I know that everyone has been saying it, but I truly can not believe that we are entering a new decade. I could not pass up on the chance to talk about some of my favourite books from the last ten years. It is has been an interesting decade of reading, and it was fun to reflect on some of the books that have been published during this time.
2010
Secret Daughter is a book that has held up overtime. Even though it has been years since I have read it, it feels like just yesterday. It is a compelling look at foreign adoption from many perspective. I actually have a signed copy of another novel (The Golden Son) from the author that I need to read.
I actually read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating this year though it was published in 2010. It is such a beautiful, original, and touching memoir about the relationship between the author, who was bedridden at the time, and a snail who keeps her company.
Warm Bodies was a book that I absolutely loved when it first came out! Zombies were all the rage at that time and I thought that this romance between a human and a zombie was really sweet and charming. I also enjoyed the movie. I would be curious to reread this one to see if it holds up!
2011
Moonlight on Linoleum is a memoir that completely flew under the radar, and it is such a shame. If you are a fan of Educated or The Glass Castle you need to track down a copy of this one.
A Monster Calls is so well-loved and for good reason. It is such a heartbreaker and a story that has stayed with me. I still have the watch the movie but I am not sure that I am emotionally ready!
Somehow I completely missed The Language of Flowers when it first came out in 2011 and I actually read it for the first time this year. It was an eye-opening look at what happens after someone ages out of the foster system. Fans of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing will loved this one as well!
Ready Player One was just plain fun for me. I completely breezed through it and it just made me happy. I instantly passed it on to my brother, who is not a big reader, and he finished it in one sitting. That made me so happy and I will always have warm feelings towards it.
2012
I talk about The Immortal Rules any chance that I get because it upsets me that it is a vampire series that is always overlooked. It is my favourite vampire series of all time and I just want everyone to read it!
I can still remember how The Light Between Oceans made me feel. It was both crushing and frustrating. I remember having so many mixed emotions, and I loved when a book can do that.
I do not think anyone will be surprised to see A Man Called Ove on this list. It is one of those books that everyone who I have recommended it to has loved. It seems like such a simple story on the surface but underneath it has so much heart!
The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a translated book that I read this year, but the novel was first published in 2012. Spoiler- you will definitely see this book on my best books of the year list. I get emotional just thinking about it!
2013
The Humans completely took me by surprise! It is an interesting and realistic look at the human race from the perspective of an alien. Sounds ridiculous, but it is so sincere and hopeful. It is also quite funny!
Night Film was the first book I read that was told through mixed media. I immediately fell in love with that form of story telling. This is a book that kept me on the edge of my seat and truly gave me nightmares- I loved it!
I have been talking about Burial Rites quite a bit on my blog lately and I am thrilled about that. It is a book that has stayed with me and would love to get into the hands of more readers. It is based on a truly story and is set in 1829 in Iceland.
2014
Red Rising is a book that has so much hype and it totally lives up to it! A dystopian set on Mars- that is all you need to know. I have been saying it for years, but I need to continue on with the series.
All My Puny Sorrows is a book that I read this year, and it is the one that made Miriam Toews an autobuy author for me. I appreciate that both of the novels I have read from her come from a place of personal experience. She is a master at making the reader question their own morals and ethics.
A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is everything that SciFi should be. There is so many things that you can do with the genre and Becky Chambers goes there. I love that there are so many unique species with different ways of life. So refreshing and fun!
I always say that I’ll Give You the Sun is my favourite YA novel of all time. I love stories about twins and stories that deal with grief in some way. This story is so beautiful written and the characters will stay with you.
2015
Mosquitoland is one of those books that I do not talk about enough. It has been years since I have read it but it stands out in my mind. It is exactly the quite, coming of age YA novel that appeals to me.
No shock here! Illuminae is absolutely incredible and memorable. It is a book that I recommend to people who want to dip their toe into the SciFi genre.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is just so sweet and I know that many people see themselves in Simon. I love books that can do that! It is so important. I also really loved the movie.
2016
Sleeping Giants is my favourite SciFi series of all time. I talk about it all the time. I am so tempted to reread it.
Homegoing is the book that made me realize how much I love multi-genrerational stories. Yaa Gyasi is an incredible writer and I am in awe of her talent. I can not wait for her next novel which is coming out in 2020!
The Underground Railroad will not be the only Colson Whitehead novel you will see on this list. I truly believe he is one of the best authors of our time. This is the book that made me appreciate alternate history novels!
2017
(Can you tell that I started blogging in 2017!? I will try to keep this short)
The Bear and the Nightingale is incredibly written and atmospheric. Katherine Arden is a master at creating a sense of place.
This is a big claim but The Lonely Hearts Hotel might just be my favourite book of the decade. I can not even do it justice just trust me and pick it up!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine has one of my favourite characters of all time. I loved living inside Eleanor’s head!
Tin Man is my favourite almost love story. I adore Sarah Winman’s writing, and just thinking about this one makes me emotional.
I read Starfish this year and absolutely loved it. It deals with grief and using art as a path to healing. That is something I have come to love in fiction.
First off, Wild Beauty was the first ARC that I ever received so it will always have a special place in my heart. More than that though, it is so atmospheric and just plain beautiful.
Far From the Tree is a YA novel that focuses on family and on adoption. It is both touching and heartbreaking!
The Rules of Magic is the prequel to the wildly popular novel Practical Magic. Rules of Magic is actually my favourite book about witches. I love that there is a focus on sibling relationships and that it is very character driven.
2018
I, like so many others, absolutely loved Circe. She is such a dynamic and complicated character. Madeline Miller is a genius and I can not wait to see what she writes next!
The Ensemble is a book that I think is so underrated. I understand why it would not be for everyone because it is very much character driven. I loved following this quartet through the years and seeing how their relationships change.
Claire Fuller is one of my favourite authors, and Bitter Orange is my favourite book from her. It is so descriptive, dark, and sinister. I love that things are slowly revealed, but the reader almost feels sophisticated by the atmosphere throughout the story.
Another Miriam Toews- I just adore her! I thought Women Talking was brilliant and it is devastating to know that it is based on a true story. It feels like the reader is part of this group of women and part of the discussion on what choices to make.
2019
You will have to wait and see! I do not want to spoil my favourite books of the year post!
I read A monster calls, I’ll give you the sun, Mosquitoland, Illuminae, Simon vs., Far from the tree and Circe from this list. The bear and the nightinggale is still on my TBR!
The Bear and the Nightingale is the perfect book to read this time of year!!
Yeah January it is!
So many good ones on here, also so many I still want to check out!
(www.evelynreads.com)
I hope you love them as much as I did!
Gosh I loved reading and seeing the movie adaptation of Warm Bodies to, I am way to scared to re read it because I belive the love for it will have fade by now. And I want that happy memory of it 😛
I feel the exact same way!
Thanks for reminding me to read Red Rising! It’s been recommended to me over and over, most recently by my dad. You’re recommendation finally sold me!
This is such a cool post! I wanted to do this, but I didn’t keep track of my reading at the beginning of the decade, and I couldn’t remember what books I read in which years. You’ve got some great picks in here!
Yay! I love that your dad recommended you Red Rising. I think you’ll love it.
I went to Goodreads and sorted my read books by publication date! Most of these I didn’t read the year thry were actually published.
Ah, well, that makes it easier, doesn’t it! Honestly, I only started reading books published in the last decade when I started blogging, so there’s a good chance that I haven’t even read something from every year, haha.
Some of my years were definitely lighter than others!
wow, That’s great list and post. I wish I could say was was reading for a decade or list favorites from every year.
Thank you!!
Loved a monster calls, circe and bear and the nightingale!! And a man called ove, homegoing, Eleanor Oliphant, evelyn hugo, red rising, Illuminae and simon vs the homosapiens were great! Legit love so many of these! Wonderful list!
Thank you!! We have such similar reading tastes so I’m not surprised!
I love this post so much! I wouldn’t be able to choose one book per year either 😀
So many of my favorite books are on your list <3
Thank you! That would be impossible!
This is the one tag that I plan on doing later this week as I think it’s just an amazing idea!
Can’t wait to see the books you choose!
This is such an incredible idea!! It’s so cool looking back over the years haha!
Thanks! It was very fun! Can’t believe we are coming to the end of the decade already.
I’m impressed you can remember the best books of the decade. I was thinking of doing a similar post but honestly I can barely remember what I read in the last year and only started tracking around 2015.
There are some brilliant books on this list. A Man Called Ove, The Travelling Cat Chronicles, Circle and A Monster Calls were stand outs for me too.
I’m also a fan of the Immortal Rules, why does no one talk about that series? It’s probably Kagawa’s best.
Thank goodness for Goodreads! I joined in 2010.
It always makes me so happy to find other Immortal Rules lovers. All of her books are so hyped except that series. Infuriates me!!
I loved Far from the Tree !
So amazing!
Great list!