This crazy, intense year has shown to be a banner year for literary fiction. In my traditional “Top Book List,” I have two books that are stand outs. The rest of the list is wonderful as well, but as so much has been written about them, I will let you explore the reviews and decide what you’d enjoy to read.
Anxious People, (Atria Books, 9/20) is the one book that made me laugh out loud. In 2020, aren’t we all “anxious people?” A failed bank robbery turns into a hostage drama. This shared event changes the course of many lives as heartbreak and humor ensue.
Vanishing Half, (Riverhead, 6/20) is a multi-generational story about identity, family, culture and race. Beautifully written and meaningful.
The rest of the list is in alphabetical order…
A Burning (Knopf, 6/20) by Megha Majumdar
All the Devils are Here (Minataur Books, 9/20) by Louise Penny
Book of V (Henry Holt & Co, 5/20) by Anna Solomon
Boy in the Field (Harper, 8/20) by Margot Livesay
Creatures (Algonquin Books, 1/20) by Crissy Van Meter
End of the Day (Gallery, Scout Press, 9/20) by Bill Clegg
Fifty Words for Rain (Dutton, 9/20) by Ashe Lemmie
Girl with the Louding Voice (Dutton, 2/20) by Abi Dare
Homeland Elegies (Little Brown & Co, 9/20) by Ayad Akhtar
Shuggie Bain (Grove Press, 10/20) by Douglas Stuart
The Afterlife (Algonquin Books, (4/20) by Julia Alvarez
The All Night Sun (Random House, 7/20) by Diane Zinna
The Exiles (Custom House, 8/20) by Christina Baker Kline
Writers & Lovers (Grove Press, 3/20) by Lily King
Happy reading! Here’s to a healthy & safe 2021!
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