by Amrita Mahale

This book has been critically acclaimed and almost everybody I knew of was praising this book and that’s why I picked up this book and I completely, completely loved it. I usually like the books which subtly talks about politics and that’s one of the main reason I loved this book. Everyone should read this book.

3. When you were betrayed by Shrehya Taneja

Badly drafted. I couldn’t make head or tail out of this book and so I did not enjoy it.

Young Adult

1. Above all else by Dana Alison Levy

It gave a lot of insights about climbing Mt. Everest. I have never really given it a second thought and I really do not know how much efforts and years of hard works people put into it to summit Mt. Everest once. It was very insightful and informative.

2. Dying to Live by Monisha K Gumber

This book talks about the pressure and the psychological problems a teenager undergoes because of the over expectations from family and friends. Seriously this book not just tells about these problems but also says what to do about it. This book will definitely be useful for teenagers as well as their parents. I regret not being able to find these kind of books when I was at school.

3. Dolly won’t play by Monisha K Gumber

This book is exclusively for teenagers, it deeply elaborates on child sexual abuse and how traumatic these kind of incidents can to the child. And the author had beautifully covered all these things and told it in a strong and bold way.

Contemporary Fiction

1. It’s all in the Planets by Preeti Shenoy

Preeti Shenoy has this unique way of story telling and I have always been a fan and admirer of her writings. This book was the first book I read in 2020. It has been written in a very effective and beautiful manner. The plot line was simple and clear.

2. Empty Wallet by Jagadish Jaganathan

Empty wallet is a corporate drama, in this book the author had efficiently written how a person who starts from a scratch can become a successful business tycoon if he is driven. And at the same time the author had also told if you’re over-driven what are the things you would be missing out in life. It is a very good book and workaholic people should read this book.

Satire

1. Dead Money by Srinath Adiga

This amazing novel was so relevant to today’s scenario and the editor claims this book was written before the pandemic and its completely unbelievable!!! This book has changed the way I look at many things now and it was tremendously drafted. There is not a single day in which I haven’t thought or spoke about the things that are told in this book. It brought about a lot of impact on me. Such a wonderful book with completely new mindset and ideas!

Sports Fiction

1. Wild Card 3 by Asfiya Rahman

I generally love sports fiction but I do not know anything about wheelchair tennis before this book. It was such an eye opener and it was very fast pacing. I liked the bond shared between all the four main lead characters, it was so sacred and lovable. I read the last book in the trilogy, though I have a vague idea what had happened in the first two books, I still want to read them nonetheless.

Historical Fiction

1. Meet me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft

The best!!! The best!! The best!! I was crying for around 75-80% of the book. It was very heart-touching, heart-breaking, heart-writhing, add whatever synonymous words you want. I’m falling short of words to explain this book. It is the heart-wrecking love story of two people in British India at the Backdrop of World War 1. Though it will be really painful and sad to read this book but it is worth every minute you spend on this book. THE BEST BOOK. And it will always hold a special place in my heart.

2. The Rise of Sivagami by Anand Neelakantan

I’m a great fan of Babubali, I have already read this book as soon as it released in 2017 but then when the second book released I wanted to read it again. And to be very frank the second time, I noticed a lot of new things I missed out in 2017 and even for a minute I didn’t feel bored just because I already knew the story and have read it. It is one of my favourites by the author. If you’re a Bahubali fan, then you should absolutely read this book.

3. Chaturanga by Anand Neelakantan

This was a short read but showed a lot of depth and different shades of all the characters we had know before. And the cliffhanger with which the author had finished the book was really amazing. The third book in the series had released and I can’t wait for it to arrive.

4. Yesterday by Samyann

This book talks about true love, soulmates and reincarnation. And it also focuses on 1800’s American history and how the author had correlated everything beautifully and methodologically was mind blowing. It was such a different read.

Mythological Fiction

1. The Roll of the dice by Anand Neelankantan

I have always loved the villains more than heroes but my love for Dhuryodhana is something else and I think it is completely genuine. Since I was a kid I had loved Karna so much and I started liking Dhuryodhana because he was the only one person who stood up for Karna and you can call my love blind. But this book gave me more reasons to love Dhuryodhana and that’s what I really loved about this book. He was the most wonderful person in the epic, he was simply vilified and projected as a villain and if you do not believe me please to read this amazing book. It will open your eyes and show you a different perspective.

2. Ahalya’s Awakening by Kavita Kane

I love the way in which Kavita Kane selects her protagonists, she will select a most underrated character of the Hindu mythology and tell their story from a feminist point of view. And her writings are incredibly convincing and amazing.

