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The Best Books of 2020

Most Recommended Books

The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

“Mantel is the most deft and masterful of writers. Ominous foreshadowing is conveyed subtly by way of allusion, sideways glances, and deadpan asides; warnings are missed, mistakes are made, resentments build. Through Mantel’s eyes, the great anti-hero of English history is reinvented as a man of thought and care and canny, who plays his mercurial master like a lute, until he doesn’t. The fall, when it comes, is swift and merciless. Right until the final pages I was still guessing as to how it would unfold.”

Cal Flyn, Journalist

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Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Angus Deaton & Anne Case

“It’s a really important book. It pulls together the work that they’ve been doing for a number of years now, looking at the fact that, for the first time, life expectancy in the US is falling, and that decrease is falling very unequally. They have identified this phenomenon of white high-school dropouts who are falling victim to deaths of despair—suicides, opioids and other overdoses, and alcoholism. By bringing together all of this evidence, they have put a spotlight on the phenomenon.”

Diane Coyle, Economist

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Twilight of Democracy by Anne Applebaum

“Although, at this point, there are many books about the attacks on democracy, Anne Applebaum’s stands apart both because she’s a particularly gifted storyteller and because she draws from her personal experience. The book starts with a New Year’s Eve party she organized at the start of this millennium at her countryside home in Poland. She chronicles how half of the people who attended went on to defend democratic institutions and the other half became leading members of the Polish populist regime and its media allies.”

Yascha Mounk,

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Weather: A Novel by Jenny Offill

“I love this book. When I first read it, I said, ‘You have to all read this book.’ It’s very gentle. She allows us to question our arrogance and hypocrisy when discussing how the world needs to change without saying, ‘You’re wrong to have gone there.’”

Pippa Evans,

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Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time by Gaia Vince

“Transcendence was my favourite science book this year. I studied history in the UK and learned how and when the Tudors came to power, but never how and when humans started, which, as an adult, seems to me a much more important piece of historical information. Gaia Vince is a science journalist, and this is a really fabulous summary of the entire history of the human race, starting with the Big Bang (as she points out, Our genesis is a story of physics, chemistry and biology). It chronicles when we started using fire, when we started talking, the role of beauty, how we started keeping time. She also makes predictions about where we might be going, and while the book ends up on an upbeat note, some of that was slightly chilling. The book is quite a dense read—there’s a lot of science to cover—but lightened by little introductory stories at the beginning of each chapter.”

Sophie Roell,

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Every year, we approach experts and ask them to recommend the best books published in their field that year, whether it's history or historical fiction, science or science fiction, philosophy or fantasy, self-help or romance. Below you’ll find all our interviews on the best books of 2020 as they are published on Five Books. (Our best books of 2019,  2018 and  2017 lists are also still available: those books are still well worth reading!).

Almost all the book recommendations are based on an individual expert's choices. Sometimes, as in the best novels of 2020, one of our editors may make a selection, based on the vast quantities of books we read every week. For very broad subjects like kids' books—where there are so many books and topics it's impossible for any individual to make a call on what the best books are—we will also interview the chair of distinguished prizes, as they have systematically gone through all the books published that year to choose the very best.

Either way, we can guarantee one thing: all the books below are very, very good books to read in 2020.

    The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020, recommended by Sophie Roell

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    The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020 - How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy by Daniel Kaufman, Massimo Pigliucci & Skye C Cleary

    1

    How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy
    by Daniel Kaufman, Massimo Pigliucci & Skye C Cleary

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    The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020 - Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time by Gaia Vince

    2

    Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time
    by Gaia Vince

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    The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020 - Slavery and Bristol by GM Best

    3

    Slavery and Bristol
    by GM Best

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    The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020 - War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret MacMillan

    4

    War: How Conflict Shaped Us
    by Margaret MacMillan

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    The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020 - A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond by Daniel Susskind

    5

    A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond
    by Daniel Susskind

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    The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020 - Twilight of Democracy by Anne Applebaum

    6

    Twilight of Democracy
    by Anne Applebaum

The Best Nonfiction Books of 2020, recommended by Sophie Roell

As the world went into lockdown early in 2020, many of us without frontline jobs and lucky enough not to fall sick with Covid-19 found more time to read than usual. The sudden change to a slower gear also left more room to reflect on the state of the world and our place as humans in it. Sophie Roell, editor of Five Books, takes us through her personal choice of the best nonfiction books of 2020.  

    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Margaret Busby

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - The New Wilderness by Diane Cook

    1

    The New Wilderness
    by Diane Cook

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - This Mournable Body: A Novel by Tsitsi Dangarembga

    2

    This Mournable Body: A Novel
    by Tsitsi Dangarembga

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

    3

    The Shadow King
    by Maaza Mengiste

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

    4

    Burnt Sugar
    by Avni Doshi

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - Shuggie Bain: A Novel by Douglas Stuart

    5

    Shuggie Bain: A Novel
    by Douglas Stuart

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    The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist - Real Life: A Novel by Brandon Taylor

    6

    Real Life: A Novel
    by Brandon Taylor

The Best Fiction of 2020: The Booker Prize Shortlist, recommended by Margaret Busby

Every year, the Booker Prize judges whittle a year’s worth of fiction down to a shortlist of six books, each competing for the title of the best novel of the year. Margaret Busby, chair of this year’s judging panel, discusses the six books that made the cut in 2020.

