The 18 best fiction books coming out in 2020 by female authors

2020 is going to be a big year for books.

Hit pre-order on some of the best fiction books this year has to offer. From thriller and rom-coms, to debuts and endearing tales, you’ll be stocked up for months with these engaging reads.

Such a Fun Age

by Kiley Reid

Alix Chamberlain has always been successful — what she puts her mind towards, she gets. It’s not until an incident with her babysitter where everything suddenly changes. A normal night at the shops is upended when Emira is confronted by security, accused of kidnapping Alix’s two-year-old. It’s one of the hottest anticipated books of 2020 — and with good reason. Kiley Reid’s Sun a Fun Age is an intoxicating page-turner that explores race and privilege, what it means to be “family” and the consequences of doing the right thing — for the wrong reason.

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Red at the Bone

by Jacqueline Woodson

It’s become a New York Times bestseller with rave reviews across the pond. An unplanned teenage pregnancy pulls together two families from very different social classes. But when Melody decides she wants more and goes to college, their lives change forward. With themes of ambition, identity, education, parenthood and status Red at the Bone highlights how community and choice can truly shape us.

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Exciting Times

by Naoise Dolan

Ava and Julian meet in Hong Kong, where they start a relationship but when Ava asks if he loves her, he can only reply ‘I like you a great deal’. Then, Edith arrives and nothing is the same. Following the love triangle between three expats living in Hong Kong, Exciting Times dissects the financial and personal transactions that make up life. Author Sally Rooney gave her seal of approval after she published an extract of Exciting Times in The Stinging Fly, a literary journal she was editing at the time.

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The 24-hour Café — January 23

by Libby Page

Libby Page rocked the literary world in 2018 with her uplifting — and heart-wrenching — debut, The Lido. Dealing with loneliness in such a tender and heart-warming way, the story of 86-year-old Rosemary and 26-year-old Kate stayed with us. The 24-Hour Café is just as feel-good, examining the power of making connections and the unexpected paths life can lead you down.

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Looking for Eliza

by Leaf Arbuthnot

Ada is a widowed writer, navigating loneliness in Oxford. She has no children. She has no grandchildren, which is fine. Except. Well, except she’s worried that she’ll become another invisible woman. In an attempt to re-connect with the world, she sets up RENT-A-GRANNY, offering her grandmotherly services within the local community.

Eliza is a student at the university. She finds it difficult to form meaningful relationships after the estrangement of her mother and breakup with her former girlfriend. When Ada and Eliza meet, they wonder if they can cast off their isolation for good — or if the secrets they have will burden them forever. Exquisite and life-affirming, Looking for Eliza showcases the power of how one person can change a life — and how loss isn’t as permanent as we feel.

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Pretending

by Holly Bourne

Holly Bourne made her debut in adult fiction with the hit How Do You Like Me Now? tackling the challenges and expectations of women through the character of online star Tori Bailey. In Pretending, Holly goes further in that examination through the lens of April, with incredible and heart-breaking results. This book will make you laugh, cry, think and feel understood in less than 500 pages. This is the book highlights the importance of #MeToo — how to learn more about the day-to-day living for victims and the lasting effects trauma can have, but also, the power of healing and the power of self.

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Mr Nobody — Jan 9

by Catherine Steadman

From the author of Something in the Water, comes this shocking new thriller. A man is found on a Norfolk beach, drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to communicate and with no identification to who he is — interest is sparked immediately. Neuropsychiatrist Dr Emma Lewis is assigned to assess the patient and it’s the case that could make her known across the world. But something is pulling her back… will she be walking into danger? Gripping, intriguing and utterly compelling, Mr Nobody will have you racing to the final pages with your heart in your mouth.

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The Sight of You — Jun 11

by Holly Miller

Looking for a love story that will break your heart this year? You’ve just found it. Joel is afraid of the past. Ever since he was small, he has had visions of what’s going to happen — both good and bad. Callie however, can’t let go of the past. Since her best friend died, she’s been floating, lost. Joel and Callie both need a reason to start living and though they aren’t looking for each other, from the moment they meet it feels life-changing. Until Joel has a vision of how it’s going to end… Beautifully written, The Sight of You will stay with you for a long time. Just make sure you have tissues to hand.

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Us Three — May 14

by Ruth Jones

Ruth Jones’ debut, Never Greener, became a number one bestseller in 2018. Now, she returns with a story about friendship. Us Three follows three best friends since childhood, as their friendship is shaken to the core after a trip of a lifetime. There’s too much to forgive now, let alone forget. A quick-paced read, packed with all the warmth and humour Jones is known for. It might be difficult to find the best fiction books on the market, but the experts say Us Three comes pretty close.

