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Genres
11genres
312books sorted
Have a favorite genre you like to read? Every book I've reviewed in it is consolidated here, grouped by the rating I gave it — so you can start with the five-star shelf and work down, rather than scrolling a whole year to find the thrillers.
Literature & Fiction
122 reviewed · 4.0 avg rating★★★★★Five stars
43 books
Book
Rating
Genre
Lady Tremaine
Rachel Hochhauser#1 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#1 of 2026Audiobook
A brilliant retelling of Cinderella from the "wicked" stepmother's perspective, this witty, inventive historical drama completely reimagines a classic villain.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Historical Fiction
The Correspondent
Virginia EvansBEST OF2025#1 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★BEST OF2025#1 of 2025Audiobook
An innovative character study in which an aging woman's life story is revealed through the letters she writes and receives from a myriad of people.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Thistlefoot
Gennarose NethercottBEST OF2022#1 of 2022
★★★★★BEST OF2022#1 of 2022
The reunion of 2 siblings around a mysterious house is the backdrop for this lyrical beauty of a novel, my favorite of 2022.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
We Begin at the End
Chris WhitakerBEST OF2021#1 of 2021
★★★★★BEST OF2021#1 of 2021
A thought-provoking and heartbreaking coming of age story, mixed with a small town mystery. My clear favorite of 2021 by a wide margin
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Anthony DoerrBEST OF2021#2 of 2021
★★★★★BEST OF2021#2 of 2021
An ambitious, sprawling novel that intertwines 3 storylines across different places and times, but magically comes together in the end
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Demon Copperhead
Barbara KingsolverBEST OF2022#2 of 2022
★★★★★BEST OF2022#2 of 2022
An ode to Charles Dickens in the form of a modern retelling of David Copperfield, set in Appalachian Virginia over the last 30+ years.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
James
Percival EverettBEST OF2024#2 of 2024
★★★★★BEST OF2024#2 of 2024
More than a retelling of "Huck Finn" from the point of view of Jim, this is a brilliant treatise on race and slavery in 1860s America.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Covenant of Water
Abraham VergheseBEST OF2023#2 of 2023
★★★★★BEST OF2023#2 of 2023
It's long, but it's also a brilliant tour de force, presenting a multi-generational character study spanning nearly 80 years in India.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Yesteryear
Caro Claire Burke#2 of 2026
★★★★★#2 of 2026
A "tradwife" and Instagram influencer has cultivated a seemingly idyllic life for herself and family, but it's all upended when she wakes up one day in 1855.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Mystery and Thriller
All the Colors of the Dark
Chris WhitakerBEST OF2024#3 of 2024
★★★★★BEST OF2024#3 of 2024
Whitaker delivers another masterpiece of character development while tackling several tough topics -- a challenging but uplifting read
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
Broken Country
Clare Leslie HallBEST OF2025#3 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★BEST OF2025#3 of 2025Audiobook
A small town, a love triangle, a murder, and a trial form the foundation of this twisty, emotional novel set in mid-1900s England.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Mystery and Thriller Romance
Five
Ilona Bannister#3 of 2026
★★★★★#3 of 2026
Jaw-dropping dialogue and moral judgement set the tone for this dark exploration of five neurodiverse characters, one of which we're told will die by the end of the book.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
All My Rage
Sabaa TahirBEST OF2022#4 of 2022
★★★★★BEST OF2022#4 of 2022
An exploration of the immigrant experience through the story of 2 high school students of Pakistani descent, growing up in rural CA.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Atmosphere
Taylor Jenkins ReidBEST OF2025#4 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★BEST OF2025#4 of 2025Audiobook
Filled with tragedy, perseverance, and love, the novel focuses on the fictional first women in the NASA space program in the early 1980s.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Historical Fiction
Nothing To See Here
Kevin WilsonBEST OF2020#4 of 2020
★★★★★BEST OF2020#4 of 2020
An old friend desperatly needs Lillian's help caring for her kids. There's one catch, though: when the kids get upset, they catch fire
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Small Mercies
Dennis LehaneBEST OF2023#4 of 2023
★★★★★BEST OF2023#4 of 2023
A masterful book, Lehane's best since Mystic River, set against the racial tensions of Boston school busing during the summer of '74.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
The Mayor of Maxwell Street
Avery CunninghamBEST OF2024#4 of 2024
★★★★★BEST OF2024#4 of 2024
Skillful dialogue and prose adorn this debut that combines a love story with the search for a mysterious gangster in 1920s Chicago.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Mystery and Thriller
Still Life
Sarah WinmanBEST OF2023#5 of 2023
★★★★★BEST OF2023#5 of 2023
A beautifully written character study of a cast of memorable souls that spans 30 years from the end of World War II until the mid-70s.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Bright Years
Sarah Damoff#5 of 2026
★★★★★#5 of 2026
A moving generational novel that authentically captures a litany of life moments, from the highs of true love to the challenges of addiction.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Throwback
Maurene GooBEST OF2025#5 of 2025
★★★★★BEST OF2025#5 of 2025
Goo's sweet time travel tale sees a 17-year-old from 2025 transported back to 1995 to try to help her own mother win homecoming queen.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Great Circle
Maggie ShipsteadBEST OF2021#6 of 2021
★★★★★BEST OF2021#6 of 2021
Meet protagonist Marian Graves, a woman in determined to fly planes in the early 1900s at a time when women, quite simply, didn't.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
King of Ashes
S.A. CosbyBEST OF2025#6 of 2025
★★★★★BEST OF2025#6 of 2025
Edgy, violent, and dark, Cosby's latest sees a successful money manager sucked into working for a sadistic gang in order to save his brother.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
Nightcrawling
Leila MottleyBEST OF2022#7 of 2022
★★★★★BEST OF2022#7 of 2022
The story of Kiara, a young woman 3 months shy of her 18th birthday, living in East Oakland and trying to scrape by on her own.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The House in the Cerulean Sea
TJ KluneBEST OF2020#7 of 2020
★★★★★BEST OF2020#7 of 2020
A lovely and cheeky queer story, this traces the evolution of a man as he comes to grips with his professional and sexual identity.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Starling House
Alix E. HarrowBEST OF2023#8 of 2023
★★★★★BEST OF2023#8 of 2023
Harrow returns to top form with a genre-blending story of a young woman trying to scrape by in a town haunted by its past and secrets.
★★★★★
Fantasy Literature & Fiction Mystery and Thriller
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Gabrielle ZevinBEST OF2022#8 of 2022
★★★★★BEST OF2022#8 of 2022
Spanning 30 years of the main characters' lives, it's the story of 3 friends inspired to create something great in the world of gaming
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Wild Dark Shore
Charlotte McConaghyBEST OF2025#8 of 2025
★★★★★BEST OF2025#8 of 2025
When a woman washes ashore on a remote island, the lone family living there nurses her back to health. But both parties have secrets...
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
American Dirt
Jeanine CumminsBEST OF2020#9 of 2020
★★★★★BEST OF2020#9 of 2020
The journey of a mother and her son as they flee Acapulco for the United States after becoming targets of the local cartel.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Ordinary Grace
William Kent Krueger#11 of 2023
★★★★★#11 of 2023
A 1961 coming-of-age story about a boy in rural Minnesota, who is forced to deal with tragedy as he navigates his path to manhood.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
The Names
Florence KnappBEST OF2025#11 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★BEST OF2025#11 of 2025Audiobook
A mother debates what to name her son, and her three choices create three parallel timelines in this mature and solidly composed debut.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Wedding People
Alison EspachBEST OF2024#11 of 2024
★★★★★BEST OF2024#11 of 2024
A woman travels to a luxury hotel with plans to kill herself but instead gets wrapped up in the wedding festivities happening on site.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Heart the Lover
Lily KingBEST OF2025#12 of 2025
★★★★★BEST OF2025#12 of 2025
A short read that explores the all-encompassing experience of young love and how it is put in perspective upon reflection later in life.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Calamity Club
Kathryn Stockett#12 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#12 of 2026Audiobook
In her first book since The Help, Kathryn Stockett transports us to 1933 Mississippi where a female-driven cast exposes the misogynistic society of the time.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Historical Fiction
King Sorrow
Joe Hill#13 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#13 of 2026Audiobook
An epic story about friendship and betrayal, this behemoth of a novel follows six college friends who make a Faustian deal with a dragon.
