As another publishing year draws to a close, readers everywhere are facing the familiar dilemma of an ever-expanding To-Be-Read (TBR) pile. For those struggling to narrow down their reading choices before the final page of the year is turned, Amazon’s book editors have provided a timely roadmap. Continuing an annual tradition, the team has released its comprehensive list of the best books of the year across all genres, highlighted by their top 20 overall selections.
Among these standout titles, several have already earned high praise from editorial teams, including favorites highlighted by Scary Mommy editors. Whether these works have been on a reader’s radar for months or have managed to slip under the radar until now, Amazon’s top 10 selections offer a diverse cross-section of compelling fiction, gripping narrative nonfiction, and deeply moving memoirs.
01. American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee
Kicking off the list is Min Jin Lee’s latest work, which Amazon editor Al Woodworth describes as "an extraordinary Trojan horse of a novel that will make your heart sing and make you want to talk to everybody you know about it." Woodworth notes that the magnetic narrative fundamentally alters how readers perceive family, sacrifice, and education, hailing it as another once-in-a-lifetime read from the author.
The story follows John and Helen Koh, who, devastated by a shocking betrayal, uproot their three children from Seoul and relocate to Southern California. While the younger generation finds a landscape brimming with fresh opportunities, the elder Kohs quickly discover that their extensive education and professional experience in Korea do not easily translate to the American professional sphere. Against the shifting backdrop of friends, relatives, and adversaries coming and going, the Koh family perseveres, driven by an almost all-consuming faith that education will ultimately secure success and stability for the next generation.
02. Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
Dystopian fiction takes a chilling and imaginative turn in Emily St. John Mandel’s Exit Party. Annabel Gutterman, an Amazon editor, characterizes the novel as a "sparkling, genre-busting gift" that shakes readers to their core. Spanning diverse continents, intricate timelines, and potentially multiple universes, the narrative forms a seamless and captivating puzzle.
Scary Mommy editor Katie Garrity further championed the book, describing it as "mind-bending." Set in the year 2031, the plot unfolds in a California that has declared itself a republic separate from the United States. When a long-standing curfew in Los Angeles is finally lifted for the first time in weeks, anxious citizens flood the streets, gravitating toward a massive celebratory gathering. The events that transpire at this gathering leave a lasting, haunting mark on Ari Waker, who has just been released from prison after serving an 18-year sentence.
03. The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate, and the Quest to End Dementia by Robert Kolker
Medical mysteries and deeply personal human struggles intersect in Robert Kolker’s harrowing true story. Amazon editor Lindsay Powers calls the book "an enthralling medical mystery that is both mesmerizing and heartbreaking," noting that it forces readers to confront profound questions regarding chance, choice, and the fundamental definition of a full life.
The narrative centers on a large family enduring a devastating genetic mutation that triggers early-onset dementia as early as a person’s 40s. Out of nine siblings who eventually set out into adulthood, only the youngest child, Barb, remains at home to witness her mother’s steady withdrawal and cognitive decline. As one by one, other family members suffer job losses, fractured marriages, and a tragic detachment from their former identities, Barb takes it upon herself to seek answers and push for a cure.
04. Kin by Tayari Jones
Tayari Jones returns with a resonant exploration of connection and coming-of-age in the Jim Crow South. Erin Kodicek, an Amazon editor, highlights the novel as a previously celebrated mid-year favorite, praising its nuanced portrait of friendship, family, and race, while noting that "Jones’s sentences sing."
Echoing this sentiment, Scary Mommy editor Sarah Aswell shared her enthusiasm after reading the book, assuring fans of Jones’s previous work that Kin does not disappoint. The story follows Annie and Vernice, who formed an unbreakable bond as neighbors and best friends during their childhood in Honeysuckle, Louisiana. At the age of 18, their paths diverge when Vernice leaves for Spelman College, entering an elevated world of academic aspiration and networking, while Annie ventures out independently in search of love and adventure.
05. Fruit Fly by Josh Silver
For readers looking to break out of a reading slump, Josh Silver delivers an electric psychological thriller. Amazon editor Abby Abell describes Fruit Fly as a work that walks a razor-thin line between hysterical and horrifying, tackling cultural appropriation through a relentless cat-and-mouse dynamic.
The novel centers on Mallory Maddox, a once-celebrated author whose career has stalled, leaving her without a new publication in nearly a decade. As the literary buzz she fought hard to build rapidly fades, Mallory encounters Leo, an unhoused addict who trades sex for basic necessities, sparking a dark and desperate well of inspiration. The narrative probes the unsettling lengths to which a creator might go in pursuit of a career-saving story.
06. Land by Maggie O’Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell transports readers to a remote Irish peninsula in a soaring, bewitching tale of ancestry and survival. Al Woodworth praises the book for enchanting readers with a combination of a 19th-century mapmaker, a loyal dog, and a mysterious forest copse, showcasing how the rugged landscape shapes generations of a single family.
Scary Mommy editor Sarah Aswell, who read the novel ahead of its fall release, went so far as to declare it O’Farrell’s finest work to date. The story follows a family striving to endure Ireland’s Great Hunger who unexpectedly discover a mysterious spring tucked deep within the forest, altering the course of their survival.
07. London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe
True crime enthusiasts and podcast devotees will find a compelling narrative in Patrick Radden Keefe’s latest work of investigative nonfiction. Al Woodworth describes the book as illuminating and unforgettable, chronicling how a young man became entangled in the dangerous sphere of Russian oligarchs before his tragic end in the River Thames.
The book investigates the events of November 29, 2019, when security cameras outside the MI6 headquarters captured footage of a young man pacing anxiously before plunging into the river. Keefe constructs a deeply reported account detailing his parents’ relentless pursuit of truth and accountability regarding how their son arrived at such a fateful decision.
08. Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty returns with a narrative that builds upon her signature domestic suspense. Editorial Director Sarah Gelman notes that while fans of Big Little Lies will find plenty to love, the book stands entirely on its own merits as one of the author’s strongest efforts, driven by sharp dialogue and engrossing pacing.
Scary Mommy editor Katie Garrity summarized the premise, explaining that the story catches up a decade later with Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie, whose children have grown into teenagers navigating the high-stress realities of drugs, sex, and alcohol in high school. When a mysterious stranger begins lurking near the campus and the school principal receives a severed finger in the mail, dormant secrets bubble to the surface, threatening to dismantle the characters’ lives once again.
09. This Cursed Beautiful Land: A Russian-American Story by Evan Gershkovich
In a gripping reported memoir, journalist Evan Gershkovich details his harrowing firsthand experience with Russian detention. Lindsay Powers, an Amazon editor, describes the book as a heart-pounding account of resilience and perseverance that looks far beyond standard news headlines to reveal the true reality of his sudden abduction.
In March 2023, exactly one year after the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, Gershkovich was meeting with a source hundreds of miles east of Moscow when masked agents abruptly intervened, blindfolded him, and transported him to Lefortovo prison under espionage allegations. Rather than yielding to despair, Gershkovich maintained his journalistic drive throughout his captivity, ultimately leading to the prisoner exchange that secured his freedom.
10. Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead
Concluding the top selections is a gritty, atmospheric crime novel from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead. Al Woodworth hails the book as a searing page-turner that plunges readers into the world of heists, gangsters, and criminal enterprises in 1980s New York City.
The story follows Ray Carney, his wife Elizabeth, and his associate Pepper as they navigate a landscape of high-stakes heists, bodyguard assignments, and turbulent shifts in urban history. At every juncture, Carney finds himself colliding with the city’s most volatile elements, continually placing his safety and his family’s well-being on the line for one final score.