Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books Of 2020

 

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday. Today is my favorite post of the year. I get to talk about the best books I read in 2020! I read over 100 books, and narrowing my list to 10 was agonizing, so I had to find a way to cheat. I picked 10 books across 4 categories, and then gave honorable mentions for each category. That way, I could have 20 books on my list. Nicely done, me. Way to cheat at Top Ten Tuesday.

While making this list, I discovered that 2020 was an exceptionally bizarre reading year for me. Normally, I like “serious” books that teach me things. You’ll definitely find some serious literature in this post, but the books that stuck in my brain in 2020 are the ones that helped me escape. The ones with far-fetched plots or quirky, loveable characters. Or, the ones starring people who’ve had very different experiences from me. Or, the ones about vampires and magic pigs. I guess I had limited interest in the real world in 2020. I wanted escapist literature.

Basically, this is a long-winded way of saying, “Every book on this list is stunning. They’ll teach you things or give you a break from your life. Please read them!”

 

 

 

🥇  Best Books Of 2020  🏆

 

 

 

 

Best Adult Fiction Of 2020

 

 

 

 

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

 

Horror

Series: The Shining #2

Years ago, the haunting of the Overlook Hotel nearly broke young Dan Torrance’s sanity, as his paranormal gift known as “the shining” opened a door straight into hell. And even though Dan is all grown up, the ghosts of the Overlook—and his father’s legacy of alcoholism and violence—kept him drifting aimlessly for most of his life. Now, Dan has finally found some order in the chaos by working in a local hospice, earning the nickname “Doctor Sleep” by secretly using his special abilities to comfort the dying and prepare them for the afterlife. But when he unexpectedly meets twelve-year-old Abra Stone—who possesses an even more powerful manifestation of the shining—the two find their lives in sudden jeopardy at the hands of the ageless and murderous nomadic tribe known as the True Knot, reigniting Dan’s own demons and summoning him to battle for this young girl’s soul and survival.

 

Why I love it: Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shining and follows the main character from that book, Dan Torrance. He’s a grown-up now. I enjoyed Doctor Sleep immensely. I actually liked it more than The Shining because the plot moves faster. Stephen King is a creative storyteller. I didn’t know how two old dudes and a child would defeat a vampire clan, but they did it. And not in a way that I saw coming. The ending is clever. This novel helped me escape from 2020. When I wasn’t reading it, I wanted to be reading it. I didn’t sleep very much during the week I read it because I couldn’t leave it alone! I kept thinking about the vampires.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beasts Of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

 

Fantasy

 

Orphaned, raised by wolves, and the proud owner of a horned pig named Merlin, Weylyn Grey knew he wasn’t like other people. But when he single-handedly stopped that tornado on a stormy Christmas day in Oklahoma, he realized just how different he actually was.

That tornado was the first of many strange events that seem to follow Weylyn from town to town, although he doesn’t like to take credit. As amazing as these powers may appear, they tend to manifest themselves at inopportune times and places. From freak storms to trees that appear to grow over night, Weylyn’s unique abilities are a curiosity at best and at worst, a danger to himself and the woman he loves. But Mary doesn’t care. Since Weylyn saved her from an angry wolf on her eleventh birthday, she’s known that a relationship with him isn’t without its risks, but as anyone who’s met Weylyn will tell you, once he wanders into your life, you’ll wish he’d never leave.

 

Why I love it: If you’ve ever read a Fredrik Backman book and thought, I wish this guy wrote fantasy, then you need to pick up Beasts Of Extraordinary Circumstance. It’s a quirky love story about adorable weirdos. And deadly animals. And (un)natural disasters. It’s much less serious than the stuff I usually read. I had tons of fun with it. It’s funny, imaginative, and sweet. The light tone reminds me of middlegrade fantasy, but with adult characters who have grownup problems. I enjoyed every second of it.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

 

Contemporary / Literary Fiction

Newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive and she is artist on the brink of an exciting career. They are settling into the routine of their life together, when they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

 

Why I love it: Everything about this book is stunning! The writing, the character development: It's all brilliant. It hooked me from the first page. It has one of the most compelling (and ominous) opening chapters I’ve ever read. Every time I see this book on my shelf, I want to reread it because the characters seem like real people to me. I want to see them again! I love how involved the main characters’ families are in their lives. The family members have opinions about the characters’ marriage, and they don’t keep those opinions to themselves. There’s nonstop drama. This is a novel where you hate everybody, but you feel bad for them at the same time. I’m pretty sure these characters will live in my head for the rest of my life. No matter how much brain-rotting Diet Coke I consume, I won’t forget them.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

 

Horror Comedy

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

 

Why I love it: It made me laugh. It’s a horror novel that’s packaged to look like an Ikea catalog. Seriously. It even has illustrations of furniture and various torture devices. Since it’s a horror story, it has gory moments, but it also has all the ridiculousness you’d expect in a tale about a haunted Ikea. It’s fast paced and clever. Give this book as a gift to anyone who has ever been hopelessly lost in a Swedish furniture superstore. It will brighten their day. And gross them out.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honorable Mentions

 

The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Historical Fiction)

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Historical Fiction)

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (Literary Fiction)

The Hunger by Alma Katsu (Historical Horror)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Nonfiction Of 2020

 

 

 

 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

 

Memoir

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world.

