Recommend the 20 best books you've read in the last five years

Description
A casual acquaintance is looking for ideas about books to read, but you don't know much about their tastes. Thinking back over your last five years of reading, which books would you recommend?
3
20,784 members
612 reviews
4.2
34
17,228 members
911 reviews
4
55
7,726 members
406 reviews
4.1
20 Members
aprille, SqueakyChu, pammab, bookworm12, goldenmoon, KimarieBee, amysisson, kxn11, goldenlobo, hammockqueen, KatyBee, Jenny1013, IrishSue, Winny99, Penske, KittyTwist, richard_c, WendyRobyn, archanads, nankan,pitjrw , ,aulsmith
Explanations
: Bad science fiction, terrible dialogue, and really bad theology.
61
22,227 members
1,264 reviews
4.2
15 Members
donutage, fifthbusy, kootibkiteer, RobinMG, briarhills, smasler, rozymary, Risbom, WhatUsername, HelenGress, Peace2, richard_c, ParanoidMaryMarvel, Jelissa88, SundayN
Explanations
donutage: An inventive and, by the end, surprisingly moving story of an orphan raised in and by a graveyard. Categorized as a YA title, which is understandable, but I consider it also a meditation on parenthood.
69
3,800 members
55 reviews
½ 4.3
74
9,846 members
466 reviews
½ 4.3
75
54,039 members
999 reviews
4
13 Members
gilroy, applemcg, brianc6, lordcharles, martensgirl, eclecticdodo, joanra21, Peace2, chwiggy, Femklutz, CharlesTheB, ijamiedee, Kylagm
Explanations
lordcharles: Opened my eyes to a number of things - and possibilities. Frightening. On pet.
76
5,921 members
316 reviews
4.1
12 Members
pechmerle, rstaedter, Kieln, lillypatti72, Lapsus16, rozymary, peterveen, LoneS, linlef, kazzer2u, Michael_Gibbons, CharlesTheB
Explanations
pechmerle: A combination of East Asian history, historical romance, suspense, and writing style that is irresistible. A little knowledge of Japanese history before reading makes it a much richer reading experience.
77
9,155 members
519 reviews
½ 4.4
78
5,968 members
365 reviews
4
12 Members
Shrike58, Aquila, Euryale, ArieJvdP, dhm, SusiLibrarian, RobinMG, Dilara86, zjakkelien, gypsysmom, lorannen, jpahl,ayaeckel
Explanations
Shrike58: Another current example of the best state of the art of modern SF that builds on the traditions of the field (imagine what a collaboration between Le Guin & Cherryh would look like) while trying to extend the state of the art. Some people think this is a bad thing, and I'm not sure that Leckie's tricks of language always work, but this is ultimately a very individual story of how one comes by personal dignity.
80
3,952 members
288 reviews
4.1
81
15,960 members
384 reviews
4
83
3,076 members
166 reviews
4
85
4,190 members
252 reviews
4
86
9,218 members
294 reviews
4.1
88
8,945 members
354 reviews
3.8
89
6,943 members
346 reviews
½ 4.3
90
35,649 members
543 reviews
3.8
11 Members
aprille, donutage, unspuncapricorn, dmsteyn, smasler, tjsween, AmourFou, pseudoeden, CharlesTheB, NidiaMR86, CLMor,KerryMcGuire ,booksbooks63
Explanations
donutage: It's a "classic" for a reason. Ambitious, profound, playful, at times bizarre. Like many, I read this back in high school and was somewhat flummoxed by the "boring" "digressions" about whale anatomy and sailing ships. When I re-read it a couple years ago, I was more willing to take the sprawling narrative on its own terms and found it infinitely enjoyable.
91
3,614 members
159 reviews
4.2
92
5,705 members
164 reviews
4
93
9,398 members
183 reviews
4
95
18,153 members
448 reviews
3.9
98
15,088 members
146 reviews
4.1
100
5,291 members
282 reviews
½ 4.5