Today, the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish have asked us to list the ten books that we’d class as our all time favorite books within the last 3-5 years. This could be pretty hard, or extremely easy, let’s see.
Turned out, it was easier than I thought. While scanning my reading list page where I jot down all the books I’ve read, certain books just leaped out at me, those books that were so so good that I just couldn’t put them down, that I remember even after quite some time has passed.
So, yes, this list turned out surprisingly easy to compile, and let’s just get on to my ten best books that I read in the past three years.
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt – Yes, I read this book just last month, and who’s to say three years down the line, I”ll just have a hazy memory of it, but I somehow don’t think so. Well-written, well-plotted, with some great tension throughout, I think I”ll remember this book and the characters for some time.
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – Again, I read this book just last week and I enjoyed the mystery very much. An engaging and thrilling book, I can’t say this is a classic or anything like that, but I think it fits very well into this list.
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – This was the summer read of 2013 for me. It’s not a perfect thriller, but I loved the psychological aspects of the book so much that it overrode everything else.
- A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R.Martin – I am cheating a little here and including all the books so far in this series. I can’t really pick and choose among them because after three years, they have all merged into one gargantuan story in my mind, and I can no longer distinguish which event occurs in which book, and honestly, I think all of them are excellent enough to make it to this list.
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – Dystopia is a genre that I am not very fond of, but Atwood does it brilliantly by bringing in a feminist angle, and creating a believable dystopia. Also, it’s absolutely so well-written.
- Night Film by Marisha Pessl – I loved this book for its unique use of multimedia, and the spooky atmosphere. Very enjoyable.
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is probably the only historical fiction pick that makes it to this list. I love the blend of sci-fi and historical fiction, and the fantastic love story, and while I have no plans on reading the remaining books in the series, I loved this one as a standalone.
- We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo – I love this book for the rawness and the wonderful main protagonist. The ending is a bit weak, but I adored this book anyway.
- Salem’s Lot by Stephen King is just good old-fashioned horror. I read this for Halloween last year and enjoyed every bit of it.
- The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – I am rounding off this list with another book from Donna Tartt. I think I love her writing style, and though this book was quite uneven, and I honestly can’t say it is my favorite or anything like that. However, there’s a memorable quality to it and I plan to reread it someday.
So that’s my top ten list? What are your top ten reads in the last three years?
