I'm a sucker for a book that makes me feel something. Feeling is human, and I love leaning into my humanity through reading. Here are a list of a bunch of the books I'd consider the best books I've ever read.
Sections
7
Life is ugly (beautiful)
Grief
Whodunnit?
Social issues
Coming of age
Irl (memoir)
Life is ugly (beautiful)
It's rare that a book captures both the beauty and heartbreak of life and losing in a way that feels like art.
Backman does it.
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Post-apocalyptic. Left me reflecting, often, about what life is like, what adds meaning, and what is and isn't worth fighting for.
Station Eleven: A Novel by Emily St. John Mandel
Found a lot of my younger self in these pages, and I loved her, the way I needed to be then. This book, while generally overcast, mood-wise, was satiating in the best of ways.
Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas
Trigger warnings galore!
I wept. I felt hopeful. I loved. I lost. It felt so real.
So painful and achingly human. Devastating and beautiful.
Top 3 all time, fighting for #1.
A Little Life: Yanagihara, Hanya - Books
Grief
A story of twins, co-depedency, mental health, and grief. Wally Lamb does an excellent job of detailing his characters through their internal dialogue. Litfic fans, grab this one!
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
This book has sucked me in in ways I'm new to. Can't put it down! I felt so many things reading this one.
The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb
When I tell you I WEPT. Kristin Hannah does it every time. 😭 Rips my heart out in the best way.
Firefly Lane: A Novel by Kristin Hannah
The sequel to "Fire Fly" lane. More litfic goodness! 😍
Fly Away: Hannah, Kristin
Whodunnit?
One of the books that got me back into reading. Masterfully done!
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The thriller so good it makes it hard to compare to others! Honestly made it hard to love another as much as I loved this one!
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Social issues
Chef's kiss, for litfic
Small Great Things: A Novel: Picoult, Jodi
Wow, wow, wow. Cyclical poverty, eye opening!
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Coming of age
A contemporary novel with nods to The Great Gatsby. Felt relatable, which is bizarre considering how contemporary it is.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The book that got me back into reading. Sucked me right in! It's a bit of a coming of age meets poverty meets whodunnit
Where the Crawdads Sing: Reese's Book Club
When I tell you I WEPT
Firefly Lane: A Novel by Kristin Hannah
Fantastic read. Took a bit to adjust to the format, but once I did?
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Got lost in the story. Listened as an audio book and was entirely captivated!
If He Had Been With Me
Irl (memoir)
A book that explains incredible odds, where a resilient girl rises "up from the ashes". I was so interested in every sentence, start to finish.
Educated: A Memoir
For everyone who grew up on 2000s junky TLC TV. This one doves into spiritual abuse and the mess behind the scenes of reality TV.
Counting the Cost: Duggar, Jill, Dillard, Derick
Classics
This was the first book that made life seem readable. Suddenly, a story wasn't just a story, there was meaning.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Lee, Harper: 9780446310789
My first experience with "quirky" writing that meant something. It's been a while since I've read it. I may need to buy it and read it again!
Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury: 9781451673319
Big Brother knows all.
Free thought? Freedom at all? Guess again. In an eerily familiar time, Big Brother takes command.