3. Mahabharatee by Shruti Hajirnis Gupte

The writing style of the author was very poetic and this book is all about a deciding conversation between five important women of the Mahabharata just a few hour before the Kurukshetra war. It is told from the feminist perspective and yeah it was a good read but the author could’ve been even more convincing with her point of view.

Thriller

1. Sniper’s Eye by Mainak Dhar

The starting line of the book was just wow!! The first line of the book itself completely hauled my attention. The book was fast paced and had lot of action sequence in it. I loved it so much. It was literally like watching a movie. There is this movie in Tamil called Thuppakki, I got that vibe while reading this book though both of them has a different plot-line. I’m just comparing these two because both the protagonists are army men. I enjoyed this book a lot.

2. The Shadows by Alex North

I read the audio-book version of this book and the way in which the narrators had narrated the story was far more thrilling and scary than the book itself. I loved it so much and it was a spine-chilling read. If you want a good thriller to read then you can absolutely go for this book.

3. Heart Quake by K.Vijaykarthikeyan

It is a medical thriller written by an IAS officer. The medical technology used in this book was mind-boggling. The way the story marched forward was really unexpected and fast pacing. It is the story of an IAS officer and I generally like to read about the lives of these amazing Civil Servants and this book just gave me that satisfaction.

4. Then she was gone by Lisa Jewell

It was a very wonderful psychotic thriller with lot of layers and perspectives. Though the plot-line was very predictable, the writing style and the author approach kept me hooked into the book till the very end. I kept on predicting throughout the book. I remember waking up at 4’o clock in the morning just to finish this book as the plot was keeping me awake. And PS, I’m not an early bird.

5. Tujunga by Carlos Alvardo

Unbelievably great!!! The best sci-fi thriller I have ever read. I have never read anything as informative and entertaining as this book. It spoke about lot of things. And the way the author had planned and drafted the plot was nerve-racking. I haven’t read such an intelligent plot ever. Every sci-fi lovers should read this book. If you’re into space and moon then you will love it. I looooooovvvveeeeddddd this book!!!!

6. Watching Glass Shatter By James J Cudney

It’s a family drama with a blend of thriller factor. It is a rare combination and the author did a spectacular job. There were lot character and lot of perspectives. Despite so many characters in the book, each and every character stood out and they all marked their place in my heart. I loved the female lead, that’s the matriarch of the family. She was a strong woman and I loved her decision making skills. I practically loved this family so much.

7. Hiding Cracked Glass by James J Cudney

The second book in the series was even better. There were lot of inner dynamics to the plot this time. I started liking all the characters in the Glass family even more. It was a tremendous read.

8. The Girl in the Grave by Helen Phifer

I started this book back in 2019 I guess but then I stopped it within first few pages. I don’t know what happened. Then when the lock-down started, I decided to get back to reading this book and I regretted not finishing the previous year itself. It was such a great book, it was extremely thrilling and completely worth the read. This book actually brought me back to the reading pace after a long time.

9. The secret she kept by J.S Ellis

It was an engaging thriller with an unreliable victim. It would surely keep you occupied if you want to read a thriller. I wouldn’t say it was a great read but it was okay. It kept me engaged!

Fantasy

1. The Ickabog by J.K Rowling

As a kid, I didn’t get the opportunity to read The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Actually, I did get the chance to read a lot of times but I skipped and watched the movies instead. I know you all will be angry at me right now but what to do I was this lame kid. And then during this lock-down I started reading The Ickabog which J.K. Rowling was publishing on chapter basis and I was truly impressed and loved it so much despite the book being written for kids. So that’s when I decided to read the Harry Potter series and immediately purchased the box set. I will be catching up with the series soon.

2. Jean Angel by Atul Mohite

The idea behind this book was really nice and the setting of the story and the vibe it gave felt very akin. I liked the writing style and everything about this book. It was a new experience to me. But then the author had abruptly finished the book without a closure just for the sake of coming up with the second book in the series. It felt very disappointing and spoiled the whole experience.

Social Fiction

1. The Second Chance by Suhas Inamdar

This book pointed out the corruption in the three most important profession of all, Doctor, Lawyer and Journalism. It was an interesting read where the lead characters starts doing all the unethical things in their profession and how they find their path back in the right direction is the story. It was really good.

2. The Last Evidence by Suhas Inamdar

This book is about a criminal, who escapes the system and lives in incognito mode. He thinks he can start afresh but the Karma finds its way back when he thinks he has changed and he is a new man. This story emphasis on karma and what happens in the end is the story of this book. It was a nice book but personal touch was lagging.

