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Top Reads of 2020

December 29, 2020 by David W Leave a Comment

What’s up everyone. The end of the year has arrived and with it comes the season of lists. Best movies, TV shows, songs, books, etc. of 2020.

Below I have compiled our reviewers’ Top Reads of the year. A majority of covers have links to reviews if you would like to see why we loved each and every one of our choices. Others have general Goodreads links.

2020 took us over the 75k hit milestone, saw new reviewers hitting the ground running, brought along a massive virtual convention, began a YouTube channel for author chatting, saw tons of glowing reviews, beautiful cover reveals, and much more.

Without further ado, check out our Top Reads of 2020 below. Let us know if you jive with any of our choices, or if there are any books that we didn’t include that you loved!

Daniel’s Top 10 Reads of 2020

47212. sy475
10. Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher
Stormblood by [Jeremy Szal]
9. Stormblood (The Common #1) by Jeremy Szal
8. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss
7. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
Legacy of Steel (The Legacy Trilogy Book 2) by [Matthew Ward]
6. Legacy of Steel (The Legacy Trilogy #2) by Matthew Ward
43174603. sy475
5. The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning #2) by Evan Winter
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, Book 1) by [Brandon Sanderson]
4. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
40541565. sy475
3. The Shadow Saint (The Black Iron Legacy #2)
2. The Kingdom of Liars (The Legacy of the Mercenary King #1) by Nick Martell
1. The Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle #2) by Patrick Rothfuss

David S’s Top 10 Reads of 2020

10. The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) by Mark Lawrence
Battle Angel Alita Vol. 1 by [Yukito Kishiro]
9. Battle Angel Alita: Volume 1 by Yukito Kishiro
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (Song of Shattered Sands Book 1) by [Bradley P. Beaulieu]
8. Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (Song of the Shattered Sands #1) by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Last Argument of Kings (The First Law Trilogy Book 3) by [Joe Abercrombie]
7. Last Argument of Kings (The First Law #3) by Joe Abercrombie
6. The Fires of Vengeance (The Burning #2) by Evan Winter
We Are The Dead: Book One by [Mike Shackle]
5. We Are The Dead (The Last War #1) by Mike Shackle
Underlord (Cradle Book 6) by [Will Wight]
4. Underlord (Cradle #6) by Will Wight
3. The Forgetting Moon (The Five Warrior Angels #1) by Brian Lee Durfee
47212. sy475
2. Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher
Best Served Cold (First Law Standalones) by [Joe Abercrombie]
1. Best Served Cold (First Law World #4) by Joe Abercrombie

David W’s Top 25 Novels of 2020

50984328. sx318 sy475
25. Eden by Tim Lebbon
The Loop
24. The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson
43801242
23. Carved from Stone and Dream (Los Nefilim #5) by T. Frohock
43721103
22. No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez
52218732. sx318 sy475
21. If It Bleeds by Stephen King
42299829
20. Wounds – Six Stories from the Border of Hell by Nathan Ballingrud
52215776. sx318 sy475
19. Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
44016632. sy475
18. Providence by Max Barry
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by [Christopher Paolini]
17. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
Survivor Song: A Novel by [Paul Tremblay]
16. Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
42683840. sy475
15. Stormblood (The Common #1) by Jeremy Szal
The Burning Girls: A Novel by [C. J. Tudor]
14. The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor
49931405. sy475
13. The Kingdom of Liars (The Legacy of the Mercenary King #1) by Nick Martell
43386047
12. The Last Odyssey (Sigma Force #15) by James Rollins
What Lies Between Us by [John Marrs]
11. What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
Black Stone Heart (The Obsidian Path Book 1) by [Michael R. Fletcher]
10. Black Stone Heart (The Obsidian Path #1) by Michael R. Fletcher
51277288. sy475
9. The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) by Mark Lawrence
Project Hail Mary: A Novel by [Andy Weir]
8. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
52588656
7. We Ride the Storm (The Reborn Empire #1) by Devin Madson
45200535
6. Shorefall (The Founders Trilogy #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
40541565. sy475
5. The Shadow Saint (The Black Iron Legacy #2) by Gareth Hanrahan
50706646
4. The Bone Shard Daughter (The Drowning Empire #1) by Andrea Stewart
45892207
3. The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
2. The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
See the source image
1. Malorie (Bird Box #2) by Josh Malerman

David W’s Top 5 Novellas of 2020

34215764. sy475
5. Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
Riot Baby by [Tochi Onyebuchi]
4. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
Night of the Mannequins by [Stephen Graham Jones]
3. Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
53407936. sy475
2. Crossroads by Laurel Hightower
Ring Shout by [P. Djèlí Clark]
1. Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

Griffin’s Top 5 Reads of 2020

Horns: A Novel by [Joe Hill]
5. Horns by Joe Hill
The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel (Winternight Trilogy Book 1) by [Katherine Arden]
4. The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden
3. Camelot by Giles Kristian
2. Lancelot by Giles Kristian
The Trouble with Peace (The Age of Madness Book 2) by [Joe Abercrombie]
1. The Trouble with Peace (The Age of Madness #2) by Joe Abercrombie

KJ’s Top 10 Reads of 2020

The Mountains Sing by [Nguyễn Phan	 Quế Mai]
10. The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The Sea Speaks His Name by [Leila S Chudori, John H McGlynn]
9. The Sea Speaks His Name by Leila Chudori
The Henna Artist: A Novel by [Alka Joshi]
8. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
The Vanishing Half: A Novel by [Brit Bennett]
7. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
6. Real Life by Brandon Taylor
5. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
4. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
Piranesi by [Susanna Clarke]
3. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Transcendent Kingdom: A novel by [Yaa Gyasi]
2. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Interior Chinatown: A Novel by [Charles Yu]
1. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Mada’s Top 10 Reads of 2020

Sorcery of a Queen (Dragons of Terra Book 2) by [Brian Naslund]
10. Sorcery of a Queen (Dragons of Terra #2) by Brian Naslund
Legacy of Steel (The Legacy Trilogy Book 2) by [Matthew Ward]
9. Legacy of Steel (The Legacy Trilogy #2) by Matthew Ward
Temple of Eternity (Bobby Ether Series Book 2) by [R. Scott Boyer]
8. Temple of Eternity (Bobby Ether #2) by R. Scott Boyer
7. Dragonsblood: The Legend of Sigurd by Nick Bermel
The Trouble with Peace (The Age of Madness, #2)
6. The Trouble With Peace (The Age of Madness #2) by Joe Abercrombie
The Alexander Inheritance (Ring of Fire universe Book 2) by [Eric Flint, Gorg Huff, Paula Goodlett]
5. The Alexander Inheritance (Ring of Fire #2) by Eric Flint
Empires of Bronze: Thunder at Kadesh (Empires of Bronze 3) by [Gordon Doherty]
4. Thunder at Kadesh (Empires of Bronze #3) by Gordon Doherty
3. The City of a Thousand Faces by Walker Dryden
Robin Hood and the Caliph's Gold (The Outlaw Chronicles Book 9) by [Angus Donald]
2. Robin Hood and the Caliph’s Gold (The Outlaw Chronicles #9) by Angus Donald
1. The Kingdom of Liars (The Legacy of the Mercenary King #1) by Nick Martell

ReadMyBlurb’s Top 10 Reads of 2020

Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Novel by [Toshikazu Kawaguchi]
10. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by [Trevor Noah]
9. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Fall of the Phoenix by [Daniel Kelly]
8. The Fall of the Phoenix by Daniel Kelly
The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy Book 1) by [James Islington]
7. The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy #1) by James Islington
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by [Matthew Walker]
6. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Godblind: The Godblind Trilogy, Book One by [Anna Stephens]
5. Godblind (Godblind #1) by Anna Stephens
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World--and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by [Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Ola Rosling]
4. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place Book 1) by [Tim Marshall]
3. Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place #1) by Tim Marshall
Killing Commendatore: A novel by [Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel, Ted Goossen]
2. Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami

1. Lancelot by Giles Kristian

Traveling Cloak’s Top Reads of 2020 (in Alphabetical Order, by Author)
https://fanfiaddict.wordpress.com/traveling-cloaks-reviews/

