Best Books 2020

I second “all the light we cannot see” Anthony Doerr. One of the best books ever.

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett. A prequel to Pillars of the Earth, which I absolutely loved.
American Dirt remained with me, long after I read it.

I "third" All the Light we cannot See. Brilliant book. I also bought the DVD.

After watching The Singapore Grip on TV I read the book, by J G Farrell. The series was good, but the book is brilliant!

I also enjoyed Alexandra Schulman's memoir, Clothes and Other Things That Matter.

I 'fourth' All the Light We Cannot See.

Also enjoyed 'The Garden of Evening Mists', about Malaya just after WW2.

just to say thanks very much for all those fantastic suggestions - I've just run out of books and am desperate for some recommendations! Quite agree about 10 mins by Elif Shafak - superb book as are her others. Also can recommend anything by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. Most disappointing - Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and The Light, the previous two in the trilogy were brilliant, this one not so much.

The Roselynde Chronicles by Roberta Gellis and other historical books by her. I read and reread them.
Most books by Jude Deveraux
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
In a lighter vein, the Puffin Island trilogy by Sarah Morgan and most books by Millie Johnson

Saving Missy - Beth Morrey
Becoming - Michelle Obama
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
Susan Hill's latest Simon Serrailler novel (afraid I've forgotten the title!)

I've just finished "Troubled Blood" , I love the Comeron Strike books and thoroughly enjoyed this one. I believe she has plans for another 5 so it might be a while before they get together.
I've also re-read Wuthering Heights for the umpteenth time, it really is a brilliant book but at my age I see Heathcliffe for what he is and not the romantic rebel I found when I first read it as a teenager.

I have to say, I know I'm a real saddo. My standout book of the year was Apocalypse Never by Michael Schellenberger. I'm an evironmentalist and I found it truly illuminating. My favourite ever is Black Beauty. I was given it as a child, about 8. It was a hardback and I read it so much the spine fell off and so did the covers. I can truly say it is my favourite book of all time. I'm now 65 and I would read it again in a heartbeat.

I love the two Sara Baum books and hoping she will write a third but she says she doesn't like writing.

Published quite a while ago and available on Kindle: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

All of Nina Stibbe’s books. Autobiographical, very funny, sometimes rude, romps through her early life and into adulthood. Easy to read and such a trip down memory lane of 70s and 80s.

I have just read Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh... a crime thriller that keeps you hooked.

Shuggie Bain. Harrowing but as good as Dickens' Hard Times. Brilliant writer.

So many excellent suggestions!

The Salt Path.
Shuggie Bain.
The Memory Keepers Daughter.

Now we're nearly at the end of the year, my updated list of best reads:

American Dirt - Jeanine Cumming
Asta's Book - Barbara Vine
Where The Crawdad's Sing - Delia Owens
Lady In Waiting - Ann Glenconner
Troubled Blood - Robert Galbraith
The Other Passenger - Louise Candlish
Machines Like Me - Ian McEwan
The Golden Rule - Amanda Craig

‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller. Mesmerising. Couldn’t put it down.
‘The Mirror and the Light’ by Hilary Mantell. A superb and fitting finish to her Cromwell trilogy.
‘Sightlines’ by Kathleen Jamie. A fascinating perspective on the natural world.

Thank you everyone for sharing your favorite books of 2020 and Happy New Year to all-

For those who loved Where the Crawdads Sing (I did too), you can also buy one of the books mentioned in the novel, that inspired the author “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold - www.amazon.com/County-Almanac-Outdoor-Essays-Reflections/dp/0345345053/ref=pd_sbs_14_2/131-0310971-2784062?psc=1&pf_rd_p=ed1e2146-ecfe-435e-b3b5-d79fa072fd58&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=Z079L&pf_rd_r=FY768W8ZBEC7RH2YZR1N&pd_rd_i=0345345053&pd_rd_w=WLIkq&tag=gransnetforum-21&refRID=FY768W8ZBEC7RH2YZR1N&pd_rd_r=6bb15517-601a-4002-94f2-b3eea691bd95
My DH has just started reading it, and says it’s well written and interesting