My Top 5 most anticipated Reads for 2020 (Updated June 2020 — with verdicts!)
The most exciting thing about a New Year — is a whole lot of new releases and books I’ve been meaning to read. Here’s the Top 5 I’m keen to get into in 2020. Some are ones I never got to this year — others are to be released in the coming months. For those who have followed my Diversity goals, you’ll note that none of these are from the USA (pure co-incidence I promise) and all are also from female authors. #winning. I’ll check back in later next year to see what I’ve checked off the list.
Updated June 2020: What were the verdicts post read??
The Plotters — by Un-Su Kim (South Korea, 2019)
Originally published in 2010, it was only translated into English in 2019. Described as “A fantastical crime novel set in an alternate Seoul where assassination guilds compete for market dominance, for fans of Han Kang, Patrick DeWitt and Kill Bill” “ it’s been called one of the Best Books Under the Radar from 2019. I don’t have many South Korean books on my #read list, so keen to add this.
Completed January 2020, Verdict: 3.5 Stars
This one was a winner on original story — based around a group of assassins and their bosses (aka The Plotters). Following our hero Reseg and his work with mentor Old Racoon, it also has an equally bizarre plot that follows a trio of women. It’s interesting, different but just wasn’t gripping.
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Golden Child — by Claire Adam (Trinidad, 2019)
With a striking book cover that dominated my Instagram feed for a while, Golden Child is a debut novel set in Trinidad that follows “the lives of a family as they navigate impossible choices about scarcity, loyalty, and love”. Written by Trinidad native Claire Adams, and with a list of awards for her first novel, it’s a must read for the start of 2020.
Completed May 2020, Verdict: 2 Stars
Groan — this one takes out most disappointing of my anticipated reads. While the story of the twin boys starts strong — the ending lets itself down heavier than a triple lead balloon. The so-called ‘choice’ the father needs to make following some trouble in the family is really to over the top and hard to believe.
The Memory Police — by Yoko Ogawa (Japan, 2019)
Incredibly, this book was only just translated to English, having been originally published in 1994! I had reading FOMO when everyone released their Best Reads of 2019, and this kept on popping up. Described as being a “science fiction novel set in a future of mass surveillance reminiscent of 1984, and written in a strange and dreamlike style influenced by Kafka.”
Completed February 2020, Verdict: 4 Stars
When I read the blurb I thought this would be in the political vein of ‘1984’; but instead, it was something a lot more poetic and beautiful. In this place, it is The Memory Police who remove from the people everything from fruit and roses, to calendars and novels. Everything, including people, disappearing from consciousness. Definitely political, but overall a very sad and beautiful story about loss.
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Latitudes of Longing — by Shubhangi Swarup (India, May 2020)
Slated for English release in May 2020, this caught my attention as I rarely get to hear stories from India. The press release tells me that “Latitudes of Longing follows the interconnected lives of characters searching for true intimacy as they venture across the Indian subcontinent to tell an epic love story.” Sounds a bit fluffy — but with an impressive list of awards and accolades for its original release — I’m itching to dive in.
Verdict: TBC
Funny story — I’d completely forgotten about this one until I revisited this list. This goes back up to the top of my #TBR.
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The Girl With the Louding Voice — by Abi Daré (Nigeria, February 2020)
Another debut novel, this one had me at Nigeria! I’ve yet to be disappointed with a story from this part of the world, and when fellow countryman Imbolo Mbue wrote that this “fearless debut is a celebration of girls who dare to dream and those who help unfurl their wings so that they might soar.” — it went straight to the top of 2020’s TBR.
Completed May 2020, Verdict: 5Stars
Wow wow wow. What a book! Easily wins top read from this Most Anticipated List. I have always loved my Nigerian fiction — and this now feels like a solid top 3 alongside ‘Americanah’ and ‘The Fishermen’. In this one, we follow Adunni; a 14 year old Nigerian girl who is sold, slaved, raped and traded — when all she wants is an education to ger her ‘louding’ voice. I dare you not to cry.
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