The Bard’s Blade (The Sorcerer’s Song #1) by Brian D. Anderson
A Chorus of Fire (The Sorcerer’s Song #2) by Brian D. Anderson
The Book of Koli (The Rampart Trilogy #1) by M. R. Carey
The Trials of Koli (The Rampart Trilogy #2) by M. R. Carey
A Ritual of Bone (The Dead Sagas Book 1) by [Lee C Conley]
A Ritual of Bone (The Dead Sagas #1) by Lee C Conley
The Book of Hidden Wonders: A Novel by [Polly Crosby]
The Book of Hidden Wonders by Polly Crosby
Soulkeeper (The Keepers #1) by David Dalglish
Ravencaller (The Keepers #2) by David Dalglish
The Once and Future Witches by [Alix E. Harrow]
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Northern Wrath (Hanged God Book 1) by [Thilde Kold Holdt]
Northern Wrath (Hanged God #1) by Thilde Kold Holdt
A Queen in Hiding (The Nine Realms #1) by Sarah Kozloff
A Queen of Raiders (The Nine Realms #2) by Sarah Kozloff
A Broken Queen (The Nine Realms #3) by Sarah Kozloff
The Cerulean Queen (The Nine Realms #4) by Sarah Kozloff
Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb Trilogy Book 2) by [Tamsyn Muir]
Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #2) by Tamsyn Muir
Chaos Vector (The Protectorate Book 2) by [Megan E. O'Keefe]
Chaos Vector (The Protectorate #2) by Megan E. O’Keefe
The Living Dead by [George A. Romero, Daniel Kraus]
The Living Dead by George A. Romero and Daniel Kraus
A Pilgrimage of Swords (The Seven Swords #1) by Anthony Ryan
The Kraken’s Tooth (The Seven Swords #2) by Anthony Ryan
The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson
Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3) by Brandon Sanderson
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) by Brandon Sanderson
The Bone Shard Daughter (The Drowning Empire Book 1) by [Andrea Stewart]
The Bone Shard Daughter (The Drowning Empire #1) by Andrea Stewart
The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story (the Theonite Series) by [M. L. Wang]
The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story by M. L. Wang
Legacy of Ash (The Legacy Trilogy #1) by Matthew Ward
Legacy of Steel (The Legacy Trilogy #2) by Matthew Ward

