Books of the year
Presenting Team Cosmopolitan’s most memorable page-turners of 2020
RODHAM by Curtis Sittenfeld Catriona Innes, Features Director I’VE HEARD OF THAT…
Did you know that Hillary Clinton turned down Bill’s marriage proposal twice before accepting? This novel imagines what could have happened if she’d never said yes.
GIVE ME THE LOWDOWN
In the book, the pair have a romance but some red flags ensure they split, and Hillary goes on to have a thriving political career. I loved the questions it posed: do our romantic decisions impact our careers? How do we respond to people with power?
NEXT I’M READING…
Perfect Tunes by Emily Gould – which asks: “Have you ever wondered what your mother was like before she met you… and what she gave up in order to have you?”
HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell Cyan Turan, Senior Editor I’VE HEARD OF THAT…
O’Farrell’s historical novel tells the story of William Shakespeare’s only son, Hamnet, who died in childhood and inspired his father’s famous play.
GIVE ME THE LOWDOWN
In the 1500s, it wasn’t uncommon for children to die, but that’s not to say each loss wasn’t wrought with grief. Hamnet explores what happened when this fate hit the Shakespeare family. O’Farrell’s writing is so evocative – I read her passages about hazy summers and how grief impacts relationships again and again.
NEXT I’M READING…
The year’s other historical fiction smash, The Mirror And The Light by Hilary Mantel.
MY DARK VANESSA by Kate Elizabeth Russell Hannah Jones, Chief Sub-Editor I’VE HEARD OF THAT…
This headline-grabber arrived in spring on a wave of controversy for its unflinching portrait of a schoolgirl’s affair with her older tutor.
GIVE ME THE LOWDOWN
Now an adult, Vanessa still considers her relationship with teacher Jacob Strane to be consensual and romantic – but when he is accused of abuse by other pupils, she begins to unpick that dark tangle of feelings. It’s explicit and harrowing – but gave me an insight into how coercion and manipulation is used to pursue victims.
NEXT I’M READING…
Heatstroke by Hazel Barkworth. Another debut novel exploring issues of adolescence, consent and power.
SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid Catriona HarveyJenner, Features Editor I’VE HEARD OF THAT…
Reid’s debut novel was an instant hit on its January release. But in the wake of summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, the book – examining race, class and privilege – grew even more impactful.
GIVE ME THE LOWDOWN
When 25-year-old Black nanny Emira Tucker is accused of kidnapping the white toddler she looks after, she is understandably mortified. As the story unfolds, it’s clear both her white employer Alix and white boyfriend Kelley view themselves as allies – but the book subtly questions whether that’s true.
NEXT I’M READING…
Expectation by Anna Hope, which tackles those “WTF am I doing with my life?” issues.
THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett Cyan Turan, Senior Editor I’VE HEARD OF THAT…
The second novel from the author of The Mothers, Bennett’s story of twins with diverging paths hit the bestseller lists in June.
GIVE ME THE LOWDOWN
The identical African American Vignes twins run away from their stifling hometown aged 16. Ten years on, Desiree is back there, raising a Black daughter, while Stella has decided to pass for white, with even her husband having no idea about her true identity. I loved how Bennett explores the concepts of belonging and family.
NEXT I’M READING…
Sisters by Daisy Johnson. It’s a taut novel about siblings who’ve lived through a childhood trauma.