In her memoir, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms.

 

Why I love it: On the surface, it seems like I’d have nothing in common with Michelle Obama because she’s a celebrity, and I’m a friendless weirdo who doesn’t leave my house, but I found this book surprisingly relatable. Michelle talks about perfectionism, infertility, health problems, money, life-altering career switches, and the struggles of balancing work and family. There are fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about life in the White House. She’s very honest about her experiences. I highly recommend the audiobook. Michelle narrates it herself, and the tone is conversational, like a chat with a friend. It helped me feel less lonely in 2020. I briefly had a friend! (A friend who doesn’t know I exist . . . .)

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

 

Memoir

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag." In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

 

Why I love it: If I had to choose one favorite book of 2020, I’d reluctantly pick this one. “Reluctantly” because every book on this list is amazing. Educated lives up to the hype! I read it way back in January and still find myself thinking about the resilient author and how she took control of her life. This book is a reminder to follow your curiosity. You’re never too old or too young to learn something new. Chase your passions. Also, it’s a really compelling story! I devoured this memoir in a few hours because I couldn’t put it down. It's the kind of book you read with your heart pounding because you can feel the tension rising, and you know something huge is about to happen. You're just hoping everything works out.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honorable Mention

 

Evicted: Poverty And Profit In The American City by Matthew Desmond (Sociology)

 

 

 

 

Best Young Adult Fiction Of 2020

 

 

 

 

The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins

 

Dystopia / Science Fiction

Series: The Hunger Games #0

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined—every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

 

Why I love it: Well, definitely not the cover. Sorry if it’s your jam, but I think it’s horrendous. Good thing the book has wonderful insides. The novel follows Coriolanus Snow when he’s a teenager at an elite school. (Fun fact: My brain kept autocorrecting “Coriolanus” to “Coronavirus” because it’s 2020, and I’m tired.) If you’ve read The Hunger Games, then you know he grows up to be the vicious dictator president of a dystopian country called Panem. A lot of people were worried this book would make Coronavirus Snow a sympathetic character. It doesn't. I hated him on page 1, and I hated him on page 500-something. He’s just not a good dude, which is fine with me because I love reading about awful characters. I like the book because the reader gets to see the origin of the games and the culture of the Capitol and District 12. It adds depth and world-building to Panem. For me, the plot was entertaining, and the world-building made the story worth reading. It’s a thought-provoking addition to the series.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

 

Contemporary

Series: Darius The Great #1

Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it's pretty overwhelming—especially when he's also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom's family for the first time. And he meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything.

Sohrab makes sure people speak English so Darius can understand what's going on. He gets Darius an Iranian National Football Team jersey that makes him feel like a True Persian for the first time. And he understands that sometimes, best friends don't have to talk. Darius has never had a true friend before, but now he's spending his days with Sohrab playing soccer, eating rosewater ice cream, and sitting together for hours in their special place, a rooftop overlooking the Yazdi skyline.

Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab. When it's time to go home to America, he'll have to find a way to be Darioush on his own.

 

Why I love it: This book made the list because I accidentally read it. Yes, I accidentally read a 300-page book. It showed up in the mail, and I had insomnia, so I decided to read a few pages. Then it was suddenly morning, and I’d finished the book. It’s so good! I wish it had been around when I was a teenager. The main character, Darius, is a chubby, pimply loner with depression. That was me as a teen! I didn’t know I was main-character-worthy. Anyway, Darius travels to Iran to meet his grandparents for the first time ever. While he’s there, he makes friends, discovers a talent for soccer, and reevaluates his relationship with his parents. The trip gives him a chance to reinvent himself and become the person he wants to be. The story is sweet, quiet, realistic, and nerdy. There’s no romance, which is refreshing for a young adult book. I need to read the sequel ASAP.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honorable Mentions

 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Fantasy)

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum (Contemporary Thriller)

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire (Fantasy)

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (Contemporary Graphic Novel)

Best Middlegrade Fiction Of 2020

 

 

 

 

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

 

Realistic Modern Classic

Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong.

But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.

 

Why I love it: “We must, we must, we must increase our bust!” I read a few excellent classics in 2020, but this one entertained me the most. That’s why it made the list. I really wish I had read it as a kid. I had a few experiences that were similar to Margaret’s, and it may have helped me feel less . . . chronically stressed out. Growing up is a confusing experience. This book is relatable and hilarious. It deserves its status as a modern classic. If you have a young person in your life, please give them this novel! Especially if they’re going through puberty or questioning their religion. They may need honest preteen characters more than you realize.

 

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevermoor: The Trials Of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

 

Fantasy

Series: Nevermoor #1

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks—and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart—an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests—or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

 

Why I love it: I have blathered about Nevermoor nonstop since January. It wins the award for “book I’ve forced upon the greatest number of unsuspecting bookworms.” I’m completely obsessed with this magical middlegrade series. It reminds me of the excitement and happiness I felt while reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Harry Potter as a kid. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, ridiculous, action-packed, and perfect for kids who love (mostly) lighthearted fantasy (or giant talking cats). I’m impatiently awaiting the next book in the series. This is the epitome of escapist literature. Read it if you enjoy smiling.

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Book Depository

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honorable Mention

 

Flying Lessons & Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh (Contemporary Short Story Anthology)

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s the best book you read in 2020?