I’m participating in Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. Each hour there’s a challenge that readers can do if they’re interested. This is the ten-year anniversary of the readathon and one of the challenges is this 10 Years in 10 Books, which I thought would be fun to share here.

The Details:

Submit one book recommendation published in each year of the Readathon (2007-2017).

Here goes!

 

2007 Fangland by John Marks 

From the very first page, I loved reading this book and was sad when it was finished. Marks puts a unique spin on the vampire, where he comes from and why he exists. Also, it was interesting at the time to see 9/11 placed in the context of the grand sweep of human history.

 

2008 City of Thieves by David Benioff

A buddy adventure set during the WWII Siege of Leningrad and based on some experiences of the author’s grandfather. Horrifying and humorous. This was the book I chose to giveaway for World Book Night in 2013.

 

2009 Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

This novel puts you through the wringer of what it was like to serve in Vietnam as a Marine Lieutenant. Interesting characters, beautiful writing. I wrote a longer review here.

 

2010 Vlad by Carlos Fuentes

By far one of the best “sequels” to Bram Stoker’s Dracula that I’ve read. Fuentes pays homage to Dracula but masterfully makes Stoker’s creature his own. There is no pandering to Hollywood or cheapening of the spirit of Stoker’s classic work in this short novel. Longer review here.

 

2011 Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler by Jessica Speart

You’ll never look at butterflies the same way after reading this true crime thriller about a big shot in the world of insect smugglers and the investigator who pursues him. Speart herself also tracks down the smuggler.

 

2012 Snake Ropes by Jess Richards

One of the most original stories I’ve read. The setting and sensory details are superb–-I could feel the cold, hear the seashore, imagine character’s voices. The plot and characters are unique, yet familiar in some ways due to the underpinning of mythology and fairytale woven throughout the story and its feminist critique.  Longer review here.

 

2013 Prairie Silence by Melanie Hoffert

A memoir about how the silence of the land (North Dakota) and the people who work it contribute to the factors that drive young people away from the land and into cities. It’s about how the silence of Hoffert’s family conditioned her not to know how to talk about her life, her emotions, her differences from others. She’s also a lesbian and knew from the young age of four that she was destined to love women. This, no doubt, compounded the silence. Reflective, questioning. Longer review here.

 

2014 The Meaning of Names by Karen Gettert Shoemaker

This novel captures the experience of German Americans in WWI era Nebraska. Beautifully written and based in part on the author’s family history. Cather and Aldrich fans will want to check out this one.

 

2015 Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

A beautifully written novel in the bildungsroman tradition about a girl who is abandoned by her parents due to war and who almost abandons herself due to social norms. Weaves in both Nigerian folktales and biblical themes. Winner of the 2016 Lambda Literary Award for General Lesbian Fiction.

 

2016 Shelter by Jung Yun

This story yanked me in on the first page and never let go. The pain of family, the pain of being your own worst enemy, the pain of being an outsider. A dark and violent book about a Korean American man’s struggle with his family and himself.

 

2017 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

A family saga about ethnic Koreans living in Japan from 1910 to 1989. A book that takes you to different cultures and times. It’s up for a National Book Award this year.

 

---

 

Have you read any of these? What do you think? Feel free to share your list in the comments.

To see what other’s have shared for this challenge visit: http://www.24hourreadathon.com/challenge-10-years-in-10-books/