The Best of "Best Book" Lists

The Best of "Best Book" Lists Collection gathers together a selection of popular bestsellers and fan favorites that frequently appear on "Best of" lists. This diverse Collection includes picks to suit a range of age groups and genre preferences, from otherworldly fantasy to gripping crime thrillers.

Culture and Anarchy

by Matthew Arnold

Publication year 1869

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos

Tags Philosophy, Politics & Government, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Victorian Period, World History, Philosophy, Victorian Era, Classic Fiction

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Daddy

by Sylvia Plath

Publication year 1964

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Love, Fathers

Tags Confessional, Grief & Death, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction

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Daisy Jones & The Six

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, Fathers, Fame

Tags Historical Fiction, Music, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s historical fiction novel Daisy Jones & The Six, published in 2019, is a contemporary work of fiction that explores the rich music culture of the 1970s in the United States. This time was known for rock ’n’ roll, partly as a cultural response to the strict rules of the 1960s and the disaster of the Vietnam War. The California dream world of hard partying, no rules, and freedom persists as a major... Read Daisy Jones & The Six Summary

Day

by Michael Cunningham

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, Marriage, Mothers, Community, Safety & Danger

Tags LGBTQ+, Coming of Age

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Dead Until Dark

by Charlaine Harris

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Love, Death, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature

Dead Until Dark (2001) is an urban fantasy novel by American author Charlaine Harris that blends contemporary supernatural elements with the traditions of Southern Gothic literature. The first installment in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Harris’s 13-book series, the story introduces Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress living in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps. Her life is irrevocably altered when she becomes involved with a local vampire, drawing her into a dangerous new world and... Read Dead Until Dark Summary

Death Comes for the Archbishop

by Willa Cather

Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, American Literature, Religion & Spirituality, World History, Classic Fiction

Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927) is a novel by American author Willa Cather. The story is loosely based on the experiences of Priests Jean-Baptiste Lamy and Joseph Projectus Machebeuf as they sought to establish a Catholic diocese (an ecclesiastical district under the control of one particular bishop) in the newly acquired territory of New Mexico.A major figure in American literature, Cather is best known for the novels O Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the... Read Death Comes for the Archbishop Summary

Death in Her Hands

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Aging, Death, The Past, Animals, Marriage, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Literary Fiction

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Deep Survival

by Laurence Gonzales

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Safety & Danger, Perseverance

Tags Psychology, Business & Economics, Action & Adventure, Self-Improvement, Travel Literature, Science & Nature, Psychology

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Delirium

by Lauren Oliver

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Truth & Lies, Politics & Government, Self Discovery, Coming of Age

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy

Written by Lauren Oliver in 2011, Delirium is a young adult, dystopian novel that takes place in a world where love is considered a disease and is thus surgically removed from a person’s brain when they turn 18. The protagonist, Lena Haloway, falls in love with a boy named Alex Warren and must navigate a world in which their love is forbidden. The novel explores the power of love in opposition to an unfair totalitarian... Read Delirium Summary