Here is my list of the Best Books of 2020! Thanks to these “unprecedented times” and a thing called Covid that basically shut the whole world down for most of the year, I read over 200 books in 2020!! So narrowing it down to a Top 10 was NOT going to happen.

I am going to break these down by genre in later posts, with my top 10 Historical Fiction books, Top 5 YA, Top 5 Fantasy, Top 5 Contemporary Fiction, and Top 5 Memoir/Nonfiction. But for now, here are my Best Books of 2020 in ALL categories.

In no particular order, these are the Best Books of 2020 Winners!

• Where The Lost Wander Amy Harmon – historical fiction chronicling life on the Oregon Trail in 1853.
• The Beekeeper of Allepo by Christy Lefteri – historical fiction following a husband + wife who become refugees when they are forced to flee Syria
• Crave by Tracy Wolff – a fun YA vampire romp filled with magical beings and teen drama, set at a boarding school in Alaska.
• Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga – a sweet YA story about a girl and her mother who move to America to escape war in Syria
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – a thought provoking and original tale that asks the question “What If?”
• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn – a magical YA fantasy book that blends Arthurian legend with black magic
• The Burning God by R.F. Kaung – the final book in the Poppy Wars trilogy
• Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko – YA fantasy rooted in West African mythology
• Born A Crime by Trevor Noah – a hilarious memoir of this comedians childhood in South Africa
• Beach Read by Emily Henry – women’s fiction that looks at love, loss, and surrender.
• They Went Left by Monica Hesse – a YA historical fiction that follows a girl in post war Germany looking for her brother. A beautiful look at PTSD and grief.
• How To Be Anti Racist by Ibram X – an in depth look at dismantling systematic racism that combines historical analysis and personal experience 
• The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune – a fun, joyful warm hug of a book that explores deeper themes of phobia and hatred in a magical way.
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab – a girl who chooses to live forever but never be remembered gets to make her mark in history
• Know My Name by Chanel Miller – an honest portrait of one rape survivors journey to healing
• The Paris Hours by Alex George– a multi POV historical fiction tale set in Paris
• The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd – a gorgeous tale of the imagined wife of Jesus
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – a powerful story of race, gender, and our desire to belong

My #1 FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL in 2020 was:

• The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare – this beautiful book chronicles the life and dreams of a young Nigerian woman

You may be wondering how did I pick these? These were not only 5 star reads for me, these are books that made me FEEL something. Whether I laughed or cried, these books made me think long after it was closed. Many of these books were from the #mommaleighellensbookclub book chats I host. I think they rose to the top not only because they were amazing books, but the reading experience was heightened by reading with others and taking the time to discuss the books.

You can also LISTEN to any and all of these books via Libro.FM! The coolest thing about Libro.FM audio books is the purchase supports your local bookstore.

If you want to read with me, I host a bookclub each month via Book of The Month. There are two ways to sign up! Either have them ship what I pick each month automatically here. Or you can join and choose your own. If you want to join my book club, let me know below or simply sign up for my newsletter! You can also send me a DM on Instagram. You can view more of my reviews on my blog. And check out LAST YEARS WINNERS!