We've made it to the homestretch of 2020,??? ?? ????? ??? and quite frankly, we all deserve a reward.
The holidays are approaching, and though the majority of this year was an absolute nightmare, 2020 diddeliver an impressive selection of superb new books.
If you're searching for the perfect gift for a loved one or are simply looking for a way to safely pass the time inside this winter, we suggest shopping some of the year's best book titles.
Not sure where to begin? Have no fear! Amazon's 100 Best Books of the Year list can steer you in the direction of 2020's must-read novels, memoirs, cookbooks, young adult books, children's books, and more.
This year's list features several titles that the Amazon Book Revieweditors highlighted in their mid-year 2020 book list, but it also includes a selection of more recent books with pub dates from June to December.
We encourage you to browse the full list and check out picks from your favorite genre, but we've highlighted 10 of the booksbelow to give you a little taste of what's in store. Here's a sampling of the brilliant works featured on Amazon's Top 100Books of the Year list, beginning with Brittany K. Barnett's A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom, which Amazon Book Review editors named 2020's top title.
'A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom' cover Credit: Crown A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom
By Brittany K. Barnett
"As a child of a mother who did jail time, Brittany K. Barnett understands the grave implications of a parent lost to 'the striped Looney Toons suit.' As she writes in A Knock at Midnight: 'There's something about seeing your childhood hero, your guiding star, fallen. It rocks you to your core.' In this deeply personal memoir, Barnett shares how as a young Black girl she was surrounded by drugs growing up in the south — her mother, a nurse, at times was addicted to crack, and her boyfriend dealt drugs — how her family fueled her, why she pursued law, and became dedicated to defending those unfairly incarcerated for minor drug crimes... A Knock at Midnightis a profoundly moving memoir that reveals the incredibly racist world of the feds, the courts, and the laws that throw away people's lives — for life. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Book Review
"Migrations" cover Credit: Flatiron Books Migrations
By Charlotte McConaghy
"Clear your calendar and settle in for a brilliant and breathless read. Migrationsis about a woman who goes to the ends of the earth in search of herself and to track what just might be the last migration of Arctic terns, birds that travel from pole to pole every year. It's also about love, adventure, climate change, and what happens when a person simultaneously runs away from her past and runs straight towards it... Migrations is confessional, intimate and one of the best books I've read this year." — Al Woodworth, Amazon Book Review
"The Vanishing Half" cover Credit: Riverhead Books The Vanishing Half
By Brit Bennett
"Brit Bennett's debut novel, The Mothers — about motherhood, female friendship, and finding love with a broken heart — was one of the most talked-about books of 2016. Four years later, Bennett introduces a new cast of characters, and like her debut, The Vanishing Halfexamines sisterhood, black identity, and parenthood with compassion and conviction... Told in flashbacks and alternating points of view, this novel asks what is personal identity, if not your past. A riveting and sympathetic story about the bonds of sisterhood and just how strong they are, even at their weakest." — Al Woodworth, Amazon Book Review
"The Girl with the Louding Voice" cover Credit: Dutton The Girl with the Louding Voice
By Abi Daré
"Abi Daré's debut novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice, is like a blend of Etaf Rum's A Woman Is No Manand Tara Westover's Educated(so buckle up)...The Girl with the Louding Voiceis a rousing tale of courage and pluck, and unexpectedly charming. It's also a reminder of the power of books, especially for those of us afforded the luxury of taking reading, and learning, and dreaming for granted." — Erin Kodicek, Amazon Book Review
"Memorial" cover Credit: Riverhead Books Memorial
By Bryan Washington
"Told in a loose style, Memorialunfolds with depth, humor, and telling detail. Mike is a Japanese-American chef. His partner, Benson, is a Black day care teacher. When Mike leaves Houston to visit his ailing father in Osaka, his mother comes to live with Benson. You will laugh, cry, and ask yourself: What is family?" — Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review
"Luster" cover Credit: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Luster
By Raven Leilani
"It's rare these days to come across a book and a style that’s really different, but Raven Leilani's Luster is exciting, surprising, sometimes sad, at times awkward, even shocking. And it's also funny. The book will make you uncomfortable, but that mirrors the discomfort that the characters, especially Edie, feel — about age, status, race, sex, salaries, you name it. Luster has an energy and an honesty that makes the words practically shimmer on the page. I am so glad I read this." — Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review
"Mexican Gothic" cover Credit: del rey Mexican Gothic
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
"Unsettled by a strange letter, Noemí leaves cosmopolitan Mexico City to check on her newly married but naïve cousin, who now lives at a remote estate called High Place. Noemí — who smokes cigarettes, drives a convertible, and knows her mind — discovers that High Place lives in the past: mold runs across the wall paper, the electricity barely works, and the servants don't speak. Plus the ancient English-born master of the house has a thing for eugenics, and Noemí's cousin is clearly losing her mind. And then Noemí herself begins to hear voices.… Put plenty of me-time on your calendar, because you won't want to stop for breaks while you race through Moreno-Garcia's creepy, glorious read that is pitch-perfect for today's audience." — Adrian Liang, Amazon Book Review
"Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In" cover Credit: Flatiron Books Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In
By Phuc Tran
"Sigh, Goneis a stunning memoir about refugees, racism, displacement, the lifeline of literature, fitting in—and fighting to do so... Read this book; it's an important story of immigration, America, and the disconnect between generations, cultures, and how to find connection. And, if you're like me, you will be in awe of his words, humor, insight, and dedication to sharing his experience in all of its glory and hurt. Plus, even though you might cry, you will definitely laugh out loud." — Al Woodworth, Amazon Book Review
"Deacon King Kong" cover Credit: Riverhead Books Deacon King Kong
By James McBride
"James McBride, author of the National Book Award winning The Good Lord Birdand the beloved memoir The Color of Water, has written a propulsive and comic neighborhood epic set in the 1960s with a cast of characters that are beguiling, boozed-filled, and larger than life... Deacon King Kongtells the fictional story of one Brooklyn project, but in so doing tells a broader story of race and religion, getting by and getting out, and how grudges and alliances become embedded in the foundations of our neighborhoods. An incredibly satisfying read." —Al Woodworth, Amazon Book Review
"Midnight Sun" cover Credit: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Midnight Sun
By Stephenie Meyer
"Stephenie Meyer spent over a decade writing Midnight Sunand Twilightfans will be well-rewarded for the wait. At long last we get to see Edward and Bella's story from Edward's perspective. We learn where he goes and what he does in the unseen moments of Twilight's narrative, and most powerful of all, readers see, through his thoughts and actions, the intensity of Edward's desire for Bella and how it clashes with his nearly overwhelming need to protect her, even from himself... There are two sides to every story and we've long had Bella's — now, thanks to Midnight Sun, we can see the whole picture. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Book Review
You can browse the full Top 100 list and read additional book reviews here.
And remember: Amazon's list is great resource, but when shopping for books this year — be it in-person or online — you should also seek out and support your local bookshopsand consider buying from one of the many Black-owned bookstores.
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Topics Amazon Books