20 Books to Read in 2020

20 Books to Read in 2020

Hey guys! I decided to do something a bit different this blog and write about multiple books I like. Some of these books may be at a slightly different reading level (both above and below), but they are all really good, so I would suggest checking them out (please note that the order of the list and the pictures do not represent which books I like more). Also, some of these books are popular so you may have already read them. I hope you find either a new book to read or are reminded of an old favorite to reread. Happy reading!

-Mikayla B.

Ranger’s Apprentice: This is a super long series (12 books!) that follows a young boy, Will, through his training and experiences while being a Ranger. Ranger’s are a mysterious group of people who protect the Araluen, an ancient kingdom. If you want to learn more about the first book, I have previously posted about it. The series features many themes, including romance, adventure, and mystery. The books are amazing and the series will keep you entertained for a long time.

Brotherband Chronicles: These books are a partner series to Ranger’s Apprentice and are set in the same time frame, but a different part of the world. The books follow a young group of sailors through their journey, including huge storms, fights, and missions, to become the best Brotherband (group of sailors) in Skandia. If you would like to read this series, I would suggest reading Ranger’s Apprentice first since it gives some context to the series.

The Wolf Princess: This book is a magical, fairytale-like story about Sophie, who seems to be a normal high schooler. When her and her friends are going on a field-trip to Russia, they accidentally board the wrong train and end up going to the ancient Volkonsky castle. While the castle is amazing, Sophie quickly realizes something is wrong with the “princess” that lives there. As time continues, Sophie learns that not everyone is who they seem, including herself.



City of Bones: This is the first book in a six book series called The Mortal Instruments. The books tell the tale of Clary and Jace, two shadowhunters, as they attempt to fight off evil antagonists and attempt to restore peace to the world. These books are full of twists, turns, and many, many, many surprises.


Harry Potter: I always go back to my favorite series, Harry Potter, and will always recommend it. If you have not read the books, I would highly suggest them. The books are full of magic, friendship, adventure, and romance (perfectly written if you ask me 😀). If you have read the books, read them again, they are amazing!

Lady Midnight: Lady Midnight is the first book in The Dark Artifices, a trilogy, which is a partner series to The Mortal Instruments. The books also follow two shadowhunters, Julian and Emma, through their adventures. I really like the series because it has a modern perspective on relationships, family dynamics, etc. For more information, please check my previous blog post. However, if you want to read these, you should read The Mortal Instruments first, so it is not really confusing!

The Belles: These dystopian books deal with what happens beauty is taken so seriously that people are willing to spend all of their money on alterations. When the queen dies and the princess is supposed to rule, the community starts to realize how toxic and controlling the society is. However, way before this happens, the Belles, girls with powers to change appearances, start their journey. Throughout the constant hard work and abuse they are put through, they start to learn that underneath the beautiful society are some very ugly secrets. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially if you are interested in dystopians with messed-up societies.

Given to the Sea: The Given is a girl who’s destiny is to be sacrificed to the sea, which helps maintain water levels and keep the world safe. However, Khosa is not so sure that she wants her destined fate and tries to fight it, yet almost ends up going with it. Throughout the book, she must learn to first accept her fate before she can even start to find it. When she escapes her teachers, she travels to the palace, where she meets some new friends (and more than friends!) that show her that there is more to fight for. If you are looking for a complex, romantic, and ancient story, this book is definitely for you!

Uglies: Tally and Shay live in a society where, when they turn sixteen, they undergo an operation which makes them beautiful. However, this beauty also makes you the same as everyone else, so when Shay gets close to her birthday, she runs away. The government tasks Tally with the job of finding Shay and bringing her back, threatening that they will take away her operation if she doesn’t obey. Once Tally finds Shay, she realizes that there may be a better society than one where everyone and everything seems beautiful and perfect. This book is really good at showing how expectations of beauty can negatively affect a society, and I found it really informing to read!

Cinder: Cinder is like the classic Cinderella story, except the girl is a cyborg mechanic, her prince hates cyborgs, and she lives in a community where a plague is quickly spreading. This book is honestly so great to read and puts a suspenseful spin on a classic fairytale. I would recommend this book to everyone and it has many themes that anyone can enjoy: action, survival, suspense, and romance.

