Ranking the 2020 #lalalifebookclub Selections

The new year is almost here, but today I wanted to reflect on all the books we read as part of our online bookclub. If you aren’t a part of #lalalifebookclub and you want to join in 2021, it’s super, super easy. I mean, the majority of us are teachers, so time is of the essence-meaning it’s a very low key bookclub! 😉 To join, simply grab a copy of the month’s selection and read it! I will post a picture of the book on Instagram towards the end of the month and you can share your thoughts there OR if you want to discuss the book even more, I’ve created a Facebook group that has discussion questions for the monthly picks. Granted, I haven’t been very active in the group the last few months, but I do want to make that part of the club better in the new year!

For today’s post, I thought it would be fun to share my rankings for all of the 2020 monthly selections for our bookclub. We didn’t have a pick for December, but we did for every other month-including 2 for July and August! We read 13 books in all for #lalalifebookclub this year and here are my personal rankings starting with my least favorite to favorite.

#13 The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

The only bookclub selection I wasn’t able to finish was The Book Charmer. I was so disappointed that I didn’t have better luck with this one because it sounds like the cutest story. It’s about a woman who lives in a small town and has the ability to talk to books. I mean, that is amazing, right?? So many people told me this was their favorite book of 2019, so please don’t take my word for it. It just wasn’t for me. Hopefully y’all had better luck than I did with The Book Charmer!

#12 & #11 A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux and The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell

We read two books for the summer months of July and August, and I am so glad we did because boy was one of these a disappointment for me. I decided to pick A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux because I have always said this was my favorite romance of all time. I originally read it back in high school and just fell in love with the story. I wanted to reread it with y’all to see if that still held up. And it didn’t. Oh man, did I loathe this story the second time around. I ended up giving it a 2 star rating. Such a miss for me. I can safely say my reading tastes has changed since 2005!

We also read Michele Campbell’s latest thriller for August, and I loved it! This author just never disappoints. If you’re looking for an unputdownable domestic mystery/thriller, you will love The Wife Who Knew Too Much!

#10 The Dark Familiar by Amy Engel

I was so excited for Amy Engel’s long awaited second book, The Dark Familiar, so I picked it as our book for April. I absolutely LOVED her debut novel, The Roanoke Girls, when I read it in 2017. The Dark Familiar wasn’t nearly as amazing, but it was still so so good. It has a depressing feel to it, but in a good way. I know that doesn’t make sense, but trust me, it is such a good read.

#9 Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner knocked it out of the park with Big Summer. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that feels like two ENTIRELY different genres. This one took a turn that I did not see coming and it completely changed the book…in a good way! This one is the perfect beach read, y’all! I loved it!

#8 Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing by Allison Winn Scotch

I love a good fictional telling of fictional election. And if it involves a woman running for president? Even better! Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing is a really good character driven story that shows how our actions from our childhood can impact others in present day. I really loved the themes of this story. I could have done with a little more romance, but I loved Cleo nonetheless.

#7 The Swap by Robyn Harding

Robyn Harding is one of my absolute favorite authors. The Swap is a truly unique mystery thriller that had me guessing the entire time. I mean, I could NOT figure this one out. It was bizarre in the best way possible. My favorite RH book is still The Party, but this one was soooo good!

#6 The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

I’m glad I picked a Christmas book for November because we ended up not having a December pick and I would have been sad if I hadn’t gotten to share my love of The Twelve Dates of Christmas with y’all. I definitely recommend y’all reading this one next year. It is absolutely 100% predictable from page 1, but so so cute!

#5 Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison

Our first bookclub selection of the year set the bar high. Y’all know I’m a sucker for a good boarding school story and Good Girls Lie was perfection. This story is such a good fall read. It has a dark, serious tone that features an eerie boarding school where murders keep happening. I LOVED this one!

#4 Transcend by Jewel E. Ann

Transcend was one of the July selections. It was also a reread for me. I read this one for the first time back in 2018 and just fell in love with it. It is one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read. It’s also a self published book, so not a lot of people have read it. If you’ve never read a book from this author, I highly suggest them! She has the ability to write a captivating story that will completely shock you in the process.

#3 Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon

Y’all know my love for Hannah Mary McKinnon. Her book, The Neighbors, was my #1 favorite book from 2018. Her newest mystery/thriller, Sister Dear, came out in May and oh my goodness gracious, this book was amazing! It’s a slow burn until the last 20% and then it’s packed with action and revelations that make you think about things that have occurred earlier in the book that now make sense. I LOVE when a story does that! This one is soooo good!

#2 Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

These last two books are also mentioned in my Top 10 Favorites of 2020. Riley Sager has been around for the last few years and everyone always talks about his books, but I have never read one before. For October, I picked Home Before Dark for our bookclub because it was hyped as a spooky thriller. And boy was it! This is the absolute perfect book to read during Halloween. It’s not too scary, but just spooky enough! Definitely pencil this one in for October!

#1 My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

And my favorite book that we read for #lalalifebookclub was My One and Only by Kristan Higgins. Oh my goodness gracious what a cute book. Y’all know my favorite genre is romance. I love nothing more than a good quick read love story and My One and Only was exactly that. It was filled with funny, witty banter. There was even a road trip which was so fun. AND, not to give away any spoilers, but something happens at the end and it is my favorite that I have ever read. If you’ve read it, you will know what I’m talking about. It is adorable! Highly recommend this older book. It was a sweet story that provided an escape from all the craziness!

Okay, so there you have it! That’s how I felt about all of our #lalalifebookclub selections for 2020. Which ones did you read? Which was your favorite? I’d love to hear! If you want to join our Facebook group, click here. Our January selection will be announced Saturday morning (1/2)!