As so many great books came out this decade I am going to choose one winner from each year and 3 honorable mentions. I am only including books I have read personally so if you don’t see some of your favourites on this list drop them in the comments and I’ll be sure to check them out. 2020 is the year I want to catch up on all the books I haven’t been able to read yet and smash through my TBR.
2010
The obvious winner from this year for me is Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins because it is such an iconic series that I still love today.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick – Despite the negative backlash this series got I loved it and still own copies today and I really like the angel dynamic which back when it came out was new and fresh.
Firelight by Sophie Jordan – Another series I loved when it came out although I haven’t read it for years.
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore – A series that would have taken the top spot if Mockingjay hadn’t been on the list. I love the books and the movie.
2011
I am not including City of Fallen Angels or Clockwork Prince in this year because I didn’t love the Mortal Instruments books or movie and I hated the Infernal Devices series. I am also not putting Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick on this list as Crescendo was mentioned in 2010.
The obvious winner from this year for me is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I loved this series and I am planning to catch up with the Noah Shaw books this year.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
Wither by Lauren DeStefano – One of the only dystopian series apart from Shatter Me that I still love today.
Plague by Michael Grant – An amazing series that I haven’t seen replicated to the same standard since this series was published.
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter – One of the only mythology retelling especially Hades and Persephone retelling that I really enjoyed and go back to time and time again when I need a mythology retelling.
2012
The obvious winner from this year for me is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green one of the few books that makes me cry every time and the movie as well.
The honorable mentions from this year are:
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi – An amazing dystopian series and one of my personal favourites to date.
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake – One of my favourite Kendare Blake novels and I hope she writes more like this in the future.
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter – If you are looking for a dystopian zombie series then this is the one I’d highly recommend.
2013
The obvious winner from this year for me is Splintered by A. G. Howard and brilliant take on the Alice in Wonderland retelling and I have read everything by this author and will continue to do so in the future. An auto-buy author.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi – A brilliant dystopian series and I love Warner so much.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas – Despite some giving this series especially the early books a lot of hate, Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight are some of my favourites in the series.
The Program by Suzanne Young – This book just had such an interesting premise and I loved the writing style.
2014
The obvious winner from this year for me is an underrated one; Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen. I have read this book in both physical and audiobook formats. I loved the audiobook and the narrator’s accent was on point. The take on beauty is in the eye of the beholder was wonderful and all the twists and turns kept me guessing.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart – This was an amazing book that kept me questioning until the wool was taken from over my eyes and literally left me reeling.
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson – While I loved this book what kept me hooked more than anything was the romance which was exceptionally well written.
Rain by Amanda Sun – If Stolen Songbird hadn’t been published the same year this would have won for 2014 as I love anything written about or set in Japan and my two favourites are Memoirs of a Geisha and this series. I prefer the Paper Gods series as it takes place in Japan but from the point of view of a foreigner.
2015
The obvious winner from this year for me is by a clear mile Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. The banter between the characters is amazing, the character relationship are believable and at times strained like normal relationships, the romance is unrequited even at the end of the series and the action is incredible. There were so many books from this year that I loved so narrowing it down to only 4 was very hard.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven – This for me an outstanding book and I believe most people miss the point, when one of the characters dies at the end, it isn’t glamourizing mental health at all it is providing that despite how hard you try sometimes people can’t be helped and I can’t relate so much to this novel.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff – This was a tough call between Illuminae and Six of Crows because I love them so much but some of the banter, humour and serious moments in SOC made it slightly better than Illuminae, but I still love it so much and the format in which this book was told was beautiful and made the 600+ pages so easy to read.
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand – Yet another one of the few novels that made me cry and still does.
2016
The obvious winner from this year for me is Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, the only book I can compare this book to is Cherry by Linsey Rosin which I also loved but Firsts is a little darker and a lot more realistic.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling – This screenplay really divides opinion, but I really enjoyed it and liked looking at what happened after Harry sends his kids off to Hogwarts. I also really like the fact that everything isn’t all rainbows and butterflies because life doesn’t work that way especially after surviving a really brutal war.
Replica by Lauren Oliver – I loved the dual perspective format and how the story changes slightly depending on which perspective you read first and I am getting to the sequel this year.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman – I haven’t finished this book yet, but I love it so far and can’t wait to get into the rest of the series.
2017
The obvious winner from this year for me is They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful, and I haven’t read another one like it before or since.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor – Strange the Dreamer was a beautifully written novel and I can’t wait to re-read this and get into Muse of Nightmares.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee – This would have one the year if it wasn’t for TBDATE. I love Monty and Percy so much and I have even written an NC-17 fanfic of what I think happened after the end of the story and I would love to see more from this pair, but I can’t wait to jump into the rest of this series and Loki as soon as I can.
Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody – The interesting premise is what drew me into this novel and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. The characters are what really drive this novel and it almost reduced me to tears more than once.
2018
The obvious winner from this year for me is A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews. This was realistic look at abuse and how it impacts the children who are abused or live in abusive households.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton – The look at beauty and how it is manipulated in this novel really resonated with modern society for me.
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire – I love the Wayward Children series and while this book isn’t my favourite in the series that goes to Down Among the Sticks and Bones, I still love how this story seems very bright and cheery but has a dark feel to it at the same time.
Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton – This book was brilliant and there isn’t much I can say about it except to go and read it and the sequel right now.
2019
I hadn’t read much from this year so drop me what you think I should read in the comments.
The obvious winner from this year for me is The Beholder by Anna Bright, honestly, the romance and romantic potentials presented in this novel really hooked me and I loved every second of it and I can’t wait to read more.
The honourable mentions from this year are:
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho – Anything Asian inspired I am almost guaranteed to love, and Wicked Fox was definitely one that surprised me, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.
We Are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo – Now this one seemed like your average dystopian novel at first, but something happens around the halfway mark that really changed my mind on this book.
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