Bookending Winter Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday/Bookending Winter: My Top Reads From the 2010s

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Favorite Books I Read in 2019, but I decided to focus on my favorite reads from the past decade instead. (If you’re so inclined, check out my Year in Books post here!)

I had so much fun participating in Bookending Autumn, I decided to join in Bookending Winter, hosted by Sam @ Fictionally Sam and Clo @ Cuppa Clo. This is my fifth prompt, Reflection Time hosted by Laurie @ Laurie’s Bookshelf. You can see my first prompt: Blanket, Tea, (Holiday) Readhere, my second prompt: Bookish Naughty or Nice Book Tag here, my third prompt: Christmas Songs Book Tag here, and my fourth prompt: Books I Hope to Find Under My Christmas Tree here.

(Link to add on Goodreads through the book title.)

I joined Goodreads in 2011, so my past reading decade has been nicely preserved. I had just rediscovered reading, having raised my kids to an age that allowed me a bit more freedom. Then in 2015 I began receiving ARCs. However, it was a bit of a surprise to discover only two ARCs made it on my top ten list, which reinforces my decision to request less and read more books already on my shelves. Let’s see what books made my Top Ten Books from the 2010s! (Listed in reading order.)

1

The Millennium Series by Stieg Larsson

I read the Millennium Series in late 2010 but it’s one that has stuck with me. I’ve only read the first three. I’m a bit scared to read the newer ones by David Lagercrantz. Have you read them? Should I give them a chance?

2

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

My kids and I came late to the Harry Potter fandom. I finally read the series in January of 2011, so it is definitely a highlight of my past reading decade.

3

The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

Even though I read Clare’s City of Bones first, it’s The Infernal Devices that became my favorite in the Shadowhunter world. I’ve reread it a few times and I’m thinking it’s time for another reread, especially with Chain of Gold coming soon!

4

The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater

When I read The Raven Boys in October 2012, I knew it was special. I’d already read The Scorpio Races, The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series, and The Books of Faerie Series, so I knew I loved Maggie’s style of writing, but The Raven Boys was on a whole different level. I’m still in love with Maggie’s writing almost a decade later.

5

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I think I read Attachments the day before I read Eleanor & Park, but it was my second Rowell novel that made me a fan of hers forever. Here’s hoping she has a new contemporary novel out soon!

6

Just One Series by Gayle Forman

I was traveling in July of 2014 when I first read Just One Day and I fell in love with the characters of Allyson and Willem. I’ve reread it several times and I’m still in love. It’s also time for another reread!

7

The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer

I read Cinder in September of 2014 and it was unlike anything else I’d ever read. Not only is it a fairytale retelling, it’s science fiction and fantasy. That’s quite a mix that could have gone terribly wrong. It’s definitely time for another reread. Especially Cress, my favorite installment in the series.

8

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

I owned a copy of Outlander for several years before I actually read it. I finally pulled it off my shelf and began reading in February of 2018, and I quickly knew what all the fuss was about. If you’re like me and you’ve been scared to dive into this one, take the plunge! Even though I’ve only made it through book #5, I’m a big fan now. Of the book and the television series.

9

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

In May of 2018 I read an ARC of How to Walk Away and became a fan of Katherine Center. I could probably put Things You Save in a Fire here as well, because I love them both equally.

10

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

And my favorite read for 2019 was an ARC I read of The Most Fun We Ever Had. It’s hard to be very objective since I read this one so recently, but it was the book that most wowed me this past year, so I think it deserves a spot on this list.

Have you read any of my choices? Are they on your top ten list?? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering & Happy New Year!

78 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday/Bookending Winter: My Top Reads From the 2010s”

  1. Funny thing, I’ve been recently seeing so many lists features books by Katherine Center whereas before I’d not heard of her books. Thinking I need to pick one up to see what they’re all about! πŸ™‚

    1. If you enjoy romance that’s written well, you’ll love her! She’s also from Texas and writes about places that are familiar to me, which is always nice. πŸ™‚

  2. I’ve been wanting to read Things You Save in a Fire, it looks so good. Glad to see her books are worth checking out.

    Happy New Year!

