We’re very excited to invite you to participate in our year-long DECADES READING CHALLENGE by reading some of the best books set in each decade from the 1910s through today!
Each month, you’ll read a book SET in a different decade, in chronological order. The book doesn’t have to be written during the decade, just take place during it.
We’re really excited to experience the dramatic changes of day-to-day life over the last 120 years!
We’ve compiled twenty+ book recommendations for each decade, including a good mix of fiction, non-fiction, and memoirs, and you’ll find links to each decade book list further down in this post.

The post for each decade also includes a timeline of major events from that period in history to help provide some context for the book recommendations. Throughout the book lists, you’ll notice that we’ve also used bold text in the synopses to highlight which events from the timeline are featured in each book.
If you just found this challenge mid-year, you can decide if you want to start with 1910 or just jump into the current month now! There’s no wrong way to participate.
To keep track of your DECADES READING CHALLENGE progress, we’ve made a cute printable that you’ll get for free when you join our email newsletter in the blue box below.
Here are our recommended book options for each month of the challenge. While you can access tons of great options for each month now, we’ll also be updating this list throughout the year. Be sure to circle back to the relevant list at the beginning of each month to see the most current version!
Below that, you’ll find an FAQ section about the challenge.
Decades Reading Lists
Click "Get the Book List" to jump to our full list of book recommendations for each decade.
January - Books Set in the 1910s
The best books set in the 1910s. This list has something for everyone – books about every day life reflecting the progress and struggles of the time, stories of war and revolution, accounts of tragic events, and even stories of romance set against the backdrop of a decade in which woman were fighting for equality.
February - Books Set in the 1920s
The best books set in the 1920s. These books reflect a decade that began with a roar and ended with a crash. Among the historical fiction on the list, you’ll find many vibrant jazz age books that capture the essence of the roaring twenties and the prohibition era, but you’ll also find books about individuals and families still struggling to recover from the impacts of WWI.
March - Books Set in the 1930s
The best books set in the 1930s. As you would expect, this list includes numerous books about the Great Depression and books about the Dust Bowl years, but not all books about American life in the 1930s center around these themes. Other books about the 1930s in America provide a glimpse into slices of life, including Hollywood, sports, crime, and high society.
April - Books Set in the 1940s
The best books set in the 1940s. There are, of course, some wonderful historical fiction novels about World War II, but this list also includes plenty of books that explore other aspects of life in the 1940s.
May - Books Set in the 1950s
The best books set in the 1950s. This list includes historical fiction novels set around the globe, books about quintessential American life in the 1950s, and stories about the divergent experiences of black and white Americas in the middle of the century and the growing racial tensions.
June - Books Set in the 1960s
The best books set in the 1960s. This book list including works written during the decade, historical fiction books that examine social and racial issues, novels that capture the flair of swinging ’60s, and memoirs and non-fiction books that provide insights into the era.
July - Books Set in the 1970s
The best books set in the 1970s. This was a revolutionary decade as the progressive social values that began in the 1960s – such as increasing political activism and feminism – continued to grow. The books on this list include fiction that provide insights into life in this decade, both in the US and around the world, and non-fiction accounts of some of the most defining political and scientific events of the era.
August - Books Set in the 1980s
The best books set in the 1980s. After the revolutionary and progressive decades that preceded it, this decade in America marked a turn toward conservatism in social and political views. As hippies gave way to yuppies, the decade was largely defined by growing materialism and consumerism, big hair, and power bands, and, of course, the AIDS epidemic. This book list includes both humorous and poignant examinations of the decade.
September - Books Set in the 1990s
The best books set in the 1990s. This list includes a look back at this decade through the eyes of many different characters, examining everything from small town life to British aristocracy, and from pop culture to serious social issue. Our recommendations include numerous books written in this decade, as well as historical fiction (are the 90s historical, yet?), memoirs, and non-fiction options.
October - Books Set in the 2000s
The best books set between 2000 and 2009. The first decade of the 21st century was largely defined by the 9/11 terrorist attack and the war that followed, and, in the second half of the decade, by the largest recession since the Great Depression and the election of America's first Black president. This list includes numerous memoirs and non-fiction accounts of major world events of the first decade after the millennium. Other books on the list show the stark contrast between life in America and in other parts of the world at the start of the 21st century.
November - Books Set in the 2010s
The best books set in the 2010s. In the second decade 21st century, there was a rising focus on new and lingering inequalities both in America and around the world that led to both strife and progress. Mass shootings and natural disasters permeated throughout the decade and American politics became increasingly divisive. The books on this list provide insights into the culture and social issues of the second decade of the new millennium.
December - Books Spanning Multiple Decades
The best books set over a period of decades. There’s a lot to learn by reading long-view novels, non-fiction, or memoirs that span multiple times or multiple generations and allow us to observe how things change over time. The books on this list cover multiple decades from the 1910s through present day. Rather than providing just a snapshot, these books provide a panoramic view of the life in the 20th century and early 21st century.
Over in the Book Girls’ Guide free Facebook group, we invite you to share the book you choose to read for each decade and to discuss your thoughts with others participating in the challenge.
It’s also a great place to ask for recommendations if you can’t decide on a book. It’s easy to join using the button below. We’ll see you there!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I choose my own book?
Absolutely! You can choose any book from our list, or any other book that meets the challenge prompt for that month. In fact, if you really enjoy an off-list book you select, we’d love to hear about it on this form. Keep in mind that if you want to participate in our monthly book discussion groups, those are created for a sub-set of books from the list.
What if I signed up, but didn’t receive the email?
Sometimes our emails might get trapped in your spam filter. If you signed up, but haven’t received the email with the printable reading tracker, be sure to check your spam folder. To keep future emails out of the spam folder, be sure to add our email address to your address book, or drag our emails over to your Primary tab in Gmail.
If you’ve checked your spam folder and still don’t see the email from us, then please send us a quick email to hello(at)bookgirlsguide(dot)com and we’ll get it sorted out for you as quickly as we can.
What year is this challenge for?
This is a repeating, yearly challenge. While it was originally created in 2020, it’s happening again for 2022. The book lists are refined before the start of each new month, so be sure to check back if you’ve seen them before. We’re always adding relevant new releases and other books as we find gems that represent each decade.
Do audiobooks count?
Absolutely! We’re equal-opportunity readers. Whether you use a paper book, ebook, or audiobook, if you’re left knowing the story the author set out to tell, you “read” the book!
Do I have to go in order?
Yes and no. Our idea for the challenge was based on reading in order through the decades to get a better view of how daily life changed throughout the years. But, we’ll never know if you opt to go out of order. 🙂
Do I need to submit the list of books I read?
It’s not at all required, but members of the email list and Facebook group have an option to log the books they read and share their rating and feedback to help guide our book lists in the future. The logs are open during the relevant month and you can always find the link in the announcement section.
Do you have other reading challenges?
Yes! We have two other challenges. Brand new for 2022, we’re launching the Lifetime of Reading challenge. Each month we read books with main characters in different age brackets. The challenge starts with children and by the end of the year we’ll be reading about witty and wise 90+ year olds!
We also have a popular around the world reading challenge called Book Voyage. You’re welcome to join any of the challenges at any point throughout the year.
Is this group only for girls?
Not at all! We welcome all to read with us. The “Book Girls” refers to us – two friends who love books and wanted to help guide and inspire other readers. You can read more about how this site started and who we are at the beginning of our books about friendship post.
Love reading as much as we do?
Join us for more free content, reading challenges, and discussion over in the Book Girls’ Guide Facebook Group!
Bev
Friday 18th of March 2022
How did get th books tracker?
Angela Rathbun
Friday 8th of April 2022
@Bev, In the post above, look for the bright blue box that says "Join the Decades Challenge" - enter your email address there and then click the black button that says "Get the Decades Tracker." Once you do that, you'll get an email from us within a few minutes that will have the tracker included. Then you can print it out.
Women's History Month Books to Read in 2022: Non-fiction - Book Girls' Guide
Wednesday 2nd of March 2022
[…] as many strong female leads as we can on each of our book lists, whether it’s books set in different decades or books set around the world. Additionally, our Books Like City of Girls, Books for Fans of the […]
WW2 Historical Fiction - The Resistance & Other Helpers - Book Girls' Guide
Friday 25th of February 2022
[…] our 1930s and 1940s months for the Decades Challenge, and on the Book Voyage Challenge reading lists for every region of the world, you’ll find […]
Sara Causey
Sunday 16th of January 2022
I would like to suggest adding the following book to your Decades Challenge: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. Set in post WWI, it was an instant best seller when first published in 1939. It was required reading in some colleges during the Vietnam era. I just joined your group, but am already going through your lists to what I've already read and to discover new gems.
Sara C.
Susan
Friday 7th of January 2022
Fun, I will do the decades challenge. I am newish to your blog and am looking forward to this adventure. I have read The Fall of Marigolds, and it is a great book. I have recommended this book to MANY people!