Books I Want to Read in 2020

2020 is here, which means the start of a new reading year. Although I do not create a goal of a certain amount of books to read, I do have a list of a few select novels that I would like to squeeze in between studying and traveling. I brought most of these with me to Scotland, as I am studying abroad in Edinburgh for the first half of the year. But some, I'll sadly have to wait until I return home. 

the song of achilles by madeline miller

Circe was one of my favorite books of 2019 and I have been dying to pick up Madeline Miller's other book ever since. The Song of Achilles focuses on (who would have guessed it) the Greek hero Achilles and his "friend," Patroclus as they fight in the Trojan war. I am a bit of a classics nerd and really appreciated Madeline Miller's new take on the original mythologies in Circe. Admittedly, I have very high expectations for this one.


the city of brass by s.a. chakraborty

Fantasy lovers have been talking about the reportedly brilliant City of Brass since its release in 2017. I may end up being the last person alive to read this book, but I do plan on picking it up in the coming year. This novel follows a con-woman named Nahri who lives on the streets of Cairo. One day, Nahri accidentally summons a magical djinn warrior and is confronted with the reality of magic and its role in her dangerous world. Together, they set off in search of the long-forgotten magical city of brass, Daevabad. Fantasy is my all-time favorite genre and I have no doubts that I will love this unique take on the typical, European-centric medieval fantasy setting. 


skyward by brandon sanderson

Brandon Sanderson has taken the fantasy world by storm in the past decade. Recently, he released his first YA science fiction novel, Skyward. Teenage Spensa, trapped on an abandoned planet with the remains of humanity, desires to be a pilot. Her dream appears to be coming true when she finds the wreckage of an ancient ship--a ship that may have a spirit of its own. Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series is one of the best fantasy series I have ever read, so I am looking forward to seeing what he does with a science fiction universe. 


the thirteenth tale by diane setterfield

Diane Setterfield's newer novel, Once Upon a River, found its way into my top nine favorite books of 2019. Her prose is enchanting and evocative, her stories winding and enrapturing. I picked up The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield's earlier book, soon after falling in love with her writing. This novel tells the strange life story of fictional celebrity, Vida Winter, through her final interview with a young biographer, Margaret. Both women must confront their harrowing and tragic pasts rife with lies, secrets, and pain. 


elantris by brandon sanderson 

Yes, I did indeed place another Brandon Sanderson book onto this list. You can tell what kind of reading mood I am in. Elantris is Sanderson's only stand alone fantasy novel and his first published book. Elantris, once a thriving, powerful city filled with magical demigods, has transformed into husk of what it used to be. Any person found afflicted by the curse that struck the grand city down is cast away and exiled into its abandoned depths. 

What books do you want to read this year?