Goodreads Staffers Share Their Top Three Books of the Year

Posted by Sharon on December 1, 2020
Gift Guide2019

 
Every December, as we wrap up our annual Goodreads Reading Challenge, we ask our book-loving colleagues a simple yet incredibly tough question:
 
What were your three favorite books you read this year?

Oh, the agony! The internal debates! The anguish we caused our coworkers as they whittled down their lists to just their top few books! Hopefully our carefully considered staff picks will inspire additions to your Want to Read shelf.

You'll notice that our reading habits run the gamut. But careful perusal unveils some office favorites, including lots of love for The Vanishing Half, the novels of Yaa Gyasi, and Ijeoma Oluo's So You Want to Talk About Race.

Now it's your turn! What are your top three books of the year? Please share them with us in the comments!


Cybil Wallace, Senior Editor
Bella Wong, Account Manager
Jeff Wong, iOS Developer
Veronica Moss, CEO
Danny Feekes, Managing Editor
Dana Epstein, Account Executive
Margo Throckmorton, Senior Account Manager
Dave Ignacio, Senior Software Development Engineer
Steve Sarner, VP of Ad Sales
Roshni Patel, Senior Marketing Manager
Sam Julian, Senior Product Designer
Sandy Lo, Expert Program Manager
Robin-Lee Moos, Support Team Manager
Shaun Ponting, Program Manager
Jaclyn Woods, Content Strategist
Emily Finley, Director of Operations
Sharon Hsu, Associate Editor
Nimmy Matthew, Software Engineering Manager, Mobile Apps 
Cai Quesada Salazar, Program Manager
Libby Roin, VP of Product
Heino Colyn, Program Manager
Lauren Deyce, Instructional Designer
Lisa Jablonsky, Sales Director
Brooke Ginnard, Visual Designer
Laurie Foucteau, Goodreads Expert
Pushpita Karmakar, Software Engineer
Bryce Weitzel, Head of Sales Development and Marketing
Megan Dormoy, Executive Assistant to the CEO
Sam Nirenberg, Financial Analyst
Jon Nguyen, Product Manager
Mimi Chan, Senior Marketing Manager
Suzanne Skyvara, VP of Marketing and Editorial
Pooja Desai, Software Development Engineer
Manju Abburi, Software Development Manager
Juan Pablo A. Fuentes, Goodreads Expert
Erin Mari Kelsey, Program Manager
Mariana Gamboa, Goodreads Expert
Soma Mitra, Senior Product Manager
Julie De Lorenzo, Software Development Engineer
Michelle Xue, VP of Engineering
Brian Colombini, Software Development Engineer
Liza Wolfaardt, Goodreads Expert
Matt Popovich, Frontend Engineer
Alexander Reyes, Revenue Operations Associate
Priscilla S. Guido, Account Manager

Your turn! What are your top three reads of 2020? Share them with us in the comments!

Check out more recent articles:
Readers' Most Anticipated Books of December
33 Reader Approved, Highly Rated Fiction to Discover Now
Goodreads Members Suggest: Favorite Very Quick Reads

Comments Showing 201-250 of 314 (314 new)


message 201: by Jude (last edited Dec 05, 2020 11:38PM) (new)

Jude My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
The Offing by Benjamin Meyers
Miss Iceland by Auour Ava Olafsdotttir


message 202: by nonanon (new)

nonanon The Adventurer's Son by Roman Dial
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...


message 203: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie The Book of Longings, Becoming, Such a Fun Age


message 204: by Ally (new)

Ally Goodwin Efren Divided by Cisneros
All Systems Red by Wells
Fountains of Silence by Sepetus


message 205: by Linda (new)

Linda Clapham Best read of the year is
Fast Fashion and Flaneurs by Henry Cornes.
A Masterpiece


message 206: by Agnese (new)

Agnese Ready Player One
Caraval
11/22/1963


message 207: by Sophie (new)

Sophie Pitches The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
The Testaments - Margaret Atwood
Rebecca - Daphne de Maurier


message 208: by Gary (new)

Gary Shea 2020 My Best Reads
1. THE PLAYER OF GAMES by Iain M. Banks
2. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by J. K. Rowling
3. (Tied) DISTURBANCE by Philippe Lançon and
MACROSCOPE by Piers Anthony


Stella (NotAnEarlyBird) The Starless Sea
What is a girl worth
The Mistborn Trilogy (sorry, I can't separate them)


message 210: by Faith (new)

Faith 1. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet
3. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré


message 211: by [deleted user] (new)

1) GBH by Ted Lewis
2) The Happy Return by C.S. Forester
3) Waverley by Sir Walter Scott


message 212: by Ashe (new)

Ashe Green lights - Matthew 1. McConoughay
2. Honeybee - Craig Silvey
3. The Bronze Horseman - Paulina Simmons


message 213: by Meg (new)

Meg I. 1) Writers and Lovers
2) Anxious People
3) The Silence of the Girls


message 214: by Charlotte (new)

Charlotte Guzman The Secrets Between Us by: Thrity Umrigar
We Were the Lucky Ones by: Georgia Hunter
November Road by: Lou Berney


message 215: by Pam (new)

