BostonPL_BPL Staff Picks: Best Books of 2020Like this list

16 items

• All Systems Red

  Wells, Martha

  Add All Systems Red to your for later shelf

  Science Fiction. This SecUnit hacked its governor module, and calls itself (though never out loud) "Murderbot." All it really wants is to be left alone to watch its entertainment feed, but when danger arises for the humans it's charged to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Harrow the Ninth

  Muir, Tamsyn

  Add Harrow the Ninth to your for later shelf

  Science Fantasy. This sequel to Gideon the Ninth adopts a clever new narrative style to tell the story of a necromancer who is questioning her perception of reality. As a huge fan of the first book in the Locked Tomb trilogy, I was beyond…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• You Should See Me in a Crown

  Johnson, Leah

  Add You Should See Me in a Crown to your for later shelf

  Teen Romance. If she wants to attend her dream college, Liz needs a scholarship. When the scholarship she was planning on falls through, the only option left is for her to run for prom queen in hopes of winning her high school's prom…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Lost Future of Pepperharrow

  Pulley, Natasha

  Add The Lost Future of Pepperharrow to your for later shelf

  Science Fantasy. This richly detailed tapestry is woven of historical fiction, fantasy, and steampunk. Moving from 19th century London to Imperial Japan, the sequel to "The Watchmaker of Filigree Street" (not necessary to read it first,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Intimations

  Six Essays

  Smith, Zadie,

  Add Intimations to your for later shelf

  Essays. "Written during the early months of lockdown, Smith, in these deeply personal essays, explores universal ideas and questions prompted by the unprecedented situation and reality of the pandemic. Though the volume is slim, her words…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Crackling Mountain and Other Stories

  Dazai, Osamu

  Add Crackling Mountain and Other Stories to your for later shelf

  Short Stories. I don't know what else to say about Dazai other than when I finish one of his short story collections or novels I think about it for days. It happens often enough to mention it that little, everyday episodes in my life will…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Keep Moving

  Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change

  Smith, Maggie

  Add Keep Moving to your for later shelf

  Nonfiction. "Keep Moving" by poet Maggie Smith couldn't have come at a better time. This quaint volume features bite-sized bits of motivation and inspiration that remind readers that we are not alone in our struggles through life and that,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Severance

  A Novel

  Ma, Ling

  Add Severance to your for later shelf

  Fiction. 2 years before our current pandemic, Ling Ma perfectly narrates what would happen in contemporary New York if there was a massive deadly pandemic. She explores what happens when capitalism, religious fanaticism, and the human…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Once Upon a River

  A Novel

  Setterfield, Diane

  Add Once Upon a River to your for later shelf

  Fiction. One dark night in a crowded tavern by a river, an injured man appears at the door carrying in his arms a little girl. So many questions come up from this appearance - who is he? Who is the girl? What happened to them? Is she…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

  Butler, Octavia E.

  Add Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation to your for later shelf

  Science Fiction. Reading this at the height of the Spring lockdown may have given this a stronger impression in my mind, but it really was perfect timing to revisit this story, in a fantastically rendered graphic novel version. The art is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Only Black Girls in Town

  Colbert, Brandy

  Add The Only Black Girls in Town to your for later shelf

  Children's Fiction. Part mystery, part coming of age, this book was like surfing a wild wave. Colbert's voice is compelling and her characters fully realized and lovable. This book has stuck with me all year! - Allison H.

• How Beautiful We Were

  a Novel

  Mbue, Imbolo,

  Add How Beautiful We Were to your for later shelf

  Fiction. Imbolo Mbue follows up her magnificent debut, Behold the Dreamers with a hard-hitting tale of corporate destruction and governmental greed from the perspective of the community in a small African Village whose way of life faces…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Return of the Thief

  Turner, Megan Whalen

  Add Return of the Thief to your for later shelf

  Teen Fantasy. Turner's brilliant, decades-long historical fantasy series comes to a satisfying close with this sixth installment. Although it is told through the eyes of a young Attolian heir serving in the castle, this epic conclusion is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water

  Cho, Zen

  Add The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water to your for later shelf

  Fantasy. A bandit walks into a coffeehouse and picks a fight on behalf of the nun working as a waitress... and then ends up facing the unexpected consequences of his chivalry when she decides to join his ragtag crew. In the midst of a very…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Searcher

  French, Tana

  Add The Searcher to your for later shelf

  Mystery. There are plenty of twists in this new stand-alone thriller by bestselling author French (Dublin Murder Squad series). The action takes place in a small village in the west of Ireland where a retired Chicago police officer becomes…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• NIV, Holy Bible, New Testament

  Various Authors

  Add NIV, Holy Bible, New Testament to your for later shelf

  Nonfiction. I found this part of the Bible invaluable in the past, COVID-infused year. Of course the whole Bible is precious but during difficult times it is hard to beat the comforting and challenging words of Jesus, and to marvel at His…Read moreRead more of this annotation