Reagent Press. The debut novel by Douglas Stuart draws on his own childhood in 1980s Glasgow, and is the winner of the 2020 Booker prize. Her new book focuses on hidden histories, race, class, gender and the white American man. The Goodreads Members voted upon the Worlds Greatest Novellas. Buy Now: Deacon King Kong on Bookshop | Amazon. “This may be his debut,” says The New York Times Book Review, “but he proves himself an old hand at dissecting the ways in which places — our connections to them, our disconnections from them — break us and remake us.” (Credit: Canongate), A series of episodic vignettes, the widely acclaimed novel Weather is narrated by librarian Lizzie, who speaks with frankness about her daily preoccupations and ordinary anxieties. McBride describes their world in densely packed, rhythmic specificities, fixating on the community’s rich local history and the voices that populate it. The Washington Post shared that it is “filled with suspense and surprises,” while The New York Times called it “a nervy and well-crafted novel” that “lingers long after its voyage is over.” And by “best” we mean “most terrifying.” Jules and Will have chosen to hold their wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. A story about crisis, survival and the search for meaning in our lives, The Glass Hotel explores two intersecting but seemingly separate events – the collapse of a huge Ponzi scheme, and the strange disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea. “Douglas Stuart’s startling Glasgow-set debut novel creates a world of poverty and suffering offset by pure, heart-filling, love,” said The Scotsman review. It’s an action with terrible consequences, as she’s taken into custody and accused of aiding the attackers. Where the Wild Ladies Are is, says the Guardian, “funny, beautiful, surreal and relatable – this is a phenomenal book”. You are unlikely to forget it.”. 3. Dec 31, 2020 Courtesy. When 25-year-old Emira Tucker is wrongly accused of kidnapping the child in her care, a series of events unfolds that raises questions about class, race, parenthood and morality. The Vanishing Half is a story about the way that identity is formed, and tells of identical, light-skinned twin sisters, born in the Jim Crow South, who run away from home as teenagers. “These expertly constructed stories withhold key information... the pleasures here lie in an appreciation of Cline’s skilful and absorbing craft.”. Douglas Stuart’s acclaimed debut novel draws heavily on his upbringing in 1980s Glasgow, where, like Stuart did, Hugh “Shuggie” Bain is growing up with an alcoholic mother and facing a culture of homophobia that makes him feel like an outcast. Piranesi is, according to inews, “The most curious confection… blending elements of mythology and fantasy, with nods along the way to CS Lewis and Tolkien… [it has a] genuinely moving climax that throws open the doors of the halls in more ways than one.” Its author Susanna Clarke is known for her 2004 debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an award-winning alternative history. In describing these anxieties, Kawakami takes a stirring look at the expectations put on women by the world and by themselves. Suddenly, she’s gone, leaving a devastated Desiree behind. Having left Chicago and her job as a vet’s receptionist, she has moved to California where she lives with her wife. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Where the Wild Ladies Are by Matsuda Aoko. Two men, one Israeli and one Palestinian, had a daughter killed in in the conflict. It is fertile with hope.”. “It’s a novel that deserves, and will surely often get, a second reading”. “By journey’s end, you’re enriched and enlightened by the lives you have witnessed.”. Lindsay Baker rounds up BBC Culture’s picks. The book delivers “amply” says the Guardian, “providing a granular view from the driving seat of power”, and is an “elegantly written narrative, contemplation and introspection, in which he frequently burrows down into his own motivations”. In this coming-of-age story, protagonist Jesse McCarthy grapples with his identity and upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness in a disempowered region of the UK, as well as the complex legacy of the Windrush generation. It is a coming-of-age tale set in the 1970s in Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo, where young Michel is negotiating everyday life, until the brutal murder of the president. John Lanchester explores the creepy side of the internet and AI from a playful viewpoint in his new book Reality and Other Stories. The Best Romance Novels of 2020 Are Seriously Steamy. Andrew O’Hagan’s latest novel is inspired by real events, and the friendship between two men, Jimmy and Tully. Few novels were as eagerly anticipated this year as The Mirror & The Light, the conclusion to British author Hilary Mantel’s blockbuster Wolf Hall trilogy. Desiree returns home 14 years later, while her sister Stella has seemingly vanished, having taken on a white