Between “Twilight” and “Harry Potter,” it seems fantasy has ruled the last 10 years. But other genres also blossomed, and below are some that will stick in our mind for years to come.
Fantasy fiction
The “Twilight” series by Stephanie Meyer: It’s the series that launched the vampire craze. Even before the movies were released, teenage girls — and not-so-teenage girls — were screaming over Edward, the vampire who falls in love with a human girl. Slightly tacky? Depends on who you ask, but there’s no question that Meyer’s series captivated millions.
The “Harry Potter” series by J. K. Rowling: The final four books in the series were released, and as with “Twilight,” they all get a combined nod. They’re some of the best-selling books in history. This decade saw Harry’s final and long-awaited defeat of Voldemort and the end of an era of speculation and anticipation.
“The Gathering Storm” by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson: Non-fantasy fans are probably going “huh?” and critics will cringe since the book was just released at the end of October. However, its significance isn’t its content (though it’s a great book and one of the best in the series), but its authors: Jordan died in 2007, so the part of the book that he wrote is the last, besides the final two books in the series, that we’ll see of his writing. Sanderson was a newer and fairly unknown author; getting asked to finish the series really launched his career and paved the way for his future works.
“Eragon” by Christopher Paolini: This boy wonder wrote a book when he was 16. The Inheritance Cycle (now expanded from a trilogy to four parts) is losing momentum and audience, but when the first book was released, it was a hit — whether it deserved it or not. Paolini’s career might not go anywhere after this, but “Eragon” definitely had an impact on up-and-coming fantasy lovers.
Historical fiction
“The Other Boleyn Girl” by Philippa Gregory: By far the best and most famous of her books, “The Other Boleyn Girl” launched Gregory to historical fiction stardom — and it was well deserved, since the book does an amazing job of taking an unknown historical figure and bringing her to life. It shows not only the machinations of the court of Henry VIII but a young woman’s struggle to find her place and defy her powerful family — and escape the shadow of Anne, the other Boleyn girl.
“World Without End” by Ken Follett: It’s the sequel to Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth,” written over a decade and a half later, and its publication brought both books to fame. “World Without End” tells the stories of the descendants of the Pillars characters set against the background of the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death.
“The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova: Kostova’s freshman novel tells three intertwined stories: That of professor Bartholomew Rossi, who researched the story of Vlad Tepes the Impaler and tracked his legend halfway across the world; that of his daughter, Helen, who with Rossi’s student Paul begins a journey in search of her father; and that of Paul and Helen’s daughter, who tracks her father across Europe when he too disappears. Kostova weaves the three stories together through letters from Rossi and Paul, and sets the story against the legends of Tepes — the basis of the story of Count Dracula.
“The Crimson Petal and the White” by Michael Faber: Faber’s story about a prostitute in the underbelly of London who rises through the obsession of a rich man who sleeps with her is unconventional, but contains sharp depictions of her life. Unlike many popular historical fiction novels, it doesn’t revolve around royalty or anyone affected by major events of the times, and manages to portray London at its grittiest. Faber gets his point across without being lewd, and though the ending is controversial, his storytelling style has garnered attention.
Mystery
“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown: There is no question that Brown shook the world with his novel. Love it or hate it, despite its historical inaccuracies (intentional, according to the author), Brown weaves a compelling tale — compelling enough to sell millions of copies and inspire a movie.
John Grisham: There isn’t a particular book of his that sticks out. Grisham gets a nod for both quality and quantity — he had at least one, sometimes two, books on the list of the 10 best-selling books every year of the decade — which is pretty impressive. Grisham’s mysteries are still singular and compelling, not to mention popular.
“Daddy’s Little Girl” by Mary Higgins Clark: One of her many mysteries, “Daddy’s Little Girl” tells the story of a woman searching for her sister’s killer and vowing to keep the man she believes did it behind bars. Clark, who has written dozens of mysteries, is one of the grand ladies of the genre.
“S is for Silence” by Sue Grafton: One of her most famous of the decade, Grafton’s novel continues the story of Kinsey Millhone, a private eye. The novel topped the best seller list for a while, sold over a million copies and broke the usual “Alphabet” series trend by putting part of the focus in the past.
Fiction
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini: It’s the story of a young man who escapes Afghanistan — and then goes back to save the son of his best friend and secret brother. Hosseini’s story is touching and gives an insight into the Afghani culture in a decade where, after Sept. 11, 2001, America was trying to understand it.
“The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold: It might look like a teenage novel, but it’s not for the faint of heart. “Bones” is the story of Susie, who was brutally raped and murdered, who watches from the netherworld as her family tries to heal and the killer tries to evade the law and go after another girl. Creepy, but important, and it stayed on the best seller list for over a year.
“The Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom: The “Tuesdays with Morrie” authors follows his first success up with another. “Five People” is the story of Eddie, who gets to Heaven and meets five people who influenced his life in ways he never knew. The story touched many and remains popular to this day.
“The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield: Perhaps not as well known as the others, but still popular, this is the story of a young woman who is asked to write the biography of an author she adores, and is excited until she learns the twisted story of the woman’s past. The story sticks out not just because of its originality, but also because of the fairytale-esque style of writing.
Science fiction
“The Road” by Cormac McCarthy: One of McCarthy’s most famous novels, it’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where a man and his son are struggling to survive and reach someplace they’ll be safe. The novel shows a terrifying aspect of human nature and the spirit of human endurance. With the popularity of zombies and disaster stories over the last few years, it’s no surprise “The Road” is a hit.
"Ilium" by Dan Simmons: It’s the battle of Troy all over again — but this time, on Mars. A resurrected Homeric scholar tells the story of events that happen far in the future but eerily mirror “The Iliad.” As with “The Road,” it is no surprise, given the trends of the decade, that a novel centering around Greek legends gained popularity and awards.
"Prey" by Michael Crichton: Though most famous for writing “Jurassic Park”, Crichton wrote many best-selling novels this decade. “Prey” is one of the most popular, and one of the most relevant to the times: It is a cautionary tale about the use of nanotechnology and other scientific advances.
“The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger: It gained popularity everywhere and is one of those books people don’t stop talking about. This story of a man who time travels without being able to control it and the woman who spends her whole life loving him reached the best-seller list and, more importantly, the hearts of millions of readers.
Non-fiction
“The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama: As with “The Gathering Storm,” it is not just the significance of the book but the significance of the author that earns it the spot: Barack Obama. The first black man to become president made waves in history, and his book made waves in literature. It captured the then-presidential candidate’s style and spread his message, and helped launch him as the person who would bring hope back to the American people.
“Freakonomics” by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt: It’s surprising that an economic book would garner so much popularity, but Dubner and Levitt, both New York Times columnists, pulled it off and sold millions of copies. Their success lies in the fact that they applied economics to unusual subjects, such as sumo wrestlers and the Ku Klux Klan.
“Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert: One woman’s journey to rediscover herself was read by many. Gilbert got the money in advance in return for writing the book, but the story in genuine. She tells her personal story of finding peace and it has captivated readers since its release.
“Marley & Me” by John Grogan: Though almost more famous for being a Jennifer Aniston movie, Marley and Me is the real story of a young couple, their dog and the trials and tribulations they went through as they raised him and their family. Grogan, a columnist, said that his eulogy for Marley when the dog finally died received more comments than any of his previous columns.
Romance
“Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas” by James Patterson: It’s the diary of a mother, written for her son but given by her husband to a new girlfriend. “Suzanne’s Diary” is Patterson’s first romance novel — very different from his usual style, but popular nonetheless. The book is loosely based on his life.
“Nights in Rodanthe” by Nicholas Sparks: Sparks is famous for tear-jerking romances, “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember” being the most well known. “Nights in Rodanthe” is along the same lines; lovers finally come together and find themselves, only to be torn apart. The book was also made into a movie.
“Hot Six” by Janet Evanovich: This is the first of Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books to make it to best-seller status, and the first one published this decade. It’s got all of Stephanie Plum’s quirky humor as she tries to be the best bounty hunter she can — or at least get her man. Plum has written 15 full-length Plum novels to date.
Nora Roberts: As with John Grisham, there isn’t one particular work of hers that stands out, but she stands out. She is one of the grand ladies of romance, and she’s written dozens of best-selling books over several decades. Her name continues to be cemented in popular culture as a legendary romance author.