3. Mirrro – At The Weird Wayward by Manoj Kumar Sharma

It was really a weird book with weird solutions to complex problems. I really liked how the book started and marched forward though I had some issues with certain things said in this book. I was waiting for an AI kind of solutions and then real answer behind all these issues were something else and to be frank that wasn’t very realistic. Apart from the climax I enjoyed reading this book but it was way to big and descriptive.

Motivational Book

1. The Emperor by Ram Joshi

It is a motivational story said from a Penguin’s life and his journey. This book highly emphasis on the never give-up attitude till the very end. And this book happened to me when I needed it the most. It gave me the confidence to fight till I can and it brought about a good change in my life very quickly and I should thank the author and the little Em. I loved the penguin and his attitude so much and also I came to know a lot about Penguin’s life.

Anthology

1. Walks through life by Santhosh K Komaraju

It is a collection of short stories, each story has a moral value to share to the readers. Every story in this book was one of a kind and it can be read by even kids. These stories actually motivated me to do better in life. I loved it. It was a nostalgic experience.

2. Bitter Sweet Revenge by Pragati Jain

It is a collection of short stories which works on the ideology “Karma is a boomerang” There were a couple of stories which were good but on the whole every story’s ending was more or less the same, predictable and supremely cliched. I couldn’t say I enjoyed it.

Short Story

1. Somebody that I used to know by Preeti Shenoy

Breaking stereotype with her writings is Preeti Shenoy’s style and the most important thing is how convincing she can be with her words. Even if you’re someone who is against what she is writing, you will completely rely upon her words while you are into the book and that is her success. This book was one such book. I completely liked it so much. It was heart-breaking to read this story.

2. Three of hearts by Sudha Nair

This short story is a prequel to Love un-stuck, I really loved Irfan and I wanted to know his story. What I really liked about this book was the way it was written and I loved Ashima’s husband and his innocent and genuine character. It was literally heart-breaking and with the author’s words, the author made the readers go stand in cross road, confused just like Ashima. I liked the way it ended, thought it left my heart heavy.

3. Mr & Mrs Nambiar by Sudha Nair

It was a funny and deep read, the author had beautifully covered how the life of a housewife changes drastically after the retirement of her husband. These changes and the difficulty in it are often gone unnoticed. I was so happy that the author had decided to talk about something nobody had cared to do before. I’m talking from personal experience from my mom, I know this change can be hectic for the wife. I truly enjoyed it and suggested my father to read it!!

4. Shopaholic on honeymoon by Sophie Kinsella

This is a short story in shopaholic series. This is about how the dream honeymoon of the protagonist gets spoiled because her husband decides to get back to work by cutting short their one year long world trip. It might sound ridiculous but that’s how Becky is. The story was too short and abrupt. This honeymoon trip deserves a separate book. This wasn’t up to the mark.

5. Six Geese A-Laying by Sophie Kinsella

It is about a group of women who are expecting to deliver by Christmas. They all go to this exclusive antenatal class where they get to realize their short comings in their personalities and how they rectify it, is the story. It was a nice story to read and reflect upon ourselves because we keep on blaming the other person but we fail look at our shortcomings and this story focused on that point.

6. Murder at the Polo Bar by Gautam

Didn’t sound realistic at all and it was very repetitive and definitely I wouldn’t call it a thriller. Not very entertaining.

NON-FICTION

History

1. Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre

The best history book I have ever read, it was written in such a story like manner. The writing style was really nice and every engaging. It was very emotionally written book. The parts where partition takes place was really very emotional. Every Indian should read this book to know how our country acquired freedom. This book majorly focuses on the transition of power. After reading this book I have become a fan of the Mountbattens and Nehru.

Autobiography

1.. My Experiment with Truth by M.K Gandhi

I thought this book would cover Mahatma Gandhi’s Political life but that was not to be. It completely covered his spiritual journey, his dieting and other miscellaneous things and that was quite disappointing.

Memoir

1. When Breath becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

I couldn’t read this book without crying. It was written so beautifully and confidently by Paul. His writing was like a music and it had an amazing rhythm to it. Though this book would be painful to read but it is one of the books that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. Very heart-breaking read.

So that’s it guy!!!

By analyzing my reading list, it seems like I like reading Romantic-comedies and Thrillers!!! I finally found that out, I guess!!

Thank you so much for enduring this long post!!

Hoping to read a lot more books in 2021!!!

Happy Reading Folks!!

~ Meenu