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The Best Books of 2020

The Best Books of 2020

As 2020 draws to a close, with most of this year's new books stretched out before us, Smithsonian magazine's editors and writers have clear favorites. When searching for new recipes to test in our quarantine kitchens, we turned to Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley's Falastin and Joe Yonan's Cool Beans— the latter helping with all the beans we panic-purchased early in the pandemic. In Jia Lynn Yang's One Mighty and Irresistible Tide and Isabel Wilkerson's Caste , we found context for current events. Wally Koval's Accidentally Wes Anderson and Gina Rae La Cerva's Feasting Wild provided some much-needed armchair travel. And Eva Holland's Nerve left us feeling more scientifically-equipped to face our fears.

So whether your're doing some holiday shopping, or looking for your own next read, consider our thoughtfully curated lists.

The Ten Best History Books of 2020

Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and help explain how the country got to where it is today

The Ten Best Science Books of 2020

New titles explore the mysterious lives of eels, the science of fear and our connections to the stars

The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2020

In a year of travel restrictions, these titles helped us channel our wanderlust

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2020

From cookbooks to grocery-store exposés, these new books will tempt palates and fuel curiosity

Smithsonian Scholars Pick Their Favorite Books of 2020

This wide-ranging list offers much-needed context for the issues at the forefront of the national conversation

The Ten Best Children's Books of 2020

These top titles deliver history lessons, wordplay and a musical romp through the animal kingdom