The Top 5 Books I Read In 2020!

Hello, fellow readers and writers! I hope all of you are well.

Back in August, I asked if there were any particular posts you wanted me to write, in regards to my writing and reading life. If you follow me on Twitter, this Tweet, and the poll attached to it, will be familiar to you:

Hey, #WritingCommunity and #ReadingCommunity: Are there any types of blog posts you’d like to hear my perspective about the #writinglife and #readinglife?

— Mystical Authoress (@MysticalAuthor) August 9, 2020

One of the options I put on that poll was listing the Top 5-10 books that I read. Given that, this time I’ll be listing the Top 5 Books I read in 2020 (aka this year)!

Given the circumstances of the pandemic, I think it’s fair to say that many of us have turned to new hobbies or taken up old ones to keep busy and stay calm. One of the many ways I kept busy this year was through reading and reviewing a lot of books, and I’m very excited to list the Top 5 Books I read this year! They are the following:

5. “My Room Is A Dungeon Rest Stop, Volume 2” by Tougoku Hudou and Takoya Kiyoshi

The worldbuilding elements make this series very promising, and also helps this manga stand out from all the other fantasy/RPG-inspired manga that I’ve read. I enjoy how this manga combines elements of the real world into the RPG-fantasy world that some of the characters come from (food from the real world can boost your stats, for example), and though I’ve only read the first two volumes of this series, I am very interested in reading more of this series as it develops. I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars! 

4. “Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Vol. 1” by Matthew Mercer, Matthew Colville, Olivia Samson and Chris Northrop

For fans of Critical Role, rejoice! This graphic novel made the Top 5 of the books I read this year. I enjoyed the artwork, the characters, and the overall story contained in this volume. I’m very tempted to read more, especially with the intriguing cliffhanger ending. I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!

3. “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones

Okay, let’s be honest: There was no way this book wasn’t making the Top 5 this year, given how much I enjoyed reading it. I loved all the little moments in the book, like Calcifer making breakfast, as well as the bigger, plot-moving elements. Sophie and Howl’s slow-burn romance, as well as all the fantasy worldbuilding, was also fun to read. It’s different from the Ghibli movie, for sure, but it’s still worth reading for its memorable story, hence why I put it at number 3. I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!

2. “Restaurant To Another World, Vol. 2” by Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami

This is the second book in the “Restaurant To Another World” series. It was such a good sequel to the first book (which I rated as number one!) that I had to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. The fantasy and restaurant worldbuilding, fun characters, and delicious food made this second entry in the series enjoyable. I also think it expanded on the worldbuilding from the first book quite well, and it did a great job of showing how it affected the restaurant customers. I recommend reading the first book first, but this one is just as good as the first in the series.

1. “Restaurant To Another World, Vol. 1” by Junpei Inuzuka and Katsumi Enami

This fantasy and restaurant-themed light novel series was exactly what I needed to read this year. This book contained heartwarming stories, delicious food that I wish I could eat right now, and memorable characters. By combining these three elements, this book felt very calm and cozy to read. Those that enjoy reading about delicious food, well-written fantasy worldbuilding and slice-of-life stories will definitely enjoy reading the first book. I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Those are my Top 5 Books of 2020! What are your Top 5? Have you read any of the books I listed? Let me know in the comments! 

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