I have been reading so much that I didn’t realize I haven’t recapped what I’ve been reading since last December! So here we are. These are the 18 books that I’ve read so far in 2020. Overall, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve been adventuring through. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve read anything good too, especially because of quarantine!

**As usual, all book titles are clickable links for Amazon. If you’d prefer to support small bookstores local to you, click this link here and you will be sent to my Bookshop.org Book List for this post!**

Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale - by Adam Minter

If you’re interested in learning more about the secondhand world, especially globally, I highly recommend picking this one up. I found it really interesting to see what happens to a lot of things after they go to the trash or to the thrift store. Reading this one helped strengthen my desire to buy less and purchase more secondhand items outside of just clothing.

Miriam’s Kitchen - by Elizabeth Ehrlich

While I don’t know a lot about the Jewish culture, I loved reading this book because it reminded me a lot about growing up in my house. The kitchen was the center of so many family events. I spent so much time at the kitchen counter learning the Italian and Brazilian cultures of my family through cooking. I always enjoy and appreciate a book that explores this idea, especially with a culture I don’t know a lot about.

The Catcher in the Rye - by J.D. Salinger

One of my goals for this year was to read more classics because I’m finding that as an adult I enjoy them so much more, after a bit of life experience. While I didn’t have to read this one in high school, it was fun to devour this book. I think it only took me a few days because I couldn’t put it down. I know this is kind of a love or hate classic, but I personally loved it so much and laughed out loud reading it.

Outlander - by Diana Gabaldon

I will try to keep this short. I have absolutely fallen for Outlander. I haven’t loved a series this much since Harry Potter and will always remember the first time reading it. While I’m still working through the series, I cannot recommend it enough. I will say that this series is better for someone who has a good amount of time to read because there is a lot of information and details to remember. Gabaldon researches heavily to write these books and it’s obvious. So if you can only read a couple pages a day of something, this might not be the time to read this one. The story is amazing and you will quickly be immersed a story of love, science, history, fantasy and so much more. As I review the rest in the series, I will let you know my thoughts on each book, but nothing will ever beat the first one, because it’s where you fall in love with Claire and Jamie and their story.

First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies - by Kate Andersen Brower

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it was just ok. After reading Becoming and Eleanor Roosevelt, I really thought this book was going to suck me in because I love learning about first ladies. However, it felt like a long string of facts about them without much of a story line or purpose. While, there was some interesting facts here and there, I wouldn’t rush to read this one anytime soon.

Little Fires Everywhere - by Celeste Ng

I am totally a ‘read the book before the tv show or movie’ girl, so when I heard that this was coming to Hulu I knew I needed to pick it up. I really liked the story and it kept me guessing. Now that I’ve read it though, I don’t find myself desiring to watch the show. Have any of you read it and watched the show? Should I watch it?

The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead

I loved Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad so I was excited to read this next piece by him. He is really great at writing historical fiction, which I really love reading. I’ve only read two of his books at this point, so I’m not sure if this is a classic way in which he writes, but I love how he completely shocks you with some detail you didn’t see coming at the end of his books when you think they are over.

Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) - by Diana Gabaldon

This was my least favorite Outlander book so far of the four I’ve read, I think because she tackles such a wide time period in this book and jumps around a lot. I know a couple people who have dropped the series after starting this one, so if you are reading it and struggling to keep going because of all the details and info, I can’t stress enough to push through it. The second half is way better than the first and I found myself back in love with the whole story at the end and excited to move forward!

Watching You - by Lisa Jewell

I really liked a Lisa Jewell book that I read last year (Then She Was Gone), so I was excited to pick up a few from her section at the library. This one was just as intriguing as the one I read last year. It kept me on my toes guessing and I finished it in only a couple of days. I still love Then She Was Gone more and recommend you read that one first, but this is a great story too!

I Found You - by Lisa Jewell

While this one was again a classic Lisa Jewell Thriller that alternates between different characters points of view, I liked it the least of her books so far. The story was a little more predictable.

An American Marriage - by Tayari Jones

I can see why everyone was raving so much about this one. The story is so good. It’s heartbreaking at times, but is the perfect example of how life can throw curve balls at you that are no one’s fault. There is power in accepting the cards you’ve been dealt and making the best of them.

Voyager (Outlander #3) - by Diana Gabaldon

I absolutely loved this Outlander book. There are so many moments where you are sucked into Claire and Jamie’s world and you cannot put it down. I liked that Gabaldon took the story onto the waters and into a different climate because it brought something new to the story which I loved.

The Last Romantics - by Tara Conklin

I was worried that this book would be over-hyped but I was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed it. I love stories about families and this one was really interesting. I love a story that is portrayed as a reflection or memory when it’s written well and Conklin did a great job with this.

Such a Fun Age - by Kiley Reid

Now for a book that was VERY over-hyped that I did not understand why everyone loved. I think Reid had a great potential for the story line but it was not executed well. It felt like Reid was trying to write a relatable story, except it felt very fabricated and inauthentic; as if trying to write about an experience that she had no experience with. I’m not assuming anything about her experiences by saying this, just relaying how it felt as a reader. I would not recommend this one.

The Kind Worth Killing - by Peter Swanson

This one was recommended by someone I follow on Instagram and I devoured it quickly. It is an awesome thriller that keeps you on your toes. A little gruesome at times, but it is very unpredictable and I love when a book takes me in a direction I was not expecting.

Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) - by Diana Gabaldon

My favorite Outlander book so far (besides #1 obviously). I loved where the story headed in this one. There was some amazing reunions that I was hoping for and I cannot wait to see where the story takes me next.

A Week in Winter - by Maeve Binchy

I loved the format of this book, but I was hoping for more. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a character and the story slowly builds as each is introduced. As more characters get involved, the story starts elaborating and it’s cool to see how all of these people’s different perspectives and lives intersect based on this ‘week in winter’. However, I expected it all to be building up to something big in the end and it fell short of that desire. It was still interesting though, and I always appreciate when I read a format that I haven’t seen before.

The Paris Wife - by Paula McLain

I was really excited to dive into this one because Ernest Hemingway is from Michigan and I didn’t know much about him. While this story was a fictionalized story of his first marriage to Hadley Hemingway, it was hard to get through at points because I felt like it was somehow lacking. While I know historical fiction can be a difficult genre to write, I have preferred other books more.

Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts on them below in the comments. Also, let me know what you’ve bee reading! I always love adding to my ‘Want to Read’ list on GoodReads!

Happy reading,

Andrea

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty.

I’m not going to lie. This book post is kind of sad. Not because of the books, I loved the books! More so because I just haven’t been reading like I normally do the past few months. I’ll explain more later as you read because I’m 100% blaming it on a book I was reading… (Click the book titles for links to the books)

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (By Truman Capote):

I can’t believe I had never read this one yet. I watched the movie years ago, but couldn’t really remember the story. I spotted it at the library one morning and decided now was the time. It’s a quick read and an interesting one. I feel like it’s one of those that everyone just has to read because it’s such a classic. Now I want to watch the movie again.

CALL THE MIDWIFE: A TRUE STORY OF THE EAST END IN THE 1950’S (By Jennifer Worth):

I absolutely adored this book. Apparently the PBS show that is based on these books (this is the first of a few) is really great too, so I’m excited to add that to my list. I loved hearing all the different stories about being a midwife in the Post-War East End of England. I was actually surprised how advanced they were with childbirth and everything they did at people’s homes. I will probably end up reading the rest of the series later on. If you are interested in childbirth, science, or just love this time period (I’m all of the above haha) I would definitely recommend this one.

BIG LITTLE LIES (By Liane Moriarty):

This was another one that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t read yet. I will say it was a little predictable. I totally called what was going to happen, I just didn’t know it was going to go down the way it did. I’m a big believer in reading the book before the movies/tv shows so you bet I haven’t seen the HBO series yet. I am also terrible at watching TV shows unless Mikey is encouraging it, so I want to get to this one eventually too. I really loved the book and it was a quick read. Great if you need a vacation read this summer!

THEN SHE WAS GONE (By Lisa Jewell):

This is another that would make for a great vacation read. I think I read it in two days because I was so sucked into it. This was a book chosen for my book club and I loved it. I don’t know if I would have ever come across it otherwise, because I’d never heard of it. It’s another thriller that will keep you guessing. I love when a book surprises me with a story line and this was definitely one of those!

THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY: MURDER, MAGIC AND MADNESS AT THE FAIR THE CHANGED AMERICA (By Erik Larson):

One of my best friends (Thanks Margie!) recommended I read this one when I met up with her last summer in Chicago and I was happy to finally snag a copy from the library to read. I absolutely LOVED this one. It’s kind of hard to get through at some parts, but keep going. It’s definitely one of those that you have to read frequently so that the names and facts stay fresh in your mind, but I learned so much about the history of Chicago, the Ferris Wheel and the huge fair. It was written really well. I have another Erik Larson book on my shelf that I’m excited to read now because I love his writing. The only thing that made me sad was that I wished that the two main stories (one about the fair and the other about the murderer), intertwined a little more. It felt like a lot of buildup, but then the stories didn’t mix as much as I assumed they would. If you like history and love Chicago, this is a must read.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (By Delia Owens):

Another one that I read super quickly because I was so sucked into it. This one reminded me so much of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’. Not because of the story line, but the way it’s written and some of the characters and such made me think of it. I was so excited to hear that it will be becoming a movie because I think it’s going to be great.

THE SHAPE OF WATER (By Guillermo del Toro):

This is the book that ruined me the last few months. I renewed it from the library three times before finally giving up. I just couldn’t get through it. I HATE not finishing books because I’m always hopeful they will turn around, but I was so uninterested in this one that it made me not want to read. I finally told myself to return it and move on to something I was excited to dive into. It probably didn’t help that I had a lot of people telling me that they hated the movie, so it didn’t give me much hope that things would turn around. I doubt I’ll ever watch the movie or pick the book back up at a later time.

ANIMALS (By Emma Jane Unsworth):

This was another book club book and I have to say it was my least favorite that we’ve read so far. The summary on GoodReads seemed so good, so I’m surprised that I didn’t enjoy it that much. The book wasn’t that long and it took forever for anything to start happening which frustrated me. I will say though, it ended better than I thought it would and I didn’t predict it, which is a huge determining factor in if I love a book. However, I’d say this one is a skip.

What have you been reading so far this summer? Let me know in the comments below and happy summer reading!!

Have a beautiful day,