    The Best History Books of 2020, recommended by Paul Lay

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    The Best History Books of 2020 - Poet of Revolution: the Making of John Milton by Nicholas McDowell

    1

    Poet of Revolution: the Making of John Milton
    by Nicholas McDowell

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    The Best History Books of 2020 - Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend

    2

    Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs
    by Camilla Townsend

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    The Best History Books of 2020 - Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces by Laura Tunbridge

    3

    Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces
    by Laura Tunbridge

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    The Best History Books of 2020 - The Jews and the Reformation by Kenneth Austin

    4

    The Jews and the Reformation
    by Kenneth Austin

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    The Best History Books of 2020 - Ovid: A Very Short Introduction by Llewelyn Morgan

    5

    Ovid: A Very Short Introduction
    by Llewelyn Morgan

The Best History Books of 2020, recommended by Paul Lay

From the great Latin poet Ovid, to the poet of the 17th century English republic, John Milton. From the Jews in Reformation Europe, to the world of the Aztecs across the centuries. From the life of Ludwig van Beethoven to the importance of language, in all its varieties, to studying history. Paul Lay, editor of History Today, recommends his favourite history books of 2020.  

    The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Taylor

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    The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist - Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century by Charles King

    1

    Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century
    by Charles King

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    The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist - The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth by Josh Levin

    2

    The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth
    by Josh Levin

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    The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist - L.E.L.: The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated "Female Byron" by Lucasta Miller

    3

    L.E.L.: The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated "Female Byron"
    by Lucasta Miller

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    The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist - Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer

    4

    Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century
    by George Packer

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    The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist - A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purcell

    5

    A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
    by Sonia Purcell

The Best of Biography: the 2020 NBCC Shortlist, recommended by Elizabeth Taylor

How do you find the perfect subject for a biography? “Pick a real bitch, or real bastard, and make sure they’re dead,” a famous biographer once told Elizabeth Taylor. The author, critic and chair of the National Book Critics’ Circle biography committee talks us through the books that made their 2020 shortlist.

    The Best Science Fiction of 2020, recommended by Tom Hunter

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

    1

    The City in the Middle of the Night
    by Charlie Jane Anders

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

    2

    The Light Brigade
    by Kameron Hurley

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

    3

    A Memory Called Empire
    by Arkady Martine

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Old Drift: A Novel by Namwali Serpell

    4

    The Old Drift: A Novel
    by Namwali Serpell

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    5

    Cage of Souls
    by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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    The Best Science Fiction of 2020 - The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

    6

    The Last Astronaut
    by David Wellington

The Best Science Fiction of 2020, recommended by Tom Hunter

Sci fi is booming, says Tom Hunter, the director of the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction, as he discusses their 2020 shortlist: six novels that embrace classic sci fi narratives, while subverting or reimagining them for a contemporary audience.

    Best Crime Fiction of 2020, recommended by Sophie Roell

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - One by One by Ruth Ware

    1

    One by One
    by Ruth Ware

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins

    2

    Magpie Lane
    by Lucy Atkins

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - A Place of Execution by Val McDermid

    3

    A Place of Execution
    by Val McDermid

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - The Searcher: A Novel by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

    4

    The Searcher: A Novel
    by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

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    Best Crime Fiction of 2020 - Guilt at the Garage by Simon Brett

    5

    Guilt at the Garage
    by Simon Brett

Best Crime Fiction of 2020, recommended by Sophie Roell

If you’re looking for escapism, crime novels can be a good way to go. Which is strange, given that nearly all of them revolve around murder. Sophie Roell, editor of Five Books and an avid consumer of the genre, picks her personal favourites published in 2020.

    The Best Politics Books of 2020, recommended by Yascha Mounk

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    The Best Politics Books of 2020 - Twilight of Democracy by Anne Applebaum

    1

    Twilight of Democracy
    by Anne Applebaum

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    The Best Politics Books of 2020 - The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

    2

    The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty
    by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

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    The Best Politics Books of 2020 - The Great Demographic Illusion: Majority, Minority, and the Expanding American Mainstream by Richard Alba

    3

    The Great Demographic Illusion: Majority, Minority, and the Expanding American Mainstream
    by Richard Alba

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    The Best Politics Books of 2020 - Self-Portrait in Black and White: Family, Fatherhood and Rethinking Race by Thomas Chatterton Williams

    4

    Self-Portrait in Black and White: Family, Fatherhood and Rethinking Race
    by Thomas Chatterton Williams

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    The Best Politics Books of 2020 - A Promised Land by Barack Obama

    5

    A Promised Land
    by Barack Obama

The Best Politics Books of 2020, recommended by Yascha Mounk

Despite the challenge of authoritarian populism and a new divisiveness in political debate in many countries around the world there are reasons for optimism, argues political scientist Yascha Mounk, author of The People vs. Democracy. He talks us through his selection of the best politics books of 2020.

