At last, it is here! It’s the final month and I can’t help but look back at the wonderful journey I had with you guys. From having an idea of hosting a reading challenge, to figuring out prompts, and having been approached by my favorite book subscription box to sponsor the mega-prize, and to actually executing the challenge- it was one helluva ride.
I wouldn’t dare say that the journey was seamless for there were times when I didn’t seem to have it in me to continue with the challenge. I was on the verge of giving up but honest to God, the enthusiasm the readers showed helped me a great deal lot.
2020 was a tough year for all of us for obvious reasons. It was tougher for me because life threw a huge curveball at me. But if I braved through it for even a minute, I’d say, it was because I had your huge support. So, thank you.
Here are the books I read for 2020 #ReadingWithMuffy. You’ll also find the final linky for 2020. So, make sure you add your December reads plus all your pending additional prompts reads. The linky will close on 2nd December, 11:59pm IST.
Books I read for 2020 #ReadingWithMuffy
- January: The books I picked up for the prompt ‘Book with a dog on the cover/title/ or as a protagonist‘ were The Dog Who Danced (disappointing) and Puma: A Soldier’s Dog(four paws!)
- February: Book with the word love, kiss or hug in the title: I read Anna and the French Kiss (meh!) and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy (the first two books counts for the prompt).
| Related: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – Books Vs Movies
- March: Book written by a woman about a woman and/or has a woman on the cover: March was one of my favorite reading months and I ticked off a couple of additional prompts too. More on that later. The books I had read for the prompt were Ayesha At Last which was a good read, The Flat Share (what fun and perfect read this was!), The Female of the Species (intense), and Seriously, I’m Kidding (Ellen DeGeneres’ memoir).
- April: Name of a season in the title: This month saw me struggle. I was burned out and couldn’t read anything throughout the month. After DNF-ing six books (yes, SIX!), I finally managed to complete The Summer I Turned Pretty and it was just meh! I had high expectations because I had loved the To All the boys I’ve loved before trilogy by the same author.
- May: Mental Health: Mrs C Remembers is one of my favorite reads this year and it is a story that is beautifully crafted with intricate layers. It talks about patriarchy, male chauvisim, gender discrimination, nationalism, inequality, women empowerment, conservitism, and family dynamics without making it preachy – all this with a brutally honest portrayal of Dementia. Highly recommend!
- June: With LGBTQ+ representation: The month of June was another fruitful reading month and I picked up some great books. The two books I picked up for the challenge turned out to be great and they were surprisingly unique. If I was Your Girl featured a transgender woman and The Henna Wars was my first f/f romance. Oh, and the cover of the latter is extraordinarily beautiful and I wish to own a physical copy of the book.
- July: Book focusing on magic: This prompt was originally conceived to celebrate Harry Potter. If you have read my blogs or follow me on Instagram, you’d know that I am a Potterhead and I wanted to re-read the HP series in July being Harry Potter’s birthday. But when an author who you admire turns out to be spiteful, your whole world comes crashing down. HP as a book and fandom will still have a place in my heart but not at the cost of humanity.
I read Serpent & Dove during this month and it turned out to be amazing. I banged my head against the wall for not having read this book before, even though it was lying on my bookshelf for months. Slow burn is one of my favorite romance tropes and when combined with magic and witch hunts, it makes the book even more irresistible. I’m hoping to pick up the second part of the book in early 2021. - August: Written by an Indian author: The book I picked up for this prompt was The Twentieth Wife which is a beautiful historical fiction set in 17th century Mughal India. It is the story of Mehrunnisa one of the most important women in the Mughal empire due to her brilliance and undying love for Prince Salim.
- September: Crime thriller: Thrillers are one of my favorite genres especially when I face a reading rut. So, I was super excited for this month and I read a couple of good mystery books. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder topped my list because it was doing the rounds on bookstagram.
- October: Horror book: I was literally quaking in my boots at the thought of reading a horror book. I have no freaking idea why I chose this prompt in the first place. Guess, I wanted to push myself. The Taking of Annie Thorne was the book I had picked up and it wasn’t eerie at all (Thank Heavens for that!!)
- November: Features something that you love to do: The books I picked up for this prompt was The Midnight Library and The Happily Ever after Playlist. The former surprised me a great deal with its stupendous plot and writing. It was both delightful and uplifting and it remains on top of my favorite reads of 2020. The Happy Ever After Playlist gave me all the feels. It’s a steamy, funny, adorable, and feel-good romance and features many things I love like dogs, music, road trips.
- December: Classics or Christmas: The book I picked up was The Wizard of Oz and it was a perfect read for Christmas.
- Slay That TBR: I probably should mention of lot of books I had read in 2020 for this prompt because it fits! But the one book that was on top of my TBR was The Silent Patient and it was one helluva read.
- Has a Relationship in the Title: My Lovely Wife was every bit of a thriller. It was unputdownable and I was hooked from the word go. The psychological play and character development were amazing and the story as a whole kept me on the edge of the seat.
- Recommended by Your Favorite Bookstagrammer: The House of Salt ad Sorrows was all over bookstagram and TBB box had sent the book in one of their boxes in 2019. I went in blind and it turned out to be spooky as well. Based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses, it was another brilliant book I read in 2020.
- Book with Yellow Cover or has Yellow in the title: The book I chose for this prompt was the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series – Dog Days.
- Royalty and Kingdoms: Thorn was a book I picked up because of its cover. I hadn’t seen this book much on bookstagram which is my go-to place these days for book recommendations. Thorn turned out to be another great read.
- Name of a flower in the title: Daisy Jones & The Six was the first audiobook I finished because as I have mentioned a lot of times before, I am yet to warm up to the audiobook format. It was a perfect 5-Paw Read!
- Title Starts with the Letter E: Em and the Big Hoom is my last read of 2020 and I’ll have to say my 2020 reading journey ended with a bang. I have so much to talk about this book and it deserves a full-length review. Needless to say, it is another 5-Paw read.
- Book Sent by TBB Box: The Starless Sea was my first 5-Paw read of 2020 and my glorious review is proof of why you should give this book a try.
That’s all from me.
Here’s the final linky for 2020 Reading With Muffy. Add your December reads and all the pending additional prompts entries. The linky will close on 2nd January, 11:59pm. The winners will be announced on the 3rd of January.
Hope you are all set for the 2021 Reading With Muffy Challenge. I can’t wait to begin another amazing reading journey with you.
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