Books That Leave You Breathless
Dive into these heartfelt stories that linger long after the last page is turned. Each of these selections will pull you into their worlds, making it hard to let go and move on. If you've ever felt lost after a book, these are the ones to explore next.
Shōgun
1483 pages
After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen—Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed. Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shōgun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book. Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the best-selling novels of all time but also one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shōgun is, as the New York Times put it, “...not only something you read—you live it.” Provocative, absorbing, and endlessly fascinating, there is only one: Shōgun.
The Starless Sea
358 pages
THE TIKTOK SENSATION Discover the enchanting, magical bestseller from the author of The Night Circus, now in a stunning new edition. We are all stardust and stories... When Zachary Rawlins stumbles across a mysterious book containing details from his own life among its pages, it leads him on a quest unlike any other. Following the clues inside, he is guided to a masquerade ball, a dangerous secret club, and finally to an ancient library hidden far beneath the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians - it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. But when the library is threatened, Zachary must race through its twisting tunnels and sweetly soaked shores, searching for the end of his story. PRAISE FOR THE STARLESS SEA: 'Enchanting read... an ode to stories and storytelling itself, and the joy of reading' Independent 'Spellbinding' Daily Mirror 'A magical mix of quests and fables...beautifully written' Heat
The Murderbot Diaries
"We are all a little bit Murderbot." - NPR on Martha Wells's The Murderbot Diaries...
The Merlin Trilogy
936 pages
The Arthurian legend is one of the most enduring and powerful of myths, and Mary Stewart's classic The Merlin Trilogy is one of its most beloved and acclaimed retellings. In prose that is as vividly, achingly real as it is poetic, New York Times bestselling author Mary Stewart brings to life the man behind the myth: Myrddin Emrys ... Merlinus Ambrosius ... Merlin. The Crystal Cave The Hollow Hills The Last Enchantment Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myrddin Emrys -- or, as he would later be known, Merlin -- leads a perilous childhood in The Crystal Cave, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man's-son, taking him from prophesying before the High King Vortigern to the crowning of UtherPendragon ... and the conception of Arthur -- king for once and always. Keeping watch over the young Arthur Pendragon in The Hollow Hills, the prince and prophet Merlin Ambrosius is haunted by dreams of the magical sword Caliburn, hidden for centuries. When Uther Pendragon is killed in battle, the time of destiny is at hand, and Arthur must claim the fabled sword to become the true High King of Britain. In The Last Enchantment, Arthur Pendragon is king at last. Unchallenged on the battlefield, he melds the country together in a time of promise as Merlin works to keep safe the once and future king. But sinister powers plot to destroy Camelot, and when the witch-queen Morgause -- Arthur's own half sister -- ensnares him in an incestuous liaison, a fatal web of love, betrayal, and bloody vengeance is woven. Extensively researched and beautifully written, The Merlin Trilogy is the epic culmination of an acclaimed career, a legend in and of itself.
Little, Big
829 pages
Edgewood is many houses, all put inside each other, or across each other. It's filled with and surrounded by mystery and enchantment: the further in you go, the bigger it gets. Smoky Barnable, who has fallen in love with Daily Alice Drinkwater, comes to Edgewood, her family home, where he finds himself drawn into a world of magical strangeness. Crowley's work has a special alchemy - mixing the world we know with an imagined world which seems more true and real. Winner of the WORLD FANTASY AWARD, LITTLE, BIG is eloquent, sensual, funny and unforgettable, a true Fantasy Masterwork. Winner of the WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL, 1982.
Underland: A Deep Time Journey
373 pages
National Bestseller • New York Times "100 Notable Books of the Year" • NPR "Favorite Books of 2019" • Guardian "100 Best Books of the 21st Century" • Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award "Mesmerizing…Underland is a portal of light in dark times." —Terry Tempest Williams, New York Times Book Review In Underland, Robert Macfarlane delivers an epic exploration of the Earth’s underworlds as they exist in myth, literature, memory, and the land itself. Traveling through the dizzying expanse of geologic time—from prehistoric art in Norwegian sea caves, to the blue depths of the Greenland ice cap, to a deep-sunk "hiding place" where nuclear waste will be stored for 100,000 years to come—Underland takes us on an extraordinary journey into our relationship with darkness, burial, and what lies beneath the surface of both place and mind. Global in its geography and written with great lyricism, Underland speaks powerfully to our present moment. At once ancient and urgent, this is a book that will change the way you see the world.
