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:
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33 Reader Approved, Highly Rated Fiction to Discover Now
Goodreads Members Suggest: Favorite Very Quick Reads

Comments Showing 251-300 of 314 (314 new)


message 251: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly A gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Invisible Women: Data bias in a world designed for men by Caroline Criado Perez
West with the night by Beryl Markham


message 252: by D.J. (new)

D.J. Mitchell The Dutch House; My Dark Vanessa; and Becoming Duchess Goldblatt.


message 253: by Pen&Quill (new)

Pen&Quill  Read While I'll never admit to picking a favorite book (many have tried ) I've narrowed down my top 3 of 2020. Boy where has the year gone?!?!. Ok so the criteria for my "Top3" is #1, how much fun I had reading#2, if I read it more then once#3, impact on me as a reader.
So with out further ado, and in no particular order Quill's top books of 2020 are.......
#1. Tumble &Blue by Cassie Beasley
#2. Home of the brave by Kathrine Applegate.
#3. Some kind of happiness by Claire Legrand
Here's to a happy and healthy New years, hopefully filled with lots more fun books.
Happy reading everyone!!!


message 254: by Pen&Quill (new)

Pen&Quill  Read Pen's top 3 books of 2020,
#1 nevermoore, the trails of morrigan crow.
#2. The reluctant duchess.
#3. The forgotten book.
(#4. Savvy by Ingrid law🤫)


message 255: by Joe (new)

Joe K I can’t put these in order, it was hard enough to narrow it down to three:
Piranesi
The Death of Vivek Oji
Words of Radiance


message 256: by Nathan (new)

Nathan Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Finnegan's Wake


message 257: by Carol (new)

Carol The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard
My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris
The Boy, The Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesey


message 258: by Meliney (new)

Meliney Deacon King Kong by McBride
A Prayer for the Dying by O'Nan
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Richardson


message 259: by Rebecca (new)

Rebecca Lori wrote: "Once upon a river by Diane Setterfield
The Selkie by Melanie Jackson"


I dearly love Once Upon A River!


message 260: by Bill (new)

Bill Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski: Lot by Bryan Washington; and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney


message 261: by Tracy (new)

Tracy Shields 1. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
2. House of Hades by Rick Riordan
3. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare


message 262: by Tonya (new)

Tonya The Giver of Stars
Overstory
Temperance Creek


message 263: by Alexandra (new)

Alexandra Gates "Three Hours" by Rosamund Lupton, "Time For Mercy" by John Grisham, "The Curator" by M.W Craven.


message 264: by Chris (new)

Chris S 1. Deep State - Chris Hauty
2. The Terminal List - Jack Carr
3. The Orphan Collector - Ellen Marie Wiseman


message 265: by ninamo (new)

ninamo The Overstory by Richard Powers
The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig


message 266: by marjorie (new)

marjorie lecker Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
The Mirror and The Light by Hilary Mantel


message 267: by Sam (last edited Dec 27, 2020 01:15AM) (new)

Sam 1: Anxious People
2: Fable by Adrienne Young , 3: Kings of the Wyld


message 268: by Eric C 1965 (new)

Eric C 1965 Books actually written in 2020: 1. The Lost History of Western Civilization, 2. What is a Girl Worth?, 3. Cynical Theories, Books written late 2019: 1. The Madness of the Crowds, 2. The Only Plane in the Sky, 3. Coronavirus and Christ


message 269: by Jessica (new)

Jessica 1) To Kill a Mockingbird
2) The Harbinger (Jonathan Cahn)
3 The Christian Manifesto (Francis Schaffer)


message 270: by DTK (new)

DTK This is, by far, my favorite post of the years by the GoodReads editorial, I just got so many good ideias of readings, love it


message 271: by rachel (new)

rachel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
The Harder They Come by T.C. Boyle


message 272: by Linda (new)

Linda Sodoma McKeveny 1. The God of Small Things
2. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
3. All the Light We Cannot See


message 273: by Tundrabiking (new)

Tundrabiking very nice


message 274: by Silvi (new)

