If we are honest, and we are honest at Aster's Book hour - 2020 was absolute insanity. We all know that. We all also know that 2020 produced a plethora of novels created by debut authors to fan favourites and those novels are a perk from 2020.
It is important to note the good things from 2020 and these are some novels that were published in the new decade worth your time this year. Here are 8 fantastic novels from 2020 to read in 2021 that will bring enjoyment into your life.
1 - Big Lies in a Small Town
Genre | Mystery
Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain revolves around a decrepit mural and the secrets that lay within. Morgan, an inmate at a Women's Correctional Facility has been offered early parole with the caveat of finishing a mural. She eagerly accepts the opportunity to be free from the sentence given to her for a crime she did not commit. The problem is, Morgan's freedom hinges on something she knows nothing about - mural restoration.
It's 1940 and Anna Dale has been commissioned to paint a mural in Edenton, North Carolina. As a woman and outsider, her arrival is met with icy distrust almost pushing Anna to quit but the money and opportunity outweigh the stares and soon she is thrust into a town filled with secrets, prejudice, and frustrations. All things she paints into the mural, can Morgan discover those messages?
Filled with secrets, Big Lies in a Small Town contains a slow-burn plot with an insane mural making it a must-read for 2021.
Find the full review | HERE | for Big Lies in a Small Town
Disclaimer (yippie!): Aster's Book Hour is an Amazon Associate. It earns a small commission from qualifying purchases attached to the Amazon affiliate links in this post.
2 - The Sun Down Motel
Genre | Mystery
Tying for second place with Home Before Dark for best novel of 2020, The Sun Down Motel is a paranormal mystery waiting to be devoured. Similar to Big Lies in a Small Town, The Sun Down Motel revolves around one woman in 2017 and another in 1982. In 1982, Viv Delaney goes missing from her shift at the Sun Down Motel and weeks later she is missing, presumed dead. In 2017, Carly returns to the location where her Aunt went missing searching for answers and without warning is caught up in the mysteries of the place that took her Aunt.
The novel starts on a high and only continues upwards so that by the end, you are shaken from its intricacies and excitement. A recommended read especially for those fans of Simone St. James's works like the The Broken Girls and paranormal mysteries as a whole.
Find the full review | HERE | for The Sun Down Motel
3 - Home Before Dark
Genre | Psychological Thriller
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager is a psychological thriller following Maggie and the haunted Baneberry Hall. Her family fled Baneberry Hall in the middle of night and have yet to return but when the Hall is bequeathed to her, Maggie is determined to return and disprove her father's claims the ghosts are real. When she returns, so do the noises and immediately you are sucked in.
This is a spellbinding read with twists and turns that will keep you awake especially when you discover nothing is truly as it seems.
Find the full review | HERE | for Home Before Dark
4 - Watch Over Me
Genre | Fiction
Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour is a short story (<150pgs.) perfect for bumping up your reading list whilst also being an introspective read. This is a story fuelled by Mila's pain. Mila has been hired to teach at a remote farm house situated on the outskirts of Mendocino, California with no internet, billowing fields, and promises of solitude which despite the warnings of, makes Mila only crave it more.
This is a story about a journey and one you can emulate. Watch Over Me is a personal and powerful read that the more you think about it, the more you gain from it. And, it has a gorgeous cover which is an added bonus.
Find the full review | HERE | for Watch Over Me
5 - The Midnight Library
Genre | Science Fiction
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is my FAVOURITE novel of 2020 and absolutely and utterly worth a read in 2021. It is a literary journey that makes you contemplate life's regrets and the lives you never lived. With gorgeous prose, a protagonist you can empathise with, and a powerful message, there is not a single reason why you should not read this in 2021.
Nora Seed ends up in the Midnight Library after an incident with the opportunity to do things differently, choose differently, and find a better life. Her journey to find that life is what makes this a powerful and great read for 2021. It is the start of change just like 2021 should be.
Find the full review | HERE | for The Midnight Library
6 - The House in the Cerulean Sea
Genre | Fantasy
A bit reminiscent of the Miss Peregrine's series only with more magical creatures and governmental structure, The House in the Cerulean Sea is heart-warming and a joy to read.
Linus Baker, an employee of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, has been assigned a case on a remote island. His task? To determine if the orphanage is well maintained but more importantly, that the residents within are safe. Linus is told six insanely dangerous children reside there, one with the propensity to end life as they know it except when Linus arrives, these dangerous children are really... just children. Children with an enigmatic caretaker on a beautiful island destroying Linus's preconceived notions leading to a beautiful and magical story.
TJ Klune is releasing a new novel in the Fall of 2021 called Under The Whispering Door and I am so excited to read it because The House in the Cerulean Sea was so fun to read and a novel you absolutely must tackle in 2021.
Find the full review | HERE | for The House in the Cerulean Sea
7 - Anxious People
Genre | Fiction
Anxious People is on everybody's radar as Fredrik Backman does it again. What does he do again? Oh, that's right - write something wonderful to digest with uniqueness and beautiful storytelling. The reason why Anxious People is suggested by countless others is because it is a great novel that evokes emotions of realistic human compassion and will throw you for a loop multiple times whilst still pulling you along.
Anxious People contains beautiful dialect, descriptive writing, and a story about very anxious people. Something we will not strive to be in 2021 but is bound to happen regardless and this novel shows you that that is okay. We are all anxious people and all should read this in 2021.
Find the full review | HERE | for Anxious People
8 - The Hand on the Wall
Genre | Young Adult
The third instalment of the Truly Devious Series, The Hand on the Wall finishes off Stevie's adventure at Ellingham Academy. Combined with a cold case and three murders, Stevie is required to push herself even harder to figure out who Truly Devious is and... she does. The question is, how?
The trilogy as a whole is a wonderful young adult mystery series that lets you play detective through a teenager's eyes. A light and breezy trilogy and a great gift for any reader in 2021.
These are some of the most enjoyable novels I read in 2020, published in 2020, that are worth your time in 2021. These novels are worth your time and destined to give you hours of excitement and thrills. Your first pick? The Midnight Library.
Your second pick? Any of them, all are such fun and these are 8 fantastic novels from 2020 to read in 2021. Add these to your book list and let me know, what are some 2020 novels I should read this year?
