My Favorite 2020 Fiction Reads

2020 was…less than ideal. I highly doubt I’m the only one who is glad to be leaving it behind. But there was one constant that helped get me through it: books. Within their pages, I found comfort in extraordinary worlds and characters.

In some ways, I sought familiarity. Although all of the books I read were brand new to me, many of them belonged to my usual genres of choice. Typically it’s Middle Grade and YA fantasy that appeals to me the most, especially anything from Rick Riordan’s mythological series. Sometimes I’m also drawn to historical fiction or to the classics. So you’ll probably notice a couple of these genres pop up in this list.

But at the same time, I craved something new. From the very beginning of the year, I decided to seek more diversity in my book choices because I was beginning to realize that I hadn’t been seeing much of it in my reading. It started with me wanting to read more from Black authors about Black protagonists, but it flourished into so much more. I’ve found so many new all-time favorite books and authors as I got into genres like YA Contemporary and Africanfuturism. It’s actually gotten to the point where I can no longer name a single favorite book. I can name off a few that I particularly hold in high esteem, but name just one? Impossible! The following list reflects this struggle. I couldn’t narrow it down to just ten, so here are my favorite fifteen of forty-one fiction books I read last year. I hope you’ll be able to find something in here that interests you, my fellow book dragons.

Note: These are not listed in any particular order.

• Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

If you ever wanted your pet to come back to you from the spirit world, Ellie, a teenage Lipan Apache, can make that happen. Ellie honestly might be my favorite character I’ve ever encountered. I mean what could be cooler than a girl who can summon a mammoth’s ghost? But I digress. In this book, Ellie must discover what happened to her recently deceased cousin. She knows something far more sinister occurred than a car accident, but Ellie will need the help of her best friend, her family, and her faithful ghost dog to solve the mystery.

• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

If you are into Arthurian legend and Black girl magic, this book is for you. Shortly after losing her mother, Bree Matthews leaves her home and the memories associated with it to attend UNC-Chapel Hill as a participant in a residential program for high-achieving high schoolers. But everything changes after Bree witnesses a demon attack during her first night on campus. A powerful student known as a Merlin attempts to wipe her memory of the event, but not only does he fail to do so, but he unknowingly unlocks a memory within Bree about the night her mother died. Now she realizes there may be more to her mother’s death than she previously thought. In order to uncover the truth, she finds herself joining a secret society of students descended from Arthurian knights who are dedicated to fighting against demons like the one she had seen. Bree must deal with grief and trauma while also learning more about the society, her roots, and ultimately, herself.

• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Book 1) /Tristan Strong Destroys the World (Book 2) by Kwame Mbalia

The Tristan Strong series is part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, so I had high expectations for these first two books. (Read my post about my favorites from 2019 and you’ll see my obsession with Rick Riordan/Rick Riordan Presents.) I was far from disappointed. While at his grandparents’ farm, Tristan Strong chases a sap-covered doll after she steals his recently deceased friend’s journal. In the process, he accidentally tears a hole to the MidPass, a world where legends like Anansi and John Henry from West African mythology and African American folktales coexist. Tristan must work with some of his new friends to save this incredible world from the chaos he accidentally unleashed.

• The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Evelyn is a young imperial lady who has been shipped off to a soon-to-be husband she has no interest in marrying. Flora is a pirate who has adopted the name and identity of Florian in order to survive life on the seas with her brother and a violent crew. The wealthy passengers will be sold as slaves as is tradition on the Dove, but Flora and Evelyn are determined to escape together, and they hope to free a captive mermaid, whose powerful blood is coveted for the magical qualities it possesses, in the process. This book does get quite dark at times, but there’s still plenty to love about this queer romance and adventure story.

• Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor

I admit that while I do watch science fiction quite a bit, I rarely read it. But after reading Binti, I realized I might have to explore more of the genre. Although what I really crave might be more Africanfuturism, which is the specific category into which this trilogy falls. (Africanfuturism basically shines a light on what the future could look like, especially with advanced technology, but with influence from existing African cultures. For more information, you can check out Okorafor’s post about this topic: http://nnedi.blogspot.com/2019/10/africanfuturism-defined.html) This short series of novellas really focuses on Binti’s path to self-discovery as she adapts to new environments and to changes within her. She leaves Earth on a transport ship headed to Oomza University, but while on board, she witnesses an attack by a jellyfish-like species that leaves all the other humans dead. Binti must learn to coexist with this alien species if she is to survive.

