"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Monday, January 13, 2020

My favorite books that were published in the decade.

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

35 comments:

  1. I agree with six of them--can you guess which ones? :)

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    1. Actually no, but I will guess: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11?

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    2. Very close! 2,3,4,6,9,10. I liked (and enjoyed!)5 and 7, but they weren't in the same league for me. I haven't read 11, and probably should!

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    3. I thought we read The Underground Railroad for book club. Didn't we?

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    4. In our mutual BC we read "The Nickel Boys" by the same author. An excellent read.

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  2. Oooh, interesting list. I loved Eleanor Oliphant a LOT. I really enjoyed Station 11 too. I couldn't even finish Ready Player One, I tried The Goldfinch on audio and disliked the narrator, so I need to pick it up again in person, TFIOS was surprisingly touching, I liked but didn't love Underground Railroad and Where the Crawdads Sing, I loved everything I've read by Erdrich but haven't read that one, and the ones that were new to me are now on my TBR!

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    1. I am a fan of books with quirky characters so often the books I recommend aren't the ones others love.

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  3. I liked Ready Player One! I never did get to Station eleven though, although I wanted to. Hmm...

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    1. I'd be interested to have you read Stations Eleven and let me know what you think. Since you read more Sci-Fi than me.

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  4. This list is amazing and I've been wanting to read all of these. Yes, I haven't read these books except "The Fault in our stars" I know these are great books and have heard nothing but great things about them. It's the reason why I added them on my TBR. Hope I get around them this year. :)

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  5. OMG - A Tale for the Time Being is SUCH a fantastic book. One of the first ARCs I ever got, and I'll never give it up! It is my #1 pick for my "best of the best" books I've reviewed from 2013 through 2019.

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    1. I know. I love A Tale for the Time Being and can't believe I didn't write a review for it.

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  6. Yes to Eleanor Olifant is Completely Fine, that one was my favorite book I read in 2019! I still can't get over the fact that we've moved on from the 10's and are now in the 20's.

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  7. I've heard so many good things about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Station Eleven - at some point I really need to give them both a try!

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  8. I've not read any of these but I hope to get to Station Eleven one day.

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  9. Can't believe I've only read 2 of your list - 2 and 8. Will have to check the others out.

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    1. I hope you read my review of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE. It explains why there are still stories worthy of telling from WWII.

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  10. Great list! There are two books that you mention that I have such guilt for not reading yet: All the Light We Cannot See and Where the Crawdads Sing. They have both been on my shelf for so long, I keep meaning to read them, then I don't. Ugh. I must read these books in 2020.

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  11. Such a great take on the topic! I still need to read most of these though :)

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  12. Underground Railroad is one I have been eyeing since it's release. Glad to see it made your best of the decade list.

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  13. There are so many great books on your list. I'm so glad to see Louise Erdrich make you list. :)

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  14. Hooray for the Ozeki, which I'm sure would be one of mine. My husband has the Crawdads in his Audible TBR now, also checking if I'll like it.

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  15. RP1 is a great choice! I don't know that I could narrow down books for a decade. I love too many.

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    1. Believe me. I agonized over the list and want to add many more.

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  16. Great list! I've only read The Fault in Our Stars, but I have quite a few of these on my TBR. I'm hoping to pick up Eleanor Oliphant in the near future!

    My TTT

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  17. All The Light We Cannot See and The Fault In Our Stars are some of my favorites. I still need to get to Underground Railroad. It’s sitting on my shelf right now.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  18. ooops haven't read any of these haha. I think my fav would be 90% fantasy!

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  19. Amazing list. Thanks for sharing. I have read only one book on this list, so I think I may add some of the others!

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  20. Great list.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  21. I loved Eleanor and I actually listened to it on audiobook. I still laugh whenever I think about the department store makeover montage. Her mother gave me the chills.

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  22. I'd like to read the book Ready Player One someday. I saw the movie and it was good. Not that one necessarily equates to the other.

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  23. I share one fiction book with you that also made my list of favorite fiction books in the last decade: The Fault in Our Stars. The movie was pretty good too.

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