Tales from Watership Down
290 pages
The “utterly captivating” (People) sequel to the beloved classic Watership Down, which introduced millions of readers to an extraordinary world of rabbits. • “It’s grand to see Mr. Adams’s characters again.” —The New York Times Book Review Tales From Watership Down returns to the unforgettable characters of Fiver, Hazel, Bigwig, Dandelion, and the legendary hero El-ahrairah, and also presents new heroes as they struggle to survive the cruelties of nature and the shortsighted selfishness of humankind, embark on new adventures, and recount traditional stories of rabbit mythology, charming us once again with imagination, heart, and wonder. A spellbinding book of courage and survival, these tales are an exciting invitation to come home to a beloved world.
Lord Peter
500 pages
One of the founding mothers of mystery, Dorothy Sayers first introduced the popular character Lord Peter Wimsey in 1923 with the publication of Whose Body? Over the next twenty years, more novels and short stories about the aristocratic amateur sleuth appeared, each one as cunningly written as the next.Now in single volume, here are all the Lord Peter Wimsey stories, a treasure for any mystery lover. From "The Fantastic Horror of the Cat in the Bag" to "The Image in the Mirror" and "Talboys," this collection is Lord Peter at his best -- and a true testament to the art of detective fiction.
The Pillars of the Earth
1158 pages
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, The Pillars of the Earth is Ken Follett's classic historical masterpiece. A MASON WITH A DREAM 1135 and civil war, famine and religious strife abound. With his family on the verge of starvation, mason Tom Builder dreams of the day that he can use his talents to create and build a cathedral like no other. A MONK WITH A BURNING MISSION Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, is resourceful, but with money scarce he knows that for his town to survive it must find a way to thrive, and so he makes the decision to build within it the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known. A WORLD OF HIGH IDEALS AND SAVAGE CRUELTY As Tom and Philip meet so begins an epic tale of ambition, anarchy and absolute power. In a world beset by strife and enemies that would thwart their plans, they will stop at nothing to achieve their ambitions in a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother . . . The Pillars of the Earth is the first in The Kingsbridge Novels series, followed by World Without End and A Column of Fire. More than 175 million copies sold worldwide. Published in over eighty territories and thirty-seven languages. The international No. 1 bestselling phenomenon returns.
Sphere
386 pages
Michael Crichton never fails to suck you into a book, making it a great choice to break out of a reading rut.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
223 pages
The Harry Potter series is a captivating journey that can leave you with a lasting hangover, especially when you dive into fanfiction that expands on the original story. It's a magical world that stays with you long after you've finished reading.
A Little Life
833 pages
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves.
The Song of Achilles
370 pages
This book beautifully explores love and heroism in a way that resonates deeply.
Into Thin Air
378 pages
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The epic account of the storm on the summit of Mt. Everest that claimed five lives and left countless more—including Krakauer's—in guilt-ridden disarray. "A harrowing tale of the perils of high-altitude climbing, a story of bad luck and worse judgment and of heartbreaking heroism." —PEOPLE A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer's highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber's death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself. This updated trade paperback edition of Into Thin Air includes an extensive new postscript that sheds fascinating light on the acrimonious debate that flared between Krakauer and Everest guide Anatoli Boukreev in the wake of the tragedy. "I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in the postscript, dated August 1999. "What disturbs me, though, was Boukreev's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that he made even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhaps it wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of his clients." As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged research and a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heated discourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement of guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts his last conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weathered climbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had great hopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died in an avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I. In 1999, Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters--a prestigious prize intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment." According to the Academy's citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer. His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind."
Never Let Me Go
305 pages
NOBEL PRIZE WINNER • The moving, suspenseful, beautifully atmospheric modern classic from the acclaimed author of The Remains of the Day and Klara and the Sun—“a Gothic tour de force" (The New York Times) with an extraordinary twist. • “Speculative, experimental, and humanly moving. . . . Miraculous” —The New Republic • “A page-turner and a heartbreaker, a tour de force of knotted tension and buried anguish.” —TIME As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special—and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
754 pages
The whole series just captivated me with its intricate plots and rich world-building.
The Song of Achilles
369 pages
Song of Achilles is another great read that complements Circe, showcasing the author's talent for weaving compelling narratives.
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
370 pages
This book left me with a surprising hangover, showcasing its emotional depth and captivating storytelling.
The Master's Tools
273 pages
This book is a profound journey that evokes deep emotions, making you feel the weight of its conclusion.
The Outsiders
194 pages
After watching the movie, I could better visualize and appreciate each character, which made me love the book even more. The ending was tough because I just wanted it to go on forever.
هيرى پوٹر اور رازوں کا کمره :
314 pages
The Harry Potter series is a magical journey that has captivated readers of all ages, offering adventure and a rich world to escape into.
The Road
297 pages
It's an intense experience that feels like living inside a personal nightmare, making it a profound read that lingers long after finishing.
East of Eden
612 pages
This book profoundly impacts your perception of literature, making it a must-read for anyone looking to experience a transformative story.
Die Seele des Königs
331 pages
His novellas are a great quick fix to help you get over a book hangover!
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
384 pages
Now a major motion picture starring Max Pelayo, Reese Gonzales, and Eva Longoria! A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Dive into the award-winning, internationally renowned book that is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) and distills lyrical truths about family and friendship—featuring images from the film! Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
The Name of the Wind
674 pages
The Kingkiller books are so immersive that finishing them leaves you longing to return to their world, making them worth multiple reads.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick “Beautifully written and incredibly funny, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is about the importance of friendship and human connection. I fell in love with Eleanor, an eccentric and regimented loner whose life beautifully unfolds after a chance encounter with a stranger; I think you will fall in love, too!” —Reese Witherspoon No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine. Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one. Soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . . The only way to survive is to open your heart.
The Shadow of the Wind
530 pages
Though I haven't read it yet, I've heard you can read this series out of order and still understand the story.
The Poppy War
292 pages
One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time “I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year...I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin.” -- Booknest From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, the brilliantly imaginative debut of R.F. Kuang: an epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy. When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good. Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school. For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . . Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.
Lonesome Dove
866 pages
It's an in-depth journey that offers both literal and figurative exploration, making it a captivating read that leaves you wanting more.
Flowers for Algernon
324 pages
This book has such a profound impact that it leaves you reflecting deeply, making it unforgettable.
The Prisoner of Heaven
314 pages
This book gave me a serious book hangover; I couldn't put it down and it felt like a standalone even though it's part of a series. It's so captivating that it took me a long time to pick up another book after finishing it.
City of Thieves
408 pages
This book really draws you in with its characters, making you feel their struggles and triumphs. It's a gripping tale based on the author's grandfather's experiences in World War II, and it showcases the same intense storytelling and sharp dialogue that fans loved in Game of Thrones.
The Brothers Karamazov
826 pages
After reading The Brothers Karamazov, all other works of literature felt redundant, showcasing its profound impact.
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
756 pages
It's such a captivating and humorous journey that leaves you wanting more, making the end feel bittersweet.
Station Eleven
357 pages
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FINALIST • Set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse—the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. • Now an original series on HBO Max. • Over one million copies sold! One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end. Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed. Look for Emily St. John Mandel’s bestselling new novel, Sea of Tranquility!
1Q84
1342 pages
This book is stunning and offers a unique experience, even if some readers may not appreciate it.
The Lord Of The Rings
1267 pages
This classic fantasy epic is a must-read, especially for teenagers, as it offers a rich world that invites you to keep returning to its pages.
