nytimes best books 2020 fiction

Good news: You've awakened. Bad news: You're the villainess. Renee Jennings accidentally obtains a system, allowing her to break free from the plot's control by completing missions. Renee Jennings: "Wait a minute, what's with all the animal dictionaries as a reward?" System: [They can give you an affinity with animals.] Renee Jennings: "Why?" System: [Because a villainess has no affinity with people.] Renee Jennings: "…" This joke is not that funny... * After unlocking animal languages, Renee Jennings embarks on a path of no return— Leading dogs to save a blind woman being stalked by a pervert. Reporting an evil old man who murdered his wife and hid her body, thanks to rats. Helping a kitten catch the murderer who killed its owner and buried the body. Finding tens of millions in stolen goods based on intel from birds. * While others are petting cats, Renee Jennings is riding a tiger. While others are falling in love, Renee Jennings is solving crimes. While others are getting married, Renee Jennings is rescuing endangered animals. While others are having kids, Renee Jennings is serving her country.

On the verge of death from illness, Yu Zhizhi transmigrates to the Beast World Planet, becoming the lowest-ranking plaything for slaughter. Her destiny was supposed to be a direct slaughter by powerful figures gone Berserk in their beast forms. Fortunately, she awakened the Childbirth System, and the style of the story suddenly changed— The maddened and fallen monster (Wolf): "I'll give you a choice, love me, or be bitten to death by me?" The evil Duke (Snake): "Beautiful maiden, please fall into the abyss of desire with me." The tyrannical Imperial Marshal (Shark): "I command you, you are only permitted to love me!" The wildly arrogant Crown Prince (Tiger): "I will kill all the males who covet you!!" (The list of Beast Husbands is expanding—) As the lowest-ranking female, Yu Zhizhi is doted on wildly by the powerful figures, undergoing Evolution all the way to the top-tier Rare grade and becoming the most noble existence in the Beast World Empire!

After being found and brought back by her wealthy family, Arabella Donovan has an unexpected awakening and discovers that the world she lives in is a mishmash of popular story tropes. Her eldest brother is the tragic guy in a melodramatic, angsty novel; Her second brother is the cannon fodder in an showbiz power-fantasy novel; Her third brother is the scapegoat who ends up with a criminal record in a doting teen romance; Her fourth sister is the vicious villainess in a 'real vs. fake heiress' story; And even her parents are just antagonistic background characters in some sweet, middle-aged romance. Arabella Donovan: This family is a complete collection of misfortunes. The word 'tragic' doesn't even begin to cover it. Her family, after hearing all of her inner thoughts: "..."

Bai Su, who transmigrated into a book set in the interstellar Beast World, has only one interest: making delicious food at the orphanage, raising children, and enjoying her hard-won new life. Future's great villains? The cubs are all super well-behaved in front of her! The Federation Leader comes to freeload a meal, and his disability is cured! The business emperor comes to freeload a meal, and his infertility is solved! The obese little female gets thinner the more she eats, gradually growing into the number one beauty of the Beast World. She also attracts the number one genius doctor of the interstellar era and the interstellar great captain. The villainous cubs, driving warships and controlling ten thousand beasts: "If you want to get close to our Mom, you'll have to withstand our cannon fire first!" The Federation Leader laughs in anger: "You dare to bomb my armory? Courting death!" The gloomy and bloodthirsty emperor: "A bunch of little trash! You think I'm afraid of you?" The doctor's face turns ashen: "Either give back my research results, or die!" The interstellar great captain dangerously shoulders a Barrett: "I see you're all dying to get locked up." Bai Su smiles and peeks her head out, holding a gleaming kitchen knife: "Time to eat! What are you all doing?" The big shots and the little villains, harmoniously putting their arms around each other's shoulders in a picture of fatherly love and filial piety: "Coming~~"

[Ding! The 'Randomly Spend' Tycoon System is at your service.] On her way to work, Yun Zijin was bound by a system named 'Randomly Spend'. [Spending Task Completed. A 2x rebate has been triggered. Ownership of Villa No. 1 at Xingyu Mansion. The related documents have been placed in the system backpack.] [Spending Task Completed. A 3x rebate has been triggered. Ownership of Dingsi Building. The related documents have been placed in the system backpack.] ... Yun Zijin was dazzled by the system's rewards, only to be told that her wealthy parents had found her? That she's the true daughter of the Xia Family of Dijing? Being bound to the Tycoon System was exciting for Yun Zijin, but she refused to be part of any cliché wealthy family drama. The Xia Family of Dijing? Yun Zijin: Get lost! Don't even think about associating with me!

Modern forensic doctor Xu Jing transmigrates into an arrogant, reckless woman who just got divorced by her husband. Facing such a pitiful start, Xu Jing remains calm, understanding that life must go on. One day, The Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Xiao Yi, comes to Anping County for official business. A Government Official brings a woman in, but she remains unflustered, looking up calmly to say: "This common woman requests to prove her innocence." Xiao Yi is shocked to find that his ex-wife not only has a changed personality but also can perform autopsies and solve cases. Her medical skills are extraordinarily impressive. Xiao Yi can't stay calm and personally visits Xu Jing to request an autopsy. Xu Jing: "Sure, an autopsy costs one silver." Xiao Yi: "..."

Wen Ci struggled to survive in the apocalypse for three years, only to transmigrate into the 1980s as the real heiress forced into a substitute marriage. The moment she arrived, her own mother pressured her to marry in another’s place. Wen Ci had never been one to submit, even in death. Rather than be manipulated, she leapt into the river to escape— Only to be rescued the very next second. Looking up, she found herself staring at a tall, broad-shouldered man with a face so handsome it could ruin nations. Practically drooling, Wen Ci blinked and asked, “Just passing by?” The man replied coldly, “Your husband.” Wen Ci froze. Her arranged husband… Was this devastatingly handsome big shot? If she’d known sooner, why would she have jumped into the river? She would’ve happily gone straight to enjoying married life! — Later, Wen Ci was assigned to assist at a hospital, where she often heard the doctors speak in awe of a certain “Living Yama” in the Northwest— A man swift and decisive, stern and impartial, so intimidating that anyone who met him trembled. Remembering Wen Ci was married, one doctor asked curiously, “Where is your husband stationed?” Just as Wen Ci was about to answer— She looked up and saw Huo Jingyuan standing in the doorway in civilian clothes, his expression as cold as ever. The doctor hurriedly tugged her sleeve and whispered, “That’s him—the Living Yama!” Wen Ci walked over to him. “Why are you here?” Huo Jingyuan looked at her and answered evenly, “To take you home.”

One day, a strange hand suddenly appeared inside Chi Wan’s interdimensional space. Its owner claimed to be living in the apocalypse—starving, desperate—and begged to trade anything he had for food. Chi Wan stared at the pile of Imperial Green jade, oversized diamonds, and dozens of kilograms of gold bars he offered… and fell into deep thought. …Wasn’t this a little too profitable? From then on, her connection to the apocalypse only grew stronger. The mysterious man—who turned out to be a powerful figure—used his Wood Ability to help her revive rare orchids, cultivate endangered plants, and even harvest zombie crystal cores for the country. As for Chi Wan? She only had three responsibilities: feed him, feed him, and keep feeding him. Somehow, without realizing it, a group of extraordinary men began to gather around her: A genius research scientist. An aloof, abstinent CEO. A cold and ruthless Soldier King… In front of Chi Wan, they were gentle, attentive, and impeccably polite—each trying to outshine the others. Behind her back? They were one step away from tearing each other apart. Meanwhile, on the other side of the spatial link… The so-called King of the Apocalypse clenched his teeth in silence as he listened to these men compete for her attention. As for Chi Wan? “I’m busy getting rich and supporting my family,” she said calmly. “A battle royale of suitors? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Until one day— An absurdly handsome man appeared at the gates of her villa… carrying a sack filled with gold and jewels. “I’m here to marry into your family,” he declared. Chi Wan glanced at him, then at the newly connected wasteland world inside her space… …and once again fell into deep thought.

While training in a Secret Realm, Ning Xuan was accidentally sucked into a spatial rift. Under the protection of the Spirit Plant Ghost-faced Red Vine, her soul body escaped the spatial rift and arrived in a strange world, possessing the body of a young girl who had been murdered and had no spiritual power. In the process of obtaining the original owner's identity information, Ning Xuan was detected to have an awakened spiritual power. According to Federation law, all Spirit Controllers with awakened spiritual power must have their genetic information collected for compatibility matching. Because her compatibility was too high, Ning Xuan subsequently received 5 mandatory Contract messages. However, her Contractors, disliking her for her low Spiritual Power Level, all chose to hide their own information.

In her past life, she was a wildly popular award-winning actress, yet she ended up with her family ruined and its members dead, while she herself was burned alive. After her rebirth, she is determined to change her destiny, not only to protect her second and third sisters, but also to uncover the truth behind the deaths of her father and brother. Returning to her twenty-two-year-old self, the once timid and terrible actress, Stella Lockwood, undergoes a drastic change in personality. Someone wants to slander her? She strikes back immediately. Someone wants to shelve her career? She makes a spectacular comeback. The scumbag from her past life wants to toy with her feelings again? Sorry, but this girl is already in a flash marriage... In her past life, there was a "despicable" mogul who was always trying to break her and the scumbag up. In this life, the mogul uses "shameless" tactics to force her into marriage. The scumbag rushes to her door, yelling furiously: "Stella Lockwood, how could you marry my youngest uncle?" The mogul, with a cold expression, immediately reprimands him: "Where are your manners? Address her as your aunt." Later on, she discovers that the mogul is actually the man she has been longing for... He says with a smile: "All along, you have been the one I cherish most in my heart. It was true when we were children, and it's even more so now."