We both had reading goals we mastered in 2020 and want to share with you some 2020 favorite reads from us, One Page at a Time hosts, Jill Berrett Given and Amanda Fristrom

As we look forward to a new year in our podcast, we wanted to take a minute and look back at the last year. It was a big year in reading for both of us, so before we dive back into the awesome guests we get to chat with, we decided to share some of our favorites of all the books we read! In this episode we talk about:

What our 2020 reading goals were and how they changed and developed as the year went on.

Our top five books for the year! We each had our own criteria for picking our top books, so we ended up with a pretty diverse list! We will link to all the books we picked below.

How the pandemic and other events in 2020 changed our (and so many other people we have talked to!) reading habits and limited the scope and type of books we read.

And finally, we wrapped up the episode sharing our 2021 reading goals with each other (and all of you)!

We talk about our reasons for reading fluffy fiction. Interested in learning more about just one of the benefits of reading fiction? Here's the Harvard Business Review article and the research study Amanda refers to about how fiction positively affects decision making.

In 2020 Favorite Reads we mention:

Amanda's reads:

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson

Lovely War by Julie Berry

The Four Kingdoms (series) by Melanie Cellier

Jill's reads:

The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff

Pitch Perfect by Mickey Rapkin

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan

The War That Saved My Life/The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

We also mention:

Holes by Louis Sachar

Chronicles of Narnia (series) by C. S. Lewis

Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

A Boy Called Bat (series) by Elana K. Arnold

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 

Sophie Kinsella (Author)

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Shannon Hale (author)

Gail Carson Levine (author)

In 2020 Favorite Reads we also mention these resources:

Everyday Reading and here is the 2021 Reading Log

Adam Sockel, Professional Book Nerds for a podcast on book recommendations (here's our interview with Adam about Professional Book Nerds)

Superhero Book List (from yours truly)