My Favorite Books Released In the Last Ten Years

This week's Top Ten Tuesday theme is favorite books released in the last ten years. Up until recently, I've been reading more children's books than anything else, so I decided to pick two titles for each year: one written for an adult audience, and one written at the middle grade level.

2010

• Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
  This is the eighth book in the wonderful Armand Gamache series, and it's my favorite of the ones I've read. I rated it 5 stars in December 2018.
• Crunch by Leslie Connor
  In this novel, there is a major gasoline crisis which brings a sudden influx of business to Dewey's family's bike repair shop at a time when his parents happen to be out of town. I gave it 5 stars in August 2010.

2011

• No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene
  This memoir about a family with nine children tells the honest truth about the joys and challenges of international adoption. I rated it 5 stars in July 2018. 
• The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
  Though this book wasn't available in the U.S. until 2013, it was published in Australia in 2011. It's the story of the mysterious disappearance of a teacher at a girls school after an outing with her students. I rated it 5 stars in July 2013.

2012

• The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book by Wendy Welch
  This is a memoir about a couple opening a used bookstore in a small town in West Virginia. I rated it 4 stars in April of this year.
• Flying the Dragon by Natalie Dias Lorenzi
  This novel explores the Japanese roots of its main character, Skye, as family members she has never met move from Japan to the U.S. I rated it 5 stars in August 2016.

2013

• A Prayer Journal by Flannery O'Connor
  This slim volume of journal entries by Flannery O'Connor gives great insight into her spiritual life. I rated it 5 stars in June 2015. 
• Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill
  This historical fiction novel about a plucky little girl named Bo and the two burly miners who take her on as their child after the death of her mother is a great read-alike for the Little House series. I rated it 5 stars in September 2013.

2014

• Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler
  Jennifer Fulwiler's conversion story is one of my favorite Catholic books. I rated it 5 stars in January 2015 and still found it worthy of 5 stars this past month.
• Greenglass House by Kate Milford
  This atmospheric novel about a smuggler's inn and its inhabitants is a perfect cozy read for the winter months. I rated it 5 stars in July 2014, and rated the audiobook 5 stars in February of this year.

2015

• The Gentle Traditionalist: A Catholic Fairy-tale from Ireland by Roger Buck
  This fairy tale explains the Catholic faith to a secular audience through a mythical character known as the Gentle Traditionalist. I rated it 5 stars in March of this year.
• Moonpenny Island by Tricia SpringstubbThis beautifully written novel by one of my favorite middle grade authors follows a young girl named Flor through a period of great change during which her best friend moves away and her mother leaves home. I rated it 5 stars in January 2015.

2016

• The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
  The four adult siblings in this book have each been counting on a fund of money called "the nest" to help them with their financial problems, but each one's claim is threatened when their mother spends the money to bail her oldest out of trouble. I rated it 4 stars this month. 
• Mission Mumbai: A Novel of Sacred Cows, Snakes, and Stolen Toilets by Mahtab Narsimhan
  In this novel, a young boy accompanies his best friend to visit family in India, and while there, he explores the photography hobby that his father believes is a waste of time and helps his friend figure out how to avoid being sent to India for school. I rated it 5 stars in January 2016.

2017

• The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor
  This novel is about a marine biologist who survived a shark bite as a kid and has now returned to her hometown to sort out her feelings for her long-ago crush. I rated it 4 stars in December 2017. 
• Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk
  Lauren Wolk's second middle grade novel is set on a tiny island off the coast of Massachusetts, where a young girl named Crow is cared for by an old man named Osh, who rescued her as a baby and Miss Maggie who lives nearby. Crow has always known she came from another nearby island, but when she sees a fire there one night, she becomes curious about her past an sets out to discover the truth. I rated it 5 stars in December 2017. 

2018

• The Library Book by Susan Orlean
  This nonfiction book about the fire at the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986 is a wonderful tribute to libraries and a fascinating look into the history of one American library system. I rated it 5 stars in January of this year.
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang
  This story about a Chinese immigrant family working in a hotel in 1990s California has all the qualities of excellent middle grade books. I rated it 5 stars in June 2018. 

2019 (so far)

• Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien
  I love the Noodle Shop Mysteries, and this third book did not disappoint! I rated it 3 stars back in March.
• Sweeping Up the Heart by Kevin Henkes
  This gentle novel by Kevin Henkes is a quiet book, but beautifully written. I rated it 4 stars in March.

See any of your favorites on my list?