★★★★★
Horror Fantasy Literature & Fiction
The Three Lives of Cate Kay
Kate Fagan#16 of 2025
★★★★★#16 of 2025
An author who has fiercely protected her anonymity—despite writing the biggest book series on the planet—finally tells all in a memoir.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Death of Us
Abigail Dean#17 of 2025
★★★★★#17 of 2025
Nearly twenty-five years after a home invader destroyed their lives, a couple reunites to provide victim personal statements at his trial.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Sunrise on the Reaping
Suzanne Collins#18 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★#18 of 2025Audiobook
Collins returns to give us the origin story of Haymitch Abernathy in a way that might make this the best Hunger Games novel to-date.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry#24 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★#24 of 2025Audiobook
Two writers compete for the opportunity to author the memoir of a reclusive heiress while coming to realize they might just be soulmates.
★★★★★
Romance Literature & Fiction
The Wishing Game
Meg Shaffer#27 of 2025
★★★★★#27 of 2025
A teacher's aide who dreams of adopting a young boy from her school competes in a contest for the sole copy of a reclusive author's new book.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Girls Who Grew Big
Leila Mottley#28 of 2025
★★★★★#28 of 2025
Another gritty offering from Mottley, who this time explores teen pregnancy and a small group of teen moms who help each other through it.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
You Are Here
David Nicholls#29 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★#29 of 2025Audiobook
A sweet and heartfelt story about finding love when you least expect it, told with a distinctly British cheekiness and sense of humor.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Foster
Claire Keegan#31 of 2025
★★★★★#31 of 2025
A quick 50-page read, the story of a young girl who is delivered by her father to stay with a family in a neighboring town in Ireland.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Women
Kristin Hannah
★★★★★
A historical opus that examines the horrors of the Vietnam War and its turbulent aftermath through the eyes of a young female nurse.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
★★★★★Four stars
43 books
Book
Rating
Genre
Apples Never Fall
Liane MoriarityBEST OF2021#11 of 2021
★★★★★BEST OF2021#11 of 2021
When the matriarch of the famous Delaney tennis family goes missing, family dynamics and long-held grudges are on full display.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Dear Edward
Ann NapolitanoBEST OF2020#11 of 2020
★★★★★BEST OF2020#11 of 2020
When a 12-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed 183, including his parents and brother, what happens next?
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Once and Future Witches
Alex E. HarrowBEST OF2020#12 of 2020
★★★★★BEST OF2020#12 of 2020
Three sisters join forces to influence the suffragist movement, but they must tap into old magic to level the playing field.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Wayfinder
Adam Johnson#15 of 2026
★★★★★#15 of 2026
An immense and dense epic literary journey through the South Pacific of 1000 years ago that explores the struggle for power on Tonga.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
When We Were Vikings
Andrew David MacDonaldBEST OF2020#15 of 2020
★★★★★BEST OF2020#15 of 2020
Zelda, a 20-year-old with mild developmental disabilities, channels her love of vikings and embarks on a “quest to become legendary".
