Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
All-time Favorite Reads
18
items A list of my all-time favorite books in no particular order, as a reader of many genres who craves stories with rich themes, clean writing, and something wholly unique to share. If you see a shared favorite, then you might also love one of my other f...
Sections
5
Classics
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Non-Fiction
Classics
A classic that is not only good, but an absolute blast to read. You'll be so engrossed in the revenge arc you won't even realize you've read 1200 pages!
The Count of Monte Cristo
Another classic that you shouldn't let intimidate you. A wonderful story about the good (and the bad) in everyone, and a reminder that we control our fate.
East of Eden
The Brothers Karamazov is a fascinating philosophical exploration of morality, self-determinism, and faith, but it is also a murder mystery. I prefer the Pevear and Volkhonsky translation.
The Brothers Karamazov: Bicentennial Edition
Literary Fiction
A fantastic example of using form to convey a theme, Trust explores how power and money influence who writes history.
Trust (Pulitzer Prize Winner) by Hernan Diaz, Paperback
A moving story about what we are losing due to climate change, both within the natural world and within ourselves. Gorgeous nature writing and a gripping mystery plot
Wild Dark Shore: Reese's Book Club Pick (A Novel)
This book made me absolutely sob. A lovely little reminder of the humanity in every single one of us and the beautiful things we can do when we remember to recognize it in others.
Anxious People: A Novel
A gorgeous book about modern marriage but that is relevant to anyone looking for or in love in this crazy world. Nathan Hill does impecable research for all of his books--you'll learn a lot while reading this without even realizing it!
Wellness: A novel
A weird but incredibly moving portrait of what it's like to lose your partner to a terminal illness, only in this book Wren's husband is turning into a shark. Told through multiple formats, this quiet story of love, grief, and redemption completely b...
Shark Heart: A Love Story
A darkly funny and deeply sad book chronicling the life of Demon, the son of an addict growing up in Appalachia. Demon's inner voice absolutely comes to life on the page.
Demon Copperhead: A Novel
Historical Fiction
A beautiful historical novel centered on the Nazi occupation of France, All the Light We Cannot See reminds us that light can be found even in the darkest of places. Prepare to cry.
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel
Human Acts is a novelized account of the Gwangju massacre in South Korea in 1980 following six different people affected by the events throughout their lives. Quiet but devastating.
Human Acts: A Novel
Spanning from the Japanese occupation of Manchuria through modern day, A Beast Slinks is a sweeping family saga about generational trauma and fate. Absolutely devastating and human, I loved every page of this.
A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing: A Novel
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Set in an alternate version of the world where Great Britain's power comes from it's stores of silver and its translation institute. A must-read for lovers of dark academia who appreciate serious themes.
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution
A delightful and dreamlike mystery. Clarke has created a setting that truly lives inside of me. This one is for those of you who love rationality and logic but with a side of whimsy.
Piranesi
Irreverant and laugh-out-loud funny, Gideon the Ninth is a locked-room murder mystery full of necromancy and the f-bomb.
Gideon the Ninth
Non-Fiction
A well-researched book from experts in the field. This is a book built on historical evidence in our own country and around the world. It opened my eyes to many aspects of US history that have contributed to our current political climate.
How Democracies Die
A mix of memoir and facts, this book unveils the injustices of the US justice system through the author's personal experience representing people on death row. Horrifying but also full of so much hope, this is a must-read.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
A harrowing yet hopeful account of one woman's experience as a sexual assault survivor. Unflinching and beautifully written, this is another must-read.
Know My Name: A Memoir