The 10 Most Popular 2020 Debut Novels According To Goodreads Members

Goodreads has released their top 10 most popular 2020 debut novels released from February through June of this year, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Culled from the site’s listing of the most popular books published in 2020, the list uses a combination of Goodreads members adding these titles to their “want to read” lists and the books’ number of ratings.

Cybil Wallace, Senior Editor at Goodreads, said in an interview, “We looked at the debut novels published on Goodreads from February through June to find which books are the most popular among Goodreads’ 105 million members. Here you’ll find a variety of fantastic new authors to discover. The most popular debut of the year, My Dark Vanessa, echoes themes from the #MeToo Movement, while readers’ interest in twisty mysteries for escapist reading is well represented here, too. It’s also heartening to see increasing diversity among 2020’s debut class of authors.”

The most popular 2020 debut novels according to Goodreads members are as follows, with abbreviated descriptions from the publishers, except where otherwise noted:

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (William Morrow)

“Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.”

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (St. Martin’s Press)

“One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England’s finest novelists. Now it’s home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen’s legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen’s home and her legacy.”

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré (Dutton)

“A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to fight for her dreams and choose her own future.”

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel (Berkley)

“For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold. Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.”

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas (Custom House)

“A seductive, gothic-infused tale of literary suspense — the debut of a spectacular new voice — about a dangerously curious young undergraduate whose rebelliousness leads her to discover a shocking secret involving an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her school’s promise of prestige.”

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha (Ballantine Books)

“A riveting debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossibly high standards of beauty, secret room salons catering to wealthy men, strict social hierarchies, and K-pop fan mania.” 

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin (Celadon Books)

Saint X, Alexis Schaitkin’s atmospheric new novel, is ostensibly about a young American girl who goes missing while on a family vacation in the Caribbean. But it is more than that. The book also unpacks timely social and cultural issues – about grief, truth, white privilege and our murder-as entertainment culture.” The Washington Post

Real Life by Brandon Taylor (Riverhead Books)

“Brandon Taylor emerges as a powerhouse with this artful debut that follows his introverted protagonist—a black Alabama native—to the Midwestern university town where he is pursuing a graduate degree. In tender, intimate and distinctive writing, Taylor explores race, sexuality and desire with a cast of unforgettable characters.” Newsweek

Godshot by Chelsea Bieker (Catapult)

In the barren wasteland of Peaches, Calif., water is precious, but blood runs thick. Lacey May’s troubled family devotedly follows an enigmatic pastor who promises to bring rain to their devastated town, but she uncovers sinister truths about the cult after her mom deserts her. Drawn in brilliant, bizarre detail — baptisms in warm soda, wisdom from romance novels — Lacey’s twin crises of faith and femininity tangle powerfully. Fiercely written and endlessly readable, a novel like this is a godsend. — Mary Sollosi, Entertainment Weekly

These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card (Simon & Schuster)

“A transporting debut novel that reveals the ways in which a Jamaican family forms and fractures over generations, in the tradition of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.”

At the top of the list is My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, about a 15-year-old high school student involved with 42-year-old teacher, with 40,464 ratings and 153,122 adds as of this posting. The book was initially chosen for Oprah’s Book Club for March before being dropped, after author Wendy Ortiz wrote about the novel having similarities to her 2014 memoir Excavation. In response to the change, Russell’s publisher, issued a statement reading in part, “We are disappointed by their decision but thrilled to see the incredible response from early readers.” The final novel on the list, These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card, had 1,666 ratings and 25,653 adds.

Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

Talking ‘Gladiator’ At 20 With Producer Douglas Wick

Russell Crowe with sword in a scene from the...

Watch live: The World Health Organization holds a press...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgXEDZ9ER_wThe World Health Organization is holding a briefing Friday on the coronavirus pandemic as...

Serie A Femminile Ends Without Winner As Union Calls...

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2019/05/19: The Juventus Womens...