My Brilliant Friend: the Graphic Novel
Elena Ferrante's New York Times bestselling masterpiece, My Brilliant Friend, book one of her Neapolitan Quartet, is now an extraordinary and vibrant graphic novel, with text adapted by Chiara Lagani, and illustrations by Mara Cerri. HBO's four-season TV adaptation of My Brilliant Friend has enjoyed tremendous success with critics and viewers in the U.S.; the books have also been adapted for the theater and radio plays. Here, for the first time, it is brought to vivid life as a graphic novel by one of Italy's most beloved illustrators. For Ferrante fans, for those new to Ferrante, for readers of graphic novels, Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend: the graphic novel is a thrilling new adaptation of one of the best loved novels of recent decades. Translated by Ferrante's long-time translator, Ann Goldstein, the graphic novel tells the enduring story of the complex friendship between Lila and Lenu in post-war Naples.
All the Light We Cannot See
544 pages
An imaginative and intricate novel inspired by the horrors of World War II and written in short, elegant chapters that explore human nature and the contradictory power of technology.
Back to the Best Books
302 pages
Improve your reading - Improve your life. Are you bored by bestsellers you can't remember a week later? Is your book group ready for more meaningful discussions? Have TV and movies got your brain on autopilot? Back to the Best Books explores 36 great works of literature, some that you know (Twain, Bronte) and some you might not (Undset, Cronin) that will bring you new insights about your own life. Inside you'll find:- Jane Austen - Looking for love in all the wrong places- Betty Smith - Recession lessons from the depression- William Faulkner - Road trips and self-discovery- Anne Tyler - Putting the fun into dysfunctional- Charles Dickens - Changing the world one child at a timeThe perfect guide for book groups, students, and casual readers who are ready to take it up a notch! If you're feeling the need to get your brain in gear, your relationships in order and your life on track, then it's time to get Back to the Best Books.
A Prayer For Owen Meany
79 pages
This book will leave you with a profound sense of reflection, as the haunting last sentence lingers in your mind long after you finish reading.
Tenth of December
208 pages
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF TIME’S TEN BEST FICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY AND BUZZFEED • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: People, The New York Times Magazine, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, New York, The Telegraph, BuzzFeed, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Shelf Awareness Includes an extended conversation with David Sedaris One of the most important and blazingly original writers of his generation, George Saunders is an undisputed master of the short story, and Tenth of December is his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet. In the taut opener, “Victory Lap,” a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or override years of smothering advice from his parents and act? In “Home,” a combat-damaged soldier moves back in with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he left with the one to which he has returned. And in the title story, a stunning meditation on imagination, memory, and loss, a middle-aged cancer patient walks into the woods to commit suicide, only to encounter a troubled young boy who, over the course of a fateful morning, gives the dying man a final chance to recall who he really is. A hapless, deluded owner of an antiques store; two mothers struggling to do the right thing; a teenage girl whose idealism is challenged by a brutal brush with reality; a man tormented by a series of pharmaceutical experiments that force him to lust, to love, to kill—the unforgettable characters that populate the pages of Tenth of December are vividly and lovingly infused with Saunders’s signature blend of exuberant prose, deep humanity, and stylistic innovation. Writing brilliantly and profoundly about class, sex, love, loss, work, despair, and war, Saunders cuts to the core of the contemporary experience. These stories take on the big questions and explore the fault lines of our own morality, delving into the questions of what makes us good and what makes us human. Unsettling, insightful, and hilarious, the stories in Tenth of December—through their manic energy, their focus on what is redeemable in human beings, and their generosity of spirit—not only entertain and delight; they fulfill Chekhov’s dictum that art should “prepare us for tenderness.” GEORGE SAUNDERS WAS NAMED ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD BY TIME MAGAZINE
The Wise Man's Fear
1010 pages
These books are so captivating that I found myself reading them three times in two months, which speaks volumes about their ability to draw you in.
Galapagos
338 pages
“A madcap genealogical adventure . . . Vonnegut is a postmodern Mark Twain.”—The New York Times Book Review Galápagos takes the reader back one million years, to A.D. 1986. A simple vacation cruise suddenly becomes an evolutionary journey. Thanks to an apocalypse, a small group of survivors stranded on the Galápagos Islands are about to become the progenitors of a brave, new, and totally different human race. In this inimitable novel, America’ s master satirist looks at our world and shows us all that is sadly, madly awry–and all that is worth saving. Praise for Galápagos “The best Vonnegut novel yet!”—John Irving “Beautiful . . . provocative, arresting reading.”—USA Today “A satire in the classic tradition . . . a dark vision, a heartfelt warning.”—The Detroit Free Press “Interesting, engaging, sad and yet very funny . . . Vonnegut is still in top form. If he has no prescription for alleviating the pain of the human condition, at least he is a first-rate diagnostician.”—Susan Isaacs, Newsday “Dark . . . original and funny.”—People “A triumph of style, originality and warped yet consistent logic . . . a condensation, an evolution of Vonnegut’s entire career, including all the issues and questions he has pursued relentlessly for four decades.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “Wild details, wry humor, outrageous characters . . . Galápagos is a comic lament, a sadly ironic vison.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch “A work of high comedy, sadness and imagination.”—The Denver Post “Wacky wit and irreverent imagination . . . and the full range of technical innovations have made [Vonnegut] America’s preeminent experimental novelist.”—The Minneapolis Star and Tribune
Norwegian Wood
390 pages
This book really hits hard and makes you reflect. It's one of those reads that you need to sit with for a while after finishing.
Red Rising
440 pages
This series is so captivating that I've been in a hangover for over a year, constantly rereading them all.
The Wise Man's Fear
1010 pages
This book will leave you story struck, making it hard to move on after finishing.
Ready Player One
386 pages
This book will leave you story struck, making it hard to move on after finishing.
Angie
365 pages
Broke. Broken-hearted. Bored. (Not necessarily in that order.) WELCOME TO NEW YORK CITY. Angie James is lost. A regular poster girl for Generation Screwed, being 22 isn't what she expected. What happens when having fun isn't, you know, fun? In the Brooklyn townhouse she shares with her best friends, Angie wants to figure out what to do with her life. But wild parties, bad dates, dead-end jobs, demanding fashionistas and even true love just keep getting in the way... Who knew adulthood would be so damn grown-up?
House Of Leaves
This book will leave a lasting impact on you, haunting your thoughts long after you've finished it.
The Red Tent - 20th Anniversary Edition
266 pages
In this modern classic interpretation of the biblical story of Dinah, Anita Diamant imagines the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of The Red Tent, a New York Times bestseller and the basis of the A&E/Lifetime mini-series. Twentieth Anniversary Edition In the Bible, Dinah's life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons. The Red Tent begins with the story of the mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling and the valuable achievement of presenting a new view of biblical women's lives.
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
324 pages
This book evokes strong emotions and memories, making it a profound read that resonates deeply with its themes.
The Book Thief
578 pages
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME • A NEW YORK TIMES READER TOP 100 PICK FOR BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY The extraordinary, beloved novel about the ability of books to feed the soul even in the darkest of times. When Death has a story to tell, you listen. It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time. “The kind of book that can be life-changing.” —The New York Times “Deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.” —USA Today DON’T MISS BRIDGE OF CLAY, MARKUS ZUSAK’S FIRST NOVEL SINCE THE BOOK THIEF.
A Place for Us
432 pages
** The New York Times bestseller ** 'To be taken hostage by Fatima Mirza’s heartrending and timely story is a gutting pleasure... She captures your mind and heart with an urgency that defies you to stop reading. I guarantee you will be different when you close the book' Sarah Jessica Parker 'I loved this book' Anne Tyler 'The depth of the storytelling and the beauty of the language makes this debut something to treasure' John Boyne An Indian–Muslim family is preparing for their eldest daughter's wedding. But as Hadia's marriage – one chosen of love, not tradition – gathers the family back together, there is only one thing on their minds: can Amar, the estranged younger brother of the bride, be trusted to behave himself after three years away? A Place for Us tells the story of one family and all family life: of coming to terms with the choices we make, of reconciingly past and present and of how the smallest decisions can lead to the deepest betrayals.
And the Mountains Echoed
386 pages
From the no. 1 bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns A Richard & Judy Summer Book Club pick Ten-year-old Abdullah would do anything for his younger sister. In a life of poverty and struggle, with no mother to care for them, Pari is the only person who brings Abdullah happiness. For her, he will trade his only pair of shoes to give her a feather for her treasured collection. When their father sets off with Pari across the desert to Kabul in search of work, Abdullah is determined not to be separated from her. Neither brother nor sister know what this fateful journey will bring them. And the Mountains Echoed is a deeply moving epic of heartache, hope and, above all, the unbreakable bonds of love.
A Prayer for Owen Meany
658 pages
This book leaves a profound impact, evoking a deep sense of emptiness that lingers long after you've turned the last page.
Pachinko
480 pages
A Victorian epic transplanted to Japan, following a Korean family of immigrants through eight decades and four generations. Busan, Korea 1911: A club-footed, cleft-lipped man marries a fteen-year-old beauty. The couple have one child, their beloved daughter Sunja. When Sunja falls pregnant by a married yakuza, the family face ruin. But then Isak, a Christian minister, offers her a chance of salvation: a new life in Japan as his wife. Following a man she barely knows to a hostile country in which she has no friends, no home, and whose language she cannot speak, Sunja's salvation is just the beginning of her story. Through eight decades and four generations, Pachinko is an epic tale of family, identity, love, death and survival.
Harry Potter und die Kammer des Schreckens
394 pages
These books provided an escape and a sense of wonder, making them a significant part of coping during tough times.
Crooked Kingdom
561 pages
This sequel holds up beautifully, continuing the enthralling experience of the first book in the duology.
Six of Crows
479 pages
The characters and world in this duology are so captivating that readers often find themselves immediately re-reading the books after finishing.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
1162 pages
This book immerses you in a world where magic feels real and haunting, leaving you captivated and longing for more.
It
1488 pages
Reading 'IT' was quite an experience; it took me a while to get over it. I listened to the audiobook alongside reading, which made the whole experience even more immersive.
The Seven Realms: The Complete Series
2235 pages
This series is incredibly captivating, with a rich world and memorable characters that make you wish you could dive right in.
A Little Life
737 pages
This book is incredibly powerful and emotional, leaving a lasting impact on its readers.
Leaving Time
399 pages
As a motherless daughter, this book resonated deeply with me. It's about a daughter searching for her missing mother, who works with elephants, and it weaves in fascinating facts about these majestic creatures, adding a unique layer to the story.
Cassandra Clare: The Mortal Instrument Series (3 books)
1442 pages
The first three books in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series are all together in one boxed set! The first three books in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series, available in an eBook collection. Enter the secret world of the Shadowhunters with this eBook boxed set that includes City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass. The Mortal Instruments books have more than five million copies in print, and this eBook collection of the first three volumes makes a great gift for newcomers to the series and for loyal fans alike.
Nevermore
554 pages
If you're younger and enjoy Edgar Allan Poe along with some paranormal elements, you'll definitely love this series. Plus, I’ve received great writing tips from the author herself!
Fingersmith
596 pages
“Oliver Twist with a twist…Waters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses. A pulsating story.”—The New York Times Book Review The Handmaiden, a film adaptation of Fingersmith, directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Kim Tae-Ri, is now available. Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer," who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home. One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum. With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways...But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
620 pages
Reading Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls can profoundly impact your perspective on life, making you question your beliefs and the way you live.
Rebecca
160 pages
'Rebecca' is an amazing gothic romance from the 30s. If you're into that genre, this book is a must-read!
East of Eden
609 pages
A masterpiece of Biblical scope, and the magnum opus of one of America’s most enduring authors, in a commemorative hardcover edition In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden "the first book," and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. The masterpiece of Steinbeck’s later years, East of Eden is a work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. Adapted for the 1955 film directed by Elia Kazan introducing James Dean, and read by thousands as the book that brought Oprah’s Book Club back, East of Eden has remained vitally present in American culture for over half a century.
The Remains of the Day
233 pages
This book is incredibly impactful, with a particular sentence that can leave you emotionally devastated, making it a must-read.
The Luminaries
860 pages
The winner of the Man Booker Prize, this "expertly written, perfectly constructed" bestseller (The Guardian) is now a Starz miniseries. It is 1866, and Walter Moody has come to stake his claim in New Zealand's booming gold rush. On the stormy night of his arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of 12 local men who have met in secret to discuss a series of unexplained events: a wealthy man has vanished, a prostitute has tried to end her life, and an enormous cache of gold has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely ornate as the night sky. Richly evoking a mid-nineteenth-century world of shipping, banking, and gold rush boom and bust, The Luminaries is at once a fiendishly clever ghost story, a gripping page-turner, and a thrilling novelistic achievement. It richly confirms that Eleanor Catton is one of the brightest stars in the international literary firmament.
The Invisible Bridge
835 pages
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION Paris, 1937. Andras Lévi, an architecture student, has arrived from Budapest with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a mysterious letter he has promised to deliver to Clara Morgenstern a young widow living in the city. When Andras meets Clara he is drawn deeply into her extraordinary and secret life, just as Europe's unfolding tragedy sends them both into a state of terrifying uncertainty. From a remote Hungarian village to the grand opera houses of Budapest and Paris, from the despair of Carpathian winter to an unimaginable life in forced labour camps and beyond, The Invisible Bridge tells the story of a marriage tested by disaster and of a family, threatened with annihilation, bound by love and history. 'Phenomenal, enthralling ... You don't so much read it as live it' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'To bring an entire lost world - its sights, its smells, its heartaches, raptures and terrors - to vivid life between the covers of a novel is an accomplishment; to invest that world, and everyone who inhabits it, with a soul, as Julie Orringer does in The Invisible Bridge, takes something more like genius' Michael Chabon
The Complete Farseer Trilogy: Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin’s Quest
1499 pages
These series left me feeling so empty and uninterested in anything else after finishing them.
Uzumaki (3-in-1 Deluxe Edition)
658 pages
This older Manga from 2000 is a breath of fresh air in the horror genre, truly creeping out readers in a way that feels authentic and unsettling.
The Dark Tower I
288 pages
Roland, the world's last gunslinger, tracks an enigmatic Man in Black toward a forbidding dark tower, fighting forces both mortal and other-worldly on his quest.
The Noise of Time
196 pages
'BARNES'S MASTERPIECE' - OBSERVER In May 1937 a man in his early thirties waits by the lift of a Leningrad apartment block. He waits all through the night, expecting to be taken away to the Big House. Any celebrity he has known in the previous decade is no use to him now. And few who are taken to the Big House ever return. ‘Stunning’ Sunday Times ‘A profound meditation on power and the relationship of art and power... It is a masterpiece of sympathetic understanding... I don’t think Barnes has written a finer, more truthful or more profound book’ Scotsman ‘A tour de force by a master novelist at the top of his game’ Daily Express
The Saga of the Witcher
2058 pages
The Witcher series is so captivating that finishing it can leave you in a state of a 'book hangover', making it hard to enjoy anything else.
A Memory Of Light
823 pages
This final entry in The Wheel of Time Saga is a captivating conclusion that leaves readers emotionally invested. The characters, settings, and plot are so well-crafted that finishing the book creates a profound sense of loss, making it hard to move on to another story.
Frank Herbert's Dune Saga Collection: Books 1 - 6
4238 pages
Dune is an immersive experience that keeps you engaged long after finishing it, with its intricate world-building and deep themes.
The Prince of Tides
588 pages
This beautifully written book stays with you long after reading, with memorable characters like Caesar that linger in your mind. Despite mixed feelings due to the movie adaptation, it's definitely worthy of a second look.
Good Omens
434 pages
This book is a must-read for its unique blend of humor and fantasy, leaving readers with a lasting impact that makes them want to revisit it time and again.
The Foxhole Court
260 pages
The All For the Game trilogy is wonderful with unique and exciting characters, and the sport exy is so cool it makes you wish it was real. Reading it feels like you're on the team with them, making it an engaging experience. Plus, the first book is free on Amazon!
The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights
473 pages
Steinbeck's first posthumously published work, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights is a reinterpretation of tales from Malory's Morte d'Arthur. In this highly successful attempt to render Malory into Modern English, Steinbeck recreated the rhythm and tone of the original Middle English.
Hopscotch
419 pages
Julio Cortazar's crazed masterpiece, the forbearer of the Latin Boom in the 1960s - published in Vintage Classics for the first time 'Cortazar's masterpiece. This is the first great novel of Spanish America... A powerful anti-novel but, like deeply understood moments in life itself, rich with many kinds of potential meanings and intimations' Times Literary Supplement Dazed by the disappearance of his muse, Argentinian writer Horatio Oliveira wanders the bridges of Paris, the sounds of jazz and the talk of literature, life and art echoing around him. But a chance encounter with a literary idol and his new work – a novel that can be read in random order – sends Horatio’s mind into further confusion. As a return to Buenos Aires beckons, Horatio’s friend and fellow artist, Traveler, awaits his arrival with dread –the lives of these two young writers now ready to play out in an inexhaustible game of indeterminacy.
The Stormlight Archive, Books 1-3
3829 pages
This Stormlight Archive discounted ebundle includes: The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oathbringer The #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson! The Stormlight Archive is the wildly imaginative epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson: welcome to the remarkable world of Roshar, a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Roshar is shared by humans and the enigmatic, humanoid Parshendi, with whom they are at war. It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them, but in the war against the Parshendi, the ancient weapons and armor may not be enough. Speak again the ancient oaths: Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before Destination. and return to men the Shards they once bore. The Knights Radiant must stand again. --- Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson The Cosmere The Stormlight Archive The Way of Kings Words of Radiance Edgedancer (Novella) Oathbringer The Mistborn trilogy Mistborn: The Final Empire The Well of Ascension The Hero of Ages Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series Alloy of Law Shadows of Self Bands of Mourning Collection Arcanum Unbounded Other Cosmere novels Elantris Warbreaker The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians The Scrivener's Bones The Knights of Crystallia The Shattered Lens The Dark Talent The Rithmatist series The Rithmatist Other books by Brandon Sanderson The Reckoners Steelheart Firefight Calamity At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
306 pages
'A cult figure.' Guardian 'A dark and brilliant achievement.' Ian McEwan 'Shamelessly clever ... Exhilaratingly subversive and funny.' Independent 'A modern classic ... As relevant now as when it was first published. ' John Banville A young woman is in love with a successful surgeon; a man torn between his love for her and his womanising. His mistress, a free-spirited artist, lives her life as a series of betrayals; while her other lover stands to lose everything because of his noble qualities. In a world where lives are shaped by choices and events, and everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance and weight - and we feel 'the unbearable lightness of being'. The Unbearable Lightness of Being encompasses passion and philosophy, the Prague Spring and modern America, political acts and private desires, comedy and tragedy - in fact, all of human existence. What readers are saying: 'Some books change your mind, some change your heart, the very best change your whole world ... A mighty piece of work, that will shape your life forever.' 'One of the best books I've ever read ... A book about love and life, full of surprises. Beautiful.' 'This book is going to change your life ... It definitely leaves you with a hangover after you're done reading.' 'A must read - loved it, such beautiful observations on life, love and sexuality.' 'Kundera writes about love as if in a trance so the beauty of it is enchanting and dreamy ... Will stay with you forever.' 'A beautiful novel that helps you understand life better ... Loved it.' 'One of those rare novels full of depth and insight into the human condition ... Got me reading Camus and Sartre.' 'One of the best books I have ever read ... An intellectual love story if ever there was one.'
The Complete Wheel of Time
6358 pages
The Wheel of Time series is incredibly captivating and immersive, making it feel like a significant loss when you finish it.
The Stand
1202 pages
Despite a lackluster ending, this book is a gripping read that showcases King's masterful storytelling.
Good Omens
434 pages
The classic collaboration from the internationally bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, soon to be an original series starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant. ?Season 2 of Good Omens coming soon! “Good Omens . . . is something like what would have happened if Thomas Pynchon, Tom Robbins and Don DeLillo had collaborated. Lots of literary inventiveness in the plotting and chunks of very good writing and characterization. It’s a wow. It would make one hell of a movie. Or a heavenly one. Take your pick.” —Washington Post According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .
