In 2020, I read quite a few interesting books and I decided to share some of my favorites!
- The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
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This is an epic fantasy series I have not heard talked about as much as classics like Lord of the Rings and Narnia, but it is an incredible story. Fans of epic fantasy stories with large casts of characters, an expansive world, and a world filled with detailed lore and history, this is the series for you.
- Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror by W. Scott Poole
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Wasteland was one of the most interesting non-fiction history books I read in 2020. The book goes into great detail about how the First World War influenced early horror stories and how it changed what people around the world found terrifying. Wasteland also explains how the war directly influenced famous horror writers and lesser-known writers as well. It is a great book for people who love history or the horror genre.
- The Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography, and The Man Who Captured Lincoln’s Ghost by Peter Manseau
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The Apparitionists is the story of a man who supposedly used early photography to capture images of ghosts and spirits and why he was taken to court over the photographs. The Apparitionists was a fascinating read about the history of photography in the United States and the occult’s involvement with photography. Fans of history, particularly American history before, during, and after the Civil War, will enjoy this book.
- The Poppy Wars by R. F. Kuang
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The Poppy Wars is a fantasy series set in a world inspired by real-life events in China. The book was amazing. It also showed the horrors of war and the damage it can do to young people. It is a great book for people who enjoy realistic fantasy that includes magic and characters with questionable morals.
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
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The Night Circus is a standalone fantasy book with beautiful prose and magical duels. The Night Circus is a book for people who enjoy immersive settings, intricate magic systems, reading a book that is an experience, or a book with fantastical imagery.