    The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist, recommended by Richard Evans

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    The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist - The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

    1

    The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
    by Hallie Rubenhold

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    The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist - The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans by David Abulafia

    2

    The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans
    by David Abulafia

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    The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist - Chaucer: A European Life by Marion Turner

    3

    Chaucer: A European Life
    by Marion Turner

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    The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist - A History of the Bible by John Barton

    4

    A History of the Bible
    by John Barton

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    The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist - A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution by Toby Green

    5

    A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution
    by Toby Green

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    The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist - Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire by Prashant Kidambi

    6

    Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire
    by Prashant Kidambi

The Best History Books: the 2020 Wolfson Prize shortlist, recommended by Richard Evans

If you’re looking for the best history books published this past year, the annual Wolfson History Prize is a great place to start. Each year, the judges pick out outstanding books that are both originally researched and readable. Historian and Wolfson judge Richard Evans talks us through the six history books that made the 2020 shortlist.

    The Best Economics Books of 2020, recommended by Diane Coyle

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    The Best Economics Books of 2020 - Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Angus Deaton & Anne Case

    1

    Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism
    by Angus Deaton & Anne Case

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    The Best Economics Books of 2020 - Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers by Cheryl Misak

    2

    Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers
    by Cheryl Misak

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    The Best Economics Books of 2020 - If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future by Jill Lepore

    3

    If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future
    by Jill Lepore

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    The Best Economics Books of 2020 - Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles by John D. Turner & William Quinn

    4

    Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles
    by John D. Turner & William Quinn

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    The Best Economics Books of 2020 - Rentier Capitalism: Who Owns the Economy, and Who Pays for It? by Brett Christophers

    5

    Rentier Capitalism: Who Owns the Economy, and Who Pays for It?
    by Brett Christophers

The Best Economics Books of 2020, recommended by Diane Coyle

The global economy has been hit by another massive and unexpected shock this year in the form of the pandemic, which is already having knock-on effects on how people think about economics.  Here, Professor Diane Coyle of Cambridge University chooses the best economics books published in 2020.

    The Best Cookbooks of 2020, recommended by Becky Krystal

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    The Best Cookbooks of 2020 - One Tin Bakes: Sweet and Simple Traybakes, Pies, Bars and Buns by Edd Kimber

    1

    One Tin Bakes: Sweet and Simple Traybakes, Pies, Bars and Buns
    by Edd Kimber

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    The Best Cookbooks of 2020 - The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes by Nik Sharma

    2

    The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes
    by Nik Sharma

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    The Best Cookbooks of 2020 - Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes by Bryant Terry

    3

    Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes
    by Bryant Terry

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    The Best Cookbooks of 2020 - In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean by Hawa Hassan & Julia Turshen

    4

    In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean
    by Hawa Hassan & Julia Turshen

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    The Best Cookbooks of 2020 - Ottolenghi Flavor: A Cookbook by Ixta Belfrage & Yotam Ottolenghi

    5

    Ottolenghi Flavor: A Cookbook
    by Ixta Belfrage & Yotam Ottolenghi

The Best Cookbooks of 2020, recommended by Becky Krystal

If nothing else, 2020 has at least given many of us a lot of time to experiment in the kitchen. Here Becky Krystal, lead writer for the Washington Post’s Voraciously, recommends cookbooks relevant for a year in which grocery shopping has been complicated and the world has become more interconnected than ever.

    The Best Self Help Books of 2020, recommended by Oliver Burkeman

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder by Richard Rohr

    1

    The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder
    by Richard Rohr

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times: Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity, and Courage by Philip Goldberg

    2

    Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times: Powerful Tools to Cultivate Calm, Clarity, and Courage
    by Philip Goldberg

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - How to Be a Failure and Still Live Well: A Philosophy by Beverley Clack

    3

    How to Be a Failure and Still Live Well: A Philosophy
    by Beverley Clack

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century by Adam Davidson

    4

    The Passion Economy: The New Rules for Thriving in the Twenty-First Century
    by Adam Davidson

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    The Best Self Help Books of 2020 - The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work From Home

    5

    The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work From Home

The Best Self Help Books of 2020, recommended by Oliver Burkeman

We asked Oliver Burkeman, the Guardian writer and author of The Antidote, to select the best self help books published in 2020. His recommended titles include spiritual guidance for the age of doomscrolling, a philosophy of failure, and practical advice for those working from home for the first time.

