40 Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down
JulieYou know that book. The one you read in one or two sittings. The one you practically swallowed whole. What an exhilarating experience –– to be so captivated by a book that you cannot bear to do anything until you get to the last page!
I polled our ~3,000 HPB Bibliomaniacs around the country about which books they devoured. And they had much to say on the topic. So, if you've never read them, give these books a try. Without further ado, here are 40 Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down.
There seems to be something for everyone on this list -- mystery, romance, biography, contemporary literature, classics, even paranormal. So, did your favorite quick read make the list? Add yours to our list by making a quick comment below.
-- Julie
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Reader Comments (300)
I agree with a lot of the books...Girl with the Dragon Tattoo being one of my all time fav series....I would like to add the The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers! Starts with A Voice in the Wind.........probably my favorite books of all time!
I love so many books, I could never list all my favorites, but I'll throw out the Big Stone Gap series by Adriana Trigiani. There's something very warm and comforting about those stories. There are 4 books in this series now, I believe.
While some of my favorite books are included in this list, here are a few titles and authors that I would recommend to others.
1). Daniel Quinn, especially the Ishmael series (Ishmael, My Ishmael, Story of B)
2). Gregory Maguire - Wicked
3) Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon
4). C.S. Lewis - Screwtape Letters
5). Nella Larson - Passing
Robin Mckinnley is one of my favorite authors of all time!! and Ender's game is one of my favorites as well! Great list, I can't wait to read the ones I haven't heard of till now.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I am 58 years old. Great selections of the ones I have read.
Started reading Classics Illustrated at 6.
The Last of the Mohicans, anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Hunter S Thompson, Richard Brautigan, The Man in the Tree, Firelord by Parke Godwin, Infinite Jest Bored of the RIngs, Foul by Connie Hawkins.
Spend a penny as if it were a dollar, spend a dollar as if it were a wounded Eagle, spend a wounded Eagle as if it were the very sky itself - Richard Brauitigan
<3 Storm Front!!!
It made me so happy to see it on this list. Lots of other good reads too!
The Giver by Lois Lowry. That's one book you can never compete with. It will always be good no matter how many times you read it. Although it does get a lot of hate from people who don't understand the concept of the story. People who do understand it, however, finish it in tears and insist it is the greatest book they've ever read.
On my bookshelf because they're my favorites: Mary Stewart's "Merlin Series," E.M. Forester's Howard's End, Bronte's Jane Eyre, anything by Mauve Binchy, Amy Tan, Anne Tyler or Jane Austen, Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Alcott's Little Women, the Harry Potter series. My new obsession is the Game of Throne series.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, BEST book ever!!!
Remember this is a list of " Won't be able to put down" books, not necessarily all time favorites. So, to the people who are saying Austen, Bronte & the like, I call BS! I love Pride & Prejudice as much as anyone, but it's not a page turner.
I agree with the mention of Game of Thrones. They are all big books, but I read each in 2-3 days.
I just finished reading George Martin's Game of Thrones series and couldn't put them down. Can't wait for the next one. If you like to read Camelot / king Arthur books try Mists of Avalon, my favourite book, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Stephen Kings The Stand and Under the Dome were also good reads. Thanks for the list!
Molokai - beautiful historical fiction
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - nonfiction but reads like a novel
A Tale Dark and Grimm - funny & fabulous tween horror story ( I teach middle school and read more young adult fiction than anything else)
Where the Red Fern Grows - my favorite book of all time
A Dog's Purpose - a different kind of "dog book." I loved it!!
The Art of Racing in the Rain - same old kind of "dog book" at the end but the author tells you that in the beginning so I'm not really spoiling anything. Really nice story wrapped around this one...
LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel. It is a genuinely beautiful book.
I do adore HIGH FIDELITY and ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING. I have never laughed so much while reading the latter.
Umm where's Twilight :)
A few of my favs made the cut, another book I really enjoyed reading was a book I had to read in Highschool called The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
The Red Tent by Anita Diamont
anything by Edward Rutherfurd
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
Fall of Giants by Ken Follet
I read Bossypants in roughly one day. It was the funniest book I have ever read. I don't know if it is maybe a bit funnier for women, or not, but either way Tina Fey knows how to make you laugh. Definitely couldn't set that one down. Good list, some of my favorites!
Eat Pray Love- Elizabeth Gilbert
The Art of Racing in the Rain-Garth Stein
2 books I loved and couldn't set down.
I'm looking for someting to read this summer for our beach trip ...& came across this list. I am so glad The Catcher in the Rye is listed, I'm sure I can find something I'll like now.
I didn't see Stephen Kings's The Dark Tower series or Kim Harrison's The Hollow series.
East of Eden - J. Steinbeck. I was completely mesmerized by Steinbecks storyline in this novel. The depth and the rawness of the book just made me want to read it over and over...Incredible story. Will likely be my all time favorite story.
The Walking Drum-Louis Lamour
The Gunslinger (all of the Dark Tower especially the Drawing of the Three and Susana's Song-Stephen King
Beach Music -Pat Conroy
Rueben,Pearl,One On One-Tabitha King
Cat's Eye, Oryx and Crake-Margaret Atwood
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius-David Eggers Don't Cheat Yourself -read ever word starting with editor pg
Circle Of Friends by Maeve Binchy
I refuse to watch the movie because I got so emotionally wrapped up in the book. I can't put myself through that again!
I have definitely devoured my fair share of these books. I agree with whoever said Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay should be on the list. That is a powerful book! One of my very favorites (non-fiction, very intense, and hard to stomach) is Between a Rock and a Hard Place (127 Hours) by Aron Ralston. I couldn't even put it down when I read it a second time.
I had a very hard time putting down 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall' by Anne Bronte. I kept reading, and reading and reading, no matter how bad my eyes hurt. I also devoured Pride and Prejudice (though not quite as quickly as Wildfell).
So I think Diane is crazy. ;p
Any Woman's Blues (or any other book) by Erica Jong.