Wiwien Wintarto

The world’s most famous wuxia novelist, Jin Yong (1924–2018), passed away on October 30, eight years ago. To commemorate his legacy, I’m bringing you a selection of novels with a similar spirit from different parts of the world, including one from a region you probably never would have thought of because it is so rarely mentioned in discussions of wuxia. In fact, that novel appears at the very end of this list. Let’s begin!

How much do you know about Indonesia, the largest country in Southeast Asia? Maybe you know quite a bit. Maybe you wouldn’t even be able to point it out on a world map. But whoever you are, this list is for you if you’re struggling to come up with an idea for your next vacation.

The film adaptation of Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, is set to hit theaters on October 2, 2026. Naturally, we’re curious about which of Colleen Hoover’s novels, aside from Verity, are worth reading, and in what order. This list takes us through a reading guide to Hoover’s novels, arranged from the lightest and easiest reads to the most emotionally intense and challenging.

As an author who has only recently started publishing crime thrillers, this genre has been a must-read for me since childhood. In the list below, I’ve compiled a selection of thriller novels by some of my favorite authors. Happy reading!