Nine stunning nonfiction books. These books are engaging and quick to read. They won't bring back bad memories of all-night study sessions.
Explore the highest-rated new fiction books to read. Must read new fiction books for adults everyone should read.
WWhat are the top books of the decade? Check out all the 50 best books of the 2010s that perfectly defined the last decade.
You know those books you kind of want to read? The ones you think you’ll like, but you haven’t bought yet because you’re still on the fence? The books you just can’t commit to? This is a whole post about those books! These are the stories I want to read . . . but don’t want to read. Maybe you can push me off the fence? This tag was created by Jamieson @ Jamishelves. Let’s get into it. *This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Books I Want To Read . . . But Don’t Want To Read 1. A book you want to read because everybody talks about it? One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus. Young adult mystery/thriller isn’t really my genre, but people love this book. Goodreads says it’s “the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.” It’s an intriguing premise. I want to know why readers rave about this mystery. 2. A book that’s really long? I’m not sure if I want to continue the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin. I loved the first 3 books, but I stopped at A Feast for Crows because it doesn’t have any of my favorite characters. They aren’t dead. They’re just not in the book! I don’t know if I want to read 1000+ pages with no hope of seeing my favorites. The first three books are excellent, though. That’s why I’m on the fence. I want to know what happens. But do I want to read another fat bastard book that takes me over a month to finish? I don’t know. 3. A book you’ve had on your to-read list for too long? The book that’s been on my list the longest is The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman. I added it to my list on March 6, 2015. I haven’t read it yet because graphic novels are expensive, and this one sounds really depressing. Like really, REALLY depressing. It’s about what the author’s parents did to survive WWII in Poland. I want to read it because it’s supposed to be one of the best graphic novels ever. How do you pass up a “best book ever?” 4. A book that’s required reading (school text, popular classic, etc.)? All of the giant classics scare me. I’ve read a few of them, like The Odyssey and Atlas Shrugged. They were both required reading in college. I’ve disliked every giant classics I’ve read so far. (Including the two I just mentioned.) That’s probably why I’m scared of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. It’s required reading in many classes, but I somehow managed to escape it. I want to read it eventually because it’s about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812. I love history, and Russia is a fascinating place. The book is over 1000 pages, though! Why is it so big? 5. A book that intimidates you? White Teeth by Zadie Smith. College professors love Zadie Smith. If college professors love an author, it usually means their books are pretentious, tedious, and challenging. I’m not even sure what this novel is about. The synopsis confuses me (which doesn’t give me high hopes for the book). I know it’s a family saga. I feel like I’ve been hearing about White Teeth for most of my life, so I want to know why it’s popular. 6. A book you think might be slow? If I’m interested in the characters or topic, then slow books don’t bother me. I’m not a fan of super-academic nonfiction, though. I have a hard time getting past dry writing styles. I’ve heard reviewers complain that The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present by Ronald Hutton is very academic. It sounds so interesting, though. Real-life witches! I refuse to believe that witches can be boring. That’s why it’s still on my must-read list. 7. A book you need to be in the right mood for? Depressing nonfiction. I have so much of it on my list. Racism, poverty, cults, fascism, crime, the gory history of medicine. It’s all on my Pinterest board. A few recent depressing additions are Columbine by Dave Cullen, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett Graff, and Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. These books have won awards and received excellent reviews. Will I fall face-down in a pile of chocolate after I read them? Probably. I’ll need a lot of chocolate to make me not hate the world. 8. A book you’re unsure if you’ll like? A book that’s the opposite of depressing! I’m not a romance lover, but this novel gets so much love that it has made me curious. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is a rom-com about what happens when the President’s son falls in love with the Prince of Wales. It is supposed to be hilarious. Do you want to see all the books on my to-be-read list? I have a Pinterest board for that! Have you read any of these books? Should I keep them on my list?
The World’s top authors have put together a list of the 100 best books, and you don’t want to miss out on these classic novels and exciting series for readers!
If you love toasty blankets, snuggles, and a good book, this quiz is for you.
