2020 was awful for so many people for so many reasons. But one good thing that came out of that dumpster fire of a year was book sales. Perhaps because we were all sitting at home with nowhere to go and nothing else to do, we read. Or maybe we were seeking escape from the presidential election drama in literature. Whatever the reason, people were reading – a lot. In fact, 2020 was the best year for print book sales since 2010.
According to NPD Bookscan, print book sales shot up 8.2 percent for a total of 751 million tomes sold. This was led, in no small part, by Barack Obama’s new memoir, A Promised Land, which sold an incredible 2.68 million print copies. But just because his book was on the top of the bestseller lists doesn’t mean it was the only one worthy of your eyeballs and brain power.
We’ve rounded up the 10 best books for your reading pleasure. Most are from 2020, but a couple are titles to look forward to this spring. Since quarantine doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon, there’s no excuse for not cracking a spine and reviving the fine art of reading.
Cover Photo: Eva-Katalin (Getty Images)
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Books Best Year Publishing
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10. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
You'd be remiss to skip out the top-selling book of 2020, written by the most beloved president of our generation. Former President Obama takes readers into the White House -- and into his heart and mind -- in this poignant memoir.
Buy it here.
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9. Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s ‘Dazed and Confused’ by Melissa Maerz
Fans of the iconic Richard Linklater film that put Matthew McConaughey (and many other actors) on the map will devour this oral history of the '90s high school comedy.
Buy it here.
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8. Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman
Matthew Norman writes novels that could easily be adapted into the kind of rom-coms that men would enjoy as much as their girlfriends. His latest book is no exception. It stars Jessica and Mitch Butler, a married couple at a crossroads. All of their friends' marriages have crumbled, and the Butlers fear they may be next. So they take drastic measures and experiment with opening up their relationship in order to save it. Nothing goes according to plan, of course, but you'll be laughing along the whole way precisely because of that.
Buy it here.
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7. Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson
Jenny Lawson’s laugh-out-loud book of essays is all about “true stories of fucking up in incredibly human ways,” with a few serious and insightful sections on mental health thrown in for balance. Oh, and there's a chapter specifically dedicated to dog penises. So. There's that.
Pre-order it here.
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6. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
This debut novel by Naoise Dolan is a sexy, smart take on the classic love triangle plot. Irish ex-pat Ava teaches English in Hong Kong and is in a no-strings-attached relationship with banker Julian when she meets -- and falls for -- Chinese attorney Edith. Which one will she choose? Dolan will have you guessing until the final page.
Buy it here.
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5. Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey
If you've ever wanted to know what women are thinking, this novel will tell you. Written in the form of conversations between females, each brief but powerful interaction brims with eroticism, anger, pain, shame, wit, regret, and so much more. The characters on these pages contain multitudes -- and they aren't holding anything back. The brutal truths they reveal are not for the faint of heart.
Buy it here.
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4. Days of Distraction by Alexandra Chang
In this irresistible novel, a young tech reporter in Silicon Valley follows her scientist boyfriend to the East Coast for grad school but finds herself increasingly isolated and lonely. She begins to question everything, from her commitment to her relationship to her family ties to her identity as a writer. If you've ever felt adrift, you'll relate to this funny yet profound take on modern Gen Z life.
Buy it here.
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3. Stray by Stephanie Danler
Stephanie Danler, bestselling author of the novel Sweetbitter (which was turned into a Starz series), may seem to have an enviable life, but as this memoir shows, even professional success can't erase profound personal trauma. Danler's mother is an alcoholic handicapped by a brain aneurysm while her father is a former meth addict who abandoned her at age 3. As Danler struggles to establish romantic relationships as an adult, she wonders how to differentiate herself from the dark legacy of her parents. Anyone with a troubled family background (which is most of us) will find a kindred spirit in these pages.
Buy it here.
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2. Everything Is Fine by Vince Granata
In this harrowing and heartbreaking memoir, author Vince Granata confronts a family tragedy: the murder of his mother by his 23-year-old brother, who was suffering from untreated schizophrenia. Granata attempts to pick up the pieces of his shattered family life, examining the past to understand how something like this could happen while also looking to the future in the hopes of salvaging a relationship with his brother. This book is going to get a lot of (much-deserved) buzz when it drops in April.
Pre-order it here.
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1. In the Land of Men by Adrienne Miller
The literary world was Adrienne Miller's oyster when she moved to New York and became an editorial assistant at GQ magazine in the mid-'90s. She worked her way up to literary editor (the first woman to do so in the magazine's history) and was soon schmoozing with literature's most prestigious authors -- including David Foster Wallace. Their relationship went from professional to personal, and the scenes between them in this book are so vivid and intimate, you feel like you're in the (hotel) room with them. Come for the steamy liasion, stay for the coming-of-age-in-the-boys'-club story.
Buy it here.
