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.

How To Hang A Witch

by Adriana Mather

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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How to Seal Your Own Fate

by Kristen Perrin

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Memory, Revenge, Death, Family, Social Class, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction

Kristen Perrin’s How to Seal Your Own Fate (2025) is the second installment in the Castle Knoll Files cozy mystery series. After inheriting the sprawling Gravesdown estate, Annie is drawn into investigating the mysterious 1961 car crash that killed three members of the aristocratic Gravesdown family. Guided by a cryptic fortune-teller, Annie uses her great-aunt’s extensive archives of village secrets to unravel a conspiracy of murder and betrayal, solving a 60-year-old cold case. The novel... Read How to Seal Your Own Fate Summary

Hunger

by Roxanne Gay

Publication year 2017

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Femininity, Shame & Pride

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Mental Illness, Biography

Content Warning: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body describes and references rape and sexual violence, emotional abuse, and verbal abuse.Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) is a memoir by Roxane Gay that addresses the emotional, physical, and psychological effects of sexual assault—and how they tie into self-image. Though Gay’s memoir centers her body, food, and self-image, she also confronts society’s fatphobia—the world’s unwillingness to accept fat people as they are due to assumptions about... Read Hunger Summary

I Am Pilgrim

by Terry Hayes

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Science & Technology, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure

I Am Pilgrim is a 2014 spy thriller by Terry Hayes. The work was his first novel and became a New York Times bestseller. He worked as a journalist before transitioning to writing for film and television. His major credits include Payback, Mad Max 2 (released as The Road Warrior in the US), and Dead Calm.Content Warning: This study guide and its source material discuss recreational drug use, death by suicide, depictions of torture, and... Read I Am Pilgrim Summary

Icebreaker

by Hannah Grace

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Teamwork, Family, Love

Tags Romance, New Adult, Sports, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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If—

by Rudyard Kipling

Publication year 1910

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Wins & Losses, Love, Perseverance, Hope, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons

Tags Inspirational, Lyric Poem, Relationships

... Read If— Summary

If It Bleeds

by Stephen King

Publication year 2020

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Fear, Coming of Age, Midlife, Appearance & Reality, Family, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

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If I Was Your Girl

by Meredith Russo

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Fathers

Tags Romance, Coming of Age, LGBTQ+, Relationships, Depression & Suicide, Bullying, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Meredith Russo’s 2016 young adult novel, If I Was Your Girl, focuses on the experiences of Amanda, an 18-year-old trans girl going through her senior year in a new school.A few critics point out what Russo herself acknowledges in an author’s note that follows the text: the novel glosses over some of the obstacles faced by most trans teens—the protagonist has no issues passing, is able to get gender-confirming surgery at a very young age... Read If I Was Your Girl Summary