World Book Day: The Best Of 2020


Shutterstock / Tatiana Bobkova © world book day

Today is World Book Day, an annual event held to promote reading for pleasure among children and young people.

But just because we might not strictly be “young” anymore doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy it, too!

Regular visitors to the “Friend” website will know that we read a lot, and that we’re happy to share our reviews and give recommendations.

Here, we’ve decided to take a closer look at some of the best-selling fiction titles from last year, to see if we should add them to our reading pile!

Have you read any of these?

“The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse” by Charlie Mackesy

This has been described as a children’s book, but that doesn’t quite do it justice.

Charlie Mackesy’s quiet picture book has empathy at its core, and its positive messages inspired plenty of adults during what was a very difficult year.

If you didn’t already get this one at Christmastime, we would suggest getting a copy as soon as you can. You won’t want to be without it another day!

Order “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse” from Bookshop.org by clicking here.

“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman

Is there nothing this man can’t do?

Television producer, executive, presenter and writer Richard Osman has now written a page-turning bestseller in “The Thursday Murder Club”.

Fiction Ed Lucy recently reviewed this one for us, calling it “refreshing, charming and clever”. And she knows a thing or two!

Another feel-good story, this one is a must for fans of “Friend” fiction. And best of all, the author is planning a sequel for September this year!

Order “The Thursday Murder Club” from Bookshop.org by clicking here.

“Where The Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

Another one that Fiction Ed Lucy has reviewed (we told you the team reads a lot!). Lucy describes this book as “quite unlike anything [she has] ever read before”.

That is enough in itself to intrigue us!

Author Delia Owens spent time in Africa as a wildlife scientist, and her respect for nature — and her awe at its inner workings — are clear to see in this gentle coming of age tale/murder mystery.

Order “Where The Crawdads Sing” from Bookshop.org by clicking here.

“Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo

Booker Prize winner “Girl, Woman, Other” is a spectacular book . . . despite it’s loose relationship with punctuation!

Fiction team’s Abbie reviewed it for us here, calling the writing “beautiful” and “effortless”.

Never mind the Booker Prize judges, if the DC Thomson Book Club can agree on a book, it must be good!

Order “Girl, Woman, Other” from Bookshop.org by clicking here.


For more on World Book Day, click here.

Iain McDonald

Iain is Digital Content Editor at the "Friend", making him responsible for managing flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine's website and social media channels.