I think I read more during quarantine.

So…that’s good I guess? Anyway, I’ve read some AWESOME books this year! It was really hard to narrow it down to just five.

I’m so exciting to be collaborating with Lilian on this! You will find Lilian’s top 5 books of this year below. Hop over to her blog to see mine. And don’t forget to give her a follow…

Hi everyone! I’m Lilian and I blog at Green Tea With Books. I’m super happy to be collaborating with Jenna today as we talk about our top five favorite reads of 2020 so far!

01. The Trace by Adelaide Thorne

The ruthless Grifters want Ella Kepler, and they won’t stop until she’s theirs.

When Ella’s metahuman abilities manifest and draw the attention of the Grifters, she seeks safety from the paramilitary training academy of the MTA. Thrust alongside soldiers programmed to fight or die, Ella struggles to stay afloat, hopeful that the Grifters will forget about her.

But Grifters have a long memory, and their nature isn’t compassionate. If Ella doesn’t give them what they want, someone she loves will pay the price—and it will be all Ella’s fault.

***

The Trace (Whitewashed 1) by Adelaide Thorne has made its way to my top favorite books of all time, and for good reason! The characters are extremely likeable and there’s an intense amount of plot twists—I was honestly completely shook during the biggest plot twist and never saw it coming. The characters also go through a lot of character development, specifically the protagonist, Ella Kepler. This entire series taught me a lot about empathy and I’d recommend it to anyone! 5/5 stars.

02. The Princess Fugitive by Melanie Cellier

Princess Ava used to be a weapon – sharp, strong and beautiful. But when she fails at her most important task, she’s forced to flee from her own family.

Only her personal bodyguard, Hans, remains loyal. Hans claims to know the real Ava but she finds that hard to believe – after all, she’s been the villain so long that she can’t remember anything else.

But deep in exile, Ava learns her kingdom needs a hero and she might be the only one who can save it. The catch? She’ll have to ally herself with the very people she blames for her downfall.

But in a game of life and death where the stakes are an entire kingdom, winning over her enemies will only be the beginning. Can one fugitive save her people, her kingdom and, hardest of all, herself?

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, the girl in the red hood has been swallowed up by the wolf and must decide if she’s willing to fight for her freedom, no matter the cost.

***

I’ve recently gotten into the world of Melanie Cellier, and it is a big world. She’s published like 4? series and they’re all pretty massive and I’m working my way through them one at a time. One of my favorites from her is The Princess Fugitive, which is second in The Four Kingdoms series. Our main character is a girl named Ava, who essentially was trained to be a weapon and now has a bucketload of enemies. However, things happen and she needs help and her pride trips and takes a fall which causes character development. This story also includes competition and “games” (like in the Hunger Games and To Best The Boys, both of which I love) and mazes which I’M HERE FOR. and the fact the girl herself, the main character, is both the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood in this retelling? That’s a twist. Definitely a solid read! 5/5 stars.

03. The Beast of Talesend by Kyle Robert Shultz

Fairy tales aren’t real. Private detective Nick Beasley knows that. This is 1922 E.A. (Ever After), an age of big cities, automobiles, and airships. Nobody in the Afterlands believes in magic and monsters anymore. Especially not Nick, who’s made a name for himself in the city of Talesend by debunking fraudulent “magical” phenomena.

But when a misadventure with alleged enchantress Lady Cordelia Beaumont goes awry, leaving Nick with claws, a tail, and quite a lot of fur, he begins to rethink his stance on magic.

There’s only one way for Nick to regain his humanity. He and Cordelia will have to retrieve a powerful magical artifact from a ruthless crime lord—who happens to be Cordelia’s father. Otherwise, Nick won’t be the only monster roaming through Talesend.

The fate of the Afterlands lies in the hands of a renegade enchantress and an extremely hairy detective. What could possibly go wrong?

***

The Beast of Talesend has been circulating around my Goodreads feed for a solid year or two, and I’m really glad I finally decided to pick it up! The characters are amazing and there’s so much comedy and humor. The worldbuilding is amazing and the writing style honestly flows so well and connects really well with me. I’d definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy sci-fi twinged with fairytale retellings! 4/5 stars.

04. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

According to mythology mankind used to live in The Tranquiline Halls. Heaven. But then the Voidbringers assaulted and captured heaven, casting out God and men. Men took root on Roshar, the world of storms. And the Voidbringers followed…

They came against man ten thousand times. To help them cope, the Almighty gave men powerful suits of armor and mystical weapons, known as Shardblades. Led by ten angelic Heralds and ten orders of knights known as Radiants, mankind finally won.

Or so the legends say. Today, the only remnants of those supposed battles are the Shardblades, the possession of which makes a man nearly invincible on the battlefield. The entire world is at war with itself – and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne.

On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes that blow through every few day a young spearman forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn’t understand and doesn’t really want to fight.

What happened deep in mankind’s past?

Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?

***

The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive 1) is one great beast of a book, hardcover standing at over a thousand pages. However, I finished it in under two days—it was that good. I originally read it first a few years ago and decided to reread it this year. It continues to stay on my favorites list because the author’s storytelling is just spectacular and moving… I don’t even know what to say about it since it’s that good. xD Intimidating, yes, but completely worth it. 5/5 stars.

05. No Chance Meeting by Jaye Elliot

Alex Jennings is done with life. After losing her brother in Afghanistan, everything has collapsed around her. Getting laid off from her day job and failing in her art career, she has nowhere left to turn. She once had faith to believe that all things would work together for good, but that faith died with her brother. Now she just wants the pain to end.

Riley Conrad served thirteen years in the military until three bullets sent him home. After a year and a half of physical therapy and scraping together a living, all he wants is to live a simple life and perhaps even open the coffee shop he dreams about. However, the weight of failing his parents’ expectations doesn’t make it easy, and working as a bartender isn’t getting him anywhere fast.

Could a “chance” meeting between Alex and Riley set them both on the path God always intended?

***

No Chance Meeting (No Chance Love 1) is a complete gem. As someone who’s always done a lot of research in the military and is quite intrigued by it, this book really inspired me and it’s one that I will definitely reread. I was expecting an incredible book because I’ve read other books from Jaye and absolutely loved them, but this book was from a completely different genre and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. However, Jaye completely knocked it out of the park and astounded me with how vivid and heartfelt the story was. The main characters, Alex Jennings and Riley Conrad, are both incredibly lovable with all their flaws and really go through a character arc throughout the story. Definitely a moving and emotional story! 5/5 stars.

So that will wrap up my collaboration with Jenna! Thanks so much to Jenna and her readers for having me today. I hope you all enjoyed the post and added a few books to your list!

WHOO, don’t you love talking about books? 😀 Head over to Lilian’s website to check out my half. Many thanks again to Lilian for collaborating with me. <3

What are your top reads of this year so far?