    The Best Philosophy Books of 2020, recommended by Nigel Warburton

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    The Best Philosophy Books of 2020 - The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton

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    The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women
    by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton

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    The Best Philosophy Books of 2020 - The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad by Emily Thomas

    2

    The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad
    by Emily Thomas

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    The Best Philosophy Books of 2020 - Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers by Cheryl Misak

    3

    Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers
    by Cheryl Misak

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    The Best Philosophy Books of 2020 - The Murder of Professor Schlick: The Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle by David Edmonds

    4

    The Murder of Professor Schlick: The Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle
    by David Edmonds

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    The Best Philosophy Books of 2020 - Metazoa: Animal Life and the Birth of the Mind by Peter Godfrey-Smith

    5

    Metazoa: Animal Life and the Birth of the Mind
    by Peter Godfrey-Smith

The Best Philosophy Books of 2020, recommended by Nigel Warburton

2020 has been a great year for popular philosophy with many excellent books published. Here, Nigel Warburton, our philosophy editor and co-host of the Philosophy Bites podcast, picks his favourites and explains what he likes about them.

    The Best Art Books of 2020, recommended by Romas Viesulas

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    The Best Art Books of 2020 - Aby Warburg: Bilderatlas Mnemosyne by Aby Warburg, edited by Roberto Ohrt and Axel Heil

    1

    Aby Warburg: Bilderatlas Mnemosyne
    by Aby Warburg, edited by Roberto Ohrt and Axel Heil

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    The Best Art Books of 2020 - Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly In League With The Night by Andrea Schlieker, Elizabeth Alexander, Isabella Maidment & Lynette Yiadom-Boakye

    2

    Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly In League With The Night
    by Andrea Schlieker, Elizabeth Alexander, Isabella Maidment & Lynette Yiadom-Boakye

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    The Best Art Books of 2020 - Walker Evans: Starting from Scratch by Svetlana Alpers

    3

    Walker Evans: Starting from Scratch
    by Svetlana Alpers

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    The Best Art Books of 2020 - Albers & Albers by Nicholas Fox Weber

    4

    Albers & Albers
    by Nicholas Fox Weber

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    The Best Art Books of 2020 - Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide by Mohamed Elshahed

    5

    Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide
    by Mohamed Elshahed

The Best Art Books of 2020, recommended by Romas Viesulas

Which art, architecture and photography books have we added to our library in 2020? Romas Viesulas, art & architecture editor at Five Books, takes us through his personal choice of beautiful reference books and biographies to add visual and conceptual interest to any well-appointed bookshelf.

    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Katharine Grant

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Narrow Land by Christine Dwyer Hickey

    1

    The Narrow Land
    by Christine Dwyer Hickey

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Parisian by Isabella Hammad

    2

    The Parisian
    by Isabella Hammad

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - To Calais, In Ordinary Time by James Meek

    3

    To Calais, In Ordinary Time
    by James Meek

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - Shadowplay by Joseph O'Conner

    4

    Shadowplay
    by Joseph O'Conner

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - The Redeemed by Tim Pears

    5

    The Redeemed
    by Tim Pears

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    The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist - A Sin of Omission by Marguerite Poland

    6

    A Sin of Omission
    by Marguerite Poland

The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist, recommended by Katharine Grant

Historical fiction is experiencing something of a golden age at present: there’s never been a better time to immerse oneself in the past. The acclaimed novelist Katharine Grant—chair of the judges for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction—talks us through their 2020 shortlist.

    The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Anne Osbourn

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    The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize - The Double X Economy: The Epic Potential of Empowering Women by Linda Scott

    1

    The Double X Economy: The Epic Potential of Empowering Women
    by Linda Scott

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    The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize - The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan

    2

    The Great Pretender
    by Susannah Cahalan

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    The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize - Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time by Gaia Vince

    3

    Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time
    by Gaia Vince

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    The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize - The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson

    4

    The Body: A Guide for Occupants
    by Bill Bryson

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    The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize - The World According to Physics by Jim Al-Khalili

    5

    The World According to Physics
    by Jim Al-Khalili

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    The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize - Explaining Humans: What Science Can Teach Us about Life, Love and Relationships by Camilla Pang

    6

    Explaining Humans: What Science Can Teach Us about Life, Love and Relationships
    by Camilla Pang

The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Anne Osbourn

The Royal Society is the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, dedicated to promoting excellence in science—and that includes an annual prize for the best popular science book. Here Professor Anne Osbourn, Fellow of the Royal Society and chair of this year’s judging panel, talks us through the six books that made the 2020 shortlist—and what makes them intriguing, accessible and exciting.

    The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - One Good Deed by David Baldacci

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    One Good Deed
    by David Baldacci

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Rag and Bone by Joe Clifford

    2

    Rag and Bone
    by Joe Clifford

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Recursion by Blake Crouch

    3

    Recursion
    by Blake Crouch

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

    4

    They All Fall Down
    by Rachel Howzell Hall

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - The Chain by Adrian McKinty

    5

    The Chain
    by Adrian McKinty

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Conviction by Denise Mina

    6

    Conviction
    by Denise Mina

The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

Every year, the International Thriller Writers awards highlight the best new thrillers of the previous year. Anthony Franze, administrator of the awards and an acclaimed thriller author in his own right, talks us through their 2020 shortlist for the best new thriller published in hardback.

