My Favorite Books of the Past 5 Years!

Today I'm going through the books I've put on favorites lists over the past 5 years and seeing which 10 fiction books and 10 nonfiction books are the best of the best since I started on Booktube!
My lip color: amzn.to/3fAu9BO
I love you all very much, but I don't have the stamina to list out 80 books in this description box. BUT, if any of the books I spoke about interest you, you can hear me talk more about it(/them) in my annual favorites videos:
2015: • My Top 10 Books of 2015!
2016:
Fiction: • My Top 10 Fiction Read...
Nonfiction: • My Top 5 Nonfiction Re...
2017:
Fiction: • My Top 10 Fiction Book...
Nonfiction: • My Top 5 Nonfiction Bo...
2018:
Fiction: • Top 10 Fiction Books o...
Nonfiction: • Top 10 Nonfiction Book...
2019:
Fiction: • Top 10 Fiction Books o...
Nonfiction: • Top 10 Nonfiction Book...
Outro music by Bensound (www.bensound.com)
Find me on:
Goodreads - bit.ly/15QVaN0
Twitter - / abookolive
Instagram - / abookolive
My written reviews on Open Letters Review: openlettersrev...

[@nikkivenable3700]

I am OBSESSED with your content! My shelves are full of your recommendations, Olive. I’m so glad you still make videos for all of us book lovers.

[@ashleymorlan5707]

nikki venable SAME!

[@mame-musing]

You just proved why “classic novels” have earned their place in the the literary pantheon. More than 100 years after each of them was written and among the multitude of novels printed since, you chose them to be among your top ten favs. (💛The Rules of Civility)

[@nl3237]

Being mortal is just... I'm lost for words... Amazing doesn't give it justice. Thanks to you for talking about it. It made me want to read it and it has changed my view on life.

[@glendaw5221]

I was pleasantly surprised to hear you talk about 84 Charing Cross. That would be in my top ten of all time.

[@abookolive]

It's a fantastic book!

[@tasnimnaz7109]

So glad to see so many classics in your fav fiction reads!

[@angelaluz405]

Once again the quality shows that classics are "classics" for a reason. They are not just old books. I have several of those nonfiction books on my TBR stack or on my books wish list. I love nonfiction. Thank you for continuing to be a proponent of all types of nonfiction on your channel. I love having a place I can go to on Booktube and be ensured of having the an interesting nonfiction read pointed out almost every time.

[@theaelizabet]

You’re an absolute natural at this. I’m surprised someone hasn’t created a place for you on a network/cable/streaming service.

[@abookolive]

Oh, my - thank you so much. That's so incredibly nice of you to say! I don't know that I'd call myself a natural (I have five years of experience doing this, after all), but I'm incredibly flattered by your kind words.

[@ssg8051]

Thank you, Olive, for always being intellectual and sharp witted yet accessible, keenly articulate, and genuinely thoughtful with your videos. Cheers, Ardith

[@abookolive]

Oh my, such high praise! I don't know if I'm entirely deserving of all these kind words, but I appreciate them all the same.

[@ssg8051]

@@abookolive From my personal experience, you are indeed.

[@melissamybubbles6139]

@@abookolive You definitely deserve high praise.

[@ifbut_then]

Your channel is quality, which is very rare. I'm happy that KZbin recommended me. Thank you for making wonderful videos

[@Liloo258]

And we love you for loving to do this. This helps so much to not waste precious lifetime and money to wrong books. So glad I found your chanel, I stay for sure . And I love H IS FOR HAWK as well, one of my favorites too . Much love from Germany🌷

[@MaryAmongStories]

so many classics, love that! :)

[@myreadinglife8816]

I feel grief stricken that the Sparrow was it from your list! It’s so interesting how many classics made it, and that two are Gaskells.

[@abookolive]

It was so hard removing it from the list 😭

[@jennafra]

This was such a fun video. Some of the books that you mentioned I've read because you mentioned them.

[@MLLatUtube]

84 Charing Cross Road is one of my favorite books of all time - got several more for my TBR from your lists also

[@MarilynMayaMendoza]

Now I know I love your Channel. Anyone who loves Tana French is a friend of mine. I never did this but I'm going to pre-order her new book. Aloha

[@abookolive]

I can't wait for her new one!!

[@nathanfoung2347]

My TBR just blew up...

[@abookolive]

Haha, sorry about that!

[@LanaCelebic]

Such a wonderful video. My TBR is going to explode now. 😉

[@TheHeatherleary]

I love watching you smile as you look at your favourite books. Adding some of these to my tbr

[@yvettem.holland5072]

Thank you, Olive. I love your channel; your eloquence is unmatched. On Sundays, I treat myself to a delicious and leisurely breakfast, and I always watch one of your videos because your energy is warm and bright. Have a lovely day.

[@abookolive]

That is so sweet, thank you so much ❤

[@cristinamunar]

You inspired me to buy and read Mansfield Park this year because I was only familiar with Pride and Prejudice.Perhaps I'm missing out this gem.❤

[@bethanypittman2033]

Cristina Munar Mansfield Park is so underrated! It was the last of Austen’s books I read and I couldn’t believe I’d never heard anyone talk about it before.

[@cristinamunar]

Totally underrated!

[@janethughes7661]

I’m so glad I found your channel! I am reading more nonfiction than I ever have in my life! Thank you!

[@abookolive]

That's so wonderful!

[@DallasfanTen]

Started reading Being Mortal cause of this video. I'm instantly hooked. Thanks for this

[@HierarchyofReads]

Honestly, you're the Booktuber whose reading judgement I trust entirely. So like...**Adds all the books to my TBR** 😂

[@abookolive]

😘

[@jenmorr4051]

Congrats on 5 years on BookTube. You have excellent content and your passion for books shines through. It was interesting listening to your lists from past years. For the many readers out there who are not into classics, iy might be cool to see people's lists of current, modern day faves!

[@abeilleify]

Such a great video! New subscriber here and I got so many good recommendations from you. Thank you!

[@allisonpiazza2317]

I knew this was going to be a challenge for you because you are such a thoughtful, passionate reader...with a freakish memory! 🤗

[@abookolive]

Haha! Very true. The memory makes things easier...but also more challenging 😂

[@brittanybarrowbooks9133]

I read Rules of Civility this year on your recommendation and loved it! I also read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone after I saw it in a bookstore and it ended up being my favorite book of the year! You have such excellent taste!

[@byronsbrain]

Thank you for your wonderful videos, I've just downloaded a copy of Lab Girl :)

[@melissamybubbles6139]

Lab Girl was amazing. I hope you enjoy it.

[@melissamybubbles6139]

Thank you for making these videos. Two of the books on your favorite nonfiction books, Lab Girl and Soul of an Octopus, helped me get through one of the worst depressive episodes of my life. I'd like to read at least some of the others this year. I'm especially looking forward to Hearing is for Hawk and Seeds. I am falling in love with nature writing thanks to you and a chance encounter with a Terry Tempest Williams video.

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

You set yourself a tough task here but I really enjoyed hearing your thought process. Isn't strange how some books are perfect for the moment but not necessarily forever, and others stay in our minds long term.

[@LifeBetweenWords1]

This seems like it would be TORTUROUS. But I also kind of want to try it myself. (Also, I read Soul of an Octopus because of your recommendation and it’s one of my favs, too! I’ve recommended it to so many of my IRL people!)

[@athertonca]

Excellent video! You reminded me I want to read Lab Girl and Fingersmith. The upside of forgetting about titles for awhile is that the wait is shorter or nonexistent on Overdrive/Libby (as is the case with both of these).

[@abookolive]

That's the wonderful thing about reading backlist books - much less competition for them!

[@laketown5802]

My TBR list is getting tired of me 🤣 ❤ Wonderful picks.

