As 2020 draws to a (scarily rapid) close, I’m looking back on the books I’ve enjoyed this year. It’s actually been the first year I’ve kept track of what I’ve been reading (no idea why I didn’t do this before… I’d love to be able to recall everything I’ve ever read).
I’m not the fastest reader in the world so I started to read multiple books at once (not literally) in the hope this would mean getting through more of my TBR pile. It did seem to work, as I was able to intersperse the longer fantasy tales with shorter (and far quicker to read) thrillers.
So which have been my favourites this year? Read on to find out!
The Liveship Traders – Robin Hobb
Okay, so I’m immediately cheating here and choosing a whole series rather than one book but… shhh.
Robin Hobb is a writer whose style I aspire to. I find her books incredibly engaging and easy to read, her characters jumping off the page and her stories compelling. The Liveship Traders series was my first introduction into characters within Bingtown society (having previously read the Rainwild Chronicles and started on the Farseer Trilogy).
Side note: This series actually starts off the events that take place in the Rainwild Chronicles books, so it was interesting to read about the lead up to those.
We meet a range of characters, from Althea Vestrit, who finds herself ousted from inheriting her family Liveship by her easy-to-hate (sexist, bullish and cruel) brother-in-law Kyle Haven, to Captain Kennit, the pirate with an incredibly troubled past who will do whatever he can to become King of the Pirates.
Hobb deals with difficult themes at times. I mention Kennit’s troubled past because it causes some him to do abominable things. This is one way that Hobb makes her characters rounded and believable (and sometimes completely despicable)–by showing why they are who they are. She builds characters up by taking her time and letting us get to know them. Malta Vestrit, for example, goes through one of the most satisfying character changes, moving from impetuous, spoiled child to… well, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise! Some readers may struggle to deal with this sort of “slower pacing”, but I felt it only added more to the series, especially when we started seeing characters evolve (or, in some cases, devolve) into who they were meant to be.
I also really enjoy Hobb’s depiction of dragons. They are arrogant, intelligent, selfish, but also keenly driven to preserve their own species, no matter the cost.
Basically, if you love getting to know characters and seeing them change over a series (for better or worse), slow-burn romance and snarky dragons, read this series! It’s also a great way to move into the Rainwild Chronicles series which has even more dragons (if that’s your thing) and mysterious Elderling magic.
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper – Hallie Rubenhold
Like many, I am a massive true crime fan. I love documentaries and Bailey Sarian (if you don’t know who this is, check out her YouTube channel for her Murder, Mystery and Makeup videos). I used to regularly read serial killer case studies until it got to the point that I was having nightmares about being murdered myself and thought it was probably about time to cut back on that.
What is often lacking in such documentaries is the story of the victims. These TV shows become more about the killer themselves, their childhood, their behaviours, why they did what they did. I found myself with a sour taste in my mouth after watching shows like Don’t F**k With Cats or The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix, which really seemed to be doing exactly what these vile people wanted–raising them into the public eye, giving them the infamy they so desired (obviously Bundy is dead, but you know what I mean). (As an aside, this is not the case with with Bailey Sarian, she does a great job of telling us about the victims of the killers she’s discussing).
One example where this is perhaps far more the case than others is in the murders of Jack the Ripper. He has been risen to a killer of almost legendary standing. I live near London, where places like the London Dungeons utilise his infamous killing spree as a selling point for the attraction. You can even do a Jack the Ripper tour, where you visit all the locations where the killings took place.
In The Five, Hallie Rubenhold does a fantastic job of telling you all about the “canonical five” – the known victims of Jack the Ripper. She pads out their histories as best she can with the scant information available on each woman (which is telling in itself).
Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly weren’t just victims of Jack the Ripper. They were women living in a time when women (especially of the lower classes) were seen as beneath contempt. In the eyes of those in society at the time of their murder, they were prostitutes (spoiler: they weren’t) and therefore brought their fates on themselves. I urge anyone with an interest in this case (or women’s rights, for that matter) to read this book: it is enlightening and horrifying in equal measure.
A Little Hatred – Joe Abercrombie
I have a confession to make.
I read this book without finishing The First Law Trilogy. To explain, I read the first book (The Blade Itself) about 12 years ago and loved it. I also recall reading Best Served Cold and The Heroes at some point around that time as well. But, look… my priorities back then were different, shall we say? (I was busy going out drinking every weekend–a far cry from my current in bed by 10pm routine). I never finished First Law, though I do intend to get the whole series and read them very soon. Might have been on my Christmas list *gives husband pointed glare*. It looks like I have a habit of reading series completing out of whack (see my earlier review of Liveship Traders). That’s okay, though. There are no rules when it comes to reading, right? …right?
When A Little Hatred was put on offer for 99p on Kindle I thought, why not? Can’t say no to a 99p book, by Joe Abercrombie no less! I knew I’d be getting a quality story–and I wasn’t disappointed.
A Little Hatred is set 28 years after the original trilogy. There are a lot of changes taking place (think industrial revolution) and we follow seven POVs as they navigate this altering world. I love how Abercrombie allows us to see through the eyes of the privileged and the downtrodden, each character giving a unique perspective on what’s happening. He really puts us in each character’s shoes, from rich to poor, young to old, with all the differing worldviews that come with that. Perhaps some aspects (riots, for example) feel a little *too* timely what with recent world events but, you know what? That makes the book all the more pertinent. Abercrombie creates a harsh, cruel setting for his characters who are, in turn, harsh and cruel themselves–but they’re also real and human and completely intriguing, each in their own way.
If you haven’t read any Joe Abercrombie books, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do–just… maybe start at the beginning and read them in the order they were intended (or not!!).
And that’s my favourite books for 2020! I hope you enjoyed the list.
Honourable mentions also go to: Beauty by Christina Chiu; Asking For It by Louise O’Neill and Body Broker by Daniel M. Ford which were all fantastic (and often thought-provoking) books.
What books have you read this year? Which ones did you love? I’m always looking for recommendations so I’d love to hear about them.
Lucy A. McLaren 
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