Silvi The Starless Sea - Erin Morgenstern
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
Into the Magic Shop - James R. Doty


message 275: by David (new)

David 1) The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
2) Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
3) Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge


message 276: by Beth (new)

Beth 1) 1Q84
2) War and Peace
3) The Windup Bird Chronicle


message 277: by Mariah (new)

Mariah 1. “Black Like Me” by John Howard Griffin
2. “The Dark Side of Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Creativity, Brilliance and Dreams” by Debbie Ford
3. “Chickenhawk” by Robert Mason


message 279: by Alison Rose (new)

Alison Rose Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Ace by Angela Chen


message 280: by Tammy (new)

Tammy A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Death Comes to the Archbiship by Willa Cather


message 281: by Ha (new)

Ha Young 1. Circe
2. Educated
3. The Monk of Mokha


message 282: by Ole (last edited Dec 27, 2020 01:38PM) (new)

Ole Andreasen .
.
1. The Sundown Motel - by Simone St. James.
2. A time of Perfect Change - by Leslye Marks
3. The Beginner´s Goodbye - by Anne Tyler


message 283: by Marilyn (new)

Marilyn A Gentleman in Moscow
How to Be an AntiRacist
The Dutch House


message 284: by Panda (new)

Panda Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One - All three book this year!

Snow, Glass, Apples Neil Gaiman's understated gem.

The Lie Lost Agatha Christie play, short but stabs you in the heart.


message 285: by Spring (new)

Spring Ackerman-Altman A Promised Land
The House in the Cerulean Sea
The Night Portrait


message 286: by Moira (new)

Moira 1. In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ihiro Tanizaki
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
3. The Secret History by Donna Tartt


message 287: by Katherine (last edited Dec 27, 2020 04:18PM) (new)

Katherine Hayward Pérez This is such a hard choice to make! I have reviewed lots of great ARCs this year.

My top three are:

Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You by Annie Lyons

What If? by Shari Low

The Christmas Swap by Sandy Barker.

I also reviewed Homegoing on my blog: https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.c...

My review of The Henna Artist, Confessions on the 7:45 and so many other books are on my blog too.


message 288: by Sophie (new)

Sophie Bjorkhart The Changeling by Victor LaValle
The Beauty in Breaking by Michelle Harper
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones


message 289: by Katherine (new)

Katherine Hayward Pérez Norah wrote: "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"


When Breath Becomes Air is excellent


message 290: by Katherine (new)

Katherine Hayward Pérez David wrote: "1) The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
2) Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
3) Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge"


I liked Daisy Jones and the Six too


message 291: by Katherine (new)

Katherine Hayward Pérez ninamo wrote: "The Overstory by Richard Powers
The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig"


The Midnight Library sounds so good!


message 292: by Joan (new)

Joan Foss 1, American Dirt -Jeanine Cummins
2. The Waiting Rooms - Eve Smith
3. The Last Flight - Julie Clark


message 293: by Megan (new)

Megan DiCriscio Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine


message 294: by Kim (new)

Kim 1. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
2. What You Have Heard Is True by Carolyn Forche
3. Christy by Catherine Marshall


message 295: by Grace (new)

Grace Us against you- Fredrick backmann
Daisy jones and the six- Taylor Jenkins Reid
Shout- Laurie halse-Anderson


message 296: by Rebecca (new)

Rebecca Nothing to See Here -Kevin Wilson
The Gifted School - Bruce Holsinger
Leave the World Behind - Rumaan Alam


message 297: by Michelle (new)

Michelle MacDonald Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram Kendi
The City of Brass Trilogy (City of Brass,Kingdom of Copper, Empire of Gold) by S. A. Chakraborty.


bunnymouse 🐰🐭 alyssa Catch and kill
Circe
Marriage of opposites
Braiding sweetgrass (sorry, breaking the rules)


message 299: by Kayla (new)

Kayla | kay_reads__ 1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
2. The Night Swim
3. When They Call You a Terrorist


message 300: by Lori (new)

Lori The Index of Self Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha
The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell


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