By Barbara Hoffert

Historical corrections, a fascination with science, burdens of the past. The best short stories published in 2020.

Translated novels first written in French, Farsi, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean comprise the best world literature published in 2020.

Ravishing verse, lyrical contemplations, limpid language. The best poetry books published in 2020.

Great June reading, often from LJ-starred authors, with Janet Evanovich introducing her first new series on her own in a while.

From demythologizing the Alamo to Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan’s significantly far-reaching dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson to the British battling the Germans over Malta during World War II, plus talking about the impact of books in American history.

Going virtual in a pandemic year, the National Book Awards reveals that writing matters more than ever. 

Top June fiction with authors ranging from veterans Lionel Shriver and Beatriz Williams to newcomer Tom Lin. 

New York Times reporter Emma Goldberg on doctors doing their residencies during COVID-19, George Packer on the narratives that have made America lose its way, Imani Perry on how the South defines America, and Clint Smith on slavery as central to the American experience. 

Belonging and acceptance, ecological disaster, Shakespeare's child. The best literary fiction published in 2020.