Since we're closing out the decade, we thought we'd round up a list of the West Allis Public Library staff's favorite reads from 2010-2019! Below you'll find our favorite Fiction, Non-Fiction, Teen, and Children's books of the decade. Each list is sorted by the author's last name. Click on the book title to reserve a copy at the library!
Favorite Fiction Books of the 2010s
- Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2016): Meet and come to know the "tough as the forest, as hard as the ice" people of Beartown. This tiny, down and out Swedish town is headed in one direction only, but the love and devotion of this small community to it's junior hockey team offers hope for better tomorrows. That is, until one violent act divides and tears them completely apart.
- Shotgun Lovesongs by Nikolaus Butler (2016): Butler’s story is beautifully set in our own Wisconsin, with characters both flawed and familiar.
- The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (2015): A fictionalized courtship between an American college student and a British prince that feels both familiar and prophetic.
- My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (2019): A thriller with dark comedic undertones that will leave you awkwardly uncomfortable, yet secretly intrigued... What better way to spice up married life than to begin kidnapping and eventually killing young women. So begins parents Millicent and unnamed husband's path to becoming less than conventional wealthy suburbanite serial killers. A guilty pleasure to be sure.
- The Circle by Dave Eggers (2013): Fans of dystopian fiction and technology would enjoy this look at what could happen if too much privacy is willingly given away.
- The Witch Elm by Tana French (2018): Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life: he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, he takes refuge at his family's ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden. As detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed. A character driven, nuanced suspense/mystery.
- The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (2016): Enjoy a journey with Perdu on his floating bookshop down the Seine River. Great for any book or Paris lover.
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (2013): A sweet story of magical realism and childhood memories.
- Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (2015)
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018): A fun romance novel with unique heroine.
- Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (2011): I liked the early twentieth century way of life portrayed by the author, and the main character’s reaction to a tragedy that transforms his life juxtaposed with the equally changing American landscape – namely the American West.
- The Descent by Tim Johnston (2015): This is NOT your run-of-the-mill, girl gets taken and held captive by a deranged man story... It is much, much more and you will be riveted from beginning to end. This is a book that is at once a page-turning story AND a quality piece of literature.
- Crazy Rich Asians (Series) by Kevin Kwan (2013-2018): A funny and insightful look into the lives of the crazy rich and what makes them tick.
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014): Beautifully written, Station Eleven tells the thoughtful story of several people whose lives are unwittingly intertwined after an epidemic has decimated most of the world's population.
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015): For anyone who loves emerging themselves in a classic fairytale world with vivid descriptions and just this side of unrealistic events – this book was a delightful read!
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (2018): Merges beautiful writing with multi-layered coming of age/murder-mystery with a North Carolina marsh life story... It will not disappoint!
- Lila by Marilynne Robinson (2014): A graceful story of loneliness and redemption.
- Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (2018): It was unlike anything I have read before.
- The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson (2015): There were so many twists and turns in this book - everywhere you looked, nothing was what it seemed. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book!
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016): It is a well-told, funny, insightful, and epic story.
- Saga (Graphic Novel Series) by Brian K. Vaughan (2012-): The artwork of Fiona Staples in the Saga series is beautiful and the story is an emotional sci-fi rollercoaster!
- Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner (2019): Deeply moving family saga.
Favorite Non-Fiction Books of the 2010s
- Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (2016): With grace and compassion Matthew Desmond illuminates the lives of people living in poverty in Milwaukee and the nation.
- Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (2010): Unbroken was a true story that I found both heartbreaking and inspiring.
- Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon (2014): This short, quick read merges a how-to guide with the inspiration of a self-help book (but without the cheese). Highly recommended for anyone pursuing a creative venture.
- You Don’t Know Me but You Don’t Like Me by Nathan Rabin (2013): Think of everything you know about the bands Phish and Insane Clown Posse and get ready to rethink these two groups of fans and all the stereotypes that follow them.
- The Rap Year Book by Shea Serrano (2015): A look at the best songs in Rap from 1979 to 2014 that reads like a course in the history of hip hop, taught by an awesome pop culture obsessed professor.
- Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith (2018): What a wise and thoughtful book! Smith's views on how to "acquire" a less "stuffed", more cozy, comfortable and meaningful home spoke to me on such a personal level. You don't have to give up what you love, you just have to give what you love purpose and meaning.
- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (2012)
Favorite Teen Books of the 2010s
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (2015): A gay teen love story for the ages! Albertalli shows the fears and triumphs of being gay and closeted in today’s world.
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- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012): This book makes you feel things so deeply, you’ll weep. Beautiful story of love and loss.
- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (2017): An accurate and thoughtful portrayal of anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. A YA must read.
- Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (2010): This YA novel makes you feel as though you’re walking on the streets of Paris with Anna and Etienne. I’ve read this book THREE TIMES this decade!
- Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (2014): Grasshopper Jungle is a weird, dystopian YA, where teenage boys unknowingly unleash giant praying mantises on the world, uncovering decades old science experiments.
- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater (2011): Blood lusty racehorses from the sea, a down on her luck orphan trying to race to save her family, and one down on his luck horse trainer with everything to lose, the Scorpio Races is a lush tale that will stick with you long after the last page is turned. This is also an awesome audio.
- Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (2017): An orphaned librarian is on the adventure of a lifetime as he seeks out a mythical city with no name.
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017): This book helps you to better understand the Black Lives Matter movement and how one's race affects one's life.
- The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner (2016): Three teens, too big for their small town, struggle against the grain as they fight stereotypes and who they are supposed to be.
Favorite Children's Books of the 2010s
- The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey (2017): Mr. Wolf wants to stop being the bad guy all the time, so he starts a gang of Good Guys, and invites his friends Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake and Mr. Piranha to beat their reputation. Perfect for the beginning reader with a sense of humor.
- New Kid by Jerry Craft (2019): This graphic novel illustrates the resilience of the young African-American main character navigating two very different worlds.
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt (2013)
- The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt (2017): You may have played the game, but did you ever wonder why Rock, Paper and Scissors battle it out? Learn the legend of these tree brave warriors, and their quest to fight their equal.
- I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (2011)
- The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (2018)
- The Marvels by Brian Selznick (2015)
- Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein (2010): Chicken wants a bedtime story, and Papa will tell one if only Chicken would stop interrupting. Parents and children alike will relate to this bedtime battle book.
- We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems (2010)
Title: The Merry Viscount
Author: Sally MacKenzie
Genre: Romance
It turns out this is the 2nd book in the Widow's Brew series, so if you want to start at the beginning, check out What Ales the Earl first.
As you can probably tell from the series/title, the books are loosely organized around a group of women who brew beer. I have only read the second one, but I imagine these women find their way out of the Benevolent Home for the Maintenance and Support of Spinsters, Widows, and Abandoned Women and their Unfortunate Children a story at a time.
This tale is set at Christmastime and focuses on Miss Caroline Anderson, brewer and seller of Widow's Brew, which helps to defray the shelter's costs. On the way back from London, Caro's coach hits bad weather and by necessity its occupants end up at the estate of the Viscount Oakland.
The Viscount, Nick, was about to have a bawdy party when the people from a damaged coach end up on his doorstep in the middle of a storm. That's going to wreak havoc on his plans. Then he realizes that one of those stranded is none other than his old schoolmate's sister...
What follows in this seasonal story can be counted on both the naughty and the nice list.
- Sarah R.
Check out The Merry Viscount @ the library!
Title: The 13th Gift: A True Story of the Christmas Miracle
Author: Joanne Huist Smith
Genre: Non-Fiction, Christmas
The perfect story for any looking for hope and inspiration during the Christmas season, this is a true story about a family dealing with an intense grief, after the head of the family dies shortly before holiday season. The wife and mother, grieving the loss of her husband, struggles with how to keep the Christmas spirit alive for her three children - but the wonder and excitement comes easily when they discover a new present waiting for them each of the twelve days leading up to Christmas, with notes signed simply "Your True Friends."
- Katrina
Check out The 13th Gift @ the library!
Title: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Alicia seems to have it all: fulfilling work, fame, a wonderful husband, and a swanky house in the right part of London. When her husband is found shot five times and Alicia is standing over his body, everybody wonders why. Alicia won't say. In fact, she's no longer speaking at all.
Theo is a psychotherapist who is determined to break Alicia's silence. He makes a point to get hired at the mental care facility where Alicia is being kept. Having undergone years of therapy himself, he knows how therapy can release one's inner truth. Theo's enthusiasm appears to be a bit obsessive, though, and others are starting to notice...
This book has some twists and turns so it keeps the reader guessing. If you like suspense, this is a good story for you.
- Sarah R.
Check out The Silent Patient @ the library!
