Happy New Year! Looking forward to 2021 & back at 2020

I'm writing this, last minute as usual, on the last day of 2020, a year that we will all be glad to see the back of. All of our lives have been affected, to varying degrees, by the coronavirus pandemic and we owe huge thanks to the people who kept the country going. And I don't mean the government but rather the doctors, nurses, carers, supermarket workers, bin men and all our other key workers. (I'm based in the UK but I'm sure the same applies for most of the world.) Despite the restrictions, I hope all of you that celebrate managed to enjoy Christmas and hopefully a few days rest and relaxation.

I'm looking forward to a better 2021 and am optimistic that we might get back to some sort of normality in the months ahead. Not making any solid predictions though! Nor am I making any proper resolutions. I mean there's the all encompassing one I make every year to 'get my shit together.' The fact I have to make it every year tells you all you need to know about how that's going...😂 And before I started writing this I looked back at the equivalent post for 2019 and saw that I've spectacularly failed at all five of my booky resolutions for 2020 so not making any of those for this coming year either! Just looking forward to seeing my parents again, and booky people, my tribe. And maybe some events. Oh, and hugs. Definitely looking forward to hugs.

But before we get right in about 2021, I'm going to have a quick look back at last year, and pick out some of my favourite books of 2020.

Whilst 2020 was pretty much a disaster of a year, there were some positives for me. Towards the end of March, just as we went into the first lockdown, I was thrilled to go back to work after nine months off with poor mental health. I love my job (I'm a guide/communicator for deafblind adults) and was delighted to get back to it. It's a key worker role so I have worked throughout the lockdowns and restrictions, which is something I'm very grateful for. Partly in an effort to maintain my improved mental health I started exercising at home and managed to lose a bit of weight (although it probably all went back on over the last month or so). I managed to see my parents in August when restrictions were eased and had a fab overnight break in Rothesay on the beautiful Isle of Bute. National Theatre Live showed a play free on YouTube every week of the first lockdown, Patrick Stewart read a Shakespeare sonnet daily in Twitter, Charlie Mackesy read from The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse on Instagram, and I crocheted with my crochet crew every week via Facebook Messenger. I am hugely thankful for all of those things. And I celebrated a big birthday during lockdown - well, proper celebrations are on hold til I can have them - and was delighted that a Facebook fundraiser raised £290 for Deafblind Scotland. Thanks to all who donated.

There were actually some real life book events (remember them?) way back at the beginning of the year. In January, I saw James Oswald being grilled by Neil Broadfoot. February saw the launch of Evil Days by Gordon Waugh, published with the help of Indie Authors World. I've had the pleasure of editing both of Gordon's books. It was also the Orenda Books Roadshow in February which saw 12 (I think) authors from all over the world all at Waterstones in Glasgow at the same time. My last event was the Edinburgh launch of Douglas Skelton's The Blood is Still in early March. 

After that, things went virtual. Huge thanks to Newcastle Noir at the Bar, Edinburgh Noir at the Bar, Bute Noir, Bloody Scotland, Tidelines, Four Blokes in Search of a Plot, Two Crime Writers and a Microphone and various Facebook groups for putting on online events which were hugely enjoyable.

And so to books. I set a reading goal for the year of 100 books and finished a total of 99 for me. Down a wee bit on last year but I'm happy enough. And I've read some crackers - if I listed all the ones I loved we'd be here for hours! But I've picked out 16 of my faves - I couldn't get it any narrower than that! I've included snippets from my reviews but you can read the full versions by clicking through from the book titles. All the full posts contain buy links for the relevant book. 

Up first are two from Orenda Books. Beast by Matt Wesolowski is the fourth book in the fantastic Six Stories series - if you haven't read them, do check them out - I love them! 'This is a sober reflection on our society and our obsession with, and addiction to, social media. The importance we place in the number of followers we have. Once again, Wesolowski has delivered a stunning book - original, gripping, creepy, thought provoking and relevant. He is just going from strength to strength!'

Death Deserved is the first in a new series from Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger featuring police officer Alexander Blix and journalist Emma Ramm. 'The story is clever, taut, thrilling and perfectly paced. Full of twists, turns and dead ends, it builds and builds until I found myself holding my breath at the tense, edge-of-the-seat conclusion. It has much to say about celebrity, both its appeal and its dangers. Part police procedural, part thriller and with two fresh, interesting protagonists, Death Deserved has it all.' 

March saw the release of The Blood is Still, the second Rebecca Connelly book from Douglas Skelton. 'This is an intelligent, gripping story with great attention to detail which builds steadily throughout. There are so many exquisitely drawn characters. a tale steeped in history but right bang in the present. The Blood is Still shows how versatile a writer Skelton is and that he is just going from strength to strength. It's a triumph. I absolutely loved it and everyone should read it!'

April was a bumper month for fab books! I Am Dust was my second Louise Beech book (another Orenda release) and an unusual one for me, but I really enjoyed it. 'I don't consider myself very open to the idea of ghosts, magic, a sixth sense, second sight, that kind of thing, but this book gave me chills. I Am Dust is a beautiful book about love, longing, pain, desire, betrayal, magic and murder. It broke my heart but I adored it.' 

Power Play is the third book from Tony Kent - an exciting thriller that grips from beginning to end. This is an epic, transatlantic tale, taking us from the streets of London to the heart of the White House. 'It's a hefty tome, coming in at 500 odd pages, but it doesn't feel like that thanks to the short, snappy chapters and the action packed storyline.'

Neil Broadfoot's second Connor Fraser tale, No Place To Die was another April highlight - I am loving this series! 'The plot covers corruption, dodgy deals, lies, personal betrayal, revenge and murder. With No Place To Die Broadfoot delivers a fast paced, action packed, adrenaline filled crime thriller, full of rounded, believable characters.' Special mention also for the third in the series, The Point of No Return, which was one of my last reads of the year but my review wasn't written up in time. I will share it in January but I can tell you the book's another cracker. 

Another April release was Savage Gods by Peter Boland, which saw the return of one of my favourite protagonists, John Savage. It's the fourth in a fantastic series that you should all check out. 'Savage Gods is an original, interesting, fast paced and tense thriller, populated by brilliantly drawn characters. The denouement is scary and exciting. And shocking. I actually cried out. This is another strong entry to the John Savage collection.'

These Lost & Broken Things by Helen Fields was an unusual read for me as I don't usually read historical crime. But I'm so glad I took a chance on this one. 'These Lost and Broken Things is an authentic, detailed and atmospheric tale full of colourful characters, plenty of action and full on emotional tugs. A gripping thriller I just couldn't put down.'

Regular visitors to this blog will know I'm a big fan of Mason Cross. Well, 2020 saw him releasing standalone thriller Hunted under the name of Alex Knight and it's another winner for me. 'Hunted is a cat and mouse chase, a search for truth and justice. It grabs you, pulls you in and doesn't let go. The action doesn't let up at all and neither does the tension. The storyline is full of lies, betrayal and cover ups with twists, shocks and red herrings aplenty. If you're looking for a fast paced, action packed, intelligent and rewarding crime thriller then this is the book for you. I flipping loved it!'

In July I took a wee break from crime fiction to read an illustrated poetry collection. Different from my usual fare The Unwinding by Jackie Morris took me to a beautiful place. 'The Unwinding is a beautiful little book, both to look at and to read. It is different to the poetry I normally read but I found it very appealing. I could feel myself calming as I read and the words took me to another place. This is a book I will return to time and time again as a respite from my busy life. A stunning, bewitching wee book.' 

More Orenda releases in July and August. The Big Chill is the second book in Doug Johnstone's trilogy about the Shelf women. I can't tell you how much I love this series and the first book A Dark Matter, which I read in January, could easily have been on this list but The Big Chill just edged it for me. But do yourselves a favour and read these books! 'The Big Chill is an intimate portrait of life and death told with a very human touch and a splash of humour. It's dark in places, sad in others, beautiful throughout. And I can't think of another crime novel which could feature My Chemical Romance, quantum physics, drumming, the Bangkok Lady Boys and Inuit throat singers!'

Hinton Hollow Death Trip by Will Carver is like nothing I'd read before (I felt like that about his last book too). Evil itself is our narrator here. 'It's unique, violent, challenging, uncomfortable, thought provoking, shocking. And quite brilliant. Carver has yet again delivered something that blew my mind. It will be one of my most memorable reads of this year.'

The Boy Between was published in November and is a personal account by Amanda Prowse and her son Josiah (Josh) Hartley of Josh's struggles with his mental health and the impact on the family. It touched me deeply and moved me to tears many times. 'This book is very open, honest and raw. It is a very personal story which Josh and Amanda been brave enough to share, and I know it will touch many people. Whilst more people are talking openly about depression, it's still not enough, and I really hope this will encourage more people to open up. Particularly young men.' 

Also in November I read Sharon Bairden's debut novel Sins of the Father, and what a triumph it is. Not always an easy read and covering some difficult issues, I loved it. 'Sins of the Father is very dark and touches on some difficult subjects which might mean this isn't for everyone. But I would encourage you to try it as it's also descriptive, vivid, heartbreaking, haunting and beautifully written. A bold, confident and stunning debut.'

I didn't plan on choosing a 'Book of the Year' but nearly ended up with two! I adored Fifteen Coffins by Tony J Forder featuring FBI agent and reluctant PI Sydney Merlot investigating a school shooting in America. I've been telling everyone about this book! Tony currently had no plans to write any more Sydney but maybe if you all buy this one, he'll change his mind! In the meantime, I have his back catalogue to catch up on. 'Fifteen Coffins tackles a difficult topic from a fresh point of view. It's never sensationalist and is respectful of its subject. I was totally absorbed from beginning to end. It's a beautifully written crime mystery with exquisite characterisation, striking descriptions and a detailed, intelligent and original storyline. It's easily one of my books of this year.'

But the one I've raved about more than any other, the one I've lent out, the one I've gifted and is therefore my 'Book of 2020' is We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. With 13 year old self proclaimed outlaw Duchess Day Radley at its centre, We Begin at the End is set in small town America in a community still coming to terms with events of 30 years earlier. 'Yes, there is a crime at the centre of this story, an awful, sad one, but We Begin at the End is so, so much more than a crime story. It's a character driven tale of regular people making awful, difficult choices in the worst of circumstances. It's a hugely emotional read and as truths were revealed at the end, I was knocked back again and again. Wow. Just wow. It's a story about love, loss, sacrifice and hope.'

So, there you have it - the books that made the most impact on me in 2020. It was so hard to choose as I also loved Paper Sparrows by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi, Whirligig by Andrew James Greig, Ash Mountain by Helen Fitzgerald, The Scribbler by Iain Maitland, Thirty-One Bones by Morgan Cry, The Library Murders by MR Mackenzie, A Prayer for the Broken by Mark Tilbury, Betrayal by Lilja Sigurðadóttir, Body Language by AK Turner and more. You get the idea - I read some fabulous books in 2020! I do hope you check some of them out and I 'd love to hear what you think. 

If you're still with me, thank you for hanging in there! Sorry, this post had ended up a bit epic! Moving into 2021 I can't wait to read Deity, the new Six Stories novel from Matt Wesolowski and Smoke Screen, the follow up to Death Deserved, by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger. Also looking forward to Song of the Psychopath by Mark Tilbury being published in February. I beta read this one and you're in for a dark and twisted time with that one! I'm in the blog tour for The Art of Death by David Fennell and the book looks amazing! And always a treat, there will be a new release from Douglas Skelton later on in the year.

On my Absolutely Must Read pile (my TBR pile is too out of control to think about) are a whole host of books I didn't get around to this year: Jeremiah's Bell by Denzil Meyrick, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Blacktop Wasteland by SA Cosby, You Caught the Last Bus Home and Diary of a Somebody by Brian Bilston, Fifty City by Steve Cavanagh, Tall Oaks and All the Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker, The Davie McCall series from Douglas Skelton and a whole pile of books received from authors and publishers over the last couple of years. And so many more.

So, there you have it. Let's be excited about this new year and all its possibilities. Here's to better things and hugs. Dream big, stay well and read loads. Happy New Year!