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My Dark Vanessa

by Kate Elizabeth Russell

There has been a lot of chatter about Russell’s new book — it’s on almost every list of books to look out for in 2020, and has been dubbed ‘an era-defining novel’. Stephen King called it ‘a package of dynamite’ and Gillian Flynn said it’s ‘an absolute must read’. Vanessa Wye was 15-years-old when she began a relationship with her English teacher. Now 32, she discovers the teacher, Jacob Strane, has been accused of sexual abuse by another former student. Nuanced, bold, powerful and yes, uncomfortable at times, My Dark Vanessa dives deep into the most complex issues of our time.

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The Switch — coming in April

by Beth O’Leary

O’Leary’s first novel, The Flatshare, was sublime and so we were excited to dive into her latest novel. The Switch focuses on two people and their interconnected world. 79-year-old Eileen and twenty-something Leena swap lives for a couple of months. What could possibly go wrong? Filled with warmth and positivity, The Switch showcases how it’s never too late to change your life and chase your dreams. A must read.

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Death in Her Hands

by Ottessa Moshfegh

£20.99, Penguin Random HouseThe author of 2018’s beloved My Year of Rest and Relaxation returns with a story that refuses to fit into the category mould. An elderly widow stumbles upon a disturbing note while walking in the woods. The rest unfolds in the haunting and wry style that makes Moshfegh so unique, right up to the very last page. Brilliant for thriller lovers and curious readers alike.

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Writers & Lovers — March 2nd

by Lily King

Casey Peabody has just lost her mother and suffered a major heartbreak. Determined to start over, she moves to Massachusetts, waiting on tables at Harvard Square and contemplating frequently about writing a novel. Long ago child golf prodigy, Writers & Lovers follows Casey’s journey balancing her real-life obligations and her struggle to fulfil her needs of a creative life, exploring the terrifying — and exhilarating — change of a chapter of life closing, while another one begins. This is definitely one of the best fiction books coming this Spring.

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The Beauty of Your Face — April 7^th

by Sahar Mustafah

Afaf Rahman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is the principal of Nurrideen School for Girls, a Muslim school in the Chicago suburbs. One morning a shooter, radicalized by the online alt-right, attacks the school. As Afaf listens to his terrifying process, we are swept back through her memories; the bigotry she faced, the disappearance of her sister that lead to heart-breaking ends, the community she finds in Islam. A striking debut exploring one women’s life in a nation at odds with ideals, encouraging us to reflect on our shared humanity with wisdom and grace.

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American Dirt

by Jeanine Cummins

Stephen King has called it ‘extraordinary’ and we’re inclined to agree — as Jeanine Cummins explore the inner hearts of those who are willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope. Lydia Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulo, where she runs a bookstore with her son Luca and her journalist husband. But when her husband’s tell-all profile about a drug cartel is published, none of their lives will ever be the same again. Poignant, heartfelt and dramatic — this book has been hailed as ‘one of the most important books of our time’.

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Keeper — March 19th

by Jessica Moor

Have a Gone Girl shaped hole in your life? Then this is perfect for you. Wickedly paced and thought provoking, The Keeper explores the issues of power and control with frighteningly believable characters. When Katie Straw’s body is pulled from the waters from a local suicide spot, the police are all-too ready to write it off as a standard-issue female suicide. But the residents of the domestic violence shelter where Katie worked strongly disagree. Still, the detective and his team expect an open-and-shut case — until they discover maybe Katie isn’t really who she appeared…

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How a Woman Becomes a Lake — March 3rd

by Marjorie Celona

Ten-year-old Jesse waits for his father by a frozen lake. It’s New Year’s Day and his father promised him a fresh start. But Jesse messed it all up — and that’s when he meets the woman. In the following months, the woman’s disappearance sets off a chain of events, spanning out like fracture lines into everyone’s lives. This haunting mystery asks us — what happens when we’re failed by those we love? A must read for thriller and mystery fans.

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The Herd

by Andrea Bartz

When an exclusive New York women’s workplace is rocked by a sudden and mysterious disappearance of its founder, two sisters must uncover the truth — before they lose everything. With a twisty and fascinating plot of what it means to be a professional woman today, this thriller will haunt you from its opening lines right down to the final spine-chilling pages. Confronting how dangerous it can be when women’s perfect veneer start to crack, crumble and then fall away all together, The Herd is your next nail-biting novel.

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Still looking for some literary inspiration? Once you’ve tried our best fiction books, why not try out our top ten books to curl up with?

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