The 25 best books of the 2020s
The 25 highest-ranked books first published in the 2020s in our ranking of 2,819, scored on how much readers love them, their prize, best-list and bestseller record, and current buzz. We rank 555 books of the 2020s in all. How we rank
- 1
James99.0Must-Read ScoreJames
Everett takes one of the most famous books in American literature and turns it inside out.
- 2
Demon Copperhead96.3Must-Read ScoreDemon Copperhead
Demon is one of the great narrators of recent fiction: funny, furious and impossible not to root for.
- 3
Project Hail Mary95.2Must-Read ScoreProject Hail Mary
It's the rare science-fiction novel that's pure joy to read: funny, tense, packed with clever problem-solving, and built on one of the most lovable friendships in recent fiction.
- 4
The Correspondent94.9Must-Read ScoreThe Correspondent
It's a quiet, wise, funny book that sneaks up on you.
- 5
Fourth Wing93.8Must-Read ScoreFourth Wing
It's the book that turned millions of people into romantasy readers: relentlessly fast, with high stakes, real danger, dragons with personality and a slow-burning enemies-to-lovers romance.
- 6
Dungeon Crawler Carl91.8Must-Read ScoreDungeon Crawler Carl
It's absurd, violent, very funny and surprisingly moving, and Carl's quiet rage against the people running the show gives it real heart.
- 7
The Women91.4Must-Read ScoreThe Women
Kristin Hannah gives voice to a group history almost forgot, the women who served in Vietnam, and the result is deeply emotional storytelling that has made readers everywhere cry.
- 8
I'm Glad My Mom Died91.3Must-Read ScoreI'm Glad My Mom Died
The title is shocking, but the book is the opposite of cheap: it's funny, brutally honest and full of hard-won wisdom about family, control and recovery.
- 9
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This90.6Must-Read ScoreOne Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
It's angry, personal and beautifully written, and it puts words to things many readers have felt but not said.
- 10
King: A Life90.2Must-Read ScoreKing: A Life
It brings King down from the monument and back to life as a real person: funny, doubting, exhausted, flawed and extraordinarily brave.
- 11
The Housemaid89.3Must-Read ScoreThe Housemaid
It's the definition of a page-turner: short chapters, a twisty plot and a payoff that made millions of people pass it on to friends.
- 12
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty89.2Must-Read ScoreEmpire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
It's a gripping, meticulously reported story of greed and consequence that reads like a novel and makes you furious.
- 13
Shuggie Bain88.4Must-Read ScoreShuggie Bain
It's devastating and full of love, a portrait of addiction and loyalty written with extraordinary tenderness, and it won the Booker Prize as a debut.
- 14
Things in Nature Merely Grow88.0Must-Read ScoreThings in Nature Merely Grow
It's among the most honest books ever written about grief, and it won the Pulitzer Prize for Memoir.
- 15
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents87.7Must-Read ScoreCaste: The Origins of Our Discontents
It's a powerful, beautifully written book that gives readers a new framework for understanding race in America, from the author of The Warmth of Other Suns.
- 16
House of Earth and Blood87.6Must-Read ScoreHouse of Earth and Blood
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and launched the Crescent City series, one of the most popular in modern fantasy.
- 17
Remarkably Bright Creatures87.4Must-Read ScoreRemarkably Bright Creatures
It's charming, funny and full of heart, and Marcellus, who narrates some chapters himself, is one of the most beloved characters in recent fiction.
- 18
The Anxious Generation87.3Must-Read ScoreThe Anxious Generation
It's one of the most influential books of the decade, already reshaping school phone policies and family rules around the world.
- 19There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America87.2Must-Read Score
There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America
It won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
- 20
Quicksilver87.1Must-Read ScoreQuicksilver
It's an addictive enemies-to-lovers romantasy with fast-paced action, sharp banter and a slow burn that readers devour.
- 21Greenlights86.8Must-Read Score
Greenlights
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and has spent more than 300 weeks on the lists since it came out in 2020.
- 22
Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice86.7Must-Read ScoreNobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice
It's a harrowing, important first-hand account of how powerful people abused and covered up, and a testament to one survivor's courage in refusing to stay silent.
- 23
How the Word Is Passed86.6Must-Read ScoreHow the Word Is Passed
It's a moving, generous and quietly powerful book that makes history feel present, with Smith listening to everyone, including people who disagree with him.
- 24The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X86.4Must-Read Score
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
It won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the National Book Award.
- 25
The Tainted Cup86.2Must-Read ScoreThe Tainted Cup
It's Sherlock Holmes in a strange, inventive fantasy world, a genuinely clever mystery with a delightful detective duo, and it won the Hugo Award.