PEOPLE Picks the Best Books of the 2010s, FromSwamplandia!toBeing Mortal

Mar. 15, 2025

PEOPLE’s picks for the best books of the 2010s.

The 2010s presented a vast selection of award-winning, beloved books throughout the decade. From novels that helped to change the way we think to groundbreaking nonfiction books to help us better understand ourselves and the world around us, there was no shortage of incredible literature during this time, many of which could be considered new modern classics.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.PEOPLE staffers have come together to select some of our favorite books of the decade, in celebration of the magazine’s 50th anniversary. Read on to see some of our picks.

The 2010s presented a vast selection of award-winning, beloved books throughout the decade. From novels that helped to change the way we think to groundbreaking nonfiction books to help us better understand ourselves and the world around us, there was no shortage of incredible literature during this time, many of which could be considered new modern classics.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.PEOPLE staffers have come together to select some of our favorite books of the decade, in celebration of the magazine’s 50th anniversary. Read on to see some of our picks.

01of 15

Random House

When Natalia, a young Balkan doctor, is trying to understand her grandfather’s mysterious death, she looks to his beloved copy ofThe Jungle Book– and discovers a surprising legend that she never knew before. Natalia learns more about her family, and their secrets, in this spellbinding novel.

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02of 15

Riverhead Books

Groff’s acclaimed novel details the 24-year marriage between Lotto, whose acting career whisks him away from the Florida town where he grew up and Mathilde, an art gallerist who harbors devastating secrets from her past. The duo’s love and creative partnership have always been admired, but there’s more to their relationship than meets the eye.

03of 15

Knopf

Orange’s novel, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, follows multiple members of Native American communities, including Jacquie Red Feather, a recovering alcoholic, Dene Oxedene, who is grieving the loss of his uncle and Orvil, a teen eager to learn more about his history.

04of 15

Vintage

Ava Bigtree grew up on Swamplandia, her family’s theme park and home in the Florida Everglades. When her mother suddenly falls ill — leaving Ava’s father distraught, her sister seeking questionable romantic partners and her brother abandoning the family — Ava embarks on her own mission, in this bestselling read.

05of 15

Crown

Henrietta Lacks was a Southern tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without her consent. Called HeLa cells, they soon became a landmark discovery in modern medicine, and were a crucial element in developments like the polio vaccine and in vitro fertilization. The person these cells were taken from, however, remained unknown for years. Skloot’s book follows the Lacks family as they learned what happened to their relative, and opens important questions about bioethics, medical testing and its impact on humans.

06of 15

Atria Books

This Booktok sensation tells the story of Evelyn Hugo, an aging Hollywood actress who is opening up about her life for the first time to young journalist Monique Grant. Throughout their conversations, Evelyn reveals the truth of her life off-screen, as well as her many marriages, which leads Monique to discover that their lives hold a breadth of curious similarities.

07of 15

Gallery/Scout Press

Lo Blacklock, a travel journalist, is given an exciting assignment that takes her on a luxury cruise. Her pleasant trip, however, is interrupted when Lo witnesses a woman being thrown overboard — only to wake up the next morning and learn that all of the ship’s passengers are accounted for. Lo embarks on a thrilling investigation in this unsettling mystery novel.

08of 15

Scribner

This Pulitzer Prize-winning book documents the history of cancer, including centuries of medical discoveries, breakthroughs and treatments. Described as “a literary thriller with cancer as the protagonist,” Mukherjee’s writing examines the disease with care and precision.

09of 15

Wilkerson’s stunning account of the Great Migration — in which six million Black Americans left the South for northern and western cities between 1917 and 1970 — is an informative and deeply-researched book. Told through the perspectives of three figures from the era, including Ida Mae Gladney, George Starling and Robert Foster, the book examines a chapter of American history through an analytical and personal lens.

10of 15

Metropolitan Books

Gawande, a practicing surgeon, examines aging and death through the lens of his own personal experiences. Looking back at stories from his family and patients, as well as the evolution of end-of-life care, this moving book a thought-provoking and introspective look at our mortality.

11of 15

Symphony Space

Photographer Sally Mann has long been renowned for her images, but in this ambitious memoir, she’s turning her lens toward her own family. As Mann looked through her family’s documents and pictures, she uncovered a history of “deceit and scandal” and “clandestine affairs,” per the memoir’s description. This book is a culmination of her findings and reckons with the artist’s own legacy.

12of 15

Penguin Books

Isenberg’s history of the American class system utilizes rhetoric, policy, literature and scientific theory to examine the stratification of our country. A pivotal conversation-starter.

13of 15

In 1862, while the Civil War rages on, Willie Lincoln, the son of president Abraham Lincoln, is on his deathbed in the White House. In this moving novel, Saunders reimagines what happens to Willie after he dies, when he’s stuck in a state of purgatory, living amongst ghosts and searching for what will become of his soul.

14of 15

One World

Before he became known as the host ofThe Daily Show,Trevor Noahwas a boy growing up in Apartheid-led South Africa. Born to a Black mother and a White father, Noah looks back on his upbringing, the country’s racial tensions and his relationship with his mother in this memoir filled with Trevor’s signature wit.

15of 15

Ecco

When poet and musician Patti Smith moved to New York City in the ‘60s, she was a struggling artist trying to make ends meet. Soon, she met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and the two artists formed a unique creative partnership. Smith pays tribute to their one-of-a-kind bond in this National Book Award-winning memoir.

source: people.com