It has been an interesting decade of culture and we have been graced with some amazing literature. Now in 2020, we take a look back at the top 5 critically acclaimed books of the last decade.
The Martian by Andy Weir
Published 2011
The year is 2035 and Weir’s story follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars with no way to contact earth. It is nature vs man, as the astronaut fights for survival trying to make life on Mars. This novel was quickly adapted into a blockbuster film in 2015 with Matt Damon starring as the titular character, who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Published 2019
As the highly anticipated follow up to Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, this novel did not disappoint fans or critics. Set 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, the story is narrated by three women; Daisy, Agnes and Aunt Lydia whose stories help piece together the past and detail life before, after and during the regime of the Republic of Gilead.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Published 2016
This debut novel by Yaa Gyasi is multi-award winning. Each chapter follows a different descendant of an Asante woman named Maame, starting with her two daughters, who are half-sisters, separated by circumstance: Effia marries James Collins, the British governor in charge of Cape Coast Castle, while her half-sister Esi is held captive in the dungeons below. Subsequent chapters follow their children and following generations.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Published in 2010
The fifth novel by David Mitchell is a historical piece based in the late 18th century, following Jacob de Zoet, a Dutch clerk marooned on the man-made trading island of Dejima during Japan’s self-imposed exile. Filled with betrayal, love, superstition, power politics and murder this gripping novel leaves readers on the edge of their seat.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Published in 2015
This novel is a first-person narrative told from the point of view of three women: Rachel, Anna, and Megan. Rachel commutes to work on the same train every day and has noticed the same couple, time and time again. When she witnesses something terrible she becomes entangled in something much bigger. Appearing in the BBC’s Top 100 Books of all time it has become a literary treasure in a short space of time and was adapted to a blockbuster film in 2016 starring Emily Blunt.