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Children
Melissa Albert#19 of 2026
★★★★★#19 of 2026
A haunting, dual-timeline tale of estranged siblings reckoning with a traumatic childhood serves up a unique blend of family drama and dark fairy tale.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Horror Fantasy Mystery and Thriller
Age of Vice
Deepti Kapoor#20 of 2023
★★★★★#20 of 2023
Thinking this is going to be the "Indian Godfather" is setting your expectations way too high, but it's an intriguing character study.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
James McBride#22 of 2023
★★★★★#22 of 2023
Set in the 1930s, an expansive cast from the Black and Jewish section of Pottstown, PA come together to rally around a common cause.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
A Far-flung Life
M.L. Stedman#23 of 2026
★★★★★#23 of 2026
A tragic accident on a remote sheep station eventually leads to a dark family secret in this character-driven exploration of duty and psyche in the Australian Outback.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
What Happened to the McCrays?
Tracey Lange#24 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#24 of 2026Audiobook
A man returns home to Potsdam, NY to care for his father after a stroke, forcing him to confront past demons that led to his abrupt departure.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Into the Blue
Emma Brodie#25 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#25 of 2026Audiobook
Two actors with an undeniable connection explore a relentless on-again, off-again romance in this spicy, love-it-or-hate-it read built for the theater crowd.
★★★★★
Romance Literature & Fiction
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
Robert Dugoni#25 of 2024
★★★★★#25 of 2024
A book club darling of a novel about a boy born with ocular albinism (red eyes), whose life I found less extraordinary than expected.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Hello Beautiful
Ann Napolitano#27 of 2023
★★★★★#27 of 2023
Napolitano once again tugs at heartstrings by creating memorable characters who share moments of happiness amid plenty of tragedy.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Burning Side
Sarah Damoff#29 of 2026
★★★★★#29 of 2026
A house fire is the jumping off point for this novel less about the partial loss of a home and more about the fractured relationship in it.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Yellowface
R.F. Kuang#29 of 2023
★★★★★#29 of 2023
Societal commentary abounds in this story of a white author stealing the final manuscript of an Asian American author after her death.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
AVAILABLE AUG 4, 2026
When Lemons Give You LifeOut Aug 4
Anna Johnston#30 of 2026
★★★★★#30 of 2026
A former chef fakes dementia in a nursing home before finding redemption and a new reason to live in this latest from the author of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
When the Cranes Fly South
Lisa Ridzén#31 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#31 of 2026Audiobook
An 89-year-old Swedish man narrates as we sail along this sad journey focused on the challenges and indignities encountered at the end of life.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Jane and Dan at the End of the World
Colleen Oakley#33 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#33 of 2026Audiobook
A heist/hostage situation at an elite restaurant is the vehicle for this novel to explore marriage and parenting as much as the heist.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
What Kind of Paradise
Janelle Brown#33 of 2025
★★★★★#33 of 2025
A girl grows up in a remote cabin with just her father, whose distrust of technology and government snowballs with each passing year.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
When the World Tips Over
Jandy Nelson#34 of 2024
★★★★★#34 of 2024
A story of love, growth, and second chances, the novel follows a set of siblings as they discover their family's complex history.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Buckeye
Patrick Ryan#35 of 2025
★★★★★#35 of 2025
A generational character study centered on the intertwined lives of two families in a small Ohio town, focused mostly on identity and the impact of war.
★★★★★
Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction
The Berry Pickers
Amanda Peters#35 of 2023
★★★★★#35 of 2023
A decent but unremarkable debut about a young girl's disappearance, its impact on her family, and ultimately their path to reuniting.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Weyward
Emilia Hart#37 of 2023
★★★★★#37 of 2023
Hart's tale of women finding their power through witchcraft is diluted by her one-dimensional portrayal of universally horrible men.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Guncle
Steven Rowley#38 of 2024
★★★★★#38 of 2024
Equal parts funny, heartwarming, and sad, the story of a gay uncle pressed into temporary custody of his niece and nephew for a summer
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Martyr!
