At the beginning of the year, I always like to look back on the year before. What were my favorites? What happened? Back when I had my old blog, I’d cover the top news events of the previous year, or celebrities we lost, but now I mainly write about books. Since we’re now into a new decade, I guess I’ll take some time to reflect on my favorite books of the decade.
This was harder to do than my favorite books from the previous year. Especially when I decided to only list books that were published in the last decade, which excludes The Fourth Turning (published in 1997). But I came up with a list that, although I could probably quibble with some of the entries at the bottom of the list, reflects many of the books that I’ll look back on and remember fondly (or plan on another reread).
Unless otherwise specified, when I list the beginning book of a series, the entire series is included in that spot.
10. The Young Elites – Marie Lu. This was the hardest slot to pick, because there were several books that could have gone here. I especially liked the second and third books in this series. I’m looking forward to a reread this year.
9. The 5th Wave – Rick Yancey (first book only). I loved the first book so much, but the second and third books in this series were probably the most disappointing sequels of the decade. This book was my second favorite book of those I read in 2016.
8. Sky Without Stars – Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell. I read a lot more books in the final couple of years of the decade than I did in the first few years, although I’ve always been reading books. Sky Without Stars is probably the book I’m looking forward to rereading the most this year.
7. Enchantée – Gita Trelease. J’adore this book! It was my favorite book I read in 2018. Ms. Trelease has postponed the release of the sequel to this book, Liberté, until early 2021, which is disappointing, but I’ll probably end up rereading this book later this year.
6. The Cruel Prince – Holly Black. This is another series I’ll definitely have to reread at some point. Jude and Cardan are both terrible people, but they belong together. I’m glad I didn’t have to wait until this month to read its conclusion.
5. An Ember in the Ashes – Sabaa Tahir. Like many people, I’m impatiently waiting the fourth book in this tetralogy. I know she’s working on this, but it doesn’t make waiting easier. I read the first three books in one week (and these are not small books). I’ll have to reread these before its conclusion comes out (hopefully 2021?).
4. The Twelfth Imam – Joel C. Rosenberg. This series came out when I wasn’t reading that many books per year (a couple a month instead of a couple a week). I loved the relationship between David and Marseilles. I’ll have to reread this series at some point, as it’s been a while since I read it.
3. The Infernal Devices – Cassandra Clare. I’m not sure which Shadowhunter series I liked the best, but The Mortal Instruments came out partially in the 2000s, and I ugly cried the most reading Clockwork Princess, so I had to pick this one.
2. Divergent – Veronica Roth (excluding “We Can Be Mended”). I love this series so much, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read it. But I have read the entire series in Spanish, the first book in German, and the first 50 pages or so in Russian. I’ve read it in English countless times. The only part I don’t love is anything after chapter 50 of Allegiant.
1. Legend – Marie Lu. Yes I love FourTris, but I love Day and June even more. I’m glad this series concluded last year with Rebel; it seems a fitting way to bookend the decade.
So those were my favorite books from the past decade. I’m looking forward to all the amazing books that the ’20s promise to bring!
