MY PICKS for Best Books of 2020! - THREE giveaways

2020 has been a very exciting year for publishing. Once again, as I do every year, I'd like to give you my picks for Best Books of 2020. They aren't listed in any special order and I'm sure many of you will disagree, or think I've forgotten a book or two. Feel free to write all about it in the comments area. Also, tell us what you enjoyed reading this year. We love hearing from readers.

THE VANISHING HALF (RiverheadBooks) by Brit Bennett was a favorite this year. I first discovered Brit when she wrote THE MOTHERS last year and was thrilled to hear she had a new novel coming out. I even got to workshop in one of her fiction classes. THE VANISHING HALF tells the story of two black sisters, one who lives as a black woman and the other who passes It debuted at number 1 on the NYT bestseller fiction list. It's being produced into a HBO limited series with Brit as executive producer. 

Kevin Kwan's highly anticipated third book in his "Crazy Rich Asians" series was published to great fan fair. SEX and VANITY (Doubleday) quickly rose up the bestseller charts as readers devoured this over the top, decadent hot fudge sundae of a novel. GMA picked it for one of it's books of the month and every entertainment magazine cheered it on. Since authors weren't on tour in person this year, they did a lot of zoom media tours. I got to "see" Kevin several times and he was always delightful. We can't wait to see SEX and VANITY produced into a film.

 

 

Jeanine Cummins novel, AMERICAN DIRT (Flatiron) came out last January and caused as much controversy as it was applauded. Jeanine's publisher actually had to cancel tour appearances due to safety concerns. It tells the story of a mother and son who flee Mexico after their entire family is gunned down by a drug cartel and their harrowing trip to find freedom in the United States. 

The plot is tight, smart and it's complex characters are violent, compassionate and heroic. Reading AMERICAN DIRT once again reaffirmed my belief that there is more goodness in the world than evil. It was tough to read at times, but in the end, the human spirit prevails.

THE LAST CORRESPONDENT (LakeUnionPublishing) by Soraya M. Lane is my WWII pick. It tells the story of three women, two journalists and a model turned resistance worker, who are told "no, they can't" by the male military brass. They become the only reporters to file stories from the Allies Normandy Beach invasion. Imagine the Generals and male reporters surprise.

These characters pop off the page and Soraya's writing actually puts you with the journalists who watch the Normandy D-Day battles and beach landings. The cover is also breath taking.

We can't have a year go by without reading and celebrating the December holidays. I did that with RaeAnne Thayne's, CHRISTMAS at HOLIDAY HOUSE (Harlequin). It a rom-com that tells the story of people who don't believe love can happen to them, who experience love. It's the most wonderful time of the year in snow covered, Silver Bells, Colorado. It will melt the heart of any grinch. 

I absolutely loved THE LOST MANUSCRIPT (StMartinsPress) by Cathy Bonidan. After I finished reading the novel, I told everyone I could that they had to read it. It's so unique. A woman discovers a manuscript that has been written and lost by an anonymous author thirty years prior. She takes it upon herself to reunite the writer with his "forgotten" manuscript and in the process brings many book loving people together. It's really a special gift for the bookophile in your life. 

THE LOST MANUSCRIPT will be published January 12th.

Looking for a thriller that will absolutely blow you away from page one until the end? You need to read Liz Moore's LONG BRIGHT RIVER (RiverheadBooks). It's a Philadelphia police procedural about two once-inseparable sisters, who live on both sides of the tracks. Mickey is a cop, and Kasey is a drug addict and prostitute. Kasey goes missing. Mickey's determination to find her sister clouds her judgement as she obsessively hunts the neighborhood riddled with crime and deception. It's a tough tense thriller with a tender heart. 

Lets cut to the chase. You either are a Barack Obama fan or not. I happen to be a major one. I love listening to his speeches, reading his writings and I appreciate how he has always treated fellow Americans as smart equal citizens.  

His memoir, A PROMISED LAND (Crown) is the first in a two-volume series. It's 768 pages long, so I'm still reading it, but I'm in awe. Our 44th democratically elected  President of the United States offers a generous personal exploration of his time in office. While reading A PROMISED LAND, I am reminded of the kindness, altruism and love Americans have always shown each other. It gives me hope that we can return to that way of behaving.

We all enjoy Fiona Davis' historical fiction. She's published several novels about iconic New York City buildings. I first fell in love with her writing in THE DOLLHOUSE (about the Barbizon Hotel for women), then THE ADDRESS (The Dakota on the Upper Westside), and THE CHELSEA GIRLS (about the infamous Chelsea Hotel), the THE MASTERPIECE (Grand Central Terminal) and now THE LIONS of FIFTH AVENUE (Dutton) which is about the NYC public library. 

Fiona writes dual narratives which introduce you to women who lived in the buildings when they first opened and along with a current storyline. I keep waiting for one of her fabulous novels to be produced as a film or limited TV series. 

MEXICAN GOTHIC(DelRey) caught my eye with its beautiful cover. I had to read this novel. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's book is about Noemi Taboada who lives in Mexico City in the 1950s when women didn't have the right to vote. Moreno-Garcia's novel is full of colonial history and takes many twists and turns that have a satisfying ending.

MEXICAN GOTHIC has been opted for a limited television series.

THE KNOCKOUT QUEEN (Knopf) by Rufi Thorpe is one of those books I didn't know what to expect, but was entirely thrilled I didn't miss it. It's about two unlikely friends in southern California who aren't really that special. They do bad things and can be violent, but the more the novel reveals their personalities you're amazed.

Rufi's prose are intelligent and challenging even as it reads like YA in some places. The characters are fully developed  and the tragic storyline keeps moving forward at a steady pace. We learn about people who are uncomfortable in their own body, struggling to find their identity and often make wrong choices. You won't put it down.

I fell in love with WRITERS & LOVERS (GrovePress) from the very first sentence. Following her bestseller, EUPHORIA, author, Lily King introduces us to Casey at a time when her life is in crisis. It's smart and filled with heart and humor. It's all about moving on to a new chapter in your life, which can be terrifying, but there are times we must take the leap. 

I got the opportunity to be on a zoom chat with Lily King and she's such a sweet person. She shared all her publishing "secrets."

As I wrote above, I realized these are just a few of my 2020 favs. There are so many more. I can't wait to read your comments about what books you've loved this year. Wishing you a healthy and safe 2021. xx

By the way, We're giving away three journals for you to write in for the next year! Tell us your wishes for 2021!

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