We love books. Old-fashioned, weigh-your-handbag-down books. There’s something quite magical about bookmarking your way through printed pages and we’d like to share our love of reading with you, by hunting out good books to read in 2020.
This year is shaping up to be an exciting year for reading enthusiasts, with some much-anticipated novels already hitting stores, from a gripping tale of personal stories of war interwoven with historical fact in A Long Petal of the Sea, to an intriguing exploration of Jane Austen’s relationship with her sister in Miss Austen, by Gill Hornby.
Cecelia Ahern’s Postscript hit the shelves late last year too, telling the continued story of Holly Kennedy, from PS, I Love You – and it’s a delightfully heart-warming read. If you didn’t manage to catch it in 2019, it’s definitely one for your 2020 reading list.
Each month, the team here at w&h pick the best books to add to your reading list. And, whether you’re looking for a thriller, romance or something to pull at your heartstrings, there’s sure to be something that takes your fancy on our list of good books to read this year…
Where We Belong by Anstey Harris
Anstey Harris doesn’t flinch from shining a light on some of the most difficult situations anyone can face, but she does it with warmth and compassion. She’s also very good at flipping assumptions. Cate is a mum and a wife, but both roles have brought major challenges. When her life changes beyond recognition, she has to draw on all her reserves to secure a future for herself and her son. With a crumbling museum, a Mrs Danvers-like guardian and simmering romance, it’s a beautiful story of love, loss and resilience.
What’s Left Of Me Is Yours by Stephanie Scott
Set in Tokyo, Satō hires Kaitarō (a breaker-upper) to seduce his wife in order to gain the advantage in divorce proceedings. He assumes it will be a quick, easy case. Yet his wife, Rina, is not the woman he thought she was. Inspired by a real-life situation, this spellbinding tale about the marriage break-up industry in Japan has devastating consequences.
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
From the author of The Sober Diaries comes Clare Pooley’s first novel, which introduces us to a group of intriguing characters – and none of them are quite what they seem. Flamboyant artist Julian Jessop is stricken with guilt about his past. Wanting to share his truth, he writes it in a green notebook and leaves it for someone to find, but he could never imagine the impact it will have on the people it reaches. In a heartfelt and ultimately joyous read, we learn what it means to open up to who we really are.
Dear Life, Rachel Clarke
Particularly poignant right now, doctors try to cure people’s illnesses, but when they can’t, many of them struggle to help patients cope with the approach of death. That’s why kind, compassionate, palliative care is so vital, and this astonishing book by Doctor Clarke will make you re-evaluate your own life and priorities. Deeply moving.
Saving Missy, Beth Morrey
In what’s been described as a ‘coming of old’ story, we meet prickly Millicent (Missy). Grieving for her husband, with a son living in Australia and a daughter she hasn’t spoken to for a year, she is lonely. That is until she meets two very different women – along with Bobby the adoring dog – who help her realise it doesn’t have to be that way. Featuring a cast of flawed but lovable characters, this is a story
of friendship and having a second chance at life – one to savour.
Miss Austen, Gill Hornby
In this subtle and delicate novel, Gill Hornby has created a clever, warm-hearted character in Cassandra, Jane Austen’s sister. Cassandra is on a mission to recover letters sent by Jane to relatives before they can be publicly exposed. We follow her through youth and old age, and emerge closer to the genius of one sister and the loving devotion of the other.
A Long Petal of the Sea, Isabel Allende
A gripping novel for our times, this confirms – again – that Allende is a consummate storyteller. Starting at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, and ending in 1994, we follow two remarkable characters – Roser and Victor – as they flee Franco’s dictatorship and board a ship to Chile, commissioned by the poet Pablo Neruda. Historical fact is exquisitely interwoven with personal stories as families are displaced by war, torn apart and reunited. A stunning portrayal of love, courage and hope.
Three Women, Lisa Taddeo
A book centred around the unmet needs of three women – Lina, who wanted to be desired and isn’t, Maggie, who wanted to be understood but is instead hated, and Sloane, who wanted to be admired, but is seen as a sexual object. A fascinating look into the worlds of three different women.
The Tenth Muse, Catherine Chung
December’s Book of the Month is The Tenth Muse. Katherine has always felt like an outsider in her community, both as the child of an interracial relationship and as a gifted mathematician. Guiding the reader deftly through her family history, Katherine’s own life becomes the ultimate puzzle as discoveries lead her to examine who she really is. A truly spellbinding read.
The Vanished Bride, Bella Ellis
If you’re a fan of the Brontë sisters, you’re sure to love this imaginative novel featuring Charlotte, Emily and Anne as super-sleuths. When Elizabeth Chester goes missing from Chester Grange leaving behind two children and a pool of blood, the sister set about becoming ‘lady detectors’, which isn’t easy as women in the 19th century. A classic murder mystery that brings the Brontës to life.
Postscript by Cecelia Ahern
Seventeen years after PS, I Love You comes the long-awaited sequel, set seven years after the death of Holly Kennedy’s husband Gerry. She is stronger than ever, until she’s approached by the PS, I Love You club. She soon becomes so involved that her fresh start seems precarious. If only she could find a way to honour his memory without compromising all she has rebuilt. Poignant, warm and hopefully, this is a delightful read.
Platform Seven by Louise Doughty
Watching a stranger approach the edge of the platform, ghost Lisa Evans is powerless to prevent what is about to happen. She is also unsettled by the feeling there must be a connection between this coming death and her own. Determined to seek out the truth, she guesses it can’t be worse than not knowing – or can it? Doughty’s eerie and atmospheric writing combines a calm assurance with sinister darkness.
The School Run by Helen Whitaker
Imogen and Lily are old friends who shared everything, but when they both move to the same area and the local ‘outstanding’ school only has one place, what lengths will they go to for their children? From fake marriage break-ups to moving house and ‘getting in’ with the vicar, it’s a frank and funny account that’ll resonate with many parents. Prepare to laugh and cringe in equal measure.
The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney
After his wife Abbie’s tragic accident, tech genius Tim Scott becomes obsessed with recreating her in AI form. With her memories completely intact and her appearance identical, the new ‘Abbie’ begins to assume her namesake’s place as dutiful wife and mother. But meeting Tim’s expectations takes a heavy toll and other memories start creeping back. The narrative complexity, characterisation and gradual unravelling of the truth is a triumph of pacing and suspense.
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Francis Gleeson and his wife Lena welcome a new couple, the Stanhopes, to their neighbourhood in upstate New York. But while the men have common ground, Anne Stanhope makes her distaste for Lena plain from the start. As the years wear on, the combination of love and violence that binds these two families together becomes the ultimate test of human decency. A powerful tale.
Love, Unscripted by Owen Nicholls
The perfect read for film enthusiasts, Nicholls’s debut novel follows projectionist Nick, whose idealised view of love is challenged when his girlfriend suddenly moves out. Nick must now confront his new reality, but will he ever understand where it all went wrong? In this refreshing take on the typical boy-meets-girl romance, Nicholls celebrates the genre, while never missing an opportunity to make it his own. An unmissable, multi-layered read.
