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Original poster

What's your 'Book of the Decade'?

117 replies

toomuchsplother · 27/12/2019 21:22

Someone has just asked me this! Such a hard one and obviously everyone is going to have a totally different idea.
I am going with 'Lincoln in the Bardo' by George Saunders, which I know is a 'marmite book' but blew me away when I read it.
I have reread it at least 3 times, gifted and recommended it lots too.
Watching with interest to see other people's choices..

OP posts:
Jillyhilly · 27/12/2019 21:30

Great topic.

I’m going with All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - that’s the book that’s always top of mind when I’m asked for recommendations and I really feel it’s one of the very best books I’ve ever read. It was my first ever Audible purchase and it absolutely blew me away: the writing is so beautiful, and it’s an incredibly haunting story. It stayed with me long after I’d finished it.

Time for a re-read, I think.

WiltedPlant · 27/12/2019 22:44

Life after Life, by Kate Atkinson or Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel.

Life after Life is structurally fascinating, a novel about storytelling, and I remember being blown away by the world that Kate Atkinson had created.

I seem to remember Station Eleven having a marmite response on here, with one criticism that it focuses too much on "feelings" for a post-apocalyptic world. But that's one of the things I loved about it - that the human urge to continue telling stories (performing Shakespeare plays in this case) is so deep within us.

Both novels have such a lot going on in them, that it's difficult to describe them in a few sentences.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 27/12/2019 22:53

Great idea for thread

I choose

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

And

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Both books really moved me

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 27/12/2019 22:56

Excellent idea for a thread...im going to put it on my book club whats app

Ive no idea at the moment...though i did love life after life and a god in ruins

Ive also read enthusiasms two books

Im going to lurk for great ideas of what to read next...

Maybe I’ll be able to come up with one of my own before the end of the thread

BertieBotts · 27/12/2019 23:02

Hmm.

I think for me, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying. It's not a fiction book though. I don't think I've read enough fiction to be able to pick one.

Original poster
toomuchsplother · 27/12/2019 23:23

Loving the ideas. Have to agree that Life after Life and God in Ruins are great, also All The Light We Can Not See.
Adding to my TBR pile !

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RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 27/12/2019 23:26

I wrote down pretty much all the books ive read since 2008

Im gonna have a look at that over the next few days 😀

KellyMarieTunstall2 · 27/12/2019 23:28

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

Chocolateporridge · 27/12/2019 23:31

I would definitely say Sight by Jessie Greengrass. Such a fantastic insight into being a daughter, being a mum, being pregnant and being a woman. There were sentences that I re-read over and over because of their beauty and I've never done that before!

bookishtartlet · 27/12/2019 23:35

The Testaments, Margaret Atwood. I love all of her work, but I was nervous about this. Absolutely blew me away.

Genzeee · 27/12/2019 23:38

Goldfinch for me. I refuse to watch the film as it’ll sound it

bettybattenburg · 27/12/2019 23:39

A thousand paper birds by tor us all

bettybattenburg · 27/12/2019 23:39

Tor udall

Clawdy · 28/12/2019 07:50

Lincoln In The Bardo for me too.I chose it for our book group. Didn't go down well! But I absolutely loved it, and have re-read it twice, something I never do.

Original poster
toomuchsplother · 28/12/2019 08:06

Clawdy I had a similar book group experience with Lincoln!

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Clawdy · 28/12/2019 08:13

As you said, it's a marmite book! Smile

PullingMySocksUp · 28/12/2019 08:15

@WiltedPlant I came in to say ‘Station 11’ too. It’s a book I think about often.

smemorata · 28/12/2019 08:16

I saw the title of this thread and my first thought was Lincoln in the Bardo. I have read and enjoyed a lot of books but that one really stands out.

cakebythepound1234 · 28/12/2019 08:28

Do No Harm by Dr Henry Marsh - the first doctor's memoir that I read, and it completely blew me away. I recommend it to everyone, it's absolutely stunning and got me hooked on medical autobiographies.

Also The Power by Naomi Alderman, and The Passage by Justin Cronin.

kingsassassin · 28/12/2019 09:05

Home Fire by kamila shamsie - or the Underground Railroad by Colton whitehead. Both incredibly compelling unputdownable reads.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 28/12/2019 09:08

All The Light We Cannot See would be my choice. I chose it for book group and everyone loved it. Then dh chose it for his (all male) book group and they also thought it was wonderful.

Apix · 28/12/2019 10:56

I'd also go for all the light we cannot see but Educated by Tara Woodrow(?) and Underground Railroad were close contenders.

CountFosco · 28/12/2019 11:30

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. Absolutely incredible writing, can't wait to read The Mirror and the Light.

southeastdweller · 28/12/2019 11:32

Has to be The Goldfinch.

Original poster
toomuchsplother · 28/12/2019 17:21

So many good books I had forgotten. Close run
thing but still sticking with Lincoln at the moment...

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