The best books you read in 2020?

Thanks Taswama, might give them a go. I’ve had my appetite for crime whetted by reading a couple of John Banville/Benjamin Black novels.

The Mirror and the Light, published, bought and read last March. It feels like ten years ago.

Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens no contest it’s my favourite book for many years

Also enjoyed
American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins
The Crocked Branch also by Jeannine Cummins
The Giver of Stars - Jojo Moyes
Blood and Sugar - Laura Shepard-Robinson
The Lost Man - Jane Harper
Dirty Little Secrets - Jo Spain

Reading The Thursday Night Murder Club easy enjoyable reading

The Bible from start to finish for the first time. Fabulous.

I've not seen the TV series I'm afraid Intermittent , I think the writing is good and I read the full set (5 or 6 books) over the course of the year.

Taswama, I love the Shetland TV series but don't know the books –how do they compare? Is the writing good?

I have read more books this year than last - mostly by leaving my ipad in the kitchen in the evening.

My favourites

Wilding by Isabella Tree
Factfulness
American overdose- the opioid tragedy in three parts

The Shetland series
Girl, woman, other
Half of a yellow sun

I read a list of books recommended by my friends this year, as well as my usual Kindle Unlimited fare.

My standouts have been:

• Dowager Empress Cixi by Jung Chang
• Educated by Tara Westover
• The Choice by Edith Eger (this is so powerful and uplifting)
• The Song of Achilles by Madeleine Miller
• Codename Verity by Elisabeth Wein
• Perfect Strangers by JT Geissinger

I’ve had a great year reading-wise. Standouts for me we’re:

Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
Miss Benson’s Beetle - Rachel Joyce
Shadow on the Lens - Sam Hurcom
Sisters - Daisy Johnson

Girl, woman, other

I struggled to read all year until Troubled Blood's character familiarity and page-turniness rekindled something.

Since then I have enjoyed Lionel Shriver The Mandibles, Cory Doctorow Walkaway and Girl, Woman, Other.

But thanks to you guys I now have A List. Cheers.

I have loved:
Non-fiction
Unfollow by Megan Phelps Roper
A Cheesemongers History of the British Isles
Lowborn
Manual for Survival (about Chernobyl)

Fiction:
I Who Have Never Known Men
A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World
Meat by Joseph de Lacey

The Poetry Pharmacy and its sequel.

Where the crawdads sing is amazing!
The Alchemists secret and I am pilgrim. I'm part of a book club and love getting to read things I normally wouldn't

Not many standouts for me this year:

The Binding
Tidelands

I read some of the others mentioned on here but didn’t like them.

Just googled The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. Sounds great!

So far...

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith
Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

Labobo, I haven't tried Girl Woman Other but a good friend who read it basically said the same thing. Maybe I should read it just so I know for myself!

Girl,woman,other. The interrelated relationship of the 12 women,not an overarching traditional story as such more an exploration of the women. The free style punctuation is obviously unusual but you get used to it.

Please will someone explain to me why Girl Woman Other is on so many lists? I have tried and tried to read it. I find it painfully boring, like being forced to listen to someone droning on in meetings or a pub, full of self importance but not half as great as they think they are. What have I missed?

Actress Anne Enright

Crooked Hallelujah Kelli Jo Ford

Girl.Woman.Other Bernardine Evaristo

Hidden Valley Road Robert Kolker

The Blinds Adam Sternbergh

Shuggie Bain Douglas Stewart

Such a Fun Age Kiley Reid

Strange Flowers Donal Ryan

The Girl with the Louding Voice Abi Daré

I have to say I had a visceral reaction to American Dirt nasty cliches and one dimensional characterisation

Oo I like this thread!

Troubled blood- Robert Galbraith

The colour of Bee Larkham's murder- Sarah J Harris

Becoming- Michelle Obama

The Second Sleep- Robert Harris

The keeper of lost things- Ruth Hogan

My favourites this year have been
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Lady Chatterly's Lover by DH Lawrence
And
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

I keep forgetting to mention Apeirogon by Colum McCann. Sad, anger-making, harrowing in parts, but beautiful and compelling.

I have read loads (for me) this year. I am currently reading my 62nd book. I seem to be reading 1/3 fiction, the rest non.

But actually there haven't been many standouts.

I liked the book about walking by Kate Humble, One foot in front of the other.
I Love the Bones of You, Christopher Ecclestone - very raw
Son of a Silverback, Russell Kane x think this guy is a bit of a pillock, but I warmed to him because of this.
The Age of Decadence, Britain 1880-1914 x Simon Heffer - a tour de force
London Made Us - Robert Elms - a bit self indulgent but it brought back memories for me
Me, Elton John

Enchanted April, Elizabeth Avon Arnim
Blood Orange, Harriet Tyce
City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilbert

The Most Fun We Ever Had - Claire Lombardo
Living Better: How I Learned to Survive Depression - Alastair Campbell
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Motherland - Tetyana Denford
Expectation - Anna Hope