To celebrate World Book Day, I quickly went through my reading list of 2020 so far and picked out the standouts to share through social media. At which point I realised I’d read a lot of books already, and come across some real gems which warranted a bit more detail in sharing (even links!). So here’s my best of for 2020 so far – by which I mean, a ton of great books I read in the past two months or so. (In order only of when I read them.)

A Heap of Brilliant Books

Bone China by Laura Purcell
Purcell’s third Gothic horror is a haunting, captivating tale of the quality we’ve all come to expect by now.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow
This enchanting and delightful celebration of storytelling is getting a lot of press at the moment – it deserves every word of it.

The Transmigration of Bodies by Yuri Herrera
A succinct, gritty and evocative dystopian tale, set in a plague-ridden Mexico with a lot of funky nicknames.

The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
Full of character and charm, another brilliantly observed novel from the Gothic master.

The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin
Brilliant continuation of the series that won three Hugo Awards in a row. Doesn’t need much introduction!

Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw
Excellently stylised horror noir; short but memorable.

Saga: Books 2 & 3 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Apple
Twisty, tragic, fantastic space opera that’s huge fun.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Epic, imaginative and wonderfully diverse fantasy, with dragons, sea battles and more.

Passing by Nella Larsen
Classic yet relevant as ever, a drama about race in the early 20th century.

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso
A pacy ride following a wonderfully flawed protagonist, in a dark fantasy epic.

Do It Like A Woman by Caroline Criado-Pirez
Equal parts frustrating and inspiring genders study, well worth delving into.

Black God’s Drums by P. Djeli Clark
Creative, exciting ride through steampunk New Orleans; another short tale with a big impact.

The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
Evocative, equal parts brutal and beautiful fantasy epic, spurred me right on to the sequel.

That’s it for now, surely something for everyone to enjoy! If you’ve got any you’d like to share yourself, do let me know.