  3. The Millennium Series is also among my all time favorites. I haven’t dared the read the newer books in fear of my enjoyment of the series being ruined. I haven’t read How to Walk Away but I am adding it to my tbr because I loved Things You Save in a Fire. πŸ˜€

    1. I’m too scared too. Glad to hear I’m not the only one who has resisted. πŸ˜‰ I’m trying to buy all of Katherine Center’s previous books. I just love her style.

      Thanks for stopping by!

  4. Wow, a best of 2010s? What an epic list this is — and reminder of some past good reads. I confess there’s a lot here I haven’t read (woops)

  5. I love that Eleanor and Park made your top books of the decade! Thanks for the encouragement to dive into the Outlander series. I started the series about 10 years ago but was put off by some of the violence. Maybe I’m tougher now? I’m going to try to give it another go.

    I also loved the Millenium Series but haven’t read any of the newer novels. It feels sort of like a betrayal to Stieg Larrson!

    Happy 2020!

    1. Outlander can be very hard to read at times. I definitely skimmed some sections or read with one eye open and one eye closed. πŸ˜‰

      Yeah, it’s hard to want to pick up the newer ones.

      Thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year!

  6. Love how you slightly switched up this weeks topic – there are so many amazing books on this list that would likely make my list for my favourite books of the decade as well!
    Hope the next decade brings even more great reading πŸ™‚
    My TTT

  7. This was such a fun list! Of this list, I have only read Harry Potter and the Raven Boys (only the first books). I was also late to HP but since I read it I keep re-reading it (listening to the audiobooks mainly) and it has become such a comfort read. I plan to continue with the Raven Cycle because I really enjoyed the first one. I have also been meaning to read The Girl with the Dragon tattoo for forever.

    I hope you’ll have more amazing reads waiting for you in 2020 and have a great last day of the year!

    My TTT.

    1. We love to reread Harry Potter over here too. I just can’t imagine life without it.

      Happy Reading to you too, and I’m jumping over to your post now. πŸ™‚

  8. I really need to give The Raven Cycle series another go. I read the first book so many years ago and I liked it but I didn’t fall in love with it and I never went on with the series. I’ve read a few other series’ since and LOVED them and they’re always recommended for fans of the TRC series, so I think I need to go back and just try it again and see if it clicks this time.

  9. I like that you decided to do the last decade! How cool. I haven’t read The Raven Cycle or the Lunar Chronicles yet, and no, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, either, but I probably should try to get to them this year! Glad to see you liked them so much.

  10. Looking back at an entire decade–that’s such an impressive feat!
    Oooh, the Lunar Chronicles–I still need to read the fourth book ahhh. And I didn’t realize Just One Day was part of a trilogy! I knew it had a companion, but not two! I’ve only read the first one. How did the other two compare?
    Hope you find more favorites in this new decade! πŸ™‚

    1. It’s actually two books, Just One Day and Just One Year, and then a novella, Just One Night. The second book is Willem’s point of view, and I love them all! πŸ˜‰

      Happy Reading!

  11. The Raven Cycle is wonderful and, of course, The Infernal Devices. I still haven’t read The Lunar Chronicles, even though I bought the series on sale over Black Friday Weekend in 2018. Maybe this year!

  12. I was pretty late to the HP series which is so annoying because they came out when I was about the same age as Harry so I could have grown up with the books. Ah well. I read the first one a couple years ago and really liked it, I need to read the rest of them!

    1. We read them right before the Deathly Hallows movie came out. If only we could go back and read them sooner. πŸ˜‰

  13. Choosing top reads from a whole decade. Wow! I’m so indecisive, not sure I could ever make such a list. It took me too long just to decide on 2019! I’ve only read Harry Potter from that list, although I’ve been meaning to read The Lunar Chronicles forever.

    1. It actually wasn’t too hard for me. I just picked the ones that stood out the most. πŸ™‚ I hope you can read The Lunar Chronicles soon. It’s so good!

    1. I love everything by Rainbow Rowell that I’ve read. She’s so talented! ❀️

  14. Harry Potter for sure, but I also loved The Lunar Chronicles. It was as such an interesting mix, fairy tale & sci fi! Hope 2020 is a great year!

    1. Yes! I’m really hoping I have time to reread The Lunar Chronicles this year. πŸ™‚

      Thank you for stopping by!

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