We’re into the Autumn of 2019 now and another decade is almost over and so we think it’s time to look back at the decade and decide the books we most loved, the books with longevity, the instant classics, and the books we think you’ll still be reading another decade from now.
So today we’ve scoured the net to find out the books that have sold best, received the best reviews, and are still talked about to bring you a definitive list of the best books of the decade!
We’re sure you’ll have your own ideas too, so make sure you add yours in the comments.
In no particular order, we chose…
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Released in 2014, this historical fiction set in Paris in World War II is a Pulitzer Prize winner and we think people will still be reading it twenty years from now too!
Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
Ready Player One was released early in the decade, back in 2011, but set in a dystopian 2044. Dystopia always has longevity and we don’t think Ready Player One will be any different.
The Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead
When the Underground Railroad was released in 2014 it swept the board for awards, including a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award as the story of how people made safe chains to help escaped slaves became an instant classic.
Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This 2013 release from the award winning Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie won awards and was an instant bestseller, telling the story of a young Nigerian woman who emigrates to the United States.
My Brilliant Friend – Elana Ferrante
The first of the Neapolitan quartet about four friends growing up in post war Italy, My Brilliant Friend is an early edition to the list, released in 2011 and not only is the series an instant classic but it’s now an HBO series too.
Killers of the Flower Moon – David Grann
Released in 2017 and the first nonfiction book in our list, Killers of the Flower Moon focuses on the Osage Murders and the birth of the FBI. Already named book of the year by both Amazon and Time Magazine, we think people will be reading this for years to come.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot
We’re following that up with our second nonfiction book in the list, the story of Henrietta Lacks, scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more.
The Light Between Oceans – M. L Stedman
Released in 2012, The Light Between Oceans was an instant bestseller. The tale, about a lighthouse keeper and his wife who must deal with a boat, containing a dead man and a baby washed up on their island.
A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
When A Man Called Ove was released in English in 2012 it became an instant bestseller as readers were drawn to this grumpy old man and his cantankerous tales.
Citizen – Claudia Rankine
Released in 2014 this provocative meditation on race is likely to be held up in later years as the voice of a generation.
Between the World and Me – Ta Nehisi Coates
Released in 2015, Between the World and Me is a letter from a black American man to his adolescent son. It was hailed by Toni Morrison as essential reading and that is all you need to know!
There, There – Tommy Orange
Released in 2018, There, There is an award winning book following the lives of twelve characters from native communities who are all traveling towards the same powwow. A powerful read that is likely to find itself required reading in the future.
The Martian – Andy Weir
This futuristic thriller released in 2014 imagines Mark Watney as the first man on Mars in a thrilling, technical read that is likely to be loved for years to come.
The Overstory – Richard Powers
Published in 2018, The Overstory promises to become the voice of our time as it talks of our world and the way we mistreat it.
The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah
Released in 2017, The Nightingale is one of the best historical fiction books of our time, as women are forced to make impossible choices in Nazi occupied France.
The Invention of Wings – Sue Monk Kidd
This 2014 novel is an historical fiction that is a devastating look at American history through the eyes of an urban slave desperate for life beyond her four walls.
A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness
This 2011 novel was an award winner upon release and has been made into a movie too. We feel this beautiful and devastating look at loss and grief may find itself on school reading lists of the future.
Vox – Christina Dalcher
In 2018, Vox was published, and this futuristic novel where half of the population is silenced, is to this generation what The Handmaid’s Tale was to the 1980s.
The Circle – David Eggers
If our decade is to be defined by an obsession with social media and online presence, then this 2013 novel from David Eggers, defines the decade!
Salt to the Sea – Ruta Sepetys
This 2017 novel follows the story of four refugees through the winter of 1945 and is likely to be read for many years to come, winning the Carnegie Medal among other awards.
We hope you find some good suggestions there and we’ll be back with more recommendations lists soon. If you want to ensure you never miss any of these, subscribe now.
10 of 2024’s Most Anticipated Reads
The For Reading Addicts Book of the Year 2023
Are You Willing to Unite Against Book Bans?
Roald Dahl Censorship Creates Grotesque Versions of Classics
For Reading Addicts Book of the Year 2022