10 Years, 10 Books: Author Recommendations
Every year we ask Silent Book Club members to share their favorite reads for an annual round-up of recommendations. We love seeing the variety of genres, authors, and hidden gems that emerge year after year after year.
So for our milestone anniversary, we decided to ask 10 beloved authors whose work has inspired our readers to share one book published in the past 10 years that they’ve loved — a story they can’t stop recommending, revisiting, or thinking about.
These recommendations remind us why we read: to connect, to dream, to discover new worlds, and, of course, to share the joy of reading.
The Recommendations:
Liane Moriarty, author of Here One Moment, Big Little Lies, and more, recommends Three Days in June by Anne Tyler:
“Anne Tyler is my favourite author, I’ve read all her books multiple times and this is her latest. It’s short, tender, funny and exquisitely written – just like all her books!”
We also had a bonus entry from Liane!
“The Lost Man by Jane Harper The Australian outback is such an important part of Australia’s identity and folklore. I say this, and I feel it, but I have to confess I’ve lived my whole life in the suburbs and only experienced the outback through the words of talented Australian writers like Jane Harper. I read this compelling modern classic in a different hemisphere but I could taste the gritty red dust and feel that extraordinary dry heat even as I looked out at a snowy landscape.”
TJ Klune, author of The Bones Beneath My Skin, The House in the Cerulean Sea, and more, recommends Tales from the Gas Station by Jack Townsend:
“To get into the spooky season, I would recommend Tales From The Gas Station by Jack Townsend. Quite possibly the best self-published book I've read. It's hysterical, moving, and above all else—weird as hell. And it's a series!”
Catherine Adel West, author of Saving Ruby King, recommends Razor Blade Tears by S.A. Cosby:
“Razor Blade Tears perfectly balances action and suspense, while simultaneously tackling difficult racial conversations between two men who appear to be completely different, but have more in common than a mutual penchant for violence and revenge. This book is a gritty and masterful work.”
Liz Moore, author of The God of the Woods (one of SBC’s favorite reads of 2024!), recommends The Days of Afrekete by Asali Solomon:
“I recommend a novel by my fellow Philadelphian Asali Solomon, whose The Days of Afrekete opens with a Mrs. Dalloway-esque dinner party and proceeds with a political scandal, a marriage in peril, a reconnection with a long-lost friend, and a lot of humor and poignancy along the way.”
Angie Kim, author of Happiness Falls and Miracle Creek, recommends Skinship by Yoon Choi:
“Recommended to me by Susan Choi (whose own remarkable books like Trust Exercise and Flashlight I adore), Skinship is a collection of powerful, gorgeous stories about Korean Americans struggling to make sense of their place in their families, in this country, and in this world. Yoon Choi is a master of the short story form.”
We also had a bonus entry from Angie!
“Here’s a recommendation for readers and writers alike: Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto was originally published in 2001, but last year saw the release of a special hand-annotated edition, with Patchett’s own notes and mark-ups. An invaluable master class for fiction writers, and a wonderful re-read for lovers of this modern classic.”
Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles (one of SBC’s favorite reads of 2024!), recommends The Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki:
“There are so many books worth recommending, but The Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki stands out for me because it is luminously weird and funny and profound, with characters I still can’t discharge from my mind. A thoroughly Southern Californian novel set in the San Gabriel Valley, it tells the story of a violin teacher who has sold her soul to the devil, an alien from outer space running a donut shop, and a young transgender runaway, Katrina Nguyen, whose talent at the violin will set their three lives on a collision course that rattles the very stars in their firmament. I cannot recommend it highly enough—a gem!”
André Aciman, author of Call Me By Your Name, Find Me, and more, recommends The Pole by J.M. Coetzee:
“I loved The Pole by J.M. Coetzee because its characters don’t fall in love. Instead they are moved by an ancillary emotion that looks like love, but without the ardor frequently found in passion. It reminds me of a love that is either tempered by distance, muted by hesitation, or by its sheer impossibility. It is devoted and generous, even obsessive. But there it is never consummated. I have always loved such tales. They remind me that we pine far more often than we claim.”
Susan Cain, author of Quiet, and Bittersweet, is the host of the QUIET LIFE Substack community. Join her at TheQuietLife.net! Susan recommends Gone by Min Kym:
“Min Kym’s Gone is one of my all-time favorite books. The hours fell away as I read this spellbinding tale of love, loss, and above all devotion to art. You probably don't know what it feels like to be a child prodigy or a world-class violinist, but you will after reading this luminous memoir. And though you may already know what it means to grieve and to love, you've never had the chance to experience these things through the far-seeing eyes of Min Kym.”
Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, Secrets of Adulthood, and more recommends Piranesi by Susanna Clarke:
“I’ve re-read Susanna Clarke’s extraordinary novel Piranesi many times since it launched in 2020. It’s short yet contains so many elements I love: surprising twists; a beautiful, fantastic world; and compelling characters. Particularly recommended for Narnia fans.”
Shelby Van Pelt, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures (one of the most recommended SBC favorites of all time!), recommends Blob by Maggie Su:
“I could not tear myself away from this bizarre book. Maggie Su takes a simple but absurd premise—what if a woman could transform a sentient blob into her ideal boyfriend?—and brilliantly spins a story that’s weird, yes, but also hilarious and tender and thought-provoking.”
10 Years, 10 Books: A Reading List from Acclaimed and Bestselling Authors
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Anne Tyler — Three Days in June (recommended by Liane Moriarty)
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Jack Townsend — Tales From The Gas Station (recommended by TJ Klune)
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S.A. Cosby — Razor Blade Tears (recommended by Catherine Adel West)
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Asali Solomon — The Days of Afrekete (recommended by Liz Moore)
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Yoon Choi — Skinship (recommended by Angie Kim)
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Ryka Aoki — The Light From Uncommon Stars (recommended by Rufi Thorpe)
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J.M. Coetzee — The Pole (recommended by André Aciman)
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Min Kym — Gone (recommended by Susan Cain)
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Susanna Clarke — Piranesi (recommended by Gretchen Rubin)
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Maggie Su — Blob (recommended by Shelby Van Pelt)
With the bonus entries:
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Jane Harper — The Lost Man (bonus pick by Liane Moriarty)
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Ann Patchett — Bel Canto (bonus pick by Angie Kim)