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 2020 Books, 2020 Reads, A Broken Queen, A Chorus of Fire, A Pilgrimage of Swords, A Queen in Hiding, A Queen of Raiders, A Ritual of Bone, Adam Cesare, Akwaeke Emezi, Alita Battle Angel, Alix E. Harrow, Alka Joshi, Andrea Stewart, Andy Davidson, Andy Weir, Angus Donald, Anna Stephens, Anthony Ryan, Battle Angel Alita, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Best Served Cold, Bird Box, Black Stone Heart, Bobby Ether, Book of the Ice, Born a Crime, Bradley P Beaulieu, Brandon Sanderson, Brandon Taylor, Brian D. Anderson, Brian Lee Durfee, Brian Naslund, Brit Bennett, C. J. Tudor, Camelot, Carved from Stone and Dream, Chaos Vector, Charles Yu, Christopher Buehlman, Christopher Paolini, Clown in a Cornfield, Cradle, Crossroads, Daniel Kelly, Daniel Kraus, David Dalglish, Deesha Philyaw, Devin Madson, Dragons of Terra, Dragonsblood, Eden, Empires of Bronze, Eric Flint, Evan Winter, Factfulness, First Law, First Law World, Gareth Hanrahan, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, George A. Romero, Giles Kristian, Godblind, Gordon Doherty, Hanged God, Hans Rosling, Harrow the Ninth, Haruki Murakami, Heather Chavez, Horns, If It Bleeds, Interior Chinatown, James Islington, James Rollins, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Jeremy Szal, Jim Butcher, Joe Abercrombie, Joe Hill, John Marrs, Josh Malerman, Katherine Arden, Killing Commendatore, Lancelot, Last Arguement of Kings, Laurel Hightower, Lee C Conley, Legacy of Ash, Legacy of Steel, Legacy Trilogy, Legend of Sigurd, Leila Chudori, Los Nefilim, M R Carey, M. L. Wang, Malorie, Mark Lawrence, Matthew Walker, Matthew ward, Max Barry, Megan E. O'Keefe, Megan O'Keefe, Michael R Fletcher, Mike Shackle, Nathan Ballingrud, Ngyuen Phan Que Mai, Nick Bermel, Night of the Mannequins, Nine Realms, Nnedi Okorafor, No Bad Deed, Northern Wrath, Oathbringer, P. Djèlí Clark, Patrick Rothfuss, Paul Tremblay, Piranesi, Polly Crosby, Prisoners of Geography, Project Hail Mary, Providence, R. Scott Boyer, Ravencaller, Real Life, Remote Control, Rhythm of War, Ring of Fire, Ring Shout, Riot Baby, Robert Jackson Bennett, Robin Hood and the Caliph's Gold, Sarah Kozloff, Shorefall, Sigma Force, Song of the Shattered Sands, Sorcery of a Queen, Soulkeeper, Stephen Graham Jones, Stephen King, Storm Front, Stormblood, Survivor Song, Susanna Clarke, T. Frohock, Tamsyn Muir, Temple of Eternity, The Age of Madness, The Alexander Inheritance, The Bard's Blade, The Bear and the Nightingale, The Black Iron Legacy, The Blacktongue Thief, The Boatman's Daughter, The Bone Shard Daughter, The Book of Hidden Wonders, The Book of Koli, The Burning, The Burning Girls, The Cerulean Queen, The City of a Thousand Faces, The Common, The Dead Sagas, The Death of Vivek Oji, The Dresden Files, The Drowning Empire, The Fall of the Phoenix, The Fires of Vengeance, The First Law, The Five Warrior Angels, The Forgetting Moon, The Founders Trilogy, The Girl and the Stars, The Hanged God Trilogy, The Henna Artist, The Keepers, The Kingkiller Chronicle, The Kraken's Tooth, The Last Odyssey, The Last War, The Licanius Trilogy, The Living Dead, The Locked Tomb, The Locked Tomb Trilogy, The Loop, The Mountains Sing, The Name of the Wind, The Obsidian Path, The Once and Future Witches, The Outlaw Chronicles, The Protectorate, The Rampart Trilogy, The Reborn Empire, The Sea Speaks His Name, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, The Seven Swords, The Shadow of What Was Lost, The Shadow Saint, The Sorcerer's Song, The Stormlight Archive, The Sword of Kaigen, The Trials of Koli, The Trouble with Peace, The Vanishing Half, The Way of Kings, Thilde Kold Holdt, Thunder at Kadesh, Tim Lebbon, Tim Marshall, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, Tochi Onyebuchi, Top 2020 Reads, Top Books of 2020, Top Reads of 2020, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Transcendent Kingdom, Trevor Noah, Tumanbay, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, Underlord, Walker Dryden, We Are the Dead, We Ride the Storm, What Lies Between Us, Why We Sleep, Will Wight, Winternight, words of radiance, Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell, Yaa Gyasi, Yukito Kishiro

About David W

Believer, Hubby, Girl Dad. Owner/CEO of FanFiAddict. Works a not so flashy day job in central Alabama. Furthest thing from a redneck and doesn’t say Roll Tide. Enjoys fantasy, science fiction, horror and thrillers but not much else (especially kissy kissy).

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. wittysarcasticbookclub says

    December 29, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    Killer list!

    Reply
    • David W says

      December 29, 2020 at 12:16 pm

      🙌🏻

      Reply
  2. Realms of My Mind says

    January 1, 2021 at 5:03 pm

    So what I’m gathering from some of these lists is that I really need to check out Stormblood!

    Reply
    • David W says

      January 1, 2021 at 5:16 pm

      Yuuuup

      Reply
  3. Bob/Sally says

    January 2, 2021 at 8:51 am

    Can’t argue with The Way of Kings, Twelve Kings in Sharakhai, If It Bleeds, or A Queen in Hiding. Eden was a solid read too, We Ride the Storm was OK, and Sorcery of a Queen I was dissapointed in.

    Rhythm of War I’m reading now, while To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, The Blacktongue Thief, The Shadow of What Was Lost, The Bard’s Blade, and The Once and Future Witches are all on my TBR.

    A Ritual of Bone sounds fantastic – adding that to the TBR!

    Reply
    • David W says

      January 2, 2021 at 9:42 am

      Cheers!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Five Reads for 2021 – FanFiAddict – A Bookish Blog says:
    January 4, 2021 at 6:31 am

    […] to report that it absolutely delivered (my review digs into the details, and the book even made my Top Reads of 2020 list). Suffice to say, the thought of continuing this series has me absolutely giddy. I am looking […]

    Reply

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