Top 10 Books of 2020

Hello! Continuing with my 2020 wrap-ups, (the first was my reading stats which you can find here) I wanted to share my favorite books of the year. I read so many incredible ones so narrowing it down to 10 was difficult.

This list is not in any particular order, because I had a difficult time comparing many of these books to decide which I felt was better, so instead, they are just random.


  1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

This was my favorite classic of the year. Wilde’s writing was so descriptive and rich with emotions, I absolutely loved it. The characters were incredible as well. The relationship dynamics and the personalities of the characters were well fleshed out, and these characters could have been real for how well-rounded I found them. Watching Dorian Gray’s moral downfall was very intriguing too.

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I honestly cannot stop thinking about this one. Frankenstein was so well put together and Shelley’s writing was so elegant. I could not put this one down and am already planning to read it again soon.

3. Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

This is a poetry collection that was beautifully done. I have a full review for it here, but mainly, I felt the lyricisms were perfectly tinged with emotion and the style was very elegant, yet very colloquial.

4. Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

This was one of my first reads of last year and (like every book here) I loved it. Neal Shusterman is one of the best writers I’ve ever encountered. This was incredibly weird but perfectly done. I won’t say more about the plot itself because this is one you should go into not knowing anything.

5. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

I wrote a bit more about this one here, but I have little to add to the centuries of discussion on this one. It was beautifully written and rightfully holds the title of being Shakespeare’s best play.

6. A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Quite honestly, I was confused for a lot of this book, but nevertheless, I loved it, especially the ending which still shocks me.

7. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

I adored this one! I listened to the audiobook for it, and I would highly recommend that format, the narrator has great diction and tone, and since its about rapping, the narrator actually raps throughout it, which makes it more immersive.

8. King Lear by William Shakespeare

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline in this play, and of course, the writing itself was gorgeous, but it was mostly Cordelia’s character that made me enjoy it so much. She was only in a few scenes, but her presence added so much to the dynamic of the plot.

9. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

My full enjoyment of this book hit me after I had finished it. I liked it while I read it, but it wasn’t until reflecting back on it that I realized how much I loved Holden’s character. He was so pure and heartfelt, he honestly deserved so much better than how he was treated and I feel so strongly for him now. I’ll be reading this again for my English class soon, which I’m looking forward to since I have yet to revisit it with this new mindset.

10. A List of Cages by Robin Roe

This was so emotional and hard-hitting, which I was not expecting, but it paid off. Even with such a powerful storyline, the writing managed to portray a theme of hope, which is probably what I loved most.


So, those were my top ten reads of 2020! Did you read any of these? Did you find any new favorites last year? I’d love to hear about them, I’m always open to new recommendations!

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