The 30 Best Fiction Books I’ve Read in the Past 10 Years
I’ve summarized each one in three sentences. How many of these have you read?
For years, I looked down on people who preferred fiction over nonfiction. As an avid reader of business, personal development, psychology, history, and leadership books, I thought reading too much fiction was a waste of time.
My bookish snobbery led me to judge people who talked about the latest fiction bestsellers and “beach reads.”
I finally came to my senses and realized my grinchy nonfiction heart was two sizes too small. After all, many of the best life lessons come from fiction:
If you want the most honest picture of humanity, you don’t pick up historical nonfiction — you read Oliver Twist and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
If you want to deepen your love and empathy, you don’t read a biography — you read Les Miserables and The Vanishing Half.
If you want to stir your creative juices, you don’t read a writing advice book — you read The Time Machine and A Wrinkle in Time.
I’ve now fallen in love with fiction, and I’m slowly working my way through the top 200 books of all time, along with reading many newer novels.
From the 700+ books I’ve read in the past ten years, here are my 30 fiction favorites, alphabetized by author’s last name.
I included a three-sentence summary for each book, along with an affiliate link from Bookshop.org. (If you purchase a book, you’ll support me and local bookstores. Win-win!)
"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
For years, I pre-judged this book, thinking I wasn’t part of the target market for a coming-of-age story about four sisters. I was 100 percent wrong. Alcott’s classic about Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy Marsh is meaningful, fun, and inspiring.
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Remarkably, I never read Austen until this year, and now I know why her books have a prominent place on nearly every Top 100 list ever written. Austen’s story is a fascinating view into social classes, outdated gender roles, family, vanity, gossip, and psychology. And yeah, I’m now a fan of Mr. Darcy.
"Red Rising" by Pierce Brown
Just like everyone else in the country, I jumped on the young adult (YA) fiction bandwagon after reading books like The Hunger Games. Red Rising is the best series I’ve found to scratch that same itch, and the first book of the series is also one of the most unputdownable books of all time. I’m usually able to predict where a book is headed, but this one fooled me multiple times.
"The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov
Bulgakov’s classic novel served as a scathing critique of the political and religious oppression in Stalinist Russia. The devil comes to earth and wreaks havoc in Russia alongside his motley crew which includes a black cat, a tall man with broken glasses, and a hitman. I’m still trying to process the allegorical layers of this book because there’s so much to unpack.
"Ender’s Game" by Orson Scott Card
Because I didn’t enjoy reading in junior high and high school, I didn’t read this book until I was an adult. It still packed a wallop. Precocious youngster Ender Wiggin is enrolled in a military school and pitted against fellow students and otherworldly foes in this fast-paced sci-fi novel.
"Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline
The year is 2045, and the world has been ravaged by poverty, climate change, and war. The majority of humanity copes with the world’s destitution by immersing themselves in the virtual reality of the OASIS — brainchild of computer scientist James Halliday. Halliday has decided to bequeath his fortune to whoever can find the Easter egg hidden inside the OASIS, and teenage gamer Wade Watts thinks he’s up to the challenge.
"Pines" by Blake Crouch
It’s hard to express exactly how good (and underrated) this book really is. Two federal agents go missing in Wayward Pines, Idaho, and the Secret Service agent who’s sent to find them realizes there’s a lot going on behind the scenes in this spooky town. I flew through this book and immediately read the rest of the trilogy.
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl
I’ve watched the old Gene Wilder movie multiple times, but reading the book gave me the chance to experience the joy anew when Charlie unwraps the chocolate bar containing that glorious golden ticket. Dahl is one of the best children’s authors of all time, and this book is a must-read for both kids and adults. It’ll help you rediscover your childlike wonder and whimsy.
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
Every one of Flynn’s books is dark and twisted, and this one is my favorite. A woman named Amy Dunne disappears, and passages from her diary indicate her husband Nick may not be the gentleman he seems. Not only is this book an incredible psychological thriller, but it’s also told in a unique storytelling technique that inspired emulation from multiple other authors.
"The Princess Bride" abridged by William Goldman
Chances are, you’ve seen the movie but not read the book. The Princess Bride is a fun romp through piracy, romance, intrigue, murder, and revenge. You’ll leave the book with an even deeper love for Westley, Buttercup, and the gang.
"The Talented Mr. Ripley" by Patricia Highsmith
If you love suspense and you’ve never read Patricia Highsmith, stop reading my article and go pick up this novel. Tom Ripley is many things: con man…genius…sociopath. After Tom reconnects with his old friend Dickie in Europe, Tom decides he’s too jealous of Dickie’s life to ever go back to his own boring old life in America, so he comes up with a unique way to live the life he’s always wanted.
"Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo
I struggle with long books, so this 1,200+ page monster was a challenge for me, but the payoff was worth it. Les Miserables contained several of the best examples of non-romantic, unconditional love I’ve ever read. It’s also a great primer on the June Rebellion of 1832 in Paris, shortly after the French Revolution.
"The Dead Zone" by Stephen King
The Dead Zone quickly became one of my favorite Stephen King books of all time, and I’ve read 22 of them. I was amazed by King’s ability to foreshadow plotlines early in the book, then deftly connect back to them later in the story. Protagonist Johnny Smith develops the ability to see the future of any person he touches, and he doesn’t like what he sees when he comes into contact with ambitious politician Greg Stillson.
"Misery" by Stephen King
Author Paul Sheldon comes face-to-face with his biggest fan in this creepy novel. When Sheldon’s car crashes in the middle of nowhere, a woman named Annie Wilkes nurses him back to health. But then Wilkes decides to hold Sheldon hostage until he writes a new story about her favorite character from his books: Misery Chastain.
"The Plot" by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Washed-up writer Jake Bonner is working as a professor when he meets brilliant and arrogant student Evan Parker. Parker tells Bonner the plot of a story he’s writing, then dies before he can publish it. So Bonner takes things into his own hands, only to discover there’s a dark underbelly to Parker’s story.
"Rosemary’s Baby" by Ira Levin
One recent Halloween, I decided to read one of the most iconic horror books: Rosemary’s Baby. Levin’s foreshadowing and storytelling were so brilliant, I immediately ordered two of his other books: The Stepford Wives and A Kiss Before Dying. Together, those three books cemented Levin as one of my favorite authors of all time.
"Bird Box" by Josh Malerman
Bird Box is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in years. Malerman does an amazing job building suspense around an unseen entity that causes millions of people across the world to kill themselves. Scattered survivors live in fear, cowering behind blindfolds and shuttered windows.
"The Chain" by Adrian McKinty
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I immediately wanted to read it: a woman named Rachel gets a phone call saying her daughter has been kidnapped. In addition to paying a $25,000 ransom, Rachel must select and kidnap another kid to keep “The Chain” going. The request is the ultimate test of a mother’s love, and Rachel learns that her love goes deep.
"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides
Michaelides’s rookie novel is a thriller about a woman who murders her husband, then refuses to speak for six years. This book kept me guessing until the end. Apparently, it did the same for the rest of America as well because The Silent Patient spent months on the bestseller list.
"The Maidens" by Alex Michaelides
Another stunner from Michaelides. This 2021 release tells the story of a professor who exerts a mysterious hold on a young group of female college students. It’s full of Greek tragedy, murder, intrigue, and twists.
"V for Vendetta" by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
Not only are this book’s illustrations amazing, but the storytelling is up there with any book I’ve ever read. And the book’s political undertones sound oddly similar to some of the things that have happened in America in the past several years. I don’t read many graphic novels, but Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta and Watchmen (next on the list) may have converted me.
"Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
This graphic novel not only ascended to the heights of pop culture but also to literary greatness. It’s on countless “Top Books” lists, including my Uber-List of the Top 200 Books. Watchmen is a masterfully written and illustrated story about what happens when power gets into the wrong hands.
"The Lost Apothecary" by Susan Penner
A mysterious apothecary named Nella creates murderous potions. Her only rule: the potions must be used on men, not women. The story is told from the perspective of three women, which adds interesting layers to this tale of mystery, history, and vengeance.
"Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield
In this epic novel, Pressfield tells how King Leonidas led 300 Spartans against the massive Persian army in the Battle of Thermopylae. Pressfield’s imagery is so realistic that West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Marine Corps assign Gates of Fire to their young cadets. This book is one of my top ten favorite novels of all time.
"The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
I’m immensely grateful to my friends Cris, Cary, and Alex for recommending this book. I’m usually not a big fantasy reader, but The Name of the Wind was mind-blowingly good. It’s the first book in The Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy, but Rothfuss has been slow-pedaling the third book of the series for the past decade.
"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V. E. Schwab
Addie LaRue is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful, modern-day Faustian story about a girl who makes a deal to live forever. The catch? Everyone she meets immediately forgets her…until she meets a guy named Henry Strauss.
"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
This book was much different than I expected. Shelley’s portrayal of the monster as a humane and loving creature was meaningful and moving. I should have read this book years ago.
"The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein
Told from the perspective of a dog named Enzo, this book is a tale of family, heartbreak, hard work, and redemption. I love when writers come up with new ways to tell stories, and Stein’s decision to tell this story from the dog’s perspective was unique. The book is a tear-jerker, but it’s worth the read.
"Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Speaking of interesting storytelling, Stoker uses journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings to tell this iconic story. The local peasants of Transylvania are leery of Count Dracula, who owns a creepy castle atop a hill. And when English lawyer Jonathan Harker stays over in the castle, he realizes there’s good cause for the peasants’ concerns.
"The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells
H.G. Wells broke new literary ground with this book, which popularized the concept of time travel and became the first modern-day science fiction novel. Wells explores fascinating questions about the potential future of humanity as the gap between the rich and the poor expands. I loved this book.
You can't go wrong with any of these.
I’m always looking for book recommendations, so I’d be thrilled if you share your favorite(s) below!
Middlemarch!! I read this my first semester of college and it helped me reorient my life. My English teacher referred to it as possibly the best English novel ever written. The first 100ish pages are tough, and then it’s phenomenal.
I had to get on my laptop to respond because I had a lot to say, haha!
First of all, I LOVE to see Red Rising. It is a book I recommend to people who say they used to love to read but don't anymore. If that series doesn't suck you in, nothing will. Also, I almost never see anyone mention Blake Crouch's Pines series--truly unputdownabble.
I actually made my own list earlier this year: https://substack.com/home/post/p-158963774?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web. curious if you've read any of my favorites!