Kaveh Akbar#39 of 2024
★★★★★#39 of 2024
A young Iranian-American man muddles through life trying to find his purpose before eventually fixating on martyrdom as the answer.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride
Will Leitch#40 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★#40 of 2025Audiobook
An Atlanta cop with a secret terminal brain tumor attempts to orchestrate his death in the line of duty to help his family financially.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Meredith, Alone
Claire Alexander#40 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#40 of 2026Audiobook
A depressing, poignant look at agoraphobia and abuse in many forms, focused on a woman who hasn't left her home in over three years.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Margo's Got Money Troubles
Rufi Thorpe#41 of 2024
★★★★★#41 of 2024
When a 19-year-old finds herself desperate for cash after having a child with her professor, she turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
My Friends
Fredrik Backman#41 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★#41 of 2025Audiobook
Told mostly via flashbacks about four childhood friends, the novel focuses on resiliency and found family in the face of domestic violence and neglect.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree
India Hayford#42 of 2026
★★★★★#42 of 2026
A snake-handling drifter crosses paths with a soldier recently back from Vietnam; together they help his family escape an abusive situation.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Book Witch
Meg Shaffer#43 of 2026
★★★★★#43 of 2026
A "Book Witch" must use her ability to teleport into books to solve a mystery in her own life when her grandfather and most prized possession go missing.
★★★★★
Fantasy Literature & Fiction
Crux
Gabriel Tallent#44 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#44 of 2026Audiobook
Two high school friends use rock climbing to try to escape a seemingly predetermined future in this emotionally heavy character study from Gabriel Tallent.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Crooks
Lou Berney#45 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#45 of 2026Audiobook
A short story collection masquerading as a novel, it follows the exploits of a family who consistently find themselves on the fringe of honest society.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
Theo of Golden
Allen Levi#46 of 2025
★★★★★#46 of 2025
A mysterious and private man appears one day in a small Georgia town and begins to have a profoundly positive impact on several residents.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Bright Young Women
Jessica Knoll#47 of 2024
★★★★★#47 of 2024
A reimagining of the events leading up to and surrounding the crimes of Ted Bundy, with a focus on the victims rather than the killer.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
I Cheerfully Refuse
Leif Enger#49 of 2024
★★★★★#49 of 2024
Richly rendered characters living in a deteriorating society, Enger's novel merges bits of beauty into an overwhelmingly sad world.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Three Days in June
Anne Tyler#52 of 2025
★★★★★#52 of 2025
A woman must set aside losing her job the day before her daughter's wedding as she navigates the intricacies of the wedding weekend.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
Anna Johnston#55 of 2025
★★★★★#55 of 2025
A chance set of events leads to a down-on-his-luck elderly man assuming the identity of another in this sweetly sappy feel-good story.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Daikon
Samuel Hawley#57 of 2025
★★★★★#57 of 2025
A speculative historical novel that imagines what might have happened if Japan gained possession of an atomic bomb near the end of World War II.
