No matter what kind of reader you consider yourself, the struggle is always real when it comes to choosing your next page-turner. Sometimes it can take hours of staring at shelves of books to choose the next. Even then, after finally choosing, the worst feeling is disappointment. (“It took me longer to choose this book than to be disappointed by it.)”
Sometimes you need more than a back-cover synopsis; you need a recommendation, from a real person. But those can get long-winded and boring, am I right? So, here I am to solve all your book-recommendation problems! I present to you, 20 books in under 600 words: recommendations no longer than a sentence (or two).
1
A Darker Shade of Magic- V.E. Schwab… A magical (literally) story based in London that’s completely different than your perception of British wizards (no Ministry of Magic in this series).
2
Small Great Things- Jodi Picoult… If I could only recommend one book to every single person for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Is that enough of a synopsis? Okay, read it.
3
A Game of Thrones- George R.R. Martin… Yes, the book is better. An intricate storyline, weaving the lives of a number of different main characters, who may or may not be alive in the next chapter.
4
Wild- Cheryl Strayed… An eye-opening account of dealing with loss, devastation and change by going on a 1,100-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.
5
Orphan Master’s Son- Adam Johnson… An interesting look into life in North Korea, with focus on the role of propaganda, identity and the state government. Pulitzer. Prize. Winner.
6
Roses- Leila Meacham… If you’re looking for an epic love story that spans decades, and over 700 pages, read this.
7
Big Little Lies- Liane Moriarty… If you never thought you could be cracking up laughing and also bawling throughout a murder-mystery novel, here’s your challenge.
8
The Underground Railroad- Colson Whitehead… There’s a reason this book won the Pulitzer Prize last year, but I’m not going to tell you what that reason is.
9
Jurassic Park- Michael Crichton… Better. Than. The. Movie. Read this if you wish you could live in a world of dinosaurs and also want to know exactly how that would be possible.
10
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams… Arthur Dent accidentally hitchhikes onto a spaceship following the destruction of planet Earth and proceeds to explore the galaxy with aliens. Did you ever think a science-fiction novel could also be comedy?
11
Between the World and Me- Ta-Nehisi Coates… Coates delves into race relations, interactions with police officers and what it means to be a person of color in the United States.
12
Outlander- Diana Gabaldon… My favorite book series, with eight thousand-page novels and counting, following a WWII-era nurse who is mysteriously transported back in time to the 1700s in Scotland. If historical fiction (and men in kilts) is your jam, read this.
13
The Alice Network- Kate Quinn… I’m a big-fan of WWII historical fiction, especially when it comes to the role women played in defeating Nazi Germany, and this is right up that alley.
14
In the Unlikely Event- Judy Blume… You grew up on “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”. Now, as an adult, you have this.
15
The Last Bookaneer- Matthew Pearl… Basically the sequence of events that would occur if there were a black market for books in the 1890s.
16
Peter Pan- J.M. Barry… If you loved it when you were little, you’ll love it even more now.
17
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?- Maria Semple… A missing mother, a determined daughter and the search that ensues, told through a series of documents.
18
The Grownup- Gillian Flynn… If you want a ghost story (written because GRRM asked for a story) that will give you nightmares in under 100 pages, read this.
19
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- Stieg Larrson… If you’re looking for a novel with the strongest female lead almost ever, I can’t think of a book that fits that description more than this.
20
The Help- Kathryn Stockett… If you loved the movie, you’ll love the book. If you didn’t love the movie, you’ll love the book.
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