• The Broken Earth trilogy (The Fifth Season; The Obelisk Gate, The Stone Sky) by N. K. Jemisin

I’ve never seen storytelling quite like that found in this incredible trilogy, mostly because I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that relies heavily on second person narration (at least for one of the three narratives), but Jemisin pulls it off brilliantly. On a planet called the Stillness, earthquakes and volcanic activity constantly plague the earth and ultimately lead to environmental catastrophes like giant rifts and ash-filled skies during periods of time known as “Fifth Seasons.” But it’s not just the harsh climate people have to worry about. There are some in the Stillness who are orogenes, which means that they have the power to sense and still seismic activity. Despite the fact that they have this essential power, everyone else is taught to fear them. Essun is one such orogene, and she’s on a mission to traverse a world that is on the verge of ending to save her daughter, who has been kidnapped by her own father after he murdered his and Essun’s son. The worldbuilding in this book is phenomenal, and there are so many surprises in store if you choose to read this series.

• A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Tavia is a siren. Yes, like one of those mythological creatures who use their voices to lure sailors to their deaths. But she doesn’t do that, partly because she lives in Portland rather than out on a rock in the middle of the ocean. Nevertheless, sirens like her do have powerful voices and for that, society tries to silence them. Unfortunately for her, further trouble starts after a siren murder trial and after one of her favorite Internet sensations comes out as a siren herself. Meanwhile, her best friend, Effie, who plays a mermaid at a renaissance fair, is dealing with troubles of her own as secrets begin to come to light. While the book deals with pressing topics, sisterhood and Black girl magic remain at the heart of it.

• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Felix is a young Black trans teen who has never experienced what it is like to fall in love. But in the process of trying to discover the individual who has been sending him anonymous transphobic text messages after having hung photos of him before his transition along with his deadname at school, Felix finds a lot more than he was searching for. This is a queer romance story with the journey towards self-love at the center of it.

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

This book takes about five minutes to read, and there isn’t really a unifying plot, but it’s well worth the read nonetheless. It’s a series of illustrations with heartwarming dialogue from none other than a boy, a mole, a fox, and a horse. The characters have valuable wisdom to share that I will probably have to turn to fairly often.

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

When Nobody Owens was a baby, a murderer killed his whole family and intended to kill him too. Luckily, Bod ends up at the local graveyard where friendly ghosts take him in and protect him. This is where he grows up and encounters some very interesting characters. The book mostly describes his otherworldly adventures.

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Narrated by Death, who is a lot more of a sympathetic character than you’d think, The Book Thief centers around a young girl named Liesel who lives through the horrors of Nazi Germany with her German foster family, the Hubermanns. It is the books she steals that give her comfort during this scary time. Stories are especially useful when the family harbors a Jew in their basement. The powers of storytelling and of love really guide this popular novel.

• Circe by Madeline Miller

The enchantress Circe is probably most well known for the role she played in The Odyssey, but she did a lot more in her immortal life than turn men into pigs. Madeline Miller gives Circe a voice, allowing her to tell her own story starting from her childhood when she lived with her Titan father, Helios. Most of the novel, though, describes major events that occurred while Circe was living on her island to which she had been banished, including, of course, her experience with Odysseus and his men. This book made me want to read (and possibly write) similar novels revealing the lives of mythological characters who we don’t often hear much about.

• Mask of the Sentinels by Toby and Ricky Franklin

I’m so excited to tell you all about this one because I went to school with the twin creators of this incredible graphic novel when I was getting my B.A. This was actually one of the first graphic novels I’ve read, but it might have convinced me to see what other treasures I can find in the genre. The story follows a girl named Nakura, who lives in a world where kingdoms are guarded by powerful ancient beings known as the Sentinels. These beings were meant to protect the people, but when most of them get too power-hungry, it’s up to Nakura and her mechanized companion, MADS, to defeat these Sentinels by stripping them of their masks–the source of their power. I cannot recommend this enough! The art is stunning, the worldbuilding is fantastic, and the themes are very much prevalent. You can get your copy at https://www.comixology.com/Mask-of-the-Sentinels/digital-comic/854526.

• Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor

After the murder of his father, the well-respected chief of police, Nnamdi is gifted with the Ikenga, a magical object that gives its owner powers. With this object in his possession, Nnamdi can become a seemingly unstoppable superhuman known as The Man. He must learn how to use his new powers responsibly as he attempts to protect his town from criminals and to seek justice for his father’s death.

• Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

Even though the cover makes this book look like it is innocent enough, it’s actually pretty dark. Seven fox kits visit an older fox who proceeds to tell them a series of scary stories about kits named Mia and Uly. Both of them were separated from their litters and mothers, and together, they must face a variety of unknown dangers. Most of the fear comes from dangers we would expect to see in nature, but from Mia and Uly’s perspective, it seems like they’re being haunted by the supernatural.

I hope something in this list piques your interest. I know I was pleasantly surprised by quite a few of these. I will probably write more extensively about some of them, so keep an eye out for those future posts. 🙂