If you’ve ever felt buried in all the books you want to read, you’re not alone and we’re here to help.
No matter the genre you’re looking to read next or the number of books you want to read in 2020, we’ve rounded up 15 books in all different genres and forms so you can easily find your next read and get to binging.
1. If you’re in need of a sentimental book, read You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer
Alexis Gold has never been the perfect mother, always putting her work first. But her priorities are suddenly made clear when her husband Tommy learns he has terminal cancer. Honoring his wish to spend their last summer together at their favorite beach, the three find themselves encountering first love, jealousy and rebellion. In You and Me and Us one woman will get a second chance at becoming the wife and mother her family needs her to be.
2. If you’re looking for a fantastic debut, read How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
After immigrating to America with their father, siblings Lucy and Sam are left to face the landscape of the Gold Rush alone when their father passes away. Taking off on a mission to bury his remains the only way they know how, they find themselves up against a variety of obstacles along the way. From giant buffalo bones to tiger tracks and family secrets, this adventure will show Lucy and Sam who they really are and what the future holds for each of them.
3. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect paperback, read The DNA of You and Me by Andrea Rothman
When Emily Apell begins her job at a renowned research lab, she has her eye on the prize. Soon learning that her colleague Aeden Doherty is working on a topic similar to hers the two decide to work together—a working relationship that soon turns romantic. Just as Emily begins to let herself fall for Aeden, he leaves the lab and her behind. It isn’t until years later, when she’s about to receive a prestigious award, that she finally gets the closure she needs.
4. If you’re in the mood for a gripping memoir, read Stray by Stephanie Danler
The bestselling author of Sweetbitter returns this year with her debut memoir, Stray. Growing up, Stephanie Danler didn’t have a great support system. With an alcoholic mother inhibited by a brain aneurysm and an absent father addicted to meth, she escaped it all by moving to New York. But after only a few years, Danler felt herself being pulled back home to find answers about her parents, herself and their family’s legacy. Told with raw honesty, this memoir is a story about finding peace amidst tragedy.
5. If you love a good ebook, read Perfect Distraction by Allison Ashley
Lauren Taylor has convinced herself that she is over men who are too good looking. But she begins to rethink her decision when she meets Andrew Bishop. After an embarrassing run-in at a coffee shop, the two cross paths once again at the cancer center where Lauren works and Andrew is a patient. As they become friends and get to know one another, Lauren finds it harder to ignore the feelings she has for Andrew. Will Lauren be able to keep him at arm’s length or will she break all of her rules to pursue something more?
6. If you want to read something imaginative and new, pick up Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld
In Curtis Sittenfeld’s latest novel, she reimagines the life of Hillary Clinton and asks what would have happened if she hadn’t married Bill? Imagining Hillary saying no to Bill’s many proposal attempts, the young law student leaves the prospective politician behind and strikes out on her own. Blazing her own trail, Hillary runs into Bill many times throughout her journey but stays true to herself and her own aspirations through all of it in Rodham.
7. If you’re looking for relatable women’s fiction, read Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey
After losing her mother to cancer, her sister to her husband and her husband to another woman, Gray Howard is at her wit’s end. Taking her frustrations out at a local pharmacy and getting a girl fired, it doesn’t take long before the guilt takes over and she offers the girl, Diana, her guest house. Finding friendship with one another, the two begin to turn their lives around. But all of that comes crashing down when Diana’s first love returns and exposes all of her darkest secrets.
8. If you’re in need of a powerful story, read Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
Antonia Vega has just retired from her teaching career when her husband passes away. Alone and unsure of what she’s supposed to do with the rest of her life, she’s shocked when a pregnant undocumented teen shows up at her front door. Simultaneously, her sister Izzy has gone missing after dealing with a bout of mental health issues and Antonia must band together with sisters Mona and Tilly to get her back and get her the help she needs.
9. If you’re looking for a book with multiple timelines, read The Book of V by Anna Solomon
In Anna Solomon’s The Book of V, the stories of three very different women living in very different times intertwine to show how much and how little women’s lives have changed over the course of history. From a mother looking for a fulfilling existence in Brooklyn in 2016 to a dutiful wife whose refusal to help her husband ends in disaster and a young woman in ancient Persia who must submit herself to the King in order to save her people. This novel examines women, their courage and the strength they exhibit every day.
10. If you’re in the mood for something thrilling, read The Shadows by Alex North
Over two decades ago, Paul Adams found himself in the middle of a horrific incident that left one child dead and another in custody. But what baffled the town was that the main perpetrator, Charlie Crabtree, walked off into the woods after the murder and seemingly disappeared. Having run from the tragedy for years, Paul finds himself back in his hometown when his mother’s health takes a turn for the worse. Arriving in town, strange occurrences begin happening and if he wants to stay alive, he’ll have to dig up the past and get to the root of what really happened 25 years ago.
11. If you’re looking for a little inspiration, read Broth from the Cauldron: A Wisdom Journey through Everyday Magic by Cerridwen Fallingstar
Cerridwen Fallingstar’s Broth from the Cauldron is a book filled with wisdom for anyone interested in personal growth. This collection of “teaching stories” follows the life of Cerridwen and everything she learned about being your best self along the way. From growing up during the Cold War-era to becoming a Pagan Priestess, this new nonfiction read covers topics such as grief, parenting, friendship and other useful things that will help you embrace your spiritual side and live a more fulfilling life.
12. If you love a great literary fiction pick, read Deacon King Kong by James McBride
An entire community in south Brooklyn is stunned when an old church deacon named Sportcoat walks into the courtyard of a local housing project and shoots the project’s drug dealer at point-blank range. Dodging the shot and only suffering a minor injury, the young man and those around him find their lives completely changed after the event. From the local cops to the neighborhood’s Italian mobsters, this crime has a way of affecting the community Sportcoat has spent his entire life contributing to.
13. If you want to get lost in a new fantasy read, pick up The Goddess Twins by Yodassa Williams
Identical twins Aurora and Arden are happy to finally settle down in Ohio and pick up a normal routine after years of traveling the world. But all of that changes when, two days before their eighteenth birthday, they develop powers in telekinesis and telepathy and their mother goes missing while on tour in London. On a mission to rescue her, the two girls will have to use their newfound powers and their intuition to find their mother and unravel a century-old family mystery.
14. If you want a carefree read, pick up Beach Read by Emily Henry
Augustus Everett and January Andrews are two writers with absolutely nothing in common except one thing: they’re both battling a major bout of writer’s block. Living in neighboring beach houses for the duration of the summer, they challenge each other to swap their usual genres and write something new and exciting—hoping it will get them out of their creative ruts. What they don’t expect is that the more time they spend together, the more sparks will fly.
15. If you’re in the mood for something romantic, read Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
When Olivia moves to Los Angeles to open up her own law firm, she’s certain that the last thing she needs in her life is romance. But then she meets Max Powell. Due to his stature as a local politician, the two lay low at first, keeping their relationship a secret from the press and other prying eyes. But when they finally find the courage to go public, Olivia finds her personal life being put on display and she must decide if their connection is worth the fallout that may come with their relationship longterm.
