This year has been unlike any other of our 12 years of trading. We’ve had to adapt fast and now have a busy web shop, so when the shop had to close we were still working flat out packing and biking or posting books. One week back in April, our manager Jo somehow delivered 75 books by bike. One of our most biked books was Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez (Little, Brown, £14.99). It’s a coming-of-age story about a Jehovah’s Witness turned sex worker and his self discovery through faith, race, sexuality and love; it’s a page-turner with a lot of heart.Our busiest period coincided with this year’s demand for a renewed focus on Black Lives. While it’s good that so many people started reading about the reality of racism, it’s important to remember that joy and love are also part of the black experience. Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola (Headline, £16.99) retells mythical love stories from around the world and serves as a reminder of this. And Poor by Caleb Femi (Penguin, £9.99) is an arresting blend of poetry, memoir and photography underpinned by a strong sense of place.
Source: The best books of 2020, chosen by booksellers | Booksellers | The Guardian
