15 Books You Can’t Put Down

15 Books You Can't Put Down

Last summer I got addicted to reading again after a long hiatus and I realized how much I love to read.

But here’s the thing. As you fellow mommies know, finding spare time in the day to to read a book can be hard to come by so I don’t have the time or patience to “get into a book.” It has to grab me from the first chapter and be so good it becomes one of those books you can’t put down.

Over the past year I have read lots of books that fall into the books you can’t put down category, so I wanted to share the titles with you.

Many thanks to those that respond to my Facebook inquiries asking for “books you can’t put down” suggestions and the readers that helped me compile this “Good Summer Reads” list from last year, of which many of these books came from. Here goes:

15 Books You Can’t Put Down

(Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate Links used in text links and images)

1. Gone Girl

Given. Most everyone and their mother has read this book, but if you haven’t, put this first on your list. Gripping who done it.

2. What Alice Forgot

One of my favorite books of all time about a woman who wakes up after a bump on her head with no memory of the past 10 years (or the three children she had during that time)! Hilarious, touching and thought-provoking. Poignant read for our stage of life.

3. The Language of Flowers

This book just touched my soul. The story of a girl who grew up in the foster care system, and newly emancipated at 18, realizes the gift she has for choosing flowers for people based on their meanings and the chance meeting with a stranger that will change her life forever.

4. The Silent Wife

This book is about a marriage in crisis; told in alternating voices of he said she said. Murder, lies and chilling surprises. Beautifully written. 

5. Me Before You

The beautiful story of a quadriplegic man grieving the life that once was, the lost soul that came to care for him and the lessons they both learn from each other.  Get a tissue box ready. 

6. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

I don’t typically read memoirs, but this one came highly recommended and was so gripping, again, I couldn’t put it down. It’s the real life story of a healthy 24-year-old New York reporter and the illness that suddenly sent her into the depths of mental madness. Story chronicles her journey to diagnosis. Fascinating information on the brain and the chemistry it takes to keep us in working order. 

7. The Fault in Our Stars

The beautiful love story of a terminal cancer patient and the handsome boy she meets in the Cancer Kid Support Group. Once again, give me a tissue please.

8. Reconstructing Amelia

An academic overachiever at a private high school accused of cheating has jumped to her death. Or did she? The story of a mother’s struggle to vindicate the memory of her daughter to discover the events that lead to her death.

9. The Snow Child

The story of a childless couple in brutal Alaska in 1920 breaking apart from the stress of the farm and the wife’s desperate loneliness.  During the first snowfall they build a child out of snow and the next morning the snow child is gone -but they glimpse a young, blonde girl running through the trees.  I wish I was in a book club to discuss this one.  The ending had me thinking for weeks to come. 

10. The Husband’s Secret

I just finished this one on vacation last week. One of the best books I have ever read. The story of a letter from a husband that was not supposed to be found, or read, and the secret that will change everything. 

11. Defending Jacob

A legal thriller of the story of an assistant district attorney in suburbia whose fourteen-year-old son has been charged with the murder of a fellow student. The devoted dad rallies to protect his boy, of course, believing his innocence. But as facts are revealed he realizes how little he knows of his son which leaves him questioning everything he once believed to be true. Chilling read. 

12. Sarah’s Key

The story of a ten-year-old Jewish girl brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’ Hiv’ roundup directed by Nazi authorities in 1942. Sixty years later, journalist Julia is asked to write an article about this black day and stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah.  Haunting.

13. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

This one was not my “typical” read but so gripping and fascinating, again, I couldn’t put it down. The author intertwines the true story of the 1893 World’s Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Incredible research and impeccable storytelling make this a can’t put it down read.


14. When She Woke

The futuristic story of a stigmatized woman living in an America where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are not longer imprisoned,  but chromed – their skin color genetically altered to match the class of their crimes and then released into the population to survive best they can. Hannah is a Red, a convicted murderer, and hers is the story of discovering her path to safety in a hostile world.


15. The Kitchen House

This story takes place on a thriving plantation in the decades before the Civil War and follows an Irish orphan, Lavinia, who arrives on the steps of the kitchen house and placed as an indentured servant under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate slave daughter. As she is accepted into the kitchen house she has to straddle the worlds between the kitchen house and the big house, but her skin color forever separates her from Belle and the other slaves. And, once again, have a tissue box ready.

If you have your own books you can’t put down to add to our list, please leave it in the comments! I have to get started on creating a new list…

328 comments

    1. I just finished Before I Go To Sleep! Couldn’t put it down! Also The girl on the train! Two great reads !

      2. Deception Point by Dan Brown, gripping, couldn’t stop.
        Glad I found these comments looking for something finished 3 already this summer

      3. I didn’t care for Girl on a Train…confusing …..great idea but just for me – did not deliver………loved Before I Go To Sleep. I’ve been trying to re-read some of the Classics….just finished To Kill A Mocking Bird…… WONDERFUL ! You have to picture Gregory Peck in the Fathers role ( unless you’re too young to know who Peck is…then picture Mark Harmon.