[@newbooksmell9221]

this was so much fun to watch! it's amazing to remember all of these books, how the new releases were hyped back then or how some of the ones you have reviewed have stuck with me - such powerful reviews! here's to 5 more years of amazing reads that will make your job of choosing an ultimate list even harder! :)

[@abookolive]

Oh gosh...I can't even think about how hard it'll be to narrow down all my favorites with 5 more years of reading under my belt 😬

[@TheAbbieScreams]

There are so many books in this video that you recommend and I own them! I gotta get reading! And I'm currently reading Uprooted and you made me desperately want to finish it haha 😂 Thanks as always for a fun video. Seeing your process of narrowing down your most loved books was so interesting ❤️

[@BrekkeEl]

Has it really been 5 years? Are we this old?!? You loaned me Nurture Shock (I still have it! eeek) and I think about it a lot. Uprooted is still one of my very favorites. BURIAL RITES it was so huge. And so good. What Hannah Kent does with language ... considering how young she it, I am always doubly impressed. I bought Euphoria based on your recommendation and never got around to it - this is bringing up such deep nostalgia. Margaret the First is still on my Nonfiction TBR because of your recommendation. Gah, so many good books.

[@Elizabeth-uu5tv]

Welp, my GoodReads is gonna have 20 more books on the list! Loved this video.

[@muhlenstedt]

Great orientation!!thank you for all the work. Could you make a video about your favorites before booktube?Perhaps with jthe top ten?

[@katieamarsh]

I’ll forever owe you for Soul of an Octopus. I loved it. I went from indifferent to them to adoring them and thinking they are magical creatures. I always think it’s funny when you think a book is good, but not amazing, but then you think about it a lot for years.

[@MohamedAli-dx2dv]

Thanks for sharing ur favourite books , wish u all the best

[@BookZealots]

Ooh! One of my aunts told me about The Soul of an Octopus this summer. I plan on reading it and have it on hold with Overdrive. As you can imagine, there is a very long wait list. Based on availability, I just checked out H is for Hawk and I Contain Multitudes. (the canibalism books sounds interesting too). Really interesting video. Thank you. Perhaps you'd consider doing an all time favorite list? (books read before booktube?)

[@kathyking2515]

This was so much fun. Thanks for being awesome!!

[@abookolive]

❤

[@ornleifs]

Well I found some books that I put on my wish list. I also have had that experience, when looking over read book lists, that some books have such staying power while others (even though you liked it) are almost forgotten.

[@DudeItsCzar]

Oh The Tsar of Love and Techno

[@jacquib1985]

This was such a fun video! :)

[@donnaryan3162]

I love this. Like continuing a great conversation.

[@myfirstnovel]

A gentleman in Moscow never made your top 10? Wow, never noticed, especially since I read it because of you and it’s definitely one of mine. A planned reread in 2020.

[@abookolive]

Never finished A Gentleman in Moscow.

[@myfirstnovel]

abookolive Just happened that way or you didn’t like it?

[@lindaharrison3240]

Speaking of vodka you have to try NEFT if you can find it. Made in Siberia and omg soooo good. Smoothest vodka on the planet. Skol!

[@familyfun2784]

Awesome video!

[@WhatKamilReads]

Oh you studied accounting... there’s more of us finance people here than I thought

[@abookolive]

Indeed! I'm not in finance anymore (I'm in a sort-of related field now), but most of my academic background is in finance & business.

[@rosebudadkins6803]

I miss reading books. Due to an autoimmune disease that causes blurred vision, I have my books read to me. Just not the same as turning pages. So sad!

[@peculiaritea]

Thank YOU!

[@TheTalomir]

Those that were eliminated in the top 10 final conclusion you should total do a version of rewrite, re read, recommend that would be so painfully cruel to watch

[@glendaw5221]

84 Charing Cross. Sigh.

[@abookolive]

Sigh in a good way, I hope!

[@lindaharrison3240]

So do you cull your bookshelves to include only your favorites? That's a goal of mine but it will take me forever, because I can't stop buying new books and I have probably 60% unread books in my shelves. SOMEBODY STOP ME!! Haha just kidding :-P

[@thedarknutsackreturns431]

You're beautiful