    Best China Books of 2020, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom

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    Best China Books of 2020 - Aftershock: Essays from Hong Kong by Holmes Chan (editor)

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    Aftershock: Essays from Hong Kong
    by Holmes Chan (editor)

  • Read
    Best China Books of 2020 - Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang by James Millward

    2

    Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang
    by James Millward

  • Read
    Best China Books of 2020 - Forbidden Memory: Tibet during the Cultural Revolution by Susan Chen (translator) & Tsering Woeser

    3

    Forbidden Memory: Tibet during the Cultural Revolution
    by Susan Chen (translator) & Tsering Woeser

  • Read
    Best China Books of 2020 - Beijing from Below: Stories of Marginal Lives in the Capital's Center by Harriet Evans

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    Beijing from Below: Stories of Marginal Lives in the Capital's Center
    by Harriet Evans

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    Best China Books of 2020 - Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai by James Carter

    5

    Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai
    by James Carter

Best China Books of 2020, recommended by Jeffrey Wasserstrom

All eyes are on China as it occupies an increasingly important role on the world stage and its economic growth continues to barrel on. But behind the Chinese Communist Party’s apparent competence lies a deep insecurity about its relationship with its own citizens, particularly those who question its right to rule them. American historian and Sinologist Jeffrey Wasserstrom picks the best books of 2020 on China.

    The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize, recommended by Serhii Plokhy

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    The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize - The Return of the Russian Leviathan by Sergei Medvedev & Stephen Dalziel (translator)

    1

    The Return of the Russian Leviathan
    by Sergei Medvedev & Stephen Dalziel (translator)

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    The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize - Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait by Bathsheba Demuth

    2

    Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait
    by Bathsheba Demuth

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    The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize - Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future by Kate Brown

    3

    Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future
    by Kate Brown

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    The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize - Stalin's Scribe: Literature, Ambition, and Survival, the Life of Mikhail Sholokhov by Brian Boeck

    4

    Stalin's Scribe: Literature, Ambition, and Survival, the Life of Mikhail Sholokhov
    by Brian Boeck

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    The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize - This Thing of Darkness: Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible in Stalin's Russia by Joan Neuberger

    5

    This Thing of Darkness: Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible in Stalin's Russia
    by Joan Neuberger

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    The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize - An Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent by Owen Matthews

    6

    An Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent
    by Owen Matthews

The Best Russia Books: the 2020 Pushkin House Prize, recommended by Serhii Plokhy

Every year since 2013 the Russian Book Prize run by Pushkin House, a UK charity, has carried out the important task  of drawing attention to books that “encourage public understanding and intelligent debate about the Russian-speaking world.” Here, Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy, chair of this year’s judging panel, talks us through the books that made the 2020 shortlist.

    The Best Audiobooks of 2020, recommended by Robin Whitten

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    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator)

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    Vesper Flights
    by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator)

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - The Sandman by Dirk Maggs (audiobook adaptation), Full Cast & Neil Gaiman

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    The Sandman
    by Dirk Maggs (audiobook adaptation), Full Cast & Neil Gaiman

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    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - The Pull of the Stars: A Novel by Emma Donoghue & Emma Lowe (narrator)

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    The Pull of the Stars: A Novel
    by Emma Donoghue & Emma Lowe (narrator)

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    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - The Searcher: A Novel by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

    4

    The Searcher: A Novel
    by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

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    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Adam Lazarre-White (narrator) & Arshay Cooper

    5

    A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team
    by Adam Lazarre-White (narrator) & Arshay Cooper

The Best Audiobooks of 2020, recommended by Robin Whitten

With most people carrying smartphones these days, entering the world of audiobooks has never been easier. Some are straightforward narrations of a book, but when an audiobook is done well, it can be an extraordinary, all-encompassing experience. Here Robin Whitten, editor of AudioFile magazine—the best resource for finding good quality audiobooks on the web, in our view—talks us through her picks for the best audiobooks of 2020, chosen from the hundreds they’ve reviewed over the course of the year.

    The best books on Global Cultural Understanding: the 2020 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize, recommended by Patrick Wright

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    The best books on Global Cultural Understanding: the 2020 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize - Imperial Intimacies: A Tale of Two Islands by Hazel Carby

    1

    Imperial Intimacies: A Tale of Two Islands
    by Hazel Carby

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    The best books on Global Cultural Understanding: the 2020 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize - Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent by Priyamavada Gopal

    2

    Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent
    by Priyamavada Gopal

  • Read
    The best books on Global Cultural Understanding: the 2020 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize - Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power by Pekka Hämäläinen

    3

    Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power
    by Pekka Hämäläinen

  • Read
    The best books on Global Cultural Understanding: the 2020 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize - Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century by Charles King

    4

    Gods of the Upper Air: How a Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century
    by Charles King

  • Read
    The best books on Global Cultural Understanding: the 2020 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize - All Our Relations: Indigenous Trauma in the Shadow of Colonialism by Tanya Talaga

    5

    All Our Relations: Indigenous Trauma in the Shadow of Colonialism
    by Tanya Talaga

The best books on Global Cultural Understanding: the 2020 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize, recommended by Patrick Wright

Every year the British Academy's Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize is awarded to the best nonfiction book that has contributed to 'global cultural understanding.' This year, the legacies of colonization and empire loom large. Patrick Wright, Emeritus Professor at King's College London and chair of this year's panel of judges, talks us through the books shortlisted for the £25,000 prize.

