chelsey's 20 favorite fiction books from the last 10 years

space, a Western, magic England, and a whole lot of murder

I have a difficult relationship with fiction books. I enjoy fiction and losing myself in another world. But in a world where it seems like just about anything can get published, there are an awful lot of terrible fiction books out there. The problem is that you don’t always know how bad they are until you’re halfway through them. I have no problem abandoning any book that I’m not connecting with, but I hate doing that, so I try to really vet fiction books before I even start them.

The following list are my 20 favorite fiction books from the last 10 years of reading. Three of these books (Hannah Coulter, The Stand, and The Passage) I’ve reread at least once. The others I’d happily read again in a heartbeat if the mood struck. These are books that left their mark on me in some way, and when someone asks for a fiction recommendation, it’s likely that one of these books will pop into my head.

The first eight books on the list are what I would consider “Chelsey’s Beach Reads.” I am well aware that these are not the kind of books many people want to read at the beach, but the truth is, I once read a book about the history of concentration camps on vacation so take my recommendations with a grain of salt. In my book universe, these are books that are either relationship-focused and not super intense or that are extremely propulsive and hard to put down.

The next five books (#9-#13) are either more general fiction reads or are extremely long. Several of them are also pretty dark, with some potential trigger warnings. People die in most of them.

The final seven (#14-#20) are “read at your own risk.” I think they’re all incredible. But several of them take place in horrific post-apocalyptic universes, there are very few happy endings, and many of them are also extremely long (sensing a theme?). If you decide to read any of these, I’d love to know what you think, but don’t come at me telling me the book was too much because I did warn you.

1. The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

I don’t think this is technically a romance, although it is about a failing marriage. What is so compelling about this book is that it looks at the marriage through the perspective of both partners, so you end up having to decide which narrator you believe.

2. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

This is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. The main character is, in today’s terms, “neurodivergent” but wants to find a girlfriend. He makes an elaborate quiz in order to vet potential partners and proceeds to find a woman named Rosie. The narration is in the voice of this very quirky guy and it’s just hilarious. There are also two more books in the series.

3. Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

This one recently made it to the top of my favorites list after a recommendation from a friend. This book follows one family over several generations as they deal with marriage, mental health, sickness, and broken relationships. It never went where I thought it was going to go and the entire ride was delightful.

4. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I really hope you’ve already read this one, but just in case you haven’t, please do! This was my first Backman book but certainly not the last. His Beartown series is another favorite of mine but has some darker themes, so if you’re looking for an intro to this author, this is the book. The short version is that a grumpy old man ends up finding some reasons not to be grumpy.

5. The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

I wept the day I finished this book. I don’t know if it was just a weepy season for me. The book follows two couples, both of whom are in ministry. They end up leading very different lives that intertwine over the years. The reason I love this book is that the people in it act like real people. They make the kinds of good and bad decisions we all make. There is no pretense. It paints a beautiful picture of marriage and friendship.

6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I don’t usually gravitate toward “popular” fiction, but I decided to risk Liane Moriarty because people I knew who liked her books enjoyed other books that I also liked. I’m glad I took a chance on this one, because the plot twists in the most rewarding ways. I’ve since enjoyed many of her other books and gladly consider myself a fan of this mainstream work.

7. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Science fiction is hit or miss for me, but this one checked all the boxes. Unlike many science fiction books with a million characters and a huge universe to apply to memory, this one has a very short cast of characters and is confined to a very small space in the vast galaxy. I read The Martian and enjoyed it, but I thought this one was 10 times better.

8. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt

I always feel the need to tell people before they start this book that the first chapter is written by an octopus, but I promise, just stick with it. This one has very similar vibes to A Man Called Ove.

9. Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

I will be talking about this book until the day I die, at which point I hope I have written a story of my life that is at least 10% as good as the imaginary story Wendell Berry wrote about Hannah Coulter. I love Hannah. I want to be Hannah.

10. These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

This was a surprise find several years ago. The author is a Christian, and while it’s not an overtly Christian book, the book abounds in themes of grace and redemption without being heavy handed.

11. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

I never would have thought a Western would be one of my favorite books, but here we are. This book is technically the second book in a series, but I read it as a standalone and didn’t feel like I missed anything. I can’t really explain why this book is one of my favorites; you just have to read it. I can tell you that my least favorite scene in the book involves snakes.

12. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

I’ve mentioned this book before on my list of favorite fiction books by Black authors, and it is also making an appearance here. This book spans 5 generations of descendants from two sisters who are both born in Africa. Each chapter is narrated by a different character, and there are never any repeats. It feels like as soon as you’re enraptured by a character, their arc ends and you are introduced to someone new. It’s the best possible kind of whiplash.

13. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanne Clarke

This is probably one of the longest books on the list, and it’s definitely not the kind of book I’d have expected to be one of my favorites. It takes place in the early 1800s in England, and it’s an England that is mostly recognizable—except magic exists.

14. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

I really like books that take place in a world where everything has fallen apart and chaos reigns. I like to see what characters do, just how far civilization devolves, and whether the author manages to avoid the most egregious tropes of this genre. This book is unique to the genre in that the author is a Black women, and she manages to break all the stereotypes inherent in this kind of literature. She straddles not just power dynamics but also race and sex.

15. Room by Emma Donoghue

I don’t want to spoil this book for you, because it unfolds very slowly in a way that the movie based on it can’t due to its visual element. Just know going in that part of it is narrated from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, and so the language and diction is very different from your typical book.

16. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

This book is based on the true story of a boys’ reform school in Florida where it was later discovered that terrible abuse occurred. You get to know two young men in the book, both of whom want to have hope for the future but are being crushed by racism and poverty. When I think about books that truly wrecked me with their endings, this book always comes to mind.

17. Bird Box by Josh Malerman

I love the movie that is based on this book, but I love the book even more. Because the premise of the plot is that there is some unseen evil force that causes people to kill themselves if they lay eyes on it, those who want to survive have to wear blindfolds to protect themselves. That means that they are mostly relying on audio cues to survive. Listening to the audiobook truly made me feel immersed in the experience, because I was experiencing what the characters were experiencing in the same way.

18. The Passage by Justin Cronin

This book is the first in a trilogy about a government experiment gone horribly wrong and the consequences for the entire world. It is a sweeping saga that spans generations and contexts as civilization attempts to survive in the midst of the threat of beings that are kind of like super fast zombie vampires. Just trust me, OK?

17. The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

I listened to this on audio during 2020 and I remember it being funny, deeply disturbing, and full of many things that make me enjoy a book—morbidity, self-awareness, and reality. How can all these things be in a book that’s in the fantasy genre? If you are a fan of Stephen King’s darker books, you’ll probably enjoy this.

20. The Stand by Stephen King

Speaking of the master of the epic post-apocalyptic saga, Stephen King only appears on this list once because I wanted to mix things up. But truthfully, I could have placed several of his other books on this list. Having to pick just one, I chose this one because it is one I have reread and that I find to be his most compelling. The world is starting to be decimated by a deadly virus (a little too relatable) and a hapless band of survivors end up finding each other and traveling west to where they think salvation will be found. Of course, there are bad guys, and there is a lot of death and destruction along the way. What more could you want?

What’s your favorite fiction book of all time? I’d love to know!