December 1, 2020
Cover Story
Featuring 328 industry-first reviews of fiction, nonfiction, children's and YA books; also in this issue: the 100 best nonfiction and 100 best YA books of the year, plus our regular December 1 issue.
Featured In This Issue
This Issue's Starred Reviews
FICTION
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THE BLADE BETWEEN
By Sam J. Miller
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BEST LAID PLANS
By Gwen Florio
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BLACK CORAL
By Andrew Mayne
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THE (OTHER) YOU
By Joyce Carol Oates
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SARAHLAND
By Sam Cohen
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MILK BLOOD HEAT
By Dantiel W. Moniz
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HOW TO ORDER THE UNIVERSE
By María José Ferrada Elizabeth Bryer
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THE LOVE PROOF
By Madeleine Henry
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THE ARDENT SWARM
By Yamen Manai Lara Vergnaud
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BURNT SUGAR
By Avni Doshi
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WILD SWIMS
By Dorthe Nors Misha Hoekstra
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THE SCORPION'S TAIL
By Douglas Preston Lincoln Child
NONFICTION
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BLACK FUTURES
By Kimberly Drew Jenna Wortham
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PLANET CLAIRE
By Jeff Porter
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THE FIGHT FOR FREE SPEECH
By Ian Rosenberg
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A WORSE PLACE THAN HELL
By John Matteson
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THE ENLIGHTENMENT
By Ritchie Robertson
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COUNT DOWN
By Shanna Swan Stacey Colino
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THE CROWN IN CRISIS
By Alexander Larman
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THE SON KING
By Madawi Al-Rasheed
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YOU ARE NOT AMERICAN
By Amanda Frost
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HALFWAY HOME
By Reuben Jonathan Miller
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WE NEED TO HANG OUT
By Billy Baker
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PSYCHE AND SOUL IN AMERICA
By Robert H. Abzug
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YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TO LACEY
By Amber Ruffin Lacey Lamar
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THE DOCTORS BLACKWELL
By Janice P. Nimura
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THE PROBLEM OF ALZHEIMER'S
By Jason Karlawish
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WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP
By Julia Gillard Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
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CAN'T SLOW DOWN
By Michaelangelo Matos
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THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
By Clyde Prestowitz
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THE SPIDER
By Barry Levine
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ECONOMY HALL
By Fatima Shaik
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THE BEST OF ME
By David Sedaris
TEEN
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THE PROJECT
By Courtney Summers
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CONCRETE ROSE
By Angie Thomas
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LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB
By Malinda Lo
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THE WIDE STARLIGHT
By Nicole Lesperance
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THE INITIAL INSULT
By Mindy McGinnis
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KID STERLING
By Christine Welldon
CHILDREN'S
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SAM'S FIRST WORD
By Bea Birdsong Holly Hatam
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HAPPY DREAMS, LITTLE BUNNY
By Leah Hong
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HELLO, JIMMY!
By Anna Walker
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THE HIGHEST TRIBUTE
By Kekla Magoon Laura Freeman
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JUMP AT THE SUN
By Alicia D. Williams Jacqueline Alcántara
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HARRIET TUBMAN
By Andrea Davis Pinkney Gillian Flint
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THE TALE OF THE MANDARIN DUCK
By Bette Midler Michiko Kakutani Joana Avillez
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RUNAWAY
By Ray Anthony Shepard Keith Mallett
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I DREAM OF POPO
By Livia Blackburne Julia Kuo
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WE WAIT FOR THE SUN
By Dovey Johnson Roundtree Katie McCabe Raissa Figueroa
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OUTSIDE, INSIDE
By LeUyen Pham
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I LOVE YOU, BABY BURRITO
By Angela Dominguez
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THE COMEBACK
By E.L. Shen
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STARLA JEAN
By Elana K. Arnold A.N. Kang
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MEL FELL
By Corey R. Tabor
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THE LAST STRAW
By Susan Hood Christiane Engel
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ONE JAR OF MAGIC
By Corey Ann Haydu
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WOLFBOY
By Andy Harkness
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UNSPEAKABLE
By Carole Boston Weatherford Floyd Cooper
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LATINITAS
By Juliet Menéndez
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THE PROTEST
By Samantha Thornhill Shirley Ng-Benitez
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THE SECRET FAWN
By Kallie George Elly MacKay
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MOST DAYS
By Michael Leannah Megan Elizabeth Baratta
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MOOSE, GOOSE, AND MOUSE
By Mordicai Gerstein Jeff Mack
INDIE
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INDIANA GIRL
By Jane Mary Curran
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THE CIRQUE DES GRAINES
By Carrie Glenn
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SORROW
By Tiffanie DeBartolo
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NOBODY HITCHHIKES ANYMORE
By Ed Griffin-Nolan
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SUBURBAN GOTHIC
By Margaret F. Chen
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GOING SHORT
By Nancy Stohlman
More In This Issue
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PERSPECTIVES
Kirkus & Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books 2020 -
PERSPECTIVES
Best of 2020: Our Favorite Nonfiction -
PERSPECTIVES
Books That Deserved More Buzz in 2020 -