persona. Bachelor’s unique role is serving as a “milkman,” an administrator who handles pensions and upkeep on retired spies. The Catch, a novella set within that same Slough House world, is a worthy addition, focusing on the story of one John Bachelor, plying his trade on the very margins of the intelligence community. We found the best fiction books of 2020, ranging from historical fiction to romance, fantasy, and even creepy thrillers and mystery. The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. It is, says Vulture, “that rare and precious thing: a funny dystopia”. The Mirror and the Light charts his downfall, and as The Atlantic points out, “Cromwell’s charisma is never allowed to dissipate”. Because romance guarantees a happy ending—an escape. In the hotly-anticipated sequel to Ready Player One, Wade Watts makes a major discovery. That understated and witty touch is what makes this short story collection, translated to English by Polly Barton, so special. They light the way, even while enabling temporary escape from life’s worries, which is why here, we wanted to share 20 of the best books 2020 had to offer. Time says: “Mediocre builds on [So You Want to Talk About Race], homing in on the role of white patriarchy in creating and upholding a system built to disenfranchise anyone who isn’t a white male”. You can unsubscribe at any time. It feels almost inevitable, then, when the girls run away together seeking better opportunities—and soon Stella makes the decision, easy at first and harder with time, to pass as white. Lucy Foley ran away with this year’s Mystery & Thriller award by inviting us to the best wedding ever! Books are both solace and inspiration. Reading fiction in 2020 was an act of defiance—of turning our attention away from the catastrophes playing out around us to engage in a quiet, imaginative act. Ijeoma Oluo’s 2018 book So You Want to Talk About Race was an acclaimed resource for readers looking to understand – and unpick – society’s racist structures. Described by the London Evening Standard as “an observant and timely guide”, I Am Not Your Baby Mother by blogger Candice Brathwaite is a memoir and a manifesto about black motherhood. In her first novel published in English, Japanese author Mieko Kawakami follows three women and their relationships with their changing bodies. They share a magical, euphoric weekend in Manchester. Motherwell is, says Andrew O’Hagan in the Guardian, “a masterpiece of self-exploration”, and its “greatness lies mainly in the psychological dimension, in the vivid portrait of her parents’ narcissism and the just-as-vivid portrait of her own”. Buy Now: The Mirror & the Light on Bookshop | Amazon. It is a clear-headed diagnosis. Full of Chinese symbolism, this debut novel is an adventure story that explores the themes of memory, family and belonging. National Book Award-winning author James McBride unveils the answer in this story of comedy and compassion, which pays loving attention to a wide cast of characters. The whole neighborhood is buzzing with the news: Sportcoat pulled a .38 from his pocket and blew the ear off of the boy he used to coach in baseball. Then the storm hits. “Li has crafted an epic story of a life full of regret, but also of hope and perseverance and the importance of passing down our legacies,” according to Vulture. Kiley Reid’s debut novel Such A Fun Age first crossed my desk in … The families have rented a mansion for the summer, and then a massive hurricane hits. Note I have removed novellas that were repeats, but in different formats. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from t… Okay, novellas. The 30 Best Beach Reads of 2020. Refinery 29 describes Hood Feminism as “blistering... A fresh new and necessary black voice in feminist literature”. It is “a masterpiece” and “the kind of book that comes along only once in a generation” says the Observer. The follow-up to Bennett’s 2016 debut The Mothers, The Vanishing Half has been widely acclaimed. The acclaimed journalist Deborah Orr died in November 2019, and earlier this year her remarkable and unflinching book Motherwell was published. 11 Funny Audiobooks to Lighten the Mood This Dreary Winter, Why 'The Great Gatsby' Now 'Belongs to the People', Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know now on politics, health and more, © 2021 TIME USA, LLC. Our House is on Fire by Greta Thunberg et al, This family account of Greta Thunberg’s Asperger’s diagnosis has been hailed as a must-read environmental message of hope. The Telegraph describes the novel as “a corrosive, compulsive debut”. In 900 richly detailed pages, The Mirror & The Light lays out the downfall of Thomas Cromwell, consigliere to King Henry VIII and powerbroker of the Reformation. How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang, Set against the backdrop of the American gold rush, How Much of These Hills is Gold focuses on two orphaned siblings are on the run, trying to find a home. 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