    The Best Poetry Books of 2020, recommended by Alexandra Harris

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - The Air Year by Caroline Bird

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    The Air Year
    by Caroline Bird

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz

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    Postcolonial Love Poem
    by Natalie Diaz

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - I Want! I Want! by Vicki Feaver

    3

    I Want! I Want!
    by Vicki Feaver

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - Fury by David Morley

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    Fury
    by David Morley

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    The Best Poetry Books of 2020 - Tiger Girl by Pascale Petit

    5

    Tiger Girl
    by Pascale Petit

The Best Poetry Books of 2020, recommended by Alexandra Harris

Each year, the judges for the Forward Prize select a shortlist of the best new poetry books. In 2020, they chose five collections ranging in tone from epic love songs to domestic surrealism. Alexandra Harris, chair of the judges, tells us what they admired about each book.

    The Best Nature Books of 2020, recommended by Charles Foster

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    The Best Nature Books of 2020 - Wild Child: Coming Home to Nature by Patrick Barkham

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    Wild Child: Coming Home to Nature
    by Patrick Barkham

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    The Best Nature Books of 2020 - English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks

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    English Pastoral: An Inheritance
    by James Rebanks

  • Read
    The Best Nature Books of 2020 - Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

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    Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
    by Merlin Sheldrake

  • Read
    The Best Nature Books of 2020 - The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge by Jeffrey J Kripal

    4

    The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge
    by Jeffrey J Kripal

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    The Best Nature Books of 2020 - Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator)

    5

    Vesper Flights
    by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator)

The Best Nature Books of 2020, recommended by Charles Foster

Charles Foster—the barrister, ethicist and bestselling author of Being a Beast—selects five brilliant nature books that reflect a new boom in nature writing in 2020, many of which ask us to examine more closely the interconnectedness of all things.

    The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, recommended by Mark Athitakis

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    The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist - Five Days Gone: The Mystery of My Mother's Disappearance as a Child by Laura Cumming

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    Five Days Gone: The Mystery of My Mother's Disappearance as a Child
    by Laura Cumming

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    The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist - Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

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    Catch and Kill
    by Ronan Farrow

  • Read
    The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist - Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman

    3

    Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir
    by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman

  • Read
    The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist - Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob

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    Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations
    by Mira Jacob

  • Read
    The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist - Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

    5

    Know My Name: A Memoir
    by Chanel Miller

The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, recommended by Mark Athitakis

From a brave account by the Stanford rape case survivor Chanel Miller to New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow’s gripping tale of investigating the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it’s been a golden year for autobiography. Veteran critic Mark Athitakis talks us through the memoirs that made this year’s National Book Critics Circle autobiography shortlist.

    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020, recommended by Emily Connelly

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    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - ¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third, narrated by Gary Tiedemann

    1

    ¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat
    by Raúl the Third, narrated by Gary Tiedemann

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    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham

    2

    Overground Railroad
    by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, narrated by Faysal Ahmed (and full cast)

    3

    When Stars Are Scattered
    by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, narrated by Faysal Ahmed (and full cast)

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    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Guy Lockard

    4

    Before the Ever After
    by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Guy Lockard

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler

    5

    King and the Dragonflies
    by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler

The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020, recommended by Emily Connelly

Whether you’re on a car journey or sitting on the sofa together at home, listening to audiobooks with kids can be an incredible experience. Some will make you laugh, some will make you weep. Many will help us develop empathy for other human beings in the world around us. Here Emily Connelly, Assistant Editor at AudioFile, talks us through the magazine’s choices of the best audiobooks for kids of 2020.

    The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, recommended by Andrew Hill

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    The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award - No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Erin Meyer & Reed Hastings

    1

    No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention
    by Erin Meyer & Reed Hastings

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    The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award - Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Angus Deaton & Anne Case

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    Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism
    by Angus Deaton & Anne Case

  • Read
    The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award - A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond by Daniel Susskind

    3

    A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond
    by Daniel Susskind

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    The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award - If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future by Jill Lepore

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    If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future
    by Jill Lepore

  • Read
    The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award - No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier

    5

    No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram
    by Sarah Frier

  • Read
    The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award - Reimagining Capitalism: How Business Can Save the World by Rebecca Henderson

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    Reimagining Capitalism: How Business Can Save the World
    by Rebecca Henderson

The Best Business Books of 2020: the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, recommended by Andrew Hill

Whether you’re looking for ideas on how to run a successful business or books that look at the various challenges facing capitalist society, the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award is a great place to start. Andrew Hill, who with colleagues at the Financial Times sifted through hundreds of entries to compile the award’s longlist, talks us through the books that made the 2020 shortlist—as well as offering some predictions for the year ahead.

    Favourite Novels of 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Blue Ticket: A Novel by Sophie Mackintosh

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    Blue Ticket: A Novel
    by Sophie Mackintosh

  • Read
    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Cleanness by Garth Greenwell

    2

    Cleanness
    by Garth Greenwell

  • Read
    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

    3

    Piranesi
    by Susanna Clarke

  • Read
    Favourite Novels of 2020 - The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

    4

    The Mirror and the Light
    by Hilary Mantel

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    Favourite Novels of 2020 - Earthlings: A Novel by Sayaka Murata

    5

    Earthlings: A Novel
    by Sayaka Murata

Favourite Novels of 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn selects her favourite novels from among those published in 2020: the year of the lockdown, a time when many of us found escapism and solace between the covers of a book. Her own book, Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape, a work of literary nonfiction, is out in January.

    The Best Romance Books of 2020, recommended by Frannie Cassano

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

    1

    Undercover Bromance
    by Lyssa Kay Adams

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

    2

    The Boyfriend Project
    by Farrah Rochon

  • Read
    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Cowboy Come Home by Carly Bloom

    3

    Cowboy Come Home
    by Carly Bloom

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

    4

    Real Men Knit
    by Kwana Jackson

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    The Best Romance Books of 2020 - Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

    5

    Would I Lie to the Duke
    by Eva Leigh

The Best Romance Books of 2020, recommended by Frannie Cassano

The best romance books of 2020 (so far) as recommended by Frannie Cassano, winner of the 2018 RWA Cathie Linz Librarian of the Year award. After nearly two decades as a librarian, she remains an avid reader of romance and picks out her favourite ‘comfort reads’ from across the genre.

    The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, recommended by Mike Kendall

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    The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize - Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson & with Gregory Mone

    1

    Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry
    by Neil deGrasse Tyson & with Gregory Mone

  • Read
    The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize - Cats React to Science Facts by Izzi Howell

    2

    Cats React to Science Facts
    by Izzi Howell

  • Read
    The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize - In the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido

    3

    In the Key of Code
    by Aimee Lucido

  • Read
    The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize - How to Win a Nobel Prize by Barry Marshall, Bernard Caleo (illustrator) & with Lorna Hendry

    4

    How to Win a Nobel Prize
    by Barry Marshall, Bernard Caleo (illustrator) & with Lorna Hendry

  • Read
    The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize - Gut Garden: A journey into the wonderful world of your microbiome by Katie Brosnan

    5

    Gut Garden: A journey into the wonderful world of your microbiome
    by Katie Brosnan

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    The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize - Everyday Journeys Of Ordinary Things by Libby Deutsch & Valpuri Kerttula (illustrator)

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    Everyday Journeys Of Ordinary Things
    by Libby Deutsch & Valpuri Kerttula (illustrator)

The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, recommended by Mike Kendall

To find the best science books for kids, the judges of the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize look for books that are not only accurate but also entertaining. Mike Kendall, Professor of Geophysics at Oxford University and chair of this year’s judging panel, talks us through the six fabulous books that made the 2020 shortlist (the final winner will be chosen by the real experts: more than 13,000 kids).

    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Luster: A Novel by Raven Leilani

    1

    Luster: A Novel
    by Raven Leilani

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - All Men Want to Know by Nina Bouraoui

    2

    All Men Want to Know
    by Nina Bouraoui

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Sisters: A Novel by Daisy Johnson

    3

    Sisters: A Novel
    by Daisy Johnson

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Jack: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson

    4

    Jack: A Novel
    by Marilynne Robinson

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020 - Earthlings: A Novel by Sayaka Murata

    5

    Earthlings: A Novel
    by Sayaka Murata

Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Fall 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

After coronavirus-induced chaos threw publishing schedules out of whack earlier this year, fall 2020 is shaping up to be a bumper book season. But with hundreds of new titles flooding onto the shelves, it can be hard to identify those that are most deserving of your time. Here, Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn highlights some of the most anticipated new novels of the coming weeks.

    The Funniest Books of 2020, recommended by Pippa Evans

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Flake by Matthew Dooley

    1

    Flake
    by Matthew Dooley

  • Read
    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Nobber by Oisín Fagan

    2

    Nobber
    by Oisín Fagan

  • Read
    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane

    3

    Rules for Visiting
    by Jessica Francis Kane

  • Read
    The Funniest Books of 2020 - Weather: A Novel by Jenny Offill

    4

    Weather: A Novel
    by Jenny Offill

  • Read
    The Funniest Books of 2020 - 46% Better Than Dave by Alastair Puddick

    5

    46% Better Than Dave
    by Alastair Puddick

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    The Funniest Books of 2020 - House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild

    6

    House of Trelawney
    by Hannah Rothschild

The Funniest Books of 2020, recommended by Pippa Evans

Comedy offers escapism and a way of processing our emotions during stressful times, says the comedian Pippa Evans—who this year served as a judge for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. Here she talks us through the books shortlisted for the title of the funniest book of 2020, and explains how she found herself researching pig deliveries.

    Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books, recommended by Nigel Warburton

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    Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books - The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad by Emily Thomas

    1

    The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad
    by Emily Thomas

  • Read
    Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books - Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed by Lisa Duggan

    2

    Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed
    by Lisa Duggan

  • Read
    Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books - How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy by Daniel Kaufman, Massimo Pigliucci & Skye C Cleary

    3

    How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy
    by Daniel Kaufman, Massimo Pigliucci & Skye C Cleary

  • Read
    Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books - Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World by Timothy Garton Ash

    4

    Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World
    by Timothy Garton Ash

  • Read
    Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books - The Plague by Albert Camus

    5

    The Plague
    by Albert Camus

Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books, recommended by Nigel Warburton

From reflections on travel and searching for a personal philosophy to live by, to books on important aspects of democracy and contagious diseases, here’s British philosopher Nigel Warburton’s 2020 summer reading list. All the books you need to keep you thinking over the summer, whatever it may hold and wherever you may be.

    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Starling Days: A Novel by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

    1

    Starling Days: A Novel
    by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

    2

    Rainbow Milk
    by Paul Mendez

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

    3

    Exciting Times
    by Naoise Dolan

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Pew by Catherine Lacey

    4

    Pew
    by Catherine Lacey

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020 - Blue Ticket: A Novel by Sophie Mackintosh

    5

    Blue Ticket: A Novel
    by Sophie Mackintosh

Editors’ Picks: Notable Novels of Summer 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

No writer could resent you losing track of the new novels being published into the chaos of summer 2020 – with the world on lockdown and protestors taking to the streets. But fiction can offer respite from a relentless news cycle, writes Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn – and an opportunity to consider our own lives and choices through the prism of others’.

    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett Graff

    1

    The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001
    by Garrett Graff

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner

    2

    Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
    by Tony Kushner

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Becoming by Michelle Obama

    3

    Becoming
    by Michelle Obama

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

    4

    Charlotte's Web
    by E.B. White

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

    5

    The Dutch House
    by Ann Patchett

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Testaments: A Novel by Margaret Atwood

    6

    The Testaments: A Novel
    by Margaret Atwood

The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten

Every year, the Audie Awards celebrate the best audiobooks published over the previous year. Veteran audiobook reviewer Robin Whitten of AudioFile Magazine and Mary Burkey, who has served on multiple audiobook judging panels, explain what makes a good audiobook and talk us through the brilliant books that were finalists in the 2020 ‘Audiobook of the Year’ category.

    The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners, recommended by Krishna Grady

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    The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners - New Kid by Jerry Craft

    1

    New Kid
    by Jerry Craft

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    The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners - The Undefeated Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

    2

    The Undefeated
    Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

  • Read
    The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners - Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

    3

    Scary Stories for Young Foxes
    by Christian McKay Heidicker

  • Read
    The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners - Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

    4

    Other Words for Home
    by Jasmine Warga

  • Read
    The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners - Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D Williams

    5

    Genesis Begins Again
    by Alicia D Williams

The Best Children’s Books: The 2020 Newbery Medal and Honor Winners, recommended by Krishna Grady

After reading hundreds of newly published books and asking children and adults alike for their input, the winners of the 2020 Newbery Medal and Honors have been chosen. Librarian and chair of the selection committee Krishna Grady introduces us to the best new children’s books that will surprise, delight and hold your kid’s attention—including the first graphic novel to ever win the award.

    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - Cleanness by Garth Greenwell

    1

    Cleanness
    by Garth Greenwell

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - Weather: A Novel by Jenny Offill

    2

    Weather: A Novel
    by Jenny Offill

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    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

    3

    The Mirror and the Light
    by Hilary Mantel

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - Death in Her Hands: A Novel by Ottessa Moshfegh

    4

    Death in Her Hands: A Novel
    by Ottessa Moshfegh

  • Read
    Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020 - The Glass Hotel: A Novel by Emily St John Mandel

    5

    The Glass Hotel: A Novel
    by Emily St John Mandel

Editors’ Picks: Notable New Novels of Early 2020, recommended by Cal Flyn

Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn rounds up the most hotly anticipated new novels of early 2020, including the final instalment in Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy and new work from the authors of Dept. of Speculation, Eileen and Station Eleven.

    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

    1

    Hey, Kiddo
    by Jarrett Krosoczka

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - Lovely War by Julie Berry

    2

    Lovely War
    by Julie Berry

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - On The Come Up by Angie Thomas

    3

    On The Come Up
    by Angie Thomas

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

    4

    With the Fire on High
    by Elizabeth Acevedo

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

    5

    Like a Love Story
    by Abdi Nazemian

The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten

Audiobooks are a great way to keep teenagers entertained and informed. Mary Burkey, an expert on kids’ audiobooks, and Robin Whitten, editor and founder of AudioFile magazine, talk us through the wonderful titles that were finalists in this year’s Audie Awards in the ‘young adult’ category.

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