Books to Check Out: Top 10 Reads of 2020

I love reading, like, a lot. This year, I challenged myself to read 50 books, and I ended up reading 56. In 2021, I'm aiming for 60. There were a ton of amazing books I got into, and I couldn’t help but rank the top ten that I’ve discovered this year. To be clear, these aren’t all books published this year; these are simply ten amazing books that I finally got around to reading. There’s a wide range here, and some I won’t discuss as much, as they’ve been covered in my other “Books to Check Out” reviews. I started that little segment in August and I intend to keep it up. That means I’ll have even more awesome books for the future. So, without further ado, I’ll get to this top ten list.

10. The Evolution of Beauty by Richard Prum

This is one I’ve already covered, but in summary, this is an enjoyable science book if you like animals. I’ve always adored animals, and reading more books about their biology has led me to some fascinating reads like this one. This book will tell you about how beauty has shaped the animal world, specifically in birds, and show a side to the natural world not often covered in serious study: the aesthetics for the sake of aesthetics. It’s informational and interesting, and it totally earns the number ten spot.

9. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

In terms of classic literature, I’d say this is one of the better ones. It’s pretty long, but if you stick with it you get quite the reward by the end. This is another book I’ve already reviewed, so I won’t get too in depth about summaries and the like; in one sentence, it’s about revenge. Who doesn’t like a classically spicy tale of a long awaited vengeance? Don't be daunted by the size; if you have to read a classic, this should be it.

8. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Joe Hill’s story about a supernatural child abductor and a badass woman out to stop him is one of the most thrilling reads I’ve had all year. I’ve read a couple books by Joe Hill, Heart-Shaped Box being another fantastic read, and he's great at consistently delivering incredible stories. Something he does so well is write unique characters and unique plots. We’ve got teleportation via motorcycle, creepy men in eerie, uncanny cars, and all sorts of horror and magical realism elements strewn about the story. Hill is a natural story teller, and I wasn’t bored once throughout the whole novel. I had a very hard time putting this one down.

7. The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

Ah, yes. The conclusion to a YA sensation. I’ve started reading more YA in the past year or two, and Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series is a huge reason for this. The Queen of Nothing is nothing short of breathtaking, and this is also my endorsement for the whole series. This novel also expertly wraps up stories for Jude and Cardan, the rich central characters in the series. I adore their personalities. I love the strategy and mind games in every conflict, and I love the magic system. It’s well thought out and entertaining as hell. You won’t be able to predict the ending, and you’ll be itching for even more Holly Black content when all is said and done.

6. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

Now here’s a book with incredible style and storytelling. Honestly this may be one of the best written books I’ve ever read. It reads like folk lore, like it should be spoken aloud. One day I’ll listen to this in audiobook format.

This novel is the story of Tracker and his quest to find a boy. It’s so much more than that, but you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you read too much about the plot and characters before reading this one. It blends African mythology and fantasy elements that make this one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while. The landscape is rich, the characters are compelling, and the action is thrilling. If anything, it’s a bit graphic and violent in places, so I can see how this wouldn’t be for everyone. However, you have to at least give it a try. I adored every aspect of this book, and best of all, it’s the first in a planned trilogy, so there will be plenty more stories and journeys to see from these characters in the future.

5. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

I just wrote a review for this one, so again I won’t go too in depth with it. This sci-fi book starts immediately with a giant metal hand surfacing from underground and never slows down from there. It’s tense, it’s emotional when it needs to be, and it builds some amazing lore and conflict that I’m excited to see play out in the rest of the trilogy.

You heard me right. This is another first in a trilogy. Overall, if you’re into sci-fi, tech, and some political maneuvering, please do yourself a favor and check this one out.

4. Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe by Serhii Plokhy

A history book! This was a read I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. I use the word “enjoy”, but really it’s hard to enjoy the story of a complete nuclear meltdown moment by moment. This book was thorough, it was told clearly, and it really gave a comprehensive account of the Chernobyl disaster. I love learning new things, and history is an area I’d like to beef up on more. This book was something fascinating I would have never thought to pick up a few years ago. If you want some nonfiction about a, pardon the pun, explosive event, I highly recommend Chernobyl.

3. Junk by Ayad Akhtar

Junk is the only play on this list, and it’s by far one of my favorite ones of all time. It may only be beat by Ayad Akhtar’s other play, Disgraced. This story is about the corrupt workings of capitalism and debt in the 1980s. It's based on real people and, and it really takes capitalism under the microscope. The play is intelligently written, with impactful characters and incredibly sharp dialogue, and the story takes you through quite the spiral.

Akhtar is honestly one of my favorite writers, and this play was just another phenomenal outing from him. You’ll definitely be seeing a review in the near future for his newest novel Homeland Elegies, which I’m about 100 pages into and already love it. But back to Junk, it’s a perfect blend of fact and fiction, truth and lies. You’ll just have to read the whole thing in one sitting.

2. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

Oh boy. This book will gut you. It will infuriate you and make you feel every emotion under the sun. It follows the journey of author Ronan Farrow and his work uncovering the Harvey Weinstein scandal that rocked Hollywood. It's effects are still being felt to this day, and with good reason.

This book is remarkably thorough. Everything is laid out for the reader clearly, and the personal journey Farrow experiences as he uncovers more and more stomach-curdling stories will also hit you right in the heart. I firmly believe this is a book everyone should read. For anyone who doubts just how power dynamics can silence women, and how scary it can be to come forward, this will put things in perspective. It’s an extraordinarily powerful book, one that many women may unfortunately relate to in places. It’s a hard read in places, and there were points when I had to put it down for a moment and compose myself. I will say there are some details or the encounters in the book that might be triggering for people, so please be aware of that.

This is an excellent book that’s more than worth your time.

1. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

I read this book in January. That nothing has topped it since then says a lot. Hollow Kingdom is a wonderful take on a zombie apocalypse, all from the point of view of a crow.

I love this crow. S.T. is one of my favorite characters in fiction. He’s got more personality than people I know in real life, and his journey is one of heartbreak and laughs. This is a book that has everything. The characters are relatable and easy to get invested in. The plot is compelling and you want to know how it ends. The writing is strong and has such a distinct flavor to it.

What makes this my top book is the creativity involved with it. I haven’t read another book like this. Putting it from the perspective of a crow is something so unique. It doesn’t feel like a gimmick, and instead it’s a very well-rounded book that I wasn’t expecting when I saw the bright green cover for the first time. It’s highly enjoyable, and I definitely recommend adding it to your TBR for 2021.

I have a TBR list a few miles long at this point. It's about 700 books long at the moment. I’m hoping to put some dent in it during 2021. I’m looking forward to reading a whole bunch of amazing books next year, and I hope all of you are as well. Happy New Year and happy reading!