2020s Books: Top Writers, Novels And Reading Trends
BookTok sells the backlist, romantasy takes over, and print refuses to die.
Below: books published in the 2020s, the writers who defined it, what was changing in publishing, and how people actually got hold of a book.
Every title and date is real. Useful for a reading list, a quiz round or a reminiscence session.
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Books published in the 2020s
- Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021).
- Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (2020), the Booker winner.
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (2020).
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (2011), resold in millions by BookTok from 2021.
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022).
- Spare by Prince Harry (2023), the fastest-selling non-fiction book in UK history.
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (2023).
- Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (2023), the Booker winner.
Writers who defined the decade
- Richard Osman, whose crime novels sell like nothing else in Britain.
- Bonnie Garmus, a debut novelist at sixty-five.
- Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Maas, driving the romantasy boom.
- Douglas Stuart and Paul Lynch, both Booker winners this decade.
- Colleen Hoover, whose backlist was rediscovered and sold by the pallet.
Publishing and writing trends
- BookTok makes decade-old novels into bestsellers overnight.
- Romantasy becomes the biggest growth category in fiction.
- Sprayed edges and special editions sell the same book twice.
- Print sales hold up better than anyone predicted; e-books plateau.
- AI-generated books and translation raise unsettled questions for authors.
How people read
- Lockdown reading in 2020 - sales up, libraries shut, everyone ordering online.
- Audiobook subscriptions now a normal household expense.
- Waterstones and a growing number of independents doing well again.
- Books recommended by a fifteen-second video rather than a review.
Years covered in the 2020s
- 2020 - Lockdown, clapping on doorsteps and a year nobody needs reminding of. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2020
- 2021 - Another lockdown, then a summer of football and reopening. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2021
- 2022 - The Platinum Jubilee, the death of the Queen and three Prime Ministers. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2022
- 2023 - The coronation, Barbenheimer and 'Last Christmas' finally getting to number one. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2023
- 2024 - A July general election, the Olympics in Paris and Gavin & Stacey signing off. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2024
- 2025 - The Lionesses retained the Euros and the Oasis reunion filled the stadiums. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2025
- That is every 2020s year we have written up so far: 2020 to 2025.
How to use this
- Reading list: pick one novel and one non-fiction title from the decade someone was born in.
- Quiz round: read a title and ask for the decade, or read a writer and ask for one book.
- Reminiscence: ask what they were made to read at school, and what they read in secret.
- Anyone born in 2020 turns 50 in 2070, 60 in 2080 and 70 in 2090.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop prints and posters Look back to 2020 Look back to 2021 Look back to 2022
How to write it so it lands
- Publication year and the year someone read it are rarely the same - paperbacks arrived a year or two later.
- For a birthday, a first edition is expensive but a decent second-hand copy from their birth year is not.
- Libraries can order almost anything on this list for free.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 2020
- Look back to 2021
- Look back to 2022
- Look back to 2023
- Look back to 2024
- Look back to 2025
- 2020s books, films and TV
- 2020s food and recipes
- 2020s films and directors
- 2020s calendar: year by year
- 2020s trivia: fun facts
- The 2020s: the whole decade
- 2020s party playlist
- Viral and TikTok party games
- Phone party games
- How to run a quiz night
- Guess the year quiz
- Decade literature: writers and books by era
- Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
- Decade films: best movies and directors by era
- Decade history: key events, politics and culture by era
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
- Food by decade: dishes and food trends
- Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
- Decade calendar: every year from 1920
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Milestone birthday cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What are the best books from the 2020s?
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021). The full list above gives the novels and non-fiction worth reading from the decade, with publication years.
Which writers defined the 2020s?
Richard Osman, whose crime novels sell like nothing else in Britain. The writers section above names the rest.
What was changing in publishing in the 2020s?
BookTok makes decade-old novels into bestsellers overnight. The trends section covers how books were made, priced and sold.
Do you sell books?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy - try a library or a second-hand bookshop for the books.