Not really. About “The End,” I mean. This is not the end. This book is not actually the last one you’ll ever read. But it’s still a good one… and worth reading. You know, before you come …
The psychological thriller, a sub-genre of thriller books that explores the psychology of its characters, who are often unstable. What makes a thriller psychological is that the most important questions of the story are about the minds and behavior. Psychological thriller books often incorporate elements of mystery and include themes of crime, morality, mental disease, drug abuse, multiple realities or a dissolving sense of reality, and unreliable narrators. Horror movies definitely give us chills and thrills but for real dose of terror you should read these psychological thriller books. They will spin your head and make you realise that real terrors come from the people around us. There is nothing more scary than being unable to trust your own mind. Here is a list of hair-raising psychological thriller books that are perfect for anyone who wants to mess with their mind.
Explore the highest-rated new fiction books to read. Must read new fiction books for adults everyone should read.
Top ad creatives share their favorite books on creativity
1. Get good at Googling Being a programmer is all about learning how to search for the ans...
Something reading builds a world up around you as you continue sentence to sentence – plunging further into the depths of the literary world. Some may call this a ‘journey’ with each book bringing you another step of the way acting as one more city or sight to see. If this were the case then the
Learning French? Want to practice in a way that's not only fun but also incredibly effective? If so, this is the article for you. In this post, you'll discover 5 fantastic French books for beginners to help you to grow your vocabulary and boost your French fluency.
We have great expectations...
The bottom line is this: Good writers read. If you want to become a better writer and you're not reading books and articles all the time, then you don't really want to become a better writer.
If graphic novels are your reasons to read books then we bring you the best of graphic novels you'll love to read and ponder upon.
In this post, New England bookworm Kate the (Almost) Great shares 19 retellings of classic fiction that you should check out.
This week, we’re talking about memorable books. Here are 10 books that I didn’t want to put down and then couldn’t stop thinking about when they were over. *This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Books I’ll Remember Forever 1. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (Ripley #1) Adult Crime / Thriller In this first novel, we are introduced to suave, handsome Tom Ripley: a young striver, newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan in the 1950s. A product of a broken home, branded a "sissy" by his dismissive Aunt Dottie, Ripley becomes enamored of the moneyed world of his new friend, Dickie Greenleaf. This fondness turns obsessive when Ripley is sent to Italy to bring back his libertine pal but grows enraged by Dickie's ambivalent feelings for Marge, a charming American dilettante. Why I Remember It: Tom Ripley is a devious dude. This novel is full of near misses. I wanted Ripley to be caught because he’s a dangerous criminal, but I didn’t want the story to end. I was gripped by how far Ripley would push his crimes. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 2. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Adult Historical Fiction For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world--until the unthinkable happens.For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world—until the unthinkable happens. Why I Remember It: The nature writing. Seriously, some of the best nature writing I’ve ever read. The North Carolina marshes are so vividly described that I can picture every detail, even though I’ve never seen them in real life. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 3. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Nonfiction / Memoir Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag." In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. Why I Remember It: I had to keep reminding myself that this story is true. The author’s childhood is intense and bizarre. I don’t know how she survived it. This is an edge-of-your-seat memoir. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 4. Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood by Trevor Noah Nonfiction Memoir / Essays One of the comedy world's brightest new voices, Trevor Noah is a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of the US hit show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his focus inward, giving readers a deeply personal, heartfelt and humorous look at the world that shaped him. Noah was born a crime, son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the first years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, take him away. A collection of eighteen personal stories, Born a Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy growing into a restless young man as he struggles to find his place in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Born a Crime is equally the story of that young man's fearless, rebellious and fervently religious mother—a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence and abuse that ultimately threatens her own life. Why I Remember It: Another memoir where I don’t know how the author survived his childhood. This book is both accessible and hilarious. You’ll learn a ton about South Africa’s history, culture, and government, but you’ll never feel like you’re learning because Trevor Noah is an entertaining storyteller. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 5. Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo Adult Literary Fiction Yejide and Akin have been married since they met and fell in love at university. Though many expected Akin to take several wives, he and Yejide have always agreed: polygamy is not for them. But four years into their marriage—after consulting fertility doctors and healers, trying strange teas and unlikely cures—Yejide is still not pregnant. She assumes she still has time—until her family arrives on her doorstep with a young woman they introduce as Akin's second wife. Furious, shocked, and livid with jealousy, Yejide knows the only way to save her marriage is to get pregnant, which, finally, she does—but at a cost far greater than she could have dared to imagine. Why I Remember It: Every time I thought I knew where the plot was going, it completely changed directions. The characters are complicated. I was so invested in their story that I downloaded the audiobook so I could listen to it at work. I’d get mildly irritated when I had to pause the book to help a customer. I didn’t want to be rudely jerked out of Yejide’s world. I could have read this novel in one sitting if work hadn’t gotten in the way. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 6. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk Middlegrade Historical Fiction Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount. Why I Remember It: That ending. Middlegrade books usually have sweet endings. This one goes for ultra-realistic. I would have loved it as a preteen. I preferred intense books that dealt with real-life topics. This one is very “real.” Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 7. The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock Young Adult Historical Fiction Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger. Why I Remember It: It’s a story about small gestures and the impact that people can have on each other’s lives. There’s a quote on the back cover from Eowyn Ivey that says “This book is Alaska.” I fully believe that. The setting is vivid, and the characters are products of their environment. This story couldn’t exist anywhere else. I love that. The setting is important! Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 8. This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee Young Adult Historical Fantasy In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits. His brother, Oliver—dead. His sweetheart, Mary—gone. His chance to break free of Geneva—lost. Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead. But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship. Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay. Why I Remember It: All of Mackenzi Lee’s books stay with me, but this one needs more hype. It’s compulsively readable with a fast-paced plot. The characters are morally gray anti-heroes. If you love Vicious by VE Schwab, you should give This Monstrous Thing a shot. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 9. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel Adult Nonfiction / Biography In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? What did he learn? As well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded. Why I Remember It: The history of hermits is surprisingly fascinating. This is another nonfiction book that you’ll have to keep reminding yourself is true. Christopher Knight is an unusual person. I’m not a people-lover, but I don’t think I could live like he did. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository 10. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Adult Mystery “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive, past the beeches, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten, her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant—the sinister Mrs. Danvers—still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca. Why I Remember It: The mystery. What happened to Rebecca? Why is Mrs. Danvers so creepily loyal to her dead mistress? Is the narrator’s new husband a murderer? My feelings about the characters were constantly shifting. I never knew what to believe or who to trust. Buy it on Amazon Buy it on Book Depository What book will you remember forever?
Unpopular opinion: I LOVE analyzing books in English class. Hear me out! English teachers definitely have a propensity to read a little too deeply into a text- arguably putting more thought into an…
The World’s top authors have put together a list of the 100 best books, and you don’t want to miss out on these classic novels and exciting series for readers!
Discover surreal & weird books where beautiful prose entwines with bizarre worlds that challenge the bounds of reality and imagination.
Everything comes at a cost. Just what are you willing to pay for it? Serena Williams Listen to the article. I had to decide, but I wasn’t sure whether…
A mix of the most thought-provoking classic and contemporary reads, including works from Joan Didion, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and more.
10 career books every young woman needs to read. These are the must-reads for women in their 20s and 30s who want to have an awesome job and life.
"I'm more of a chaser, really."
There's something special about reading a book and seeing yourself in one of the characters for the first time. For me, it was characters like Ramona and Anne Shirley...the ones who felt perfectly melodramatic about everything in their life, even if they didn't have cause to. Often our favorite books and characters are the ones most like us. Why else would Holden Caulfield be so popular with teens? And if you're reading this blog post, chances are that character was a bookworm. There's nothing
Hear that? Oh, it's just my reading list crying about the new books I'm about to add.
Your 20s compose undoubtedly the most pivotal time in your life. While there are plenty of temptations and distractions, the decisions you make here are truly what dictate your future, as the weak fail and only the strong survive. Do you have what…
Explore the highest-rated new fiction books to read. Must read new fiction books for adults everyone should read.
Can you guess which books they named?
Explore the highest-rated new fiction books to read. Must read new fiction books for adults everyone should read.
Actor Gary Oldman on his move to America, what kind of spy he'd make, and the pressures of starting a family
Fantasy epics, mysterious boarding schools, modern-day witches, and more!
So many books, so little time.
We’re talking about happy books. Admittedly, I’m not the biggest aficionado of happy books. I’m more of a chaos and destruction kind of reader, but I do occasionally read books that make me laugh. Here are 10 of my favorite happy books. I hope they make you smile.
A crafting friend sent me this link and boy did it ever hit home!! So similar to what happens to me with my blog. This blogger, however, handles the ‘how do you . . .???’ queries MUCH more gracefully
