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.

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Science & Technology, Environment

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Climate Change, Health, Science & Nature, Technology, American Literature, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

... Read Project Hail Mary Summary

Promise Boys

by Nick Brooks

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism

... Read Promise Boys Summary

Properties of Thirst

by Marianne Wiggins

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Memory, Perseverance, Nation, Justice, Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Arts & Culture, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Food, Grief & Death, US History, World History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Incarