Books That Will Shatter Your Heart
Dive into these emotionally devastating reads that will leave you breathless. Each story is crafted to evoke deep feelings and challenge your perspective on life. Perfect for a single sitting, these books are under 300 pages and will linger in your mind long after you turn the last page.
The Kite Runner
500 pages
While it is brutally sad, it is also an incredibly moving story that leaves a lasting impact.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
380 pages
This book is immensely powerful and heart-wrenching, making it a must-read.
Flowers for Algernon
324 pages
This book is an emotional journey that profoundly impacts the reader, leaving a lasting impression by the end.
A Little Life
737 pages
This book is not small, but it will truly tear your heart out, making it a deeply emotional read.
A Monster Calls
It's family-friendly with a beautiful message, and I believe everyone should read it. Absolutely heartbreaking.
Never Let Me Go
305 pages
The bittersweet moments and the tone of resignation hit you like a punch in the gut.
Apartment
210 pages
While it's not as overtly sad as the others, the pervasive sense of loneliness throughout is just depressing, especially during quarantine.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
306 pages
Though the tone isn't depressing in the end, some scenes are pure tearjerkers.
Night
210 pages
This powerful memoir offers a haunting glimpse into the author's harrowing experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, with Wiesel intentionally toning down some wrenching scenes to make the story accessible without overwhelming readers.
All the Light We Cannot See
544 pages
This book is a big gut punch and offers a powerful historical connection, making it a compelling read.
When Breath Becomes Air (Indonesian Edition)
249 pages
Reading the last page out loud is an emotional experience that will truly impact you.
The Song of Achilles
370 pages
This book is a powerful emotional journey that will leave you feeling deeply affected.
The Catcher in the Rye
204 pages
The Catcher in the Rye offers a deep exploration of sadness and alienation, making it a poignant read for those who appreciate complex emotional narratives.
Never Let Me Go
274 pages
This novel is known for causing 'literary hangovers,' making it a compelling read that lingers in your mind long after finishing.
Outer Dark
257 pages
This book is a haunting and emotional experience, making it one of the most horrifying and heartbreaking reads.
The Heart's Invisible Furies
645 pages
This novel is amazing, tragic, and heart-wrenching, making it a must-read.
The Final Confession of Mabel Stark
491 pages
Discovered in a bargain bin, this tragic yet incredible true story has become one of my all-time favorites, and I can't wait to discuss it with someone!
All the Bright Places
325 pages
This book is an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you sobbing, even if you know the ending from the movie.
Sickened
This memoir is a gripping true story that explores the harrowing effects of intergenerational abuse and the complexities of a mother's abusive behavior, making it a deeply conflicting yet compelling read.
City of Thieves
408 pages
It's a captivating story that explores the horrors of WWII through a unique lens, set in Leningrad during a challenging time.
The Metamorphosis
370 pages
It begins with quirky humor but takes a dark turn, especially towards the end, making it a thought-provoking read.
The Road
257 pages
This book is a must-read for parents, as it explores the profound bond between a father and his child in a post-apocalyptic world.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
340 pages
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM FOX 2000 STARRING MILO VENTIMIGLIA, AMANDA SEYFRIED, AND KEVIN COSTNER MEET THE DOG WHO WILL SHOW THE WORLD HOW TO BE HUMAN The New York Times bestselling novel from Garth Stein—a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope—a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it. “Splendid.” —People “The perfect book for anyone who knows that compassion isn’t only for humans, and that the relationship between two souls who are meant for each other never really comes to an end. Every now and then I’m lucky enough to read a novel I can’t stop thinking about: this is one of them.” —Jodi Picoult “It’s impossible not to love Enzo.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune “This old soul of a dog has much to teach us about being human. I loved this book.” —Sara Gruen
The Road
297 pages
The Road is a brutal yet poignant read, especially for parents, as it explores the depths of love and survival in a desolate world.
Atonement
370 pages
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness that provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from the acclaimed Booker Prize–winning, internationally bestselling author. One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives—together with her precocious literary gifts—brings about a crime that will change all their lives. As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.
My Sister's Keeper
611 pages
Written with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity, this novel is about a teen who was conceived as a bone marrow match for her sister Kate, and what happens when she begins to question who she really is.
Room
97 pages
In this deeply moving and life-affirming tale, a mother must nurture her five-year-old son through an unfathomable situation with only the power of their imagination and their boundless capacity to love. Written for the stage by Academy Award® nominee Emma Donoghue, this unique theatrical adaptation featuring songs and music by Kathryn Joseph and director Cora Bissett takes audiences on a richly emotional journey told through ingenious stagecraft, powerhouse performances, and heart-stopping storytelling. Room reaffirms our belief in humanity and the astounding resilience of the human spirit. This updated and revised edition was published to coincide with the Broadway premiere in Spring 2023.
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.
We Were Liars Deluxe Edition
274 pages
This book is also a weepy torture, promising to pull at your heartstrings and leave you feeling deeply affected.
White Oleander
386 pages
The unforgettable story of a young woman's odyssey through a series of Los Angeles foster homes on her journey to redemption. Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet who wields her luminous beauty to intimidate and manipulate men. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery - but their idyll is shattered when Astrid's mother falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, Ingrid murders the man, and is sentenced to life in prison. White Oleander is the unforgettable story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place for herself in impossible circumstances. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. With determination and humor, Astrid confronts the challenges of loneliness and poverty, and strives to learn who a motherless child in an indifferent world can become. Oprah Winfrey enjoyed this gripping first novel so much that she not only made it her book club pick, she asked if she could narrate the audio release.
Jellicoe Road
439 pages
This book is beautifully written and so captivating that you won't be able to put it down, making it an emotional journey that you'll want to experience in one sitting.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
245 pages
This book is based on a true story that delves into one man's harrowing experience during the Holocaust, making it a poignant and powerful read.
A Little Life
833 pages
This book is a powerful exploration of friendship and trauma, making it a must-read for those who appreciate deep emotional narratives.
A Fine Balance
841 pages
With a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of Charles Dickens, this magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of India. The time is 1975. The place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, in whose upheavals four strangers--a spirited widow, a young student uprooted from his idyllic hill station, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village--will be thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future. As the characters move from distrust to friendship and from friendship to love, A Fine Balance creates an enduring panorama of the human spirit in an inhuman state.
History Is All You Left Me
305 pages
"This book will make you cry, think, and then cry some more." —Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything From the New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not comes an explosive examination of grief, mental illness, and the devastating consequences of refusing to let go of the past. When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course. To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart. If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.
A Lesson Before Dying
272 pages
This book is incredibly moving and emotional, as it deeply explores themes of dignity and redemption.
Everything is Illuminated
330 pages
This book is an emotional journey that can leave you in tears, as it beautifully intertwines humor and tragedy.
Sarah's Key
206 pages
This book is gut-wrenching and offers a poignant look at the Holocaust, making it a compelling read.
Sadako and the thousand paper cranes
81 pages
Hiroshima-born Sadako is lively and athletic--the star of her school's running team. And then the dizzy spells start. Soon gravely ill with leukemia, the "atom bomb disease," Sadako faces her future with spirit and bravery. Recalling a Japanese legend, Sadako sets to work folding paper cranes. For the legend holds that if a sick person folds one thousand cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again. Based on a true story, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes celebrates the extraordinary courage that made one young woman a heroine in Japan.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
258 pages
This book will rock you with its powerful storytelling and emotional depth.
A Long Way Gone
238 pages
It's a poignant and heartbreaking account of Ishmael Beah's experiences as a child soldier, offering a deep insight into the impact of war on youth.
Where the Red Fern Grows
306 pages
A beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend. Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It doesn’t matter that times are tough; together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks. Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past. Praise for Where the Red Fern Grows A Top 100 Children’s Novel, School Library Journal's A Fuse #8 Production A Must-Read for Kids 9 to 14, NPR Winner of Multiple State Awards Over 7 million copies in print! “Very touching.” —The New York Times Book Review “One of the great classics of children’s literature . . . Any child who doesn’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.” —Common Sense Media “An exciting tale of love and adventure you’ll never forget.” —School Library Journal “A book of unadorned naturalness.” —Kirkus Reviews “Written with so much feeling and sentiment that adults as well as children are drawn [in] with a passion.” —Arizona Daily Star “It’s a story about a young boy and his two hunting dogs and . . . I can’t even go on without getting a little misty.” —The Huffington Post “We tear up just thinking about it.” —Time on the film adaptation
Bridge to Terabithia
179 pages
A secret world of their own Jess Aaron's greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new kid, a new girl, boldly crosses over to the boy's side of the playground and outruns everyone. That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. It doesn't matter to Jess that leslie dresses funny, or that her family has a lot of money -- but no TV. Leslie has imagination. Together, she and Jess create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits. Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jess is able to come to grips with this tragedy does he finally understand the strength and courage Leslie has given him.
A Man Called Ove
368 pages
"First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Hodder & Stoughton"--Title page verso.
The Jungle
379 pages
This book is a powerful exploration of despair and crushing poverty, making it a challenging yet important read, especially considering its impact on food safety regulations.
Beartown
432 pages
A "poignant, charming novel about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything ... Fredrik Backman knows that we are forever shaped by the places we call home, and ... explores what can happen when we carry the heavy weight of other people's dreams on our shoulders"--
The Way I Used to Be
254 pages
The extraordinary YA TikTok sensation about learning to survive unthinkable trauma from bestselling author, Amber Smith 'After finishing this book, my heart was pounding and I couldn’t find words big enough to describe how brilliant, beautiful, and powerful it is.' L.E. Flynn, author of All Eyes On Her All Eden wants is to rewind the clock. To live that day again. She would do everything differently. Not laugh at his jokes or ignore the way he was looking at her that night. And she would definitely lock her bedroom door. But Eden can’t turn back time. So she buries the truth, along with the girl she used to be. She pretends she doesn’t need friends, doesn’t need love, doesn’t need justice. But as her world unravels, one thing becomes clear: the only person who can save Eden… is Eden. ‘A courageous, necessary, and beautiful book.' Kathleen Glasgow, author of Girl in Pieces 'A raw novel that’ll stay with you long after you finish.' Buzzfeed
Persepolis
It's a compelling story about a teen growing up in Iran, offering a unique perspective on culture and history.
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
166 pages
This book had me crying my eyes out for hours, making it a deeply emotional read.
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.
Angela's Ashes
378 pages
This book is an emotional journey that truly drains you, making it a powerful read.
Dewey
251 pages
This heartwarming story about a library cat will resonate with animal lovers, and it's so touching that it even brought tears to my eyes!
Norwegian Wood
307 pages
While not a sob story, this novel beautifully captures subtle emotions that resonate deeply with readers.
Beach Music
786 pages
An American expatriate in Rome unearths his family legacy in this sweeping novel by the acclaimed author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini A Southerner living abroad, Jack McCall is scarred by tragedy and betrayal. His desperate desire to find peace after his wife’s suicide draws him into a painful, intimate search for the one haunting secret in his family’s past that can heal his anguished heart. Spanning three generations and two continents, from the contemporary ruins of the American South to the ancient ruins of Rome, from the unutterable horrors of the Holocaust to the lingering trauma of Vietnam, Beach Music sings with life’s pain and glory. It is a novel of lyric intensity and searing truth, another masterpiece among Pat Conroy’s legendary and beloved novels. Praise for Beach Music “Astonishing . . . stunning . . . The range of passions and subjects that bring life to every page is almost endless.”—The Washington Post Book World “Magnificent . . . clearly Conroy’s best.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Blockbuster writing at its best.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review “Pat Conroy’s writing contains a virtue now rare in most contemporary fiction: passion.”—The Denver Post “A powerful, heartfelt tale.”—Houston Chronicle
Maus Now
499 pages
This graphic novel provides a powerful look at living in Nazi Germany, making it a must-read for history enthusiasts.
The Art of Racing in the Rain LP
372 pages
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man. A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.