★★★★★
Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction
Before We Were Yours
Lisa Wingate#58 of 2025
★★★★★#58 of 2025
Two lives unexpectedly intertwine as a Senator's daughter connects with an elderly woman who might be secretly connected to the young woman's family.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Historical Fiction
Perfection
Vincenzo Latronico#59 of 2025
★★★★★#59 of 2025
A portrait of Gen Y from the perspective of a couple who "came of age with the internet" and spend their days seeking happiness, mostly without success.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Cherry Baby
Rainbow Rowell
★★★★★
A 36-year-old woman navigates divorce and reclaims her identity from a comic character based on her in this latest adult novel from Rainbow Rowell.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Real Americans
Rachel Khong
★★★★★
A multi-generational novel that focuses on a Chinese-American family while tackling issues of class, race, technology, and belonging.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
★★★★★Three stars
24 books
Book
Rating
Genre
City of Dreams
Don Winslow#42 of 2023
★★★★★#42 of 2023
The 2nd book in the Danny Ryan Trilogy fails to live up to the 1st, but it's a quick read if you want more time with the Dogtown crew.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Mystery and Thriller
Go As A River
Shelley Read#45 of 2023
★★★★★#45 of 2023
A mostly tragic decades-spanning debut about a young woman dealing with adversity while growing up in rural Colorado circa 1950.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
This Book Made Me Think of You
Libby Page#46 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#46 of 2026Audiobook
Six months after her husband dies, a woman finds out he left her a year of books, one per month, to help her heal and move forward.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Romance
The Things We Never Say
Elizabeth Strout#47 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#47 of 2026Audiobook
A brief, introspective read in which themes of free will, identity, and interpersonal relationships are explored through a teacher's midlife crisis.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
This Tender Land
William Kent Krueger#47 of 2023
★★★★★#47 of 2023
Inflated expectations probably diminished my enjoyment of this river odyssey tale. It's an okay story, but Ordinary Grace it is not.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Lake Effect
Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney#49 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#49 of 2026Audiobook
An exploration of the fallout of a 1977 affair and divorce over several decades. Despite nuanced characters, this family drama mostly missed the mark for me.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Historical Fiction
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Angeline Boulley#49 of 2023
★★★★★#49 of 2023
A rushed sophomore slump of a novel that fails to live up to Boulley's first book, Firekeeper's Daughter, in almost every way.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie#50 of 2023
★★★★★#50 of 2023
The semi-autobiographical account of the author's childhood, focused on him leaving the reservation to attend a white high school.
★★★★★
Memoir Literature & Fiction
We Burned So Bright
TJ Klune#50 of 2026
★★★★★#50 of 2026
When an encroaching "rogue black hole" gives Earth less than a month before annihilation, two men travel by RV from Maine to Washington to complete one final task.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Signal Fires
Dani Shapiro#52 of 2023
★★★★★#52 of 2023
A character study of two neighboring families on the outskirts of New York City. I hoped for spellbinding; what I got was milquetoast.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Whispers
Ashley Audrain#53 of 2023
★★★★★#53 of 2023
Audrain once again examines the trials of parenting, but this time fails to balance character flaws with anything remotely redeemable.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction
Good Eggs
Rebecca Hardiman#56 of 2023
★★★★★#56 of 2023
It's primarily a character study, but for all the time spent developing the characters, I unfortunately didn't especially like them.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
City in Ruins
Don Winslow#60 of 2024
★★★★★#60 of 2024
The Danny Ryan trilogy coasts to a conclusion, wrapping up open plot points but mostly just checking the box in this mailed-in effort.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Mystery and Thriller
North Woods
Daniel Mason#61 of 2024
★★★★★#61 of 2024
A series of loosely-related vignettes spanning 400 years show off Mason's literary prowess but fail to coalesce into something special
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The River is Waiting
Wally Lamb#62 of 2025
★★★★★#62 of 2025
Exploring addiction, incarceration, and the impact of tragedy on a family, the story follows a father serving a 3-year sentence.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Finding Grace
Loretta Rothschild#63 of 2025
★★★★★#63 of 2025
A difficult novel to review without spoiling the story, it focuses on a family trying to have another child before a shocking event disrupts everything.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Compound
Aisling Rawle#64 of 2025
★★★★★#64 of 2025
A modern take on Lord of the Flies, centered around a reality TV show, where winning depends on who can be the most self-absorbed and materialistic.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Science Fiction
The Warbler
Sarah Beth Durst#65 of 2025
★★★★★#65 of 2025
A woman tries to break a curse which causes the women in her family to transform into a tree forever if they stay in a place too long.
