'What we owe to each other' | My Favorite TV Shows of the 2010s (+ bonus books!)

I watch TV all the time, but I feel like – in general – it's extremely rare that I find TV shows that I enjoy the entire time. It's hard! TV writers (typically) have to keep characters' stories going for much longer than movie writers do and many lose their way. But thankfully, this decade provided some truly great television. Here are some of my favorites that premiered during or after 2010.

Favorite TV Shows of the Decade

Halt and Catch Fire (2014-2017)

A TV show about the invention of the technology we carry around in our pockets shouldn't be as interesting as Halt and Catch Fire is. But it's such a good show, driven by great characters – and most of all, by strong women. Mashable summed it up best in 2017: "In the world of Halt and Catch Fire, the most powerful VC is a woman, the inventor of the first search site is a teenage girl, the lead of a VC firm’s best innovation is a black woman, and the most brilliant coder is, again, a woman." Plus, Lee Pace and Mackenzie Davis.

You're the Worst (2014-2019)

It's hard to explain what's the best about You're the Worst because the correct answer is "all of it." This show has all of the aspects of an extremely great movie – compelling cinematography, good writing, characters you root for even if they don't deserve it (and man, they Do Not) – except spread across five seasons (the perfect amount). If you liked Love, this is 1,000 times better. It also has one of the most surprisingly nuanced portrayals of mental illness that I've ever seen, tucked neatly into the madness.

Broad City (2014-2019)

Who were we before we knew Abbi and Ilana? Lesser versions of ourselves, to be sure. This show is one of the funniest of the decade (and possibly of all time) because it's so contemporary. Almost nothing that happens in Broad City would have made any sense at all before 2014, but the humor will hold up for us because we lived through it all. It's also incredible how much Ilanaisms have seeped into my brain.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019)

Much like You're the Worst, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a sneakily fantastic portrayal of mental illness. Sure, on its surface, it's a show about a girl (in love) who does absolutely bananas things to the tune of songs she's making up as she goes along. But it's got a much deeper, darker center that kept it as fresh and exciting as it was funny from beginning to end. And the songs are incredible. I can't believe the amount of work that must have gone into every episode. Rachel Bloom is a superhero.

Orphan Black (2013-2017)

I'm writing these entries in semi-chronological order based on the years they aired, but know this: Orphan Black is my No. 1. It's truly one of the best shows I've ever seen, somehow touching on almost every genre in almost every episode while also utilizing economical storytelling and packing the plot with twists. Also: Tatiana. Maslany.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)

Y'all know I love a good horror-comedy. So a horror-comedy TV show starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant was basically made for me specifically. I loved everything about this weird little show and I'm still so sad it's over, even though it left things relatively satisfied. Olyphant's character is absolutely one of my faves of the decade.

Bob's Burgers (2011-present)

Bob's Burgers, like a good burger, is comfort food. Like a more family-friendly Simpsons, it's a great show to put on in the background of your life, where you can hear all the clever jokes – but you also benefit from watching it closely so you don't miss all the sight gags. And it's a feel-good show, really just about a weirdo family that loves each other no matter what. What's not to like?

Better Call Saul (2015-present)

Breaking Bad is frequently, fittingly, lauded as one of the best shows of all time. So making a good spinoff – and a prequel at that – was no easy feat. But Vince Gilligan and Co. were up to the challenge. In many ways, Better Call Saul is completely different from Breaking Bad, but it also incorporates some of the original show's best features. Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, the great Jonathan Banks and icon Michael McKean continuously give incredible performances.

The Good Place (2016-present)

There isn't much I can say about The Good Place that hasn't already been said, but it really is a special show. Absolutely bonkers, ridiculous good fun while also being one of the most touching shows that I think any of us have ever seen? Any given episode feels like a therapy session that also involves any variety of demons, frozen yogurt and socialism. I don't think we're likely to see something else like it again any time soon – maybe ever.

Stranger Things (2016-present)

Ya gurl loves '80s nostalgia and sci-fi, so a show that's built entirely on those pillars is extremely My Thing. I love all these children like they're my own and every episode brings me so much joy.

Honorable mention: Sharp Objects.

Bonus: I tragically only started keeping track of what books I read each year in 2013. But here are some of my favorites that I've read since then that came out in or after 2010:

• Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (romantic)
• Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (surprising)
• Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (hilarious)
• Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira (devastating)
• I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (life-changing)
• Bad Kid by David Crabb (melancholic)
• You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (warm)
• Universal Harvester by John Darnielle (spooky)
• Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (intriguing)
• Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (delightful)

ICYMI, I also wrote about my favorite albums and movies of the decade.