    2. Its 5/8/15, not too late I hope! Anyway, here’s some great books that had me reading all night long! The Answer To Your Question by Paulette Alden. Hotel On The Corner of Bitter And Sweet by Jamie Ford, The Secret Life of Bee’s are 3 that I read over when I can’t find anything else to read. They’re all novels but Hotel On The Corner of Bitter and Sweet is based on how the United States dealt with the Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor. It will surprise you if you didn’t already know about such things.

      2. I agree with you in saying it was a surprise to learn how the United States treated the Japanese Americans. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and The Secret Life of Bee’s are also my favorites. I just love both of those books !!!!!!

      3. Seems like a timely book for people to read…considering what Donald Trump and others are considering to do with Muslims!

    3. The Mirror by Maryls Millhiser. It’s an old book that is timeless. I’ve probably read it 5 times. Impossible to put down and so intriguing! Draws you in from the start. Lol, guess you can tell, I can’t say enough!!

      2. One of my favorite books EVER. I think I’ve read it six or seven times and I’m sure I’ll read it again.

    4. I have read more than half of these and loved the ones I read can’t wait to try the others. I would also recommend Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock

  5. I just read Jodi Picoult’s “The Pact” finished it in 2 days and had a week-long book hangover!

    1. Thank you!! I am in need of a new book! Next on my list. Just finished, “Yes, My Darling Daughter” – SO good….

      1. The nightingale by Kristin Hannah! I couldn’t put it down. Historical fiction type and a great read!

    3. The pact is the first Picoult book I read. I very literally could not put it down 9 years ago. I’m rereading it soon! All of hers are great, though!

    4. Have you read her latest? Title escapes me…. About a woman who takes care of elephants, goes missing, daughter’s search for her, etc. I am curious about it.

      5. I’m reading that now Leaving Time. I like it. Havent finished it yet though.

    5. I love Jodi Picoult. The Pact and Nineteen Minutes are must reads if you like her. House Rules is a great read and opens your understanding to autism.

    6. My favorite book by my favorite author. I recommend any and all of Jodi Picoult’s books. My second favorite is probably “Handle With Care”

  6. Great list. I intend to share with my book club. If you liked Devil in the White City, he also wrote In The Garden of Beasts…good read.

    2. I LOVED Devil, but barely made it through Garden. WWII books/anything are usually fascinating to me, but Garden I found to be tedious at best. If you’re looking for a good historical book/novel, I suggest Fall of Giants by ken Follett. Great read.

      3. I agree, Sara. Loved Devil but can’t get through Garden & now waiting for Edge of Eternity … loved Fall of Giants

      4. Herman Wouk also wrote a great series on WWII, War and Remembrance is the first. Loved Ken Follett, but this was even better!

      1. I read (and LOVED) The Glass Castle a few years ago so forgot to add to my current list! But yes, couldn’t agree more, I loved that book!

    2. I read The Glass Castle. Excellent!
      As an artist, teacher and mother; I found the book amazing.
      I look at homeless people in a different light.
      You just never know . . .
      What is their true story?

      1. The book was entertaining , but I didn’t find it credible in the slightest! I seriously question the authenticity of this “memoir.” I guarantee that the writer will eventually be exposed as another one of those authors who discovered that memoirs sold better than fiction. So I can’t say that it is an amazing book . I have literally no respect for authors who lie. I worked with the homeless for many years, as well as people coping with mental illness and addictions. Her stories were so fantastical that many times I found myself actually groaning while reading the book. What I find amazing is that so many intelligent readers have fallen for her lies!!

    4. I read The Glass Castle. As an artist and teacher, I have a new understanding of homeless people. Very interesting indeed. The language was strong and mothers should be advised if listening to an audiobook with children present.

  8. I agree with all of the books you have listed. The Kitchen House will always be one of my favorite books. It sounds like we have very similar taste. Here are some other books I couldn’t put down:
    The Glass Castle
    The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman must must read
    Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

    1. We totally have the same taste – loved The Glass Castle and The Light Between Oceans. Haven’t read Unbroken, adding to my list!

      1. I think The Glass Castle was clever and well- written. However, I think she made the entire thing up. I truly believe that she will be exposed as just more one more on the list of authors who realized that memoirs sell better than fiction, so hey… why not embellish a little? Did I say a little? I don’t think she could substantiate a tenth of all that crap she expects us to believe. Entertaining? Yes. Could those things really have happened? PLEASE!!!!! Not hardly.

    3. Light Between the Oceans killed me! I didn’t care for it at all. I was excited to read it, kept falling asleep, too many characters introduced towards the end.

    2. I loved Night Circus and highly recommend it in audiobook format. The narrator’s voice completely matched the setting.

  10. I didn’t think Sarah’s Key was as good as the reviews said. The Book Thief, however, is astounding. Warning: you’ll need a whole box of tissues.

      2. The Book Thief was recommended to me by one of our town librarians, and it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

    2. The Book Thief is absolutely amazing! I’m finishing The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult and it’s so gripping! I have to take a break once in awhile to process the story because it’s just unbelievable. I’ve read several books by Jodi Picoult and haven’t been disappointed yet! I’m definitely adding your recommendations to my list!

      1. Hello, I listened to the audio version of The Storyteller while painting my house. Oh my goodness, I loved it! I hardly remember painting the house, but it looks great!

      1. The Gold Finch is the best book I’ve read in 15 years. It’s a little tough for the first part but PLEASE stay with it.

  11. The Summer We Read Gatsby. That is a great book! I think you would enjoy it! Also, The Ladies Room… Very well written and worth the $1.99 on amazon.

    2. Likes Ladies Room… Goldfinch is good but hard to get into. Don’t give up. I think it won Pulitizer Prize??

  12. I have read most of these books and they are hard to put down. Very good list. I will have to look into No. 14 and 8.

  13. Have read three on your list. Very similar tastes!! Reading The Girll You Left Behind. Very good!!

  14. Great list – I loved 7 of them! I’ll add the others to my list!
    Other great, hard to put down reads are: The Glass Castle, Unbroken, The Book Theif, The Girl you Left Behind, The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. happy reading!

  16. Read anything by Wally Lamb…especially IKnow This Much Is True and The Hour I First Believed….

    1. I read I Know This Much is True many years ago, and remember loving it. I don’t think I read The Hour I First Believed. Thanks for the reminder!

      1. Yes, yes, yes to Wally Lamb. My favorite of his is “She’s Come Undone.” Absolutely brilliant. Jennifer Weiner is also fantastic. I could go on about books forever.

      1. I read this book years ago. You will definitely need a box of tissues. It was one of my top 10.

    3. I agree, I Know This Muchch is True is probably the best book I have ever read!
      Colleen

    3. I agree! I have read all of her books. I just finished “Big Little Lies” and it was brilliant! My favorite of hers, and one of my top 5 favorite reads in the last few years! I also have read most of these on the list and love them! “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” is also one of my top few reads of this year. Great list! I will pick up the ones I haven’t read yet! Thanks!

  18. Here are a few titles I have especially enjoyed:
    The Thirteenth Tale, House of Daughters, In the Castle of the Flynns and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

    2. Guernsey Literary is one of my top 5 faves of all time. I recommend it to everyone. Just gave it to someone today.

  20. Thanks for this list! I’ve read many on your list and also those suggested by others. I’d like to add anything by Kate Morton, starting with The Forgotten Garden, Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford), The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein) –there are others—-so many books, so little time!

    3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is on my list of all time favorites! The audio version is fabulous.
      I also loved Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet audio version.
      Anything by Susanna Kearsley – The Winter Sea is my fave; and anything by Lisa See

      1. I cried and cried with Art of Racing in the Rain, I’ve added my list at the bottom. Try To Dance with the White Dog. It’s along the same lines as Racing.

    1. I just read Davinci Code and Angels & Demons (yes, I know I’m way behind on Dan Brown…) He is an amazing writer!!!!! I just bought Inferno, Deception Point, Lost Symbol and Digital Fortress- glad to see Inferno made your list!

  23. If you want a haunting thought-provoking dark story that will just take over your soul while reading it and keep you thinking about reading it when you are busy, read the thirteenth tale. It took me about a month to get over that book and start reading something else. It’s amazing and bizarre and one of my absolute favorites

      1. I too loved this book (the thirteenth tale) and have since read two more books, all the light we cannot see and the light between two oceans, I still want to go back and read the Thirteenth Tale again, cannot get the characters out of head!

  24. I haven’t read any on this list yet (but had heard of a few of them) so I can’t wait to start digging in! My favorite in the last year that I stayed up so late reading was Juliet by Anne Fortier. Beautifully written and a can’t put down. I have always been a big fan of Jodi Picoult for years and years now, and The Storyteller is one of her very best.

  25. so excited that we have the same taste in books!!! Gone Girl was so amazing that everything failed in comparison for months. Can’t wait to read the husband’s secret- that’s next on my list! And Liane Moriarty came out with Big Little Lies that’s supposed to be good. One I haven’t read yet but heard about from entertainment weekly that sounds very interesting: The Death Class by Erika Hayasak

  26. I would definitely put Outlander by Diana Gabaldon on a book I couldn’t put down list. plus, the new series on starz is awesome!

    1. So glad you added this one to the list! Just finished it a few weeks ago and I’m still missing the characters!

      1. Diana Gabaldon has 7 other books in this series. Each one is better than the next!

  28. As a voracious reader, I could recommend some that are even better than you have listed here! Ordinary Grace, The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat Diner, Shanghai Girls, Odette’s Secret, Saving CeeCee Hunicutt, to name a few!! All very different, and excellent reads. I have lots listed on Pinterest! PacaLipstick Gramma

    2. The Supremes at earl’s all you can eat and Ordinary Grace are 2 favourites of mine also!

  29. I suggest Elin Hilderbrand books. Looks like we have the same taste in books and I really like those. Start with Barefoot or Castaways.

  30. I have to add one to the this list. I started reading it a few years ago on the subway on my way to work and I almost called in sick so I can continue reading. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. This many years later, I still sigh when I think of it. 🙂

  31. Any stand alone by Laura Lipman (her detective series is terrible)
    The Chaperone
    Anything Jennifer Haigh (Faith was a fave) or Joshilyn Jackson (A Grown up Kind of Pretty a fave)
    Still Alice (Left Neglected is good, too)
    Every Last One
    Everyone She Ever Loved
    Sycamore Row
    The Wife’s Tale
    Water for Elephants

    We have very similar tastes. Perhaps some of these you would enjoy.

  33. Winter Garden by Kristin Hanna
    The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
    Sam’s Letters to Jennifer and Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas both by James Patterson

    1. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. Excellent book that will have you on the edge of your seat. Actually all of her books are very good.

  34. Anything by Tami Hoag has kept me turning pages as fast as I can! Recently I read “Down the Darkest Road” and it was great. Also recommend Alibi Man by Hoag as well. Can’t wait to read some of these on your list!

  35. My sister’s Keeper; Gone Girl; Life as we knew it (series- 4 books); We were Liars; Orphan Train; House Rules

  39. Pingback: Reader Recommended Books You Can't Put Down

  40. I love this list! I would also recommend We Were Liars by E.Lockhart. This book brought me to tears I couldn’t stop sobbing, the ending is really that good! I strongly suggest you read it!

  41. The book titled: Mamma Mia, Americans “Invade” Italy! By: Stephanie Chance – is a must read! It’s a Best Seller on Amazon.com – 4 times. It’s the true stories of what the Americans get themselves into while in Itlay and beyond. You will laugh out loud so many times!

  42. Thanks for the list. Have asked for a few for Xmas. Best book ever for me was Still Alice. Read it in 2 days which is fast for me.

  43. The Bird Box…a frightening tale about what scares us the most.
    The Storied Life of AJ Fikry…my favorite book of 2014 and quite possibly in my top 10 ever. Keep tissues handy.

    1. The Storied Life of AJ Fikry is on our Book Club list for Jan 2015. Now I can’t wait to read it! Thanks for the recommendation!

    2. I absolutely loved The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Am trying to convince my book club to give it a go!

  44. We have freaky similar book tastes. Makes me happy!

    Where’d You Go Bernadette is a great, great book.
    Thirteenth Tale, that book just sat with me.
    Any book by Tana French.
    Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipsted.
    Gillian Flynn has 2 other books which are both great.
    The Ocean at the End of the Lane. One of the oddest books I’ve ever read. And I still don’t know why I liked it, but, man, I LOVED it.
    The Winter Witch and The Witches Daughter. Both by Paula Brackston.

    I could go on and on. I love books. 🙂

  45. An interesting list. Loved Gone Girl, Thirteenth Tale, and Unbroken. I had to put down Thousand Splendid Suns because it was so painful to read. Kristin Hannah Firefly Lane and Winter Garden are tops on my list of her books but I generally enjoy all of hers.

  46. The Ice Cream Girls, The Book of Someday, The Husband, Night Road. These are a few that we have done in book club and I’ve read on my own.

  47. The Orphan Train was fantastic! Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese – amazing! Molokai by Alan Brennert. LOVE books, so glad I found this. Thanks for all the book recommendations. I know all of those recommended I will love since I’ve read half of your list already.

  49. I have read 3/4 of your list so I am looking forward to reading some more on it..some I have liked: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk, both were very good.

  50. I could not put down three weeks with my brother by Nicholas sparks. I still think about this book after reading it months ago. Will read it again and again. Along with I have given it to a few people as presents and they all talk about how good of a book it was.

    1. Undoubtedly the best book I have ever read. I will never understand why this book did not get more recognition for him. It’s unbelievable

  51. The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day. Each chapter focuses on a different member of a quirky circus town. Great read!

  52. osome list n the short glimses of the same…..
    just made a list of them ……..will be reading them soon……..
    at present on the silent wife…..
    thanks Jen

  54. I love Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand, I am also a huge Wally Lamb fan,,,he writes is enthralling. I would start with She Comes undone. BEST book I have read in a year has been “The Book of Negroes”. I was so incredibly moved by the book that I actually wrote and letter to the author.
    Also, There is Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder,

  56. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Each book is better than the last (and she’s working in the 9th one now!)

  57. I looooved the list, I’m a big reader too. unfortunately living where I do, I can’t get many of them. 🙁

  58. Great list! Some I’ve read, some I will be reading. Among my recent favorites, The Story of Beautiful Girl, by Rachel Simon. I didn’t just cry, I sobbed! One of those books that you tell total strangers about for weeks. Hope someone turns it into a movie.

  60. The goldfinch by Donna Tartt was awesome and I have loved so many of the books mentioned above.

  62. I LOVED The Kitchen House!! An oldie that I could not put down was The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. Another good read was The Art of Racing in the Rain – a story told from a dogs point of view – the relationship with his owner and his family – the dog is witty.

  63. I love your list. I’ve read almost half and they didn’t disappoint. Here are some titles that I’ve enjoyed :
    The Broken man by Josephine Cox
    Midnight – same author
    The diary
    Three little words
    The memory keepers daughter

  64. Anything by Liane Moriarty is great…my favorite of hers though is her newest..Big Little Lies.

  65. Thanks south for the list. Yes I too have gotten away from reading but that will all change in 2015, and now that I have some books to look forward to reading. Anyway one of my faves, although it is many years old, is Memoirs of a Geisha. Could not put it down!

  66. A book I couldn’t put down is miss peregrine home for peculiar children. There is a sequel called hallow city and a third in the making to come out next year.

  68. I totally agree on The Fault In Our Stars. I’ve read it last year and I’m still amazed by the story. It’s beautiful. By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho is also one of my can’t put down books. Thank you for sharing this list, I found most of them interesting. Number 8, 10 and 11 are intriguing for me. I have so much to add on my book list. I’ve read in a post months ago that Reconstructing Amelia will be turned into a movie starring Nicole Kidman as the mother.

  70. I loved Me Before You – not a typical crier and I totally teared up at this one. Fault in Our Stars and Gone Girl are another two good reads but love this list – have added a few more reads to my 2015 list!

  71. I, too am a voracious reader and have read a majority of what you all have posted. One that I read a few years ago and HIGHLY recommend is The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.

  72. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, My Notorious Life by Kate Manning, The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott, Pavilion of Women by Pearl Buck, The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure, The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Tronow, The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty– loved them all!

  73. Just read Guardian by A.L. Crouch. Read it in two days! Amazing read, a who-done-it thriller with a cool spiritual twist. Another one for the tissues.

  74. Has anyone read the (mystery/thriller/detective) Steven James series? “The Pawn”, etc . . . The Patrick Bowers series.
    Excellent! ❤

  75. I found this list from Pinterest and we have very similar taste in books! I have read (and loved) most on this list, especially Gone Girl, Reconstruction Amelia, and the Lianne Moriarty books. I would also add the Night Circus which a few others mentioned, Where’d You Go Bernadette (also mentioned), and Tell the Wolves I am Home. Didn’t really like the Light Between Oceans. I need some more suggestions!

    1. The Girl on the Train is really good. I couldn’t put it down. Also Big Little Lies is great.

  76. How opal mehta got kissed got wild n got a life was one book that changed me from a sporadic reader to an ardent one…. Although withdrawn due to plagiarism issues…. This book really motivates me whenever I’m low n perhaps it’s the best chik lit book I’ve come across… Much better than jessica darling

  77. Pingback: My 2014 Recap - http://www.tinyoranges.com | oc mom blog | inspiring moms with juicy ideas for sweeter family living -

  79. Thanks for this list, I can’t wait to discover them! (I found Gone Girl self-involved, terrible, selfish and silly in the end, I was dissatisfied.) A truly haunting read is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, and his follow up And the Mountains Echoed left me searching for similar books for months on end. I will remember them my whole life. We Were Liars is a good quick beach read. Jodi Picoult’s The Pact was a tear jerker. The Lovely Bones, The Curious Tale of the Dog in the Night and The Goddess of Fried Okra are also memorable. Marian Keyes’ books masquerade as chick lit but are really insightful and humorous at the same time. The Thirteenth Tale and The Girl who the Dragon Tattoo were similar in some ways, both good reads.

    1. I love your list of books! I’ve read a few and I agree how amazing they were! The pact, and lovely bones are two of my all time favorites!

    2. I agree with everything Aadila said about Gone Girl, the ending was a cop out. A Thousand Splendid Suns was an amazing read, I loved it.

    3. I’d you liked Girl with Dragon Tattoo. Read the other two you will understand a reverting plot. Also read about the life of the author his death , girlfriend etc.

  80. Oh and I’ve forgotten The Time Traveler’s Wife, my favorite book of all time, I regularly reread it and I always sob! I agree that The Power of One mentioned above is life changing. Bryce Courtenay’s other books are also definitely worth a read, even his worst one, The Potato Factory. White Teeth, I can’t recall the female British author’s name right now, is another great book.

  81. I loved Sarah’s Key!! Read it in days and couldn’t put it down! Love that it is on this list! I even got my husband to read it too and he thoroughly enjoyed it too!!

  82. I AM PILGRIM BY TERRY HAYES (described as a thriller) definitely a mystery and a spy and a terrorist plot.

  83. “The Fault in Our Stars”, I loved this story with these 2 young people and I am over 80…

  84. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and THE BOOK OF NEGROES are both must reads. They touch your heart and soul.
    I hope I can get to read all the wonderful recommendations here that I haven’t read yet, getting excited.

  85. It seems like I have the exact same taste in books as all of you. A lesser-known book that I really enjoyed was Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend.

  86. I also loved The Kitchen House and The Husband’s Secret. Agree with others that Big Little Lies is even better than The Husband’s Secret. Also agree with others that The Goldfinch and Water for Elephants Are MUST reads! Others that I could not put down…The Good Dream (VanLiere), The Promise (Weisgarber), and In the Shadow of the Banyon (Ratner).

  87. Three AWESOME reads…The Good Girl…like Gone Girl and just as good! And …Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult and the true story of Cheryl Strayed…Wild. These were so good I didn’t want them to end!

  88. The Girl You Left Behind and The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes and Safe With Me by Amy Hatvany are great reads!

  89. Wowowowow I’m so glad I found this list! Especially for the comments!
    Personally, I sincerely disliked Gone Girl but LOVED Sharp Objects and Dark Places.
    A lot of my most favorite books were already mentioned. Anything by Khalid Houssini, Kristen Hannah (especially Winter Garden), Jodi Piccoult, Water for Elephants, The Kitchen House, etc. I just finished Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City. I loved them but I’m sure not everyone would. I’m going to start The Night Circus next thanks to the suggestions. Check out a book called Riding with the Queen. It’s one of my favorites that’s pretty much unheard of.

  90. The storyteller by Jodi Picoult was great (I feel all of hers are)…cried my eyes out! As a mother of a 2 year old little girl, I can’t imagine what this family went through

  91. The Speed of Dark, by Elizabeth Moon is a book that I read years ago, but it has stayed with me more than most. Although it takes place in the not too distant future, it’s not science fiction. If autism interests you, either personally or just intellectually, this is a fabulous, thought provoking book that should leave you with a lot to ponder.

  97. In the middle of Elizabeth Street right now…can’t stop reading! Beautiful true story of an Italian family’s immigration. Well written!

  99. Love your list!!! Have you read Kate Morton, The Distant Hours? My family was completely neglected while I read this 🙂 it would definitely make your next list.

  100. I Loved everything on this list. I ended with Me Before You last night and I loved it so much. I sobbed uncontrollably at the end. The Storyteller definitely belongs on here.

  102. I just finished The Goldfinch this morning. That one will stay with me for awhile. I wish I was in a Book Club right now to discuss. Such a beautiful story!!

  103. So many good ideas. One of my very favorites is Crashing Through. True story. I read it on my kindle and liked it so much I bought a hard copy to lend out.

  104. Loving Frank and The 19th Wife. Also, The Rules of Civility and The Paris Wife. All Great Reads.

  107. I agree The Shack is a “must read”, it is so different, touching, and thought provoking while being a story of a Father who has lost a child and how he eventually had experiences and conversations that helped him get beyond his grief. I shared this book with everyone I knew. Beautifully written.

  108. These are all such great suggestions! Thank you. Another great read that I couldn’t put down was Overseas by Beatriz Williams. It is a love story that involves time travel and it is very well done!
    I read Gap Creek years ago and loved it!
    I loved The Light Between the Oceans – such a tear-jerker, but also really makes you think about how you would react in the same situation.

  110. I’ve read nine of these already (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 & 15 – in case you were wondering, lol). The Snow Child has been on my to read list and I just added the rest as well. 🙂 I’d also like to recommend Orphan Train, The Martian, Station Eleven, The Miniaturist and The Rosie Project. Happy reading!

  111. The Art of Racing in the Rain (true)
    Last Train to Istanbul
    First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (true)
    Beautiful on the Mountain (true)
    To Dance with the White Dog (true)
    In the Presence of My Enemies (true)
    The Silence of Trees (true from compilations)

  112. I just want to thank you for this list. One of my New Years goals was to read this year. I have NEVER been a reader. Someone sent me your post and I saved it. I am going through every book you recommended. I have read Gone Girl and The Husband’s Secret (both excellent books). Now, I am about to start reading What Alice Forgot. Thank you so much!!!

  113. I just finished Big Little Lies, I got the suggestion from this list. Thank you so much. Great story. Looking for a new book ASAP

  115. Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Story of a woman who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease, such a great read, I cried towards the end!

  116. In the time of butterflies by Julia Alvarez is a wonderful book as well… I read that after I read Sarah’s key and I cried for a good 3 days … That story still haunts me 8 months later

  117. What a great list. Read almost all of these. I book I enjoyed recently was Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult. It was an amazing story about a little girl who develops a stigmata and all the controversy that goes along with it.

  118. MUST READ!!!!!! “These Is My Words” by Nancy Turner…. No description will do it justice, just trust me and read it.

  119. Great list! I’m a little late to the party, but I just found this on Pinterest. One of my favs: Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler.

  120. Thanks for all the recommendations.

    The 2 I read recently that I could not put down were:
    A Vow to Cherish by Deborah Raney (I cried. It’s about Alzheimer’s)
    Wreckage by Emily Bleeker (plane crash)

  122. Thank you for this post! I love it and all the comments! I particularly loved The Rosie Project, Big Little Lies, The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, and Landline. Most people have already heard about it but The Help is also fabulous.

  123. You chose two of my all time favorites- Snow Child and Devil in the White City . Haven’t been loving recent books I have read and looking for a good one . Happy reading 🙂

  124. Oh P.S. The Master Butchers Singing Club, strange, beautifully written , shocker of an odd ending

  125. A Light Between Two Oceans, you’ll need a tissue for this one, and you won’t be able to decide which side should win.

  126. wow! We love the same books. I had read and loved the first 10 on your list. My favorite reads this year are One Plus One, by JoJo Moyes, and The Girl Who Stole My Life by Marion Keyes, both great reads.

  127. Pingback: The Reading Hour | amberjgriffith

  128. Wow this list is long! That’s good though…. more books to add to our lists! The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is still my favorite and I could not put it down for a minute!

    1. That’s funny because U ciuldn’t finish it. I tried twice and finally gave up! Goes to show we all have different tastes.

  131. I just finished The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins. It’s such a thriller, it really keeps you guessing through out. I highly recommend it 🙂

  132. Michael crummy, Sweetland. Set on an island in Newfoundland. If you liked The Shipping News, you will love this. Also, The Signature of all things, Melissa Gilbert.

    1. I loved this book! Very suspenseful. It kept me in the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t put it down.

  138. I have recently started reading again and can’t go a day without something good in my hands or on my kindle so this is fabulous. In the past couple of weeks I’ve read Girl on the Train, Wild, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (biography), The Good Girl, and A Spool of Blue Thread. Other books that I’d recommend that may be me mentioned but I didn’t see covered several times here are Orphan Train and Reconstructing Amelia. I’m starting The Husbands Secret in about 2 minutes. Thanks!

  139. ‘The Girl on the train’ was awesome. I’ve got a nasty habit of guessing what’s going to happen in books, this book surprised me several times. Great reading.. Also my all time favourite book of all time ‘Pillar’s of the earth’ by Ken Follett an oldie but a goodie. Anything by Jodie Piccoult, Miriam Keyes, (Especially Watermelon) and Celia Ahern.

  140. “Python” by Carina Nolan It’s the next “Jaws”
    Hell Slithers Lust Simmers in this Summer’s New Thriller
    Python is a chill waiting for a spine to run up
    It’s part fact part fiction with beautiful episodes of Adult love scenes intertwined

  141. thanks for the list! read all but 2 and of those loved all but 2. here are some that you might enjoy…. the secret history by donna tartt, the dovekeepers by alice hoffman, shine shine shine by lydia netzer, and everything i never told you by celeste ng.

  142. Afterwards by Rosamund Upton was one of the better books I’ve read in a while.

  143. I have now added a whole bunch more books to my want to read list! Thanks for the list. Wrapped in Rain, The Mountain Between Us, When Crickets Cry all by Charles Martin. In fact pretty much anything by Charles Martin! The Cuckoo’s Child by Margaret Thompson. Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry. The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harmon. The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas. I better stop before I take over your comments. 🙂

  144. Just finished The Nightingale and it was amazing. The end will knock your socks off.

  145. I just read a good book and I was waiting for the authors of that book to release another story. While waiting, I decided to look for something to read on pinterest.com. That’s when I saw your list, I read over your descriptions and decided to read, ‘The Husband’s Secret’. Man was that a page turner!

    I can’t thank you enough for this list of recommendations. It really opened up another genre of books that I am slowly falling in love with. I can’t wait to start reading another book on this list!

  146. Pingback: Great Reads

  147. I love books! Here are some of my very favourites: Henry’s Sisters by Cathy Lamb, grab a whole box of tissues!, The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas, excellent!, The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen, so, so good!!, Long Time Gone by Karen White, so, so good!, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows, so good. Any book by Anne George, Anne Perry, or any of the above. enjoy!

  149. The Book of You, Claire Kendal ….. Utterly gripping and chilling at the same time.

  150. I really enjoyed The Book Thief, it’s quite possibly the most well written book I’ve ever read. The story of a young girl living in Nazi Germany who loves to read.

  152. Any Mitch Album book: Tuesdays with Morrie, Five People You Meet in Heaven, and most Nicholas Sparks books. Be advised though, all of these are tearjerkers!

  153. Great list, I’ve read most of them.. Other great books are – JODI PICOLT- “Change of Heart” “House Rules” “The Pact” and “Nineteen Minutes” ALICE HOFFMAN- “The Dovekeepers” WALLY LAMB-“She’s Come Undone” Hard to believe it was written by a man, he is an amazing author, I also like his book “The Hour I First Believed” .. Other books are “The Slow Moon”. Reconstructing Amelia”. “Descent”. “The Girl on the Train”. “Cage of Stars” and I could go on.

  154. I have read The Book Thief, One really good book is the light between oceans. Girl on a train. Plan to read some of the ones on your list but some are not in my taste range but may try them

  155. One Thousand White Women by Jay Fergus and Little Bee by Cheis Cleaves-both great reads

  156. If you haven’t already read The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton you’ve GOT to. The Book Thief (mentioned above) is one of my favorites too.

  158. I’ve read (and LOVED!) 9 of the 15 books. I would love another one of your “books you can’t put down lists”! Are you on goodreads.com? It’s a book lovers heaven!

  159. Love this!!! Just finished “The Art of Racing in the Rain” Loved it!!!

  162. I don’t think The Yellow House, Forty Acres, & The Plum Tree have been mentioned. I like many of the books everyone has listed so far so these may be a few you all will also enjoy. Some of my faves over the past year.

    1. I liked The Plum Tree. I almost mentioned it on.my list. I have the othervtwo, but haven’t read them. I’m glad you mentioned them.

  163. The Chaperone. Laura Moriarty
    What She Left Behind. Ellen Wiseman
    The Nightingale. Kristin Hannah
    The Girl on the Train. Paula Hawkins
    Unbroken. Laura Hillenbrand
    The Boys in the Boat. Daniel Brown
    All the Light We Cannot See. Anthony Doerr
    The Sisterhood. Helen Bryan
    The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot
    The Silent Wife. A S A Harrison
    The Storyteller. Judith Picult
    The Aviators Wife. Melanie Benjamin
    The Light Between Oceans. M. L. Stedman
    . Slammed. Colleen Hoover
    The Witness. Nora Roberts
    Point of Retreat. Colleen Hoover

  164. I read some of the books in your list. Others I have saved for future purchase to read. I must say I got The Silent Wife about a year or so ago on a Kindle Daily deal. What an excellent book this is. Completely unexpected ending. Absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone.

  166. I’ve Read several of these books and they are amazing. Another great book that had me kicking the couch because of the twist was “Still Missing” by Chevy Stevens. Also, “Belle Cora” is an amazing historical fiction book!!

  168. Asking for it by Louise O Neill a most read.
    Orphan number 8 by Kim Van Alkemade couldn’t put it down.
    Elizabeth is missing by Emma Healey.
    Last days of rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin.

  169. The Perfume Collector, The Mill River Recluse, A Reliable Wife. Too many books are sad and these were great all around.

  170. Denise Grover Swank’s Rose Gardner mystery novels are excellent. You definitely can’t put them down!
    The first one is Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes.
    I hope you love it as much as I do! ☺️

  172. I loved Reconstructing Amelia, thought it was a fantastic book!
    Not too keen on The Husband’s Secret though, thought that was a little predictable!

  175. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd a fascinating, true story of two young sisters from a wealthy family in Charleston. It takes place before the Civil War. They were raised with a family who had slaves and became champions for the slaves, it is a heartwarming, yet heart wrenching story that opened my eyes to the treatment of slaves.

  177. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
    You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning
    Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
    Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
    A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
    Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
    The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

  180. May I suggest: Our Souls at Night (loved this), The Secret Life of A J Fikery, All the Light We Cannot See, Everything I Never Told You, Girl at War, The Girl Who Slept with God. Happy Reading!

  183. ‘My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry’, by Fredrik Backman. Completely unexpected. Loved it.

  184. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman. Based on a true story. I bought it in a bookstore in Prague and read it in one fell swoop on the flight back to the USA. A great read!

  185. So many amazing books noted here! Loved The Kitchen House. I’m halfway through the outlander series and am in love with the main characters – very entertaining, but someone on Goodreads said it was “trash novels for lit nerds” and that’s a spot on description… Lots of descriptive rolls in the hay. My suggestions: The Nightingale – one of the best books I’ve ever read (the first 1/3 feels iffy but STICK WITH IT!!); The Art of Racing in the Rain; Snow Flower and the Secret Fan; The Kitchen Gods Wife; the Night Circus; anything by Kate Morton; State of Wonder; Big Little Lies; A Dogs Purpose; and The Joy Luck Club (if you haven’t already). I’m sure you already know this, but are you on Goodreads? If so, you can take a look at my lists and see my reviews for all my “read” books! I’m Patricia C on there, and my photo is of purple orchids so you know which “Patricia C” I am!

  189. Fantastic list! You have some of my all-time favorites on here and a few that I’ve just added to my to-read list!

  190. I love all of Chevy Stevens. She’s from Vancouver Island, written 4 books. Can’t wait to read them so even buy hard cover. First was Still Missing which got me hooked. Last was Those Girls had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to those girls. I’m a murder mystery lover. Also love Chelsea Cain from Portland. Nicci French from England a husband and wife team. I like books that are fast paced and don’t spend a lot of time on description. I want them to cut to the chase. These authors do that. Enjoy!!!

  191. All Chevy Stevens books are fantastic!! Highly recommend them all! Have read most of your selections and I look forward to your next list of favorites. HAPPY READING!

  192. I would definitely add “I am pilgrim” by Terry Hayes. Un-put-down-able. A thriller of the highest order

  193. Gonna have to look into some of these. Maybe add The Book of Speculation – couldn’t put it down 😉

  195. Case Histories: A Novel by Kate Atkinson was incredibly good, also The Twisted Thread.

  197. Happy to find this list. I also loved What Alice Forgot and The Snow Child – didn’t want it to end. Some other Wonderful books “One Child by Torey Hayden” u won’t be able to put this down! Father of the Rain by Lily King, One Small Boat by Kathy Harrison and Glitter & Glue by Kelly Corrigan and Expecting Adam by Martha Beck was magic.

  198. Just finished Behind Closed Doors. I finished it in two days and when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it. It is a must read, that cannot be put down.

  200. Just finished The Bronze Horseman trilogy by Paulina Simons. I’m in mourning! Where to go from here? I’ll start looking at the suggestions here. Glad to have found this.

Comments are closed.