★★★★★
Mystery and Thriller Literature & Fiction Fantasy
Black Woods, Blue Sky
Eowyn Ivey#73 of 2025
★★★★★#73 of 2025
A young mother falls for a strange, disfigured man and chooses to live with him and her 6-year-old daughter in a remote Alaskan cabin.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Heartwood
Amity Gaige#75 of 2025
★★★★★#75 of 2025
The search for a missing hiker in Maine serves as the backdrop for this novel more focused on the complexities of human relationships.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Run for the Hills
Kevin Wilson#76 of 2025
★★★★★#76 of 2025
A woman's life is upended when a half-brother she didn't know she had convinces her to join him on a road trip to find their father.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Frankie
Graham Norton#78 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★#78 of 2025Audiobook
A recounting of the fictional life of Frankie Howe, from Ireland to London to America and back, spanning the 1950s to today.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Historical Fiction
Here One Moment
Liane Moriarty
★★★★★
Another attempt to imagine "what would you do if you knew you when you would die", but like other similar novels this also falls flat.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Emperor of Gladness
Ocean Vuong
★★★★★
A young Vietnamese-American man and an elderly Lithuanian woman form a bond in this bleak book which should have be titled "The Emperor of Sadness".
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
★★★★★Two stars
11 books
Book
Rating
Genre
American Fantasy
Emma Straub#55 of 2026
★★★★★#55 of 2026
A boy band cruise tries to offer nostalgia but fails to set sail in this disappointing look at fame and aging that lacks the heart and romance expected.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Romance
The Shampoo Effect
Jenny Jackson#56 of 2026Audiobook
★★★★★#56 of 2026Audiobook
A writer joins a tight-knit coastal town only to feel isolated by decades of shared history in this slice-of-life character study full of people I couldn't care less about.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Hang the Moon
Jeannette Walls#57 of 2023
★★★★★#57 of 2023
A disjointed mess of a novel about a young woman growing up during Prohibition in rural Virginia. I wanted this to be so much better.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
The Midnight Train
Matt Haig#57 of 2026
★★★★★#57 of 2026
While not exactly a sequel, Matt Haig revisits the premise of 2020's The Midnight Library with another examination of the different paths our lives can take.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
A Tale for the Time Being
Ruth Ozeki#58 of 2023
★★★★★#58 of 2023
Welcome to A Tale for the Time Being, or as it may alternatively be known, “the most depressing book I've read in years".
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Homebound
Portia Elan#59 of 2026
★★★★★#59 of 2026
A multi-timeline story that had me hopeful for something akin to Cloud Cuckoo Land unfortunately sputters to a disjointed and wholly unsatisfying conclusion.
★★★★★
Science Fiction Literature & Fiction
The Ministry of Time
Kaliane Bradley#63 of 2024
★★★★★#63 of 2024
An alternative take on Stranger in a Strange Land; social commentary abounds as an 1847 explorer tries to acclimate to modern society.
★★★★★
Science Fiction Literature & Fiction
Butter
Asako Yuzuki#79 of 2025
★★★★★#79 of 2025
Mostly character study plus social commentary, it follows a fictional female journalist in Japan as she interviews a convicted serial killer.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction Mystery and Thriller
Queen Esther
John Irving#82 of 2025
★★★★★#82 of 2025
A strange and polarizing story, focused mostly on a New Hampshire family and their youngest grandson as he searches for identity and belonging.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
Sandwich
Catherine Newman#83 of 2025Audiobook
★★★★★#83 of 2025Audiobook
A menopausal mother narrates her family's week at the beach on Cape Cod—their 20th in a row—while musing on the changes life brings.
★★★★★
Literature & Fiction
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Becky Chambers#85 of 2025
★★★★★#85 of 2025
A non-binary monk leaves on a journey to find themself and in the process encounters a robot who is seeking to learn what humans need.
★★★★★
Science Fiction Literature & Fiction
★★★★★One star
1 book
Why this page isn't a single ranking
Each book's rank is its position within the year I read it. That makes it directional, not absolute: the best book of a thin year and the fifth-best of a strong one can't be stacked against each other honestly. So these are grouped by the rating I gave them, which is comparable across years, and ordered within each group by how they placed in their own year. Where I have ranked an author's books against each other, that list says so and shows the numbers.
Want more like these?
One email on the first of every month with a summary and rating of each book reviewed over the past 30 days, and a look at where the year's ranking stands.