Last year was, and all of you know, insane. So, despite having a pretty solid reading year as far as the sheer number of books went (53, unless I am forgetting some), my choices in books lacked intentionality, and my reviews were all but non-existent from March on.
As a result, I will have different categories and criteria for categories this year than I did for 2019’s reading year in review.
This first category is Series, which I did have last year. But this year, there is only one criteria: Did I read multiple entries in the series for the first time this year? Did those multiple entries make up at least half of the series? If so, then a series qualified for this category.
So, without further ado, here are my top 5 series I read in 2020.
5. Nemesis
I first learned about this queer indie superhero YA series by April Daniels from YouTuber Dominic Noble. I had never read a novel with a trans protagonist before, and so I read the first book on his recommendation.
Dreadnought, the first book in the Nemisis trilogy, does an excellent job of weaving together a queer coming-of-age story and a superhero origin story. Each story affects and complicates the other, but suddenly becoming one of the strongest people in the world doesn’t just solve all of Danny’s problems, especially where her family is concerned.
The second book, Sovereign, continues Danny’s journey while expanding this world she is part of. The third has not yet been published.
These books are very YA, so if that is not your reading preference, I’d say give them a pass. But if you do like YA, queer stories, and superheroes, this is one to check out.
If you are an Audible Member, both books are currently available as part of their new Audible Plus library, so you can listen without spending a credit.
Special Recommendation for Fans of: My Hero Academia, or MASKS ttrpg
4. The Murderbot Diaries
The Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells, is a series that follows a sentient, partially biological security robot that has dubbed itself Murderbot. If Murderbot had its way, it would simply ignore the world and watch its shows.
Instead, first out of a sense of self-preservation, and then because it comes to care about some humans, it finds itself on a self-imposed mission to learn its own past and clear the names of its… friends?
I have read the novella quartet (pictured above) that begin this series, and they are quite delightful. I have not yet gotten around to reading Network Effect, the fifth entry and the first full-length novel in the series, though I intend to do so early this year. These novellas do a delightful job of acting as episodes, each with its own unique arc, but coming together to form a larger, grander arc.
If you like novellas and other short works of fiction, then I recommend giving this series a try.
Special Recommendation For: anyone who wished that their favorite snarky robot sidekick character could be the protagonist of the story.
3. The Dresden Files
When something weird and unexplainable happens, and no one else can help you make sense of it, who do you turn to? If you live in Chicago, you turn to Harry Dresden, the only professional wizard in the phone book.
I have something to admit: before this year, I had only read the first book in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I had watched the terrible show and played the ttrpg, but I hadn’t ever gotten around to reading the series past the first book. This is a mistake that I have worked hard to remedy. I read books 2-15 this year (leaving only the short stories and the two novels that came out in 2020 left to be read), and wow, it has been a ride.
The Dresden Files starts out as a detective series inspired by old noir stories, but set in a modern urban fantasy setting. Don’t let that fool you, though; this series is actually a sweeping fantasy epic, and nearly every detail that seems to exist simply for atmosphere or worldbuilding will be important to the plot later, so pay attention as you read.
There are lots of reasons to skip this series. The quality from book to book is uneven (though it is, in my opinion, on a general upward trajectory), and, of course, there are so many books in the series (seventeen out so far, not counting short stories, with no clear end in sight).
But there are a lot of reasons to read it, as well. Most notable of these is the character of Harry Dresden. The growth and change of this character over the series is truly beautiful to behold, and the narrative voice of the character as the narrator of the story is excellent. (This last point is emphasized exquisitely in the audiobooks, which are narrated by the amazing James Marsters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame.)
Special Recommendation for Fans of: Quick-witted heroes who are always in over their heads.
2. The Inheritance Trilogy
N.K. Jemisin is one of the best working authors today, and her formidible skill can already be seen in The Inheritance Trilogy, her first three novels.
In it, we find a world that has been largely static for the last two thousand years, ever since the God’s War ended with the goddess of life dead and the god of change imprisoned, leaving only the god of order to rule the universe. But change is inevitable, and can only be delayed. Will it bring blessings or destruction? Anything is possible when gods and mortals work together.
This sprawling fantasy trilogy spans decades, with each novel told from a different perspective and containing its own story. The prose is gorgeous, even if it does not quite reach the mastery that Jemisin achieves in more recent works.
(Full disclosure: I am still reading the final book in this trilogy, The Kingdom of Gods, so the ending could change how I feel about the trilogy as a whole.)
Special Recommendation for Fans of: Fantasy involving gods, especially trickster gods
1. The Expanse
I have been looking forward to reading The Expanse by James S.A. Corey for several years now. I have held off, because it bears a lot of worldbuilding similarities to the novel I am writing, and I wanted to have a completed draft that wasn’t influenced by this series before I started.
In the future, humanity has spread out to pretty much every corner of the Solar System that it can make habitable. Our tribes have grown, but we still have the tendency to be tribal, even if it is now about which rock in the Solar System you are from more than it is about religion, skin color, or which Earth country your ancestors were from.
It is into this mess of churning humanity that an alien substance is introduced. Humanity being what it is, our first thought is that it is a weapon, and we treat it accordingly, and it is only through luck and the actions of a few crazy idealists that we are saved from total devastation. Instead, we are catapulted into a future that few have ever dreamed was possible.
I would describe this series as A Song of Ice and Fire… IN SPACE!!!!!!!! but with more faith in humanity. It is excellent. Read it.
Special Recommendation for Fans of: sprawling multi-POV series like A Song of Ice and Fire or any long-form science fiction story set in space
What was your favorite series you read this year? Have you read any of the series I mentioned above? What did you think of them?
Let me know in the comments down below!