9 unmissable books written by Australian women in 2020.

2020 has been a brilliant year for books. 

We've had more time to read than ever before and we've been spoilt for choice. 

To help you sort out of your holiday reading list, we've rounded up 9 unmissable books that were released by Australian women in 2020.

From true crime, to touching memoirs, to murder mysteries, there's something for everyone. 

You're welcome. 

The Mother Fault by Kate Mildenhall

Image: Simon and Schuster. 

Set in Australia in the near future, The Mother Fault follows the story Mim. Mim's husband Ben is missing, and The Department is threatening to take away her two children if they can't find him. 

From stark back roads of the Australian outback to the sea, The Mother Fault is an action-packed and moving portrayal of the lengths a mother will go to save her children. 

Top End Girl by Miranda Tapsell

Image: Hachette Australia. 

As a young Larrakia Tiwi girl Miranda Tapsell didn't see herself on TV or in movies, so she decided to change that. 

Combining her pride in her Aboriginality and passion for romantic comedies with her love of Darwin, the Tiwi Islands and the Top End, Miranda co-wrote, produced and starred in the box office hit Top End Wedding.

In this brilliant memoir, Tapsell shares her journey into acting and how her roles in The Sapphires and Love Child inspired her to write a movie about coming back to family and culture. 

I Give My Marriage A Year by Holly Wainwright

Image: Pan MacMillan Australia. 

Lou and Josh have been together for 14 years. They have two kids and a mortgage, but Lou is wondering whether her marriage is actually worth saving. 

So, every month for a year, she sets a different challenge for their relationship, and makes the ultimate decision – should she stay or should she go? 

You can read the first chapter of I Give My Marriage A Year by Holly Wainwright here.

The Survivors by Jane Harper

Image: Pan Macmillan Australia. 

Kieran Elliott’s life changed forever when a storm hit his hometown when he was just 18 years old. 

Twelve years later, while Kieran visiting his family in the small Tasmanian coastal town, a body is discovered on the beach. 

Kieran is forced to finally face what happened on that fateful day all those years ago, while also trying to figure out how it's all connected to the body on the beach. 

A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu

Image: Allen & Unwin. 

Jena Lin was once a child prodigy. She now uses sex to fill the void left by worldwide recognition and praise. 

When Jena is awarded an internship with the New York Philharmonic, she thinks the life she has dreamed of is about to begin. But when Trump is elected, New York changes irrevocably and Jena along with it. 

Jessie Tu's debut novel explores female desire and the danger of wanting too much and never getting it. 

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

Image: Pan Macmillan Australia. 

Rose and Fern are twin sisters. Years ago, Fern did something bad and Rose protected her. 

Now Rose can't have a baby and Fern thinks this is the perfect opportunity for her to pay Fern back for everything she's done for her. She just needs to find a father. It shouldn't be that hard, right? 

Missing William Tyrrell by Caroline Overington

Image: HarperCollins. 

On Friday, September 12, 2014, three-year-old William Tyrrell vanished from the front yard of his grandmother's house. The search for the missing toddler has captivated Australia in the years since.  

From best-selling author and Walkley Award-winning journalist, Caroline Overington, Missing William Tyrrell is a moving and compelling exploration of one of Australia's most baffling and heartbreaking mysteries.

The Morbids by Ewa Ramsey

Image: Allen & Unwin. 

Caitlin is convinced she's going to die.

Two years ago she was a normal twenty-something with a blossoming career and a plan to go travelling with her best friend, until a car accident left her with a deep, unshakable understanding that she's only alive by mistake. 

She isolates herself from her friends, drinks heavily, and attends a support group with a bunch of other people who believe their time is up. 

When her best friend announces she's getting married in Bali, Caitlin realises its time she starts learning how to live again. 

The Yield by Tara June Winch

Image: Penguin. 

Profoundly moving and exquisitely written, Tara June Winch’s The Yield is the story of a people and a culture dispossessed. But it is as much a celebration of what was and what endures, and a powerful reclaiming of Indigenous language, storytelling and identity. 

Keryn Donnelly is the Pop Culture Editor at Mamamia. For more from Keryn, you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.