Pam 1. The Splendid and The Vile - Erik Larson
2. Seven Lies - Elizabeth Kay
3. The Children - David Halberstam


message 216: by Clare (new)

Clare G. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Ruin by John Gwynne


message 217: by Dee (new)

Dee Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo


message 218: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie The Historian- Elizabeth Kostova
The Starless Sea- Erin Morgenstern
The House in the Cerulean Sea- T.J. Klune


message 219: by Jennice (new)

Jennice Mckillop 1. The Underground Railway by Colson Whitehead
2. Conclave by Robert Harris
3. Code Talker by Chester Nez


message 220: by Jennice (new)

Jennice Mckillop John wrote: "1) A Better Man by Louise Penny
2) The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
3) Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens"


Great choices. Was a bit disappointed in #1 but enjoyed it nonetheless .


message 221: by Julie (new)

Julie 1) The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt
2) The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larsen
3) The Library Book by Susan Orlean


message 222: by Laila (new)

Laila The Vanishing Half - Britt Bennett
Real Life - Brandon Taylor
Red White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston


message 223: by Jackie (new)

Jackie Potgieter Daisy Jones & the Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid; The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead; An Orchestra of Minorities - Chogozie Obioma


message 224: by shannon (new)

shannon Top three reads of 2020::
Valentine
The Bear
The Only Good Indians


message 225: by Vikas (last edited Dec 09, 2020 11:14AM) (new)

Vikas Being Reshma The Extraordinary Story of an Acid-Attack Survivor who Took the World by Storm by Reshma Qureshi - Being Reshma: The Extraordinary Story of an Acid-Attack Survivor who Took the World by Storm

The Anarchy The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire by William Dalrymple - The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire

What We Talk About When We Talk about Rape by Sohaila Abdulali - What We Talk About When We Talk about Rape


message 226: by Heather (new)

Heather Wilding by Isabella Tree
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
The Obesity Code by Jason Fung


message 227: by Jenny Baker (new)

Jenny Baker The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier


message 228: by Mary (new)

Mary The Mirror & The Light, Anxious People, Becoming


message 229: by Dawn (new)

Dawn 1. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
2. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab
3. Perfect Peace by Daniel Black


message 230: by Joe (new)

Joe Holzer Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
The Big Goodbye by Sam Wasson


message 231: by Barbara (new)

Barbara Hale 1. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton; 2. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins; 3. Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow


message 232: by Jessica (new)

Jessica Anne Frank; the Diary of a Young Girl
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Keep Going by Austin Kleon
The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking


message 233: by Elise (new)

Elise Not done with reading just yet, but looking over all I've read so far, I feel like I didn't read anything that absolutely blew me away, but here's my choice for my top 3 favorites

Wool Omnibus
A Darker Shade of Magic
Mexican Gothic


message 234: by Daisy (new)

Daisy 1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
2. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
3. The Elected Member by Bernice Reubens


message 235: by [deleted user] (new)

read a ton of books, but none come to mind...


message 236: by Char (new)

Char The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
The Huntress by Kate Quinn
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo


message 237: by Darci (new)

Darci Day 1. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
2. A Darker Shade of Magic VE Schwab
3. The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien


message 238: by Joey (new)

Joey A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides


message 239: by Sherilyn (new)

Sherilyn The Moth Presents Occasional Magic
Migrations
Where the Forest Meets the Stars


message 240: by Maryam (new)

Maryam My top 3 reads (Two of them are series; don't judge):

Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

Warcross Duology by Marie Lu

The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner


message 241: by Suze (new)

Suze Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine / Gail Honeyman
City of Thieves / David Benioff
The Weight of Ink / Rachel Kadish


message 242: by Christelle (new)

Christelle 1 The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
2 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
3 Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

In French
4 Sorcières by Mona Chollet
5 La Maison by Emma Becker


message 243: by via (new)

via 1) Crave by Tracy Wolff
2) The Wicked King by Holly Black
3) Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout


message 244: by Norah (new)

Norah Peter 1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
2. Two Part Invention: The Story of a Marriage by Madeline L'engle
3. The Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami


message 245: by Rebecca (new)

Rebecca 1) The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
2) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
3) Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare


message 246: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl Once Upon A River, Setterfield
Shuggie Bain, Stuart
Deacon King Kong, McBride


message 247: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl American Dirt, The Exiles and The Book of Longings


message 248: by Hattie (new)

Hattie The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
This Tender Land by Wm Kent Krueger (reread)


message 249: by Jind (last edited Dec 12, 2020 02:44PM) (new)

Jind 1) Forest of Firelights by Shari L. Tapscott
2) The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
3) Tigers Curse by Colleen Houck
4) The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
5) Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
6) Wolve's Queen by Jen L. Grey
7) Winter by Audrey Grey
8) Princess Ballot by Jaymin Eve
9) Divergent by Veronica Roth
10) Magic Forged by K.M. Shea

All of them are series :)


message 250: by Greg (new)

Greg Jackie wrote: "Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Lesser Bohemians by Eimar Mcbride"


Oh, I LOVED Lesser Bohemians. An original Irish voice, so of course one expects brilliance.


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