December 29, 2020
2020 Memorable Reads:
The Top Ten List and The Categories
I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl: Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books Read in 2020
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
I mostly love the angst of creating top ten lists! Although it can be a daunting task, it’s my most anticipated post of the year! First, let me remind you that this list is subjective. It’s compiled of books I’ve read this year (there are always so many more great ones that I didn’t get to), and each one has made it onto this list because reading it was a memorable, emotional experience and gave me a “book hangover.”
I’m presenting my list this year in two formats: in list form and in categories. The categories part is a bit more comprehensive because I provided some runners up. Titles are links to my reviews or Amazon affiliate links. Although most titles in this post were published this year, a couple were not.
Thanks for sharing great reads with me this year!
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Top Ten Memorable Fiction Reads of 2020
(see categories below for runners up and additional selections)
1
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
2
3
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
4
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
5
The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton
6
The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
7
Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly
8
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
9
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
10
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Most Memorable Nonfiction
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9-11 by Garrett M. Graff
The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
* * * * * BONUS *****
Memorable Reads by Category
It’s difficult to rank books in order from 1-10 because they are each special in their own way, so I’ve sorted them into categories and included some runners up (because who can choose just ten?). Even though not all of them are 5 star reads, these are the books that were the most memorable for me….the ones that I still think about….the ones I recommend the most often.
Most Memorable Overall
(and my BEST read of the year)
#1
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Genre: Contemporary Nigerian Fiction
5 Stars
#2
Close Runners Up
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Genre: Histfic (1500s)
5 Stars
#3
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Genre: Contemporary and complicated Family Drama
5 Stars
Most Memorable WW11 Historical Fiction
The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton
Genre: WW11 HistFic
5 Stars
Close Runner Up
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
Genre: WW11 HistFic
5 Stars
Most Memorable Light Fiction
(with “found family” themes)
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
4.5 Stars
The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
4 Stars
Most Memorable Non WW Historical Fiction
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Genre: Literary Histfic (1500s)
5 Stars
Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly
Genre: Civil War Histfic
5 Stars
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
Genre: HistFic (post WW1)
4 Stars
Most Memorable Women
The Last Train to London by Meg Waite Clayton
Genre: WW11 Histfic
5 Stars
Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly
Genre: Civil War histfic
5 Stars
Most Memorable Historical Fiction/Love Story
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
Genre: WW11 Histfic
5 Stars
Most Memorable Biographical Historical Fiction
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
Genre: WW11 Histfic
4 Stars
Most Memorable Middle Grade
The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going
Genre: MG Contemporary Fiction
5 Stars
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Genre: MG Contemporary Fiction
5 Stars
Most Memorable Complicated Family
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Genre: Contemporary Family Drama
5 Stars
Most Memorable Mystery
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
(#16 in the series)
Genre: Mystery/Detective
5 Stars
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Closed Door Mystery
5 Stars
Most Memorable Memoir
The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
5 Stars
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
4 Stars
Most Memorable Nonfiction
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
Genre: Historical Event, Personal Accounts (oral testimony)
5 Stars
Most Memorable Young Adult
Clap when You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Genre: Contemporary YA Fiction
4.5 Stars
Most Memorable Literary Fiction
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
5 Stars
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Kreuger
5 Stars
Link to Previous Best of Year Posts
Most Recommended Reads of 2017
QOTD:
Share your best read of the year in comments! Please?! I’d love to hear!
Happy Reading Book Worms
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
Happy New Year!
In Movie News….
Have you seen News of the World?
Our theaters are closed. After I receive my vaccine, this will be my first extravagant outing!
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I knew which book would top your list and you know how much I loved Hamnet and Transcendent Kingdom!
The Book of Lost Names is one I want to get to, so I’m thrilled so see it make your list.
Lost Names is great….ending requires some suspension of disbelief! But it’s emotionally satisfying!
I really must listen to Code Name Helene!
It’s amazing! A bit gritty with a great deal of profanity. She’s one tough lady!
I loved Hamnet too. There are some titles on your list I find really intriguing such as The Last Bookshop in London. Must check it out.
I liked Last Bookshop in London and I think you might, too! Enjoy!
Great twist. Again.
Since my biggest goal of the year is to read more from my TBR pile, I didn’t participate in this weeks’ TTT but published my Statistics 2020 instead.
That’s why I just reblogged a previous post! Too busy reading! 😂
Haha, good idea. Happy New Year!
Hamnet isn’t something I would normally pick up, but I’ve heard so many great things that I really want to try it at some point ☺️ great post!
I think it’s definitely worth a try because she’s a brilliant writer! The time period is fascinating and it’s fun to think about what Shakespeare’s life might have been like!
That sounds great! I’ve really started getting into historical books this year too ☺️
Enjoy!
I bought Louding Voice and hope to read it soon!
I hope you enjoy this memorable and compelling story Kym!
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