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 notable books turning ten this year. Some of these 2014 titles tapped into the cultural zeitgeist of that moment in history. Others offer something universal that speaks to us all. Whatever the reason, they still have a place on our shelves.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This gorgeous historical novel won a slew of awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. The deft, elegant narrative, jumps between multiple timelines, interweaving the stories of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, an orphaned German boy, whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. The book inspired a new Netflix limited series.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

This is a gripping, big-hearted tale about people whose well-intentioned actions lead to heartbreaking consequences. Rosemary's psyche has long been shadowed by the early childhood disappearance of her beloved sister, Fern, who is, by the way, a chimpanzee. This highly unique novel explores the ramifications of an animal socialization experiment gone wrong.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them . . . all at once? Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean writes secret love letters to the boys she likes, but they're for her eyes only. Until the day when her secret letters get mailed and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control. This lovely YA romance, the first in a trilogy, inspired a film adaptation.

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

On December 3, 1976, seven gunmen stormed Bob Marley's house, machine guns blazing. The attack wounded Marley, his wife, and his manager, and several others. Gripping and inventive, shocking and irresistible, this celebrated novel, an exploration of the real-life event and its dangerous time in Jamaica's history, is a mesmerizing modern classic of power, mystery, and insight.

Euphoria by Lily King

Inspired by events in the life of Margaret Mead, this story, set in the 1930s, three young, gifted anthropologists are thrown together in the jungle of New Guinea. Within months the trio are producing their best ever work, but soon a firestorm of fierce love and jealousy begins to burn out of control, threatening their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives.

Redeployment by Phil Klay

Drawing from the author's own experiences as a U.S. Marine in Iraq, this National Book Award winning collection takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to what awaited the soldiers who returned. The characters in these stories—threaded with themes of brutality and faith, guilt and fear, helplessness and survival—struggle to make meaning out of chaos.

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

With gorgeous period details and a dark sense of humor, this kaleidoscopic science-fiction fantasy seamlessly conjures a multitude of characters and timelines all centered around Holly, a teenage psychic girl who runs away from home after a fight with her mother. But Holly's lost weekend is merely the prelude to a shocking disappearance that echoes through her entire life.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Funny, biting, and passionate, Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. Beautiful Celeste is paying a price for the illusion of her perfection. New to town, young single mom Jane comes with a mysterious past and a sadness beyond her years. These three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place. This entertaining novel spawned a hit HBO series. 

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Revisiting the beloved characters and setting of the author's Pulitzer Prize-winning Gilead, this is the unforgettable story of a girlhood lived on the fringes of society. Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, seeks shelter from the rain inside a small-town Iowa church and ignites a romance and debate that will reshape her life.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, this is the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony and they risk everything for art and humanity. This novel has been adapted into an original series streaming on Max.

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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