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Because of the 2020 lockdown and quarantine time, people had an extended vacation period and a chance to turn to reading books. This is true. According to American national surveys, regular readers have doubled the amount of time they typically devote to reading.
If you are curious about which books were popular last year, find a list of the best books of 2020 so far. The selection includes must-read bestsellers that span various genres and will be interesting for men, women, teenagers, and young readers.
Every year, readers’ interests, as well as a selection of the top picks of the year, vary. This list of the best books in 2019 reflects last year’s choices of book lovers, which have got multiple positive testimonials.
List of Top Books to Read in 2020
| Review | Name | Author | Genre | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Vanishing Half View Details | Brit Bennett | Historical fiction/Family saga | USA |
 | The Midnight Library View Details | Matt Haig | Science fiction/Time travel | United Kingdom |
 | American Dirt View Details | Jeanine Cummins | Literary fiction/Psychological thriller | USA |
 | The Guest List View Details | Lucy Foley | Psychological thriller/Murder mystery | United Kingdom |
 | Deacon King Kong View Details | James McBride | Historical fiction | USA |
 | Hamnet View Details | Maggie O’Farrell | Biographical historical fiction | United Kingdom |
 | The Girl with the Louding Voice View Details | Abi Daré | Cultural heritage fiction | Nigeria/United Kingdom |
 | Clap When You Land View Details | Elizabeth Acevedo | Teen & young adult fiction | USA |
 | Midnight Sun View Details | Stephenie Meyer | Teen & young adult vampire fiction | USA |
 | The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes View Details | Suzanne Collins | Teen & young adult fiction/Adventure | USA |
 | The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue View Details | V. E. Schwab | Historical fantasy/Adventure | USA |
 | House of Earth and Blood View Details | Sarah J. Maas | Post-apocalyptic science fiction/Adventure | USA |
 | To Sleep in a Sea of Stars View Details | Christopher Paolini | Colonization science fiction/Fantasy | USA |
 | Ready Player Two View Details | Ernest Cline | Dystopian fiction/Sci-fi adventure | USA |
 | A Promised Land View Details | Barack Obama | Memoir/U.S. state & local history | USA |
 | Greenlights View Details | Matthew McConaughey | Memoir/Success self-help | USA |
 | Untamed View Details | Glennon Doyle | Memoir/Happiness self-help | USA |
 | Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family View Details | Robert Kolker | Medical professional biography/Biology | USA |
 | Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents View Details | Isabel Wilkerson | Non-fiction/Slavery & emancipation history | USA |
 | His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope View Details | Jon Meacham | Biography/Black & African American history | USA |
 | The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir View Details | John Bolton | Memoir/U.S. state & local history | USA |
 | The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz View Details | Erik Larson | Non-fiction/Historical biography | USA |
 | If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future View Details | Jill Lepore | Non-fiction/Computer & technology biography/Computer simulation | USA |
 | No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention View Details | Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer | Non-fiction/Business literature/Entertainment industry | USA |
 | Leadership Strategy and Tactics View Details | Jocko Willink | Non-fiction/Motivational self-help | USA |
 | Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day View Details | Jay Shetty | Non-fiction/Self-help | United Kingdom |
 | Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art View Details | James Nestor | Non-fiction/Self-development | USA |
 | Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts View Details | Jennie Allen | Non-fiction/Self-development/Christian self-help | USA |
 | Forgiving What You Can't Forget View Details | Lysa TerKeurst | Non-fiction/Self-development/Christian self-help | USA |
 | The Ickabog View Details | J. K. Rowling | Children’s fantasy/Fairy tale | United Kingdom |
 | The One and Only Bob View Details | Katherine Applegate | Fiction/Children’s zoo book | USA |
 | The Deep End (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 15) View Details | Jeff Kinney | Historical fiction/Children’s travel book/Graphic novel | USA |
 | Dog Man: Grime and Punishment View Details | Dav Pilkey | Children’s adventure comics/Graphic novel | USA |
 | Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook View Details | Ina Garten | Cookbook | USA |
 | The Happy in a Hurry Cookbook: 100-Plus Fast and Easy New Recipes That Taste Like Home View Details | Steve Doocy, Kathy Doocy | Cookbook | USA |
Do you remember readers’ choices in 2018? The collection of the best books in 2018 will remind you about popular authors and widely discussed topics that year.
Interesting Facts
Behind each great book, there is some inspirational story or a biography fact. Discover some interesting facts, which motivated the authors to put the above-mentioned stories to words.
- Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American by Robert Kolker is a true story about the Galvin family from Colorado. That mid-century American family with 12 kids became the subject of multiple medical researchers. Six children from the family were diagnosed with schizophrenia. The author interviewed some of the family members to understand the genetic origin of the disorder.
- The Think Like a Monk book is based on Jay Shetty’s own experience of living as a Vedic monk in India for 3 years and training with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
- Jocko Willink, the author of Leadership Strategy and Tactics, has 20 years of service in the Navy SEALs. He achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and was honored for combat actions in the Iraq War. Now, he works as a jiu-jitsu instructor and is a co-founder of a management consulting firm. Impressive post-Navy career, isn’t it? In addition, this strong man is an author of some children’s books!
- The Ickabog by J. K. Rowling is her first children’s book since the last Harry Potter book was published. The plot is not set in the Harry Potter universe. It was written as a gift for her children and underwent minor changes after feedback from her kids. During the 2020 lockdown, the author released the book online for free. The version had over 5 million views! Rowling donated her royalties from the book to charity.
- Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of Dog Man: Grime and Punishment, was diagnosed with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a kid. As he was disruptive in class, his teachers made him sit at the desk in the hallway. At that desk, he created and drew characters for his future books. So, his stories are semi-autobiographical.
- The One and Only Bob (another name The One and Only Ivan) written by Katherine Applegate was inspired by a true story of a gorilla (1962-2012) who was captured from the wild as a baby, lived in captivity, and was displayed to the public at the shopping center for 27 years. Thanks to local animal welfare organizations, he was released and adopted by Zoo Atlanta. The book was adapted into a 2020 film.
Those readers who have no time for traveling are welcome to pay attention to this list of cool adventure books. Fascinating stories told in over 100 presented picks range from time travel to wild jungles and sea voyages.
Conclusion
These new 2020 books have got multiple positive reviews from literary critics and Amazon readers. The recommended picks will capture your attention and leave no one indifferent. The choice is overwhelming – from marketing and leadership to true crime and race. Hurry up to swallow and digest masterpieces from this top collection before a new 2021 list is coming out. With BooKKooks, you’ll always find a good and heart-touching book to read.
This selection of the top baby books has been approved by caring parents and caught the fancy of young readers. Your toddlers will surely enjoy captivating stories and colorful illustrations that will help them understand a big surrounding world.
References
- What Books Are on Your “to Read” List for 2020? – https://www.quora.com/
- Hidden Valley Road – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- Jay Shetty – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- Jocko Willink – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- The Ickabog – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- Dav Pilkey – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- The One and Only Ivan – https://en.wikipedia.org/
