Happy New Year! The End of Year Book Survey, created by Jamie of The Perpetual Page Turner, has been an annual tradition here ever since I started blogging back in 2017. I can’t believe that February 2021 will officially mark four years of Fangirl Fury!

I was originally going to have this final 2020 wrap-up posted yesterday, but I thought this favorite reading survey of mine would be a fun day to kick off the new year. I also finally took a note from my past blogger self and decided to complete this survey once my year of reading had officially ended, since I typically post my end of year survey a week or two before New Year…and end up having to go back to add to my reading total or adapt some responses. 

2020 Reading Stats

Number of Books You Read: 133 

Number of Re-Reads: 7

Genre Your Read The Most From: YA 

One of the reasons I also pushed this post until New Year’s Day vs. New Year’s Eve is because I finally put all of my 2020 reads into a Google Sheet to calculate how much YA vs. contemporary romance vs. other genres I actually read this year. I know I’ve said in so many posts that I couldn’t tell if I had read more YA or contemporary romance in 2020, but YA was the ultimate winner, having read 48 YA books and 38 contemporary romances (this number doesn’t include any adult contemporaries or adult fiction books I read. 

I’m here to admit that while I try not to repeat answers, there are at least 4-5 books within my responses that you’ll notice a few times. I do try to diversify my answers, but I want to be as honest as I can and reflect on the books I loved most & stand out the most in my memory. 

Best Book You Read In 2020?

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon 

Close runner-ups in no particular order: House of Earth & Blood by Sarah J. Maas, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein, You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle, More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn, Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett 

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I can’t believe I’m saying this and honestly, I feel sort’ve guilty for some reason because it’s one of my favorite contemporary romance series, but Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams. Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoyed it, but I totally thought going into this book all year that it would be my all-time fave book in the series. 

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

Good way: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle because I didn’t really expect to like this one, but I LOVED it. 

Bad way: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert because so many of my fellow contemporary romance fans love this book & I struggled to read it.

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

 I’m still waiting for my Bachelor fans of friends to pick up One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, but one of my best friends read & loved Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (aka my ALL-TIME favorite book) and I know she has The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren on her to-be-read shelf.

Best series you started in 2020? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2020?

Best series starter:  House of Earth & Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Best sequel: The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan 

Best ender: I’m going to with Majesty by Katharine McGee, but I’m super hopeful that one day there will be a third book one day 

Favorite new author you discovered in 2020?

Debut: Marisa Kanter

New-to-me: Rachel Lynn Solomon 

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I read 8 nonfiction books this year, which considering I read 133 books this year is a small percentage, but it’s the most nonfiction I’ve read in years! I am hands-down going with Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb 

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Verity by Colleen Hoover 

Book You Read In 2020 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2020?

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea & Tomorrow by Laura Taylor NAmey – love the cover scheme and how well it captures details from the book 

Most memorable character of 2020?

The Russian from Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams 

Most beautifully written book read in 2020?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2020?

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan, especially the title essay

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2020 to finally read? 

Well Met by Jen DeLuca 

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2020?

“What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in son, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives – or to find strength in a very long one/”

— V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue 

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2020?

Shortest: Love at First Fight by Sandhya Menon (novella)

Longest: House of Earth & Blood by Sarah J. Maas (803 pages)

Book That Shocked You The Most

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle 

OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Rowan & Neil from Today Tonight Tomorrow 

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Danika and Bryce from House of Earth & Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Favorite Book You Read in 2020 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein 

Best Book You Read In 2020 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee, recommendation from Bad on Paper podcast & press from fellow contemporary romance readers 

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2020?

Augustus from Beach Read by Emily Henry 

Best 2020 debut you read?

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter 

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

House of Earth & Blood by Sarah J. Maas 

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren 

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2020?

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb

Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Backlist: Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl

2020 Release: Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli 

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson 

Most Unique Book You Read In 2020?

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb 

Book That Made You The Most Mad?

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey 

New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2020?

Jessica of Peace Love Books on BookTube 

Favorite post you wrote in 2020?

I remember having a lot of fun writing my Contemporary Romance TBR for 2020 back in March when lockdown was just beginning – I’m also proud to say that I’ve read most of them!

Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2020?

I’m going with my last bookstagram of 2020 featuring my favorite owned books of 2020.

4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events,  etc.)?

I didn’t really participate in too many virtual author signings or book talks this year. I was so Zoomed out from school & work that I tried to stay away from the screen as much as possible in my downtime. I absolutely loved watching Sarah J. Maas and her husband Josh’s live stream and happy hour in the very beginning of lockdown on YouTube. 

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2020?

When it comes to blogging life, I don’t have one specific moment, but in general, I am just so fortunate to receive so much love and discussion from so many of you! I don’t really like talking about exact blogging numbers/stats, but I’ve seen significant jumps in my monthly views and followers over the past two years. While overnight successes are definitely a thing in some (rare) cases, I’ll be the first one to tell you that blogging is WORK (in the best way possible). I still don’t consider myself to be the biggest blogger out there, but nevertheless, I am so proud of how far I’ve come since 2017 and the friendships I’ve made along the way.

When it comes to bookish things, this is definitely not the reason why I book blog, but I was very fortunate enough to work with incredible publishing teams once again this year and receive & review some of my most anticipated and favorite books of 2020. 

Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

I know so many people UNDERSTANDABLY struggled with both reading and blogging this year. Reading definitely wasn’t a problem for me – it was my #1 way to relax and #1 form of procrastination on school work as usual. I did try to limit time on my laptop as much as possible and I definitely found myself writing blog posts the night before I wanted them to go live. I still mostly stuck to my routine schedule of 3 posts per week. 

The one platform that I continued to struggle with in 2020 was bookstagram/booksta/my book Instagram. To say the least, I know Instagram is a much more popular book blogging platform than a traditional site like mine, but from the beginning of my blogging days, I’ve always put more effort into the blog than Instagram. 

I definitely upped my bookstagram game in 2018 and 2019 after I got a Canon and even did well in the first few months of 2020, but my motivation stopped somewhere in the summer and I was lucky if I even posted once a month there. I’ve tried three different styles in 2020 (including my typical flat-lays, outfit inspired photos, and then Canva/graphic designed photos) and I’m just not sure what direction to go in. Your follower count shouldn’t heavily influence your desire to blog, BookTube, bookstagram, etc., but I’ll also admit that I’ve always struggled to gain as big as a following on IG as I do here on the blog (and yes I know CONSISTENCY is a factor in growing my audience there). In short, I struggled with bookstagram in 2020 and I’m still thinking about how I want to move forward with it in 2021. I’m really thinking about moving towards a more ‘casual’ style like I did when I first started in 2017 and capturing my current reads using my iPhone and the occasional flat-lay with my camera. 

Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

My most popular post I published in 2020 is my Top 5 Sarah J. Maas Books post. For the third year in a row, the most popular post on the blog continues to be my To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Inspired Recipes. 

Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I’m going to go with a recent post, my 2021 most anticipated contemporary romances, only because my annual most anticipated posts are some of my most-time consuming (but most fun to write) posts of the year and I’m a firm believe that everyone needs a good romance or two in their reading life. 

Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

This isn’t necessarily a discovery, but I’ve loved following along people’s IG stories on Instagram. The interactiveness of polls is so fun, a great way to make connections with fellow bloggers, and way to add books to your TBR. 

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I met my Goodreads goal of reading 70 books and my personal/unoffficial goals of reading 100 books and beating my reading total in 2019 (127 books). 

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2020 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2021?

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2021 (non-debut)?

YA: Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson 

Contemporary Romance: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

2021 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey 

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2021?

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2021?

Reading Life: Like 2020, I really don’t know what my professional/work life in 2021 is going to look like. I’ll be graduating with my masters in May and will be completing a full-time clinical practicum until then, and will hopefully be employed in a full-time job soon after! That being said, I have no idea what my summer (aka the season where I tend to accomplish most of my reading) and free time will look like this year. I’m going to once again set the bar ‘low’ on Goodreads and set my goal for 70 books, my personal goal for 100 books, and my REACH goal of surpassing 133 books. 

Blogging Life: Continue to keep up with my consistent blogging schedule and as well discussed above, figure out the direction of my Instagram/bookstagram.

A 2021 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

I have yet to read a 2021 release, but I do want one of my first reads of the year to be one of my first 2021 ARCs, Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli 

As we begin 2021, thank you so much for supporting Fangirl Fury in 2020. I wish you a happy & healthy new year, & here’s to more reading & blogging for all of us in 2021!  

What was your favorite book of 2020? Have you read any of the books that I mentioned? What are some of your reading goals for 2021? Did you complete the End of Year Book Survey? Share in the comments!