Eragon: When Eragon discovers a dragon egg, he goes on a series of adventures with his blue dragon Saphira. Once Galbatorix, the king, learns that the dragon is in his possession, Eragon must go on the run to avoid being captured. Over time, he realizes that he is the only one who can defeat Galbatorix, and starts training to fight. The books in this trilogy are reallllllyyy long, but entertaining once you get into them, so if you are looking for a longer read, this is a great series for you.

Twilight: Okay, so I know that this is going to be very controversial, but I honestly really enjoyed Twilight when I read it last year. If you don’t know the plot already, it’s basically that an innocent girl falls meets a vampire and starts, against all good judgement, to fall in love with him. The book is super romantic, in a somewhat cringy way, but the details and voice of the author makes it really interesting to read. If you don’t want to try reading it, fine, but I promise it’s better than most people say.

The Last Dogs: Max, a golden retriever, starts an exciting and long journey to find his family when all humans on earth disappear. During his travels, he meets many other dogs, some in the same situation as him and others trying to escape the effects of the vanished people. This book is for a slightly younger age level, but it is really entertaining and fun to read, so I suggest you check it out!

A Rose Petal Summer: I found this book in an airport bookstore over the summer, and honestly didn’t expect it to be good at all. In fact, I may have actually bought it to see how bad it was. Anyways, the book is about a young woman named Caro Swanson, who takes a job in Scotland to take care of an old man. When she arrives, however, she realizes that one of the family members is a boy she fell in love with years before, only to never see him again, and her attention completely shifts. The family she works with is also experiencing rivalries between the siblings involving who gets to keep the estate. The book contains more mature themes, but it is really good if you are looking for romance.

The Familiars: Aldwyn seems to be a normal stray cat, until he gets adopted by a wizard-in-training, and becomes a familiar (an animal helper for a magic-controller). When his master is kidnapped, he goes on a journey to help rescue him. On this journey, he meets his true family and learns that he isn’t as normal as he thought, before using his newfound powers to save his master. This is a great book for anyone who is looking for a lighthearted, magical, and adventurous story.

Rebel Belle: Harper Price is a perfect high schooler with a perfect life: she has amazing grades, a wonderful boyfriend, and is leading so many extracurriculars, she could easily get into Harvard. However, this all changes on the night of Homecoming, when she receives a gift that gives her crazy physical powers. There’s just one catch, she has to use her powers to help protect David Stark, who was her sworn enemy since she was little. Throughout the novel, Harper learns to give second chances and comes to understand that there is more to life than wearing the perfect lipstick shade. I loved this book and could not put it down, so I would definitely suggest checking it out.

Matched: Cassia lives in a society where your entire life is picked out for you, based on an algorithm that analyzes your life. She is ecstatic to find out that Xander, her best friend, was picked to be her spouse, but as time goes on, she starts to fall for Ky, who she could never be with. Cassia learns that she has to pick between the law and her heart, which could lead to some serious consequences, but could also teach her a lot about herself. This is a really entertaining story that is good for passing time!

Out of My Mind: Melody Brooks was born with cerebral palsy, which makes her body uncooperative and stiff. However, despite what others believe, she is extremely smart. When she makes the trivia team, she proves everyone wrong and continues to make life better for herself. I LOVE this novel and think it does a great job at disproving the common stereotypes about people affected by disabilities.

Sky Jumpers: This book is about a post World War 3 society where every other community has been wiped out and the world is chaos. Besides Bomb’s Breath, everywhere is filled with a toxic gas that is deadly for humans to breath. However, Hope Toriella and her friends, are dare-devils and find a pit that is filled with breathable air, if they can jump into it safely. Throughout the story, they learn about the world surrounding them, distrust in stressed communities, and the consequences that their actions can have. This is a great dystopian novel that is not super popular, but I would highly suggest it!

Valkyrie: Valkyries are angels that get to decide who dies in a battle. Freya, a new valkyrie, finds this system unfair, but cannot escape her destined job. When she finds her first dead warrior, he insists that she checks on her family, which leads her to venture into Earth and break several rules. While she is there, she learns that Earth is not like what she was told and that her life has somewhat been a lie. If you like books based on mythology, I would definitely suggest you read this.