The 10 best BBC books of 2020 that you can read in one breath

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The year 2020 completely changed the usual course of life, but at the same time it allowed us to rethink a lot and taught us to appreciate what we have. Books turned out to be among the permanent values. Readers had the opportunity to travel with the help of books and live the destinies of different heroes, immerse themselves in other people's family stories and discover unknown worlds. Our today's roundup features 10 of the best books compiled by the BBC World Service.

"A narrow petal at the edge of the sea", Isabel Allende

The niece of the deceased President of Chile, Salvador Allende, in her book introduces the life of a Catalan doctor who, along with thousands of other refugees, arrived in 1939 from Spain to Chile. This is an exciting story about the history of a planet torn apart by wars, about love and friendship in exile, about trials and the triumph of true feelings.

Promised Land, Barack Obama

The memoirs of the 44th President of the United States were published on November 17, 2020, and in the first week of sales alone, 1.7 million copies of this book were purchased. This is the third book written by Obama, but the first, which deals directly with his work in the White House. It includes the period of rule from the moment of taking office as president until May 2011, so readers are already looking forward to the sequel to print.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Kline

Continuation of the debut novel of the American writer, the release of which readers have been waiting for five whole years, since the author himself announced plans to write a second book. The reason for the appearance of the sequel was the success of the first part of Ready Player One and the film adaptation of the novel, directed by Steven Spielberg.

Reality and Other Stories by John Lanchester

The author explores not the best sides of artificial intelligence and the Internet. His stories feature a wide variety of supernatural elements, zombies, ghosts, and digital afterlife. John Lanchester has mixed reality and surrealism in his book, providing readers with a mind-blowing collection of the horrors of modern life.

"Transcendental Kingdom", Yaa Gyasi

In her new work, a Ghanaian and American writer, laureate of numerous literary awards, conducts research on what it means to be a woman. She tells stories of devastating family tragedies and attempts to identify herself as a second-generation Ghanaian immigrant. Transcendental Kingdom is a multi-layered and beautiful novel that captivates and makes you think, but thinking in these places will be quite difficult.

Sweet Dreams by Dylan Jones

The British journalist and writer produced an oral biography-style piece, creating what the London Book Review calls a "dazzling portrait of the era" of the 1980s, when the New Romantic Movement took off and flashy fashion and electronic music took the world by storm.

Dearly by Margaret Atwood

The collection of poetry from the author of the novel "The Handmaid's Tale" is filled with vivid descriptions of nature and encounters with myths, legends and aliens. Piercing and at the same time playful poems are filled with deep meaning and sharp humor.

New Desert by Diane Cook

A bold and terrifying novel about Bea's mother's struggle to save her daughter in a world already devastated by climate change. Five-year-old Agnes languishes in the smog and pollution of the overdeveloped metropolis they call home. If they stay in the city, Agnes will die, but there is only one alternative - to join a group of volunteers in the wilderness state. This vast expanse of inhospitable and unbridled land has not been touched by humanity. Living as nomadic hunter-gatherers, Bea and Agnes gradually learn to survive in this unpredictable, often dangerous land. But when Agnes accepts the wild freedom of her new existence, Bea realizes that saving her daughter's life means losing her in a different way.

Burnt Sugar, Evnil Doshi

A story of love and betrayal, in which the main characters are mother and daughter. In Avnil Doshi's novel, riddled with caustic wit, the author seems to test the boundaries of how well the reader knows the people closest to him. The main character, Tara, was unbridled. She gave up a loveless marriage to join an ashram, was briefly beggar (mostly to spite her wealthy parents), and spent years chasing a disheveled homeless "artist" - all with a small child in her arms. Now she forgets everything, and her grown daughter is faced with the task of caring for a woman who never cared for her.

More Than a Woman by Caitlin Moran

British journalist and writer Caitlyn Moran is already known for her funny, clever observations about girlhood and femininity. Her 2011 book, Being a Woman. Revelations of a notorious feminist”was extremely successful and in demand. Her latest, More Than a Woman, is a reflection on what it means to be a woman in middle age. Topics include multitasking, caring for teenage children, gender stereotypes, and long-term relationships.

Probably, the memoirs of famous people can be called one of the most fascinating and informative genres of literature. It is always useful to study someone else's experience in achieving success, and if it is also an autobiography written in an unusual and exciting way, the pleasure of reading is added to the benefits.