A pre-apocalypse, the labyrinth, an Australian drought, the US gold rush from a new perspective and an ode to our relationship with trees form Pile by the Bed’s Top 5 reads for 2020, together with six just as interesting and engaging honourable mentions.
Pile By the Bed’s top 5 science fiction books for 2020 and 5 honourable mentions (so actually a top 10).
Pile by the Bed’s top 5 (okay, 6) fantasy novels for 2020 and four honourable mentions.
Pile by bthe Bed reviews From A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back – forty short stories celebrating the 40th anniversary of arguably the best of the Star Wars films.
Pile by the Bed reviews and recommends Hollow Empire the second in Australian author Sam Hawke’s Poison War fantasy series.
Pile by the Bed reviews The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton, a rollicking historical crime novel with possible supernatural elements and a tip of the hat to Sherlock Holmes.
Pile by the Bed reviews Consolation, the third book in Garry Disher’s Paul Hirschhausen series of Australian rural crime procedurals.
Pile by the Bed reviews Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson, a book that follows the lives of multiple generations of an Aboriginal family living in rural NSW.
Pile by the Bed reviews Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam a scary, tough, compassionate look at a small group of people dealing with the first few hours of a global catastrophe.
Pile by the Bed reviews Nothing Can Hurt You by Nicola Maye Goldberg, a series of connected short stories that revolve around the death of a young woman at the hands of her boyfriend.
Pile by the Bed reviews Dead Man in Ditch (Fetch Phillips #2) by Luke Arnold, the second in his dark fantasy meets noir detective series.
Pile by the Bed reviews Why Visit America by Matthew Baker a series of speculative short stories each set in a different alternate America.
Pile by the Bed reviews and recommends the long awaited new fantasy novel by Susanna Clarke, Piranesi and finds it to be a gem of modern fantasy that was well worth the wait.
Pile by the Bed reviews If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha, a book which explores the lives of a group of young women in present day Seoul and the influence of the celebrity industry on their choices.
Recommended
Pile by the Bed reviews Summerwater by Sarah Moss – a series of incisive linked stories set on a single, rainy day at a Scottish holiday camp.
Pile by the Bed reviews A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville – her fourth exploration of the early days of the colony of Sydney, this one through the eyes of Elizabeth Macarthur.
Pile by the Bed reviews The Night Swim by Megan Goldin – a crime novel that explores issues of sexual abuse through a current trial and a twenty five year old cold case.
Pile by the Bed reviews Blacktop Wasteland by SA Cosby – a scorching debut about a conflicted ex-getaway driver.
Pile by the Bed reviews When She Was Good by Michael Robotham – the second Cyrus Haven thriller and direct sequel to Good Girl, Bad Girl.
Pile by the Bed reviews The Last Trial by Scott Turow, another masterful courtroom drama set in his fictional Kindle County featuring ageing defense attorney Sandy Stern.
