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.

Midnight's Children

by Salman Rushdie

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Family

Tags Magical Realism, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Poverty, Social Class, World History, Religion & Spirituality, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Midnight’s Children is a 1981 magical realism novel by British American novelist Salman Rushdie. The story follows Saleem, a child born at the moment of India’s independence who possesses strange powers. The novel won many awards, including the Booker of Bookers Prize, which was awarded to the best all-time winner of the Booker Prize on the award’s 40th anniversary. Midnight’s Children has been adapted for theater, radio, and film. This guide uses the 2006 Vintage... Read Midnight's Children Summary

Minor Feelings

by Cathy Park Hong

Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Gender Identity, Daughters & Sons

Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, Relationships, Gender & Feminism, American Literature, Korean Literature, Women`s Studies, Asian Literature, Biography

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Miracle Creek

by Angie Kim

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Asian Literature, Korean Literature, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Angie Kim’s novel Miracle Creek (2019) is a courtroom drama and classic whodunit—during an alternative medical treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), an explosion kills two people and injures six others. The fire that caused the explosion was set deliberately, and readers follow along as Kim weaves moments of drama set in the present with flashbacks to the past. Kim, a Korean immigrant who came to the United States as a child with her parents, is... Read Miracle Creek Summary

Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Love, Conflict, Guilt, Revenge, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Mockingjay, published in 2010 by Scholastic, is the third novel in Suzanne Collins’s bestselling Hunger Games series. The series follows the life of Katniss Everdeen, an adolescent girl living in the futuristic dystopia of Panem. Mockingjay focuses on the civil war between the 13 districts of Panem and the oppressive government of the Capitol. Through Katniss’s experiences in the war, Collins explores cycles of oppression, the meaning of love in wartime, and the power of... Read Mockingjay Summary

Mom & Me & Mom

by Maya Angelou

Publication year 2013

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Family, Sexual Identity, Race, Coming of Age, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Love

Tags Gender & Feminism, Race & Racism, Women`s Studies, Biography

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Moxie

by Jennifer Mathieu

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Equality

Tags Gender & Feminism, Bullying, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction

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Murder at the Vicarage

by Agatha Christie

Publication year 1930

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Social Class, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, British Literature

Published in 1930, Murder at the Vicarage is Agatha Christie’s first novel featuring the elderly detective Miss Marple. The character first appears in a 1927 short story entitled “The Tuesday Murder Club.” In Murder at the Vicarage, unpopular bully Colonel Protheroe dies from a gunshot wound in the study of St. Mary Mead’s Vicarage. All suspects have an alibi, including the victim’s wife and her lover, who each admits guilt to divert suspicion from the... Read Murder at the Vicarage Summary

Murder by Cheesecake

by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Love, Nostalgia, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Community, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read Murder by Cheesecake Summary