I read 69 books last year and here are my favorite fiction reads of 2020:

1. My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due – I’ve had this book on my to-read list for years and finally tracked it down. Worth the wait! It’s a horror/sci-fi story about immortals that’s very reminiscent of Octavia Butler. It has an effortless quality and sucks you in. While it works as a standalone, it’s also part of a four-book series that’s worth checking out (I’m currently on the fourth installment).
2. The Trials of Koli by M.R. Carey – I’m a sucker for post-apocalyptic fiction, and the Koli series is just perfect. It’s got a bizarre voice that takes a little getting used to, but the world and ethos is fascinating and fun. This is actually the second installment, but I liked it better than the first.
3. Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer – I’m also a sucker for AI stories. Based on a short story about an AI who likes cat photos, this novel creates a bigger world around that concept that manages to be intriguing and funny without getting lost in the YA trappings. The sequel comes out this year and I’ve already got it pre-ordered.
4. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal – This was our last book club book before the pandemic descended, and it was an incredible story centered on food. I’m usually not much of a foodie and wouldn’t be interested in the topic, but this one was really captivating.
5. Network Effect by Martha Wells – After four novellas focused on the Murderbot, Wells gives us an entire novel. And it’s fun (I said I’m a sucker for AI stories). There are a couple points where it slows down and drags a little, but overall it’s fast-paced Murderbot fun.
6. The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey – Seems like cheating to give this series two spots on the list, but they were among my favorites of the year. The first one does an amazing job of setting up the world (oh yeah, and it has AI as well—double whammy of AI and post-apocalyptic). I think the end drags a bit, which is why I liked the sequel better.
7. A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen – It’s really weird to read a book about a global pandemic that kills 70% of the population in a year when a global pandemic kicks off. That eerie bit aside, this was a fascinating story about the aftermath of a pandemic.
8. The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson – This is kind of post-apocalyptic, but more than anything it’s a multi-verse story. It has some fun twists and turns and was enjoyable mostly because it was so unexpected.
9. The Regional Office Is Under Attack by Manuel Gonzalez – This wacky super spy story was riveting from the first page. The ending was kind of a letdown, which is why it slipped so low on this list, but the reading experience was pretty great.
10. Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey – A sci-fi/western with a little post-apocalypse thrown in (sense a theme?), this story was a fun, quick read. It’s sticks in my mind mostly as being the type of book that got me back into reading. I read it in July, after a few months of having a really hard time getting into books. The blurb sounded fun (“Are you a coward or a librarian?) and it came quickly when I requested it from the library. Just what I needed when I needed it.

Honorable mentions:

• The Rise of Io by Wesley Chu for rebooting/continuing a series and possibly being better than the original (The Lives of Tao).
• Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainer Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks – Forget zombies, vampires, and killer robots. We haven’t had a pop culture obsession with sasquatch yet. This would be a good start.
• Famous Men Who Never Lived by K Chess took the multiple world setup and really ran with it. I listened to the audio book while also reading The Space Between Worlds, which made for a really bizarre pairing.

More Reading

If you want to read more, check out my booklet 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading Again.

And how about previous top 10 fiction lists: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.