Sunday Salon: Best Reads of 2020

As I have in other years, I wait until the year is truly over just in case I read a knockout book in the last few days of that year. I guess I'm always hopeful! But now that 2020 is in the rear view mirror, I have a top ten list for you. These are books I read in 2020, not necessarily books that were published in 2020 and the list could certainly change depending on the day. And while I usually can't keep it to ten, in looking back at this weird year, I find can't remember a lot of the books I read so I suspect that pandemic brain has influenced this unfairly and that many others I read are also quite worthy of being on this list but just didn't stick with me due to rotten circumstances.

The BookNAround Top Ten of 2020

Favorite of the Year:

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

And the other nine in no particular order but divided by type:

Contemporary Fiction:
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Historical Fiction:
I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon
Raphael, Painter in Rome by Stephanie Storey

Thriller:
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Non-fiction, essays:
At the Pond compiled by Daunt Books

What were the best books you read this year? What did I miss that I need to add to my reading list for next year?

Best Reads of 2014

Now that 2015 is officially here, I feel like I can put together my best reads of 2014. I hate to do it before the actual close of the year because hope springs eternal that I will come across some marvelous books that would then miss being put on the list. Also, because I am just a touch OCD about stuff like this. But probably more because of the former reason. (Yeah, yeah. I know it's the latter too, just humor me.) Because I am unable to stick to a top ten, I created a top ten for general fiction and then declared a few favorites in other categories. Sort of the letter of the law but not really the spirit. Since it is my law, though, I feel confident I will pardon myself before my term in office is up. :-)

So here it is. In no particular order, the list of the top ten books I read this year (some of which were actually published this year too):

Life Drawing by Robin Black
Us by David Nicholls
Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Euphoria by Lily King
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
If Not For This by Pete Fromm
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Favorite non-fiction: The Perfect Score Project by Debbie Stier

Favorite YA: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

Favorite romance: Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

Favorite quirky book: What's Your Poo Telling You by Josh Richman and Anish Sheth

Do we overlap at all? What books from your best reading this past year do you think I should have on my list in 2015?