10 Notable Books Turning 10 This Year

How many have you read?

The popular culture of an era often says something about the character of the time it inhabits. Today, we’re revisiting ten of the most notable books turning ten this year. We found 2015 to be a strong year for fantasy and historical fiction punctuated with genre-defying elements. Some of these titles tapped into the cultural zeitgeist of that moment in history. Others offer something universal that speaks to all times. Whatever the reason, they still have a place on our shelves.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives demanding retribution. He drags her to the land of the faerie, Prythian where she learns that her captor, Tamlin, is a High Lord of Prythian and an immortal faerie. Maas took inspiration from tales like Beauty and the Beast to write the sexy fantasy romances in her mega-bestselling series.

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength. As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. This comic fantasy was the last book written by Pratchett before his 2015 death. It is the 41st novel in the beloved Discworld series.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

After Vianne's husband leaves for the Front, Nazis invade their quiet French village and even her home. Meanwhile her rebellious younger sister, Isabelle, joins the Resistance. This story of two sisters and their struggle to survive German occupation during WWII was inspired by accounts of a Belgian woman, Andrée de Jongh, who helped downed Allied pilots escape Nazi territory.

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy. Essun is a woman who must hide her secret power as she embarks on a high-stakes quest to find her kidnapped daughter. Book #1 in The Broken Earth trilogy is a Hugo Award-winning epic fantasy of power, oppression, and revolution. 

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—move to New York in search of fame and fortune. Their relationships, tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades. At the center of their enduring bond is the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson

As CJ rides the bus across town with his grandma, he asks questions. Why don't they have a car? Why can't he have an iPod like his friends? Why do they have to get off the bus in the dirty part of town? His grandma helps him appreciate his good fortune. This inspirational picture book won a Newbery Medal, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and a Caldecott Honor.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Ketterdam is a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price. Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone. The motley crew at the center of this fantasy are poised for the opportunity of a lifetime—if they don't kill each other first.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

A Pulitzer Prize winner and one of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, this startling debut novel follows a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain living in the U.S. after the Fall of Saigon. While building his new life, he is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam—a double agent. The gripping espionage tale explores themes of identity, love, and betrayal.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The author writes an open letter to his fifteen-year-old son about the hazards of being Black in America and his own intellectual, political and emotional confrontation with the need to live fully, even in the face of a racist culture. This is another of the books that found a place on the one of the New York Times's list of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. And then one morning she sees something shocking. Something that changes everything.

Whether these books are new to you or favorites from your past, please join us in celebrating their continued relevance and resonance after ten years! How many have you read?

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon