20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (2024)

By: Leigh Anne Wilkes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

Sharing my 20 Top Books I’ve read in the 10 Past Years

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (1)

I love sharing the books I read. Lately I have been sharing my yearly lists over on Instagram. Today I wanted to share with you some of my all time favorite books, at least from the last ten years!

Do you keep track of the books you read each year? I’ve been keeping a list since 1998. If you don’t keep a list, you should. I love looking over this list. It’s a lot like visiting old friends. My only regret is I didn’t start sooner.

As I was looking over it recently I decided it might be fun to put together a Top Ten list. My Top Ten Books of the Past Ten Years. It was a little harder to do that I thought it would be. It was like trying to pick just one best friend.So I decided to pick a #1 pick and then a runner up. And thus the list becameMy Top Twenty Books of the Past Ten Years!

I hope you have fun looking over the list and that it brings to your mind some of your favorite books. Leave a comment and share with me what your favorite book is that you read last year!

Since I have reviewed many of the books on my previous Book Lists I am just going to list the title and the author. You can click on over to Amazon and read about the book.

We’ll count backwards starting with…

Top Read of 2005

It was a difficult to pick a top book from 2005 because I only read 5 books in 2005 and none of them were that noteworthy. It was a bad year for reading. So I decided to pick a favorite from the years 1998 when I started keeping my list through 2003. Hope that’s o.k!

Memoirs of a Geishaby Arthur Golden

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (2)

2005 Runner Up

Red Tent by

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (3)

Top Read of 2006

Secret Life of Beesby Sue Monk Kidd

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (4)

2006 Runner Up

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

Not because it is an amazing piece of literature but because it is what introduced me to the concept of a blog!

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (5)

Top Read of 2007

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (6)

2007 Runner Up

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill.

This is a classic and should be read by everyone at least once in their life. Taught me alot about attitude and how I am in control of my own.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (7)

Top Read of 2008

Molokai by Alan Brennert

This book began my fascination with leper colonies and the desire to go work in one someday.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (8)

2008 Runner Up

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Added Guernsey it my Bucket list of places to go visit after reading this!

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (9)

Top Read of 2009

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosney

I am a big fan of WWII historical fiction and any book that takes place in Paris!

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (10)

2009 Runner Up

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet by Jamie Ford

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (11)

Top Read of 2010

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

This year I was introduced to Kate Morton and she quickly became one of my favorite authors and I have read everything she has written.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (12)

2010 Runner Up

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White

A different kind of leper colony.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (13)

Top Read of 2011

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (14)

2011 Runner Up

I read a lot of amazing books in 2011 and it was hard to pick just two.

The Help byKathryn Stockett

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (15)

Top Read of 2012

The Shoemakers Wife by Adriana Trigiani

I am a big fan of Adriana Trigiani and have read everything she has written. This is one of my favorites of hers.

Be sure and check out my 2012 Book List.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (16)

2012 Runner Up

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (17)

Top Read of 2013

The Book Thief by Marcs Zusak

I rarely read a book twice but I loved this one the second time as much as the first.

Check out my 2013 Book List for everything I read this year.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (18)

2013 Runner Up

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

After The Winter Sea, Susanna Kearsley quickly became a new favorite and I have read all of her books.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (19)

Top Read of 2014

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser

Check out my 2014 Book List for a complete list.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (20)

2014 Runner Up

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Jan-Philipp Sendker

I have read this book twice the past few years. A beautiful story, beautifully written.

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (21)

S0 what are some of you favorite books of the last ten years?? I can’t wait to see what my favorite books for 2015 are!

20 Top Books of the Past Ten Years | by Leigh Anne Wilkes (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 5554

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.