FP Staff List: The Best Books of the Worst Year...
It was the best of books, it was the worst of times…
From Cathy Park Hong’s MINOR FEELINGS to Kacen Callender’s FELIX EVER AFTER,
here are the books that got the FP staff through 2020.
Minor Feelings
by Cathy Park Hong (One World)
Relentless and razor-sharp, and yet so undeniably funny—I remember certain lines and scenes from this book perfectly and they still make me laugh. This book has been heaped with praise and rightfully so (I was lucky enough to "rave" about it too), so really all there is to do is read it yourself.
—Jisu
Take a Hint, Dani Brown
by Talia Hibbert (HarperCollins)
You know that feeling when you read an author and you can't WAIT to read everything they've ever written? That's me with Talia Hibbert times a million. The second in a must-read series, TAKE A HINT, DANI BROWN is funny, romantic, and so charming. A highlight of 2020 for sure!
—Lucia
Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women
by Kate Manne (Crown)
Throughout the 2020 election cycle and coronavirus roller coaster, Manne's fierce clarity about the nature of misogyny and how it impacts our lives rings true.
—Jamia
Writers & Lovers
by Lily King (Grove)
WRITERS & LOVERS is utterly immersive, plunging you into a fully realized world from the first line. With a deft hand, it deals in existential crises of identity, belonging, grief, and purpose. At its core lies a book about writing—the kind that fills you with a longing to put your pen to paper (or, let's be real, fingers to keyboard) and never stop.
—Maddie
Hurricane Season
by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes (New Directions)
A book with a mood and ferocity to match the times—I read it early in the year, and it's stayed with me since. It is unsparing in its violence and told in only eight long paragraphs, but it pulls you trancelike into a very intense reading experience.
—Nick
This book is just like a hurricane! Melchor's translated novel centers a murder mystery––in a fictional but allusive town in Mexico––that also exposes deep-rooted misogyny and violence in the most mindblowingly expansive narrative and surreal writing. A heavy-duty 2020 gem that is mostly dark, but also hopeful––much like the year itself.
—Radhika
Temporary
by Hilary Leichter (Coffeehouse)
I loved this book cover to cover. Philosophical and funny and completely absurd, it helped my mind out of a creative rut that lasted most of 2020 and it could help yours too!
—Drew
From the first page to the last, TEMPORARY is a deliciously indulgent read. Leichter's clever wordplay and compact world-building makes for a story that's equal parts funny, tragic, and profound.
—Rachel
The City We Became
By N. K. Jemisin (Orbit Books)
Having devoured the Broken Earth and Inheritance trilogies, I knew this book would be a no-brainer. I mean, this is N. K. Jemisin's love letter to New York City, and what better year for us to get sentimental than 2020! Did I mention there are monsters?
—Lauren
Felix Ever After
by Kacen Callender (Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins)
The protagonist Felix is a messy, raw, character who is struggling with his identity as Black, queer, and trans, all while searching for his first love. FELIX EVER AFTER is such a great balance of hardship, hope, and happiness, and has the sweetest ending I have ever read. A perfect way to spread love in 2020.
—Miloni
And of course we recommend every FP book from this year! Here are the books we published in 2020:
