A Decade of My Best Books!
Wow! This was quite a topic! It was a little tough for me, because I did not start pleasure reading again until 2013, so I will be cheating on the years prior, and picking from books published in those years. I am declaring this one of the most difficult TTT topics to date. I struggled, when looking back at each of my "year in books" with which book to pick. I will confess, that when it came between a blockbuster and a less hyped book, which gave me equal enjoyment, I selected the less hyped book, because I am always rooting for the little guy. However, I really enjoyed looking back at all the books I have read, and though I could never choose a "favorite", I chose books that I remember quite fondly or left a big impression on me.
- 2010- The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
- 2011 - The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
- 2012 - Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
- 2013 - Winger by Andrew Smith
- 2014 - The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
- 2015 - Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander
- 2016 - The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
- 2017 - The Art of Feeling by Laura Tims
- 2018 - The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody
- 2019 - Opposite of Always by Justin a. Reynolds
What's one of the best books
you have read in the past decade?
you have read in the past decade?
Let us know in the comments!
I cheated on this one a little and just picked ten books less than 10 years old- oops. Anyway The Geography of Lost things looks great- I've looked at one a few times.
ReplyDeleteTTT topics are always flexible. I like Brody's books in general, but that one was so, so good for me.
DeleteI actually didn't like The Sky Is Everywhere. I can't remember now why but I think I wrote something on GR about it. I need to read a Morgan Matson novel!
ReplyDeleteGenesis @ Whispering Chapters
I know a lot of readers didn't like this one part of Sky, but there were circumstances, and Nelson wrote it in a way that I was able to forgive. Nelson's writing and the emotion she evokes from me is incredible.
DeleteGreat list!! I really need to read The Serpent King and The Opposite of Always!!
ReplyDelete~Kendra @ Kendra Loves Books
Honestly, all Zentner's books are fabulous. You cannot go wrong with any of them. And Opposite of Always!!! I really hope the adaptation happens, because I want to cry over that story again.
DeleteAw the Sky is Everywhere made my lost too. So many other great books I have read or need to read up there !!
ReplyDeleteI wish Jandy Nelson would write a new book, because the two she produced, were perfection for me.
DeleteI haven't read any of these, but there's one or two that are on my TBR! I love the cover for The Geography of Lost Things!! <3
ReplyDeleteGeography was SO good! It had all these fun road trip things, and there was a lot of coming to terms with things on that journey too. I enjoyed it immensely.
Deletegreat list. will be checking some of them out
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I hope you get to read a few.
DeleteI so love that topic Sam! Well you doing it not me LOL I agree with you on The Serpent King and All about Alice has been recommended many times to me!
ReplyDeleteI want to cry thinking about this part in TSK, but it was such a beautiful story of friendship and I just love Zentner's storytelling so much.
DeleteNice! All totally new to me ones here!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I can tell you they were all great!
DeleteI thought this was a hard topic, too - I think my list could have changed from day to day! I love that you spotlighted lesser-known books.
ReplyDeleteI had the 5-star criteria, but I still had a lot of books, because I read a lot of books. I think it's important to throw love on the little books. I loved a lot of hyped books too, which appeared on a million lists this week, but I like to shine a spotlight on other books too.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your list! This is a hard topic...I'm trying to decide if I want to tackle creating my own list:)
ReplyDeleteI love making lists, even when it's hard. I always do those week long "favorites" at the end of the year, which are painful and wonderful at the same time too.
DeleteI haven't seen too many people talk about Opposite of Always, but the fact that it made your list makes me want to bump it up on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteI think because it was a debut, it didn't get a ton of love, but it was already optioned. I hope that film is made too, because the story is wonderful.
DeleteThis was a tough topic for lots of reasons. Thank goodness I've kept lists of the books I've read, with favorites marked, over the years. That made it much easier to make this list.
ReplyDeleteI've only read one of the books on your list and I didn't love it. Most of your other picks are on my TBR list somewhere. I'll get to them someday!
Happy TTT!
I am sad you didn't like one of my favorites, but different books for different readers.
DeleteI loved The Serpent King. I can understand why you chose it. This post is making me think I need to pick up Second Chance Summer soon. I've had it FOREVER.
ReplyDeleteIf you need a good cry, you should definitely read Second Chance Summer. It's not a secret what's going to happen. We find out in chapter 1, but I thought it was done so beautifully, and it was really touching.
DeleteWinger was so close to making my list! Great choices. :)
ReplyDeleteRyan Dean is one of my most favorite characters ever!! Smith writes some really interesting books too.
DeleteWinger! I just read another book by the author, and it was great too. And yes, Serpent King forever. I am so happy because I have a student who's just finishing it up, and she keeps hugging it and telling me how much she loves it. She also came and told me "Whelp, I found the part that made you cry, and there i was in class trying to keep it together, so thanks for that." I also have a boy who keeps declaring Opposite of Always is his Favorite Book of All Time, which makes me so happy too.
ReplyDeleteI have read four of Smith's books (3 featuring characters from the same world). All were interesting and thought provoking. He reminds me a little of A.S. King in how interestingly odd his books are. The part that made you cry - yeah, that part made me sob uncontrollably. My heart physically hurt, but at least it did move the plot forward and wasn't for nought. High five that kid, who loves Opposite of Always for me. That book does not get enough love.
DeleteI love Jessica Brody! I need to check out The Geography of Lost Things!
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
I have been working my way through Brody's older books. I have really been enjoying them all.
DeleteI'm in the middle of a really busy spell and I just didn't have time to sit and work out the years and then start choosing!
ReplyDeleteThis was a time consuming, though enjoyable, list
DeleteI agree that it was a challenging topic. Even with Goodreads’s help, my list took forever to make.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Yes. I think I spread it out over two days. I had so much trouble deciding.
DeleteWe’ve probably talked about The Serpent King before. Even though I had issues with Lydia (as in, I actively disliked her LOL), I had so much love for Travis and Dill. And there was a scene in there that will stay with me forever because it absolutely broke my heart.
ReplyDeleteThat scene crushed my soul.
DeleteI think The Truth About Alice is the only one of these I've read. I need to get to adding to my TBR!
ReplyDeleteMathieu writes great books. I am a solid fan of her work.
DeleteI'm kinda bummed I've read NONE of these books that made your list. Need to remedy that!
ReplyDeleteI am surprised you have not read any of these, because you are a good mixer. But, you know me, keeping it obscure.
DeleteI don't know any of these :(
ReplyDeleteI cheated with the topic as I couldn't remember what book was a favourite each year for 10 years... I can't even pick my favourite from last!
I never had "a" favorite, so I just looked at all my 5-star reads, and picked one that really left an impression on me. It was hard.
DeleteI've not read any of these but I'm happy to see Opposite of Always on your list since that's one in my pile to read this summer.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to it. That book was so, so wonderful!
DeleteI can not believe I have not read one of these. I have hard and even have some on my TBR but read - 0. What a shame. I will have to correct this.
ReplyDeleteMary
I know I tend to read the smaller, less hyped books. Fingers crossed you get to check out one or more of these. They were all wonderful!
DeleteSam, I have heard of Jeff Zentner's "The Serpent King" a couple of times so far. I am curious about it a lot. Thanks for mentioning it! I'll have to write it down on my wish list. I was happy to see "Second Chance Summer" on the list, because it's on my To-Be-Read pile but it's one I hesitate to read due to its reputation for being a sad book. I have been stumbling on the idea of reading painful things because they're enriching. So, I expect this book will find its way onto my reading list this summer. Have you read Morgan Matson's most recent book, "Save the Date"? It's the only book of hers that I still don't own. I like her stories a lot. They are cute--although, I will say that they, for the most part, haven't been diverse in any way and that bothers me. Ah. So many lovely books on your list!!
ReplyDeleteSave the Date is one of the only Matson books I have not read. It slipped through the cracks for me last year, but I am hoping to get to it this year as a 2018 Throwback. Second Chance Summer is sad. It's a family's final summer together as their father is dying, but it's also very beautiful, because they were given that gift to reconnect before it was too late. Just have the tissues ready.
DeleteThe Truth About Alice is also one I am so curious about and I am still dreaming of getting a copy of The Serpent King. I have to say that although everyone praises Winger, but for some reason I hate the cover so much DD: Is it bad if I never really pick it up for that reason? I did read The Sky is Everywhere and while I liked some aspects of it, it wasn't one for me...
ReplyDeleteWell, you are talking to a cover snob, so I can understand a cover putting you off. However, Ryan Dean was an incredible character, and there is this one event that happened in the book, which I thought Smith did so well. I'm crying here just thinking about it.
Delete