My top twelve books published in the last decade
I am always compiling lists in my head and then sometimes, like right now, I publish them for you to see. This list is my favorite books that were published in the last decade. As with every list the top books would probably change somewhat depending on my mood. To help alleviate that moodiness vote, I have consulted my end of the year lists and my own reviews on Goodreads or here on this blog. I decided, at the last minute, to only include fiction works for this list which will give me an excuse to create a similar list for nonfiction favorites of the decade.
1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr---I even re-read this book soon after reading it the first time. The writing and the symbolism are just simply gorgeous. It helps that I met Doerr at a book event and he is such a fascinating guy. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize among its many awards. (2014, Scribner)
2. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman---Something about this book really spoke to me about the way we treat people who we don't understand. It also spoke to me about the importance of being a good friend. (2017, Viking)
3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel---Another book which I reread in the decade, this is a book I think about every day because I suspect it may become true. It deals with life twenty years after an apocalypse. The writing is pretty spectacular, too, with the author leaving little dragon's teeth along the way which the reader collects as she reads. (2014, Knopf)
4. The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood---I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this book. It is chalk full of quirky characters and odd situations. It is also loving and kind at the same time. (2016, Headline Review)
5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline---I know this is a niche book, but I really like it with it's quirky plot and characters. It is a throwback to the 1980s when everything was a little bit more innocent and then it jumps forward in time when everything is much more complicated and horrible. (2011, Crown)
6. The Round House by Louise Erdrich---This was the first book by Erdrich that I read and now I am huge fan. The Round House is Justice series. I don't think you can read books by this Native American author and not be changed. An unreviewed book by me. Sigh. (2012, HarperCollins)
7. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt--- I enjoyed every minute of The Goldfinch and my reading experience was measured out in minutes, as I listened to all 32 hours of the audiobook. Of all the book reviews I've written, this is my favorite. This book is a Pulitzer Prize winner. (2013, Little, Brown and Company; 2014, Audible)
8. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green---The only YA book on this list, though I have many that I love. This book was just extra special. In the decade I've read it once, and listened to the audiobook twice. (2012, Dutton Books)
9. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai---My favorite book read in 2019, this book gives a hard look at the AIDS epidemic from its start to current days. The loss of so many men in the prime of life is compared to the Lost Generation of WWI. (2018, Penguin Books)
10. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki---I like books that have interrelated themes and plots. This book is that in spades, with the stories relating across time and distance, plus there is a little magical realism thrown in for good measure. A book club selection. Our group lined up on both sides of the "like" question. I was on the love side. (2013, Viking)
11. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead--- Whitehead wrote this book on this premise: What if the Underground Railroad was a real railroad. This book stands the typical slave narrative story on its head and it is brilliant. Another Pulitzer Prize winner. (2016, Doubleday)
12. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens---This book has a little of everything I like in books: flawed characters, interesting/new-to-me settings, mysteries, and poetry. I loved everything about it. (2018, G.P. Putnam's Sons)
I could go on and on. Maybe my next list will be my favorite nonfiction titles of the past decade, or my favorite YA titles...We'll see!
Happy 2020.
-Anne
