In This Article
- The Book and the Award
- V.E. Schwab: Who Is Involved
- Why the Goodreads Result Carries Weight
- What to Watch
V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has been voted the best book of the decade on Goodreads, based entirely on reader rankings and votes, according to Yahoo Entertainment. The result places the 2020 standalone fantasy novel at the top of a reader-driven list reflecting the tastes of Goodreads' large, self-selecting community of book enthusiasts. The news was reported on April 23, 2026.
The Book and the Award
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue follows a young woman who strikes a Faustian bargain for immortality but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she encounters. The award was determined exclusively by reader votes on Goodreads, with no editorial panel involved, as confirmed by both Parade and AOL. For a fuller assessment of the novel itself, see our review.
V.E. Schwab: Who Is Involved
Victoria "V.E." Schwab is the author behind the recognition, known for a body of work that spans fantasy series and standalone novels. Her profile has remained active in 2026: in April, NPR's Weekend Edition featured Schwab alongside British author Cat Clarke, discussing their jointly written thriller The Ending Writes Itself, published under the shared pen name Evelyn Clarke. The novel centers on seven midlist writers summoned to a deceased mega-bestselling author's private Scottish island to complete his final manuscript — a premise Schwab told NPR was entirely her idea after years of conversations with Clarke about the publishing industry.
Schwab told NPR's Scott Simon that she had previously sworn she would never co-write a novel and would never write anything without magic in it — oaths she broke for the project. Clarke, for her part, had left publishing in 2018 after a career writing young adult novels and had sworn off writing entirely before Schwab drew her back in. The pair now tour together under the Evelyn Clarke name.
Why the Goodreads Result Carries Weight
Goodreads operates as one of the largest reader-community platforms globally, and its rankings are generated by aggregated user input rather than critical consensus or commercial metrics. A "best of the decade" designation determined solely by that readership signals the degree to which Addie LaRue has retained an audience since publication, according to Parade. The vote-based nature of the award distinguishes it from prize-committee selections and bestseller-list positions, which rely on sales data or juror deliberation.
What to Watch
Schwab's current public focus is the rollout of The Ending Writes Itself with Clarke. The NPR interview, conducted while the two were on book tour in April 2026, suggests the novel is in active promotion. Whether the Goodreads decade honour translates into renewed attention for Addie LaRue — or shapes how Schwab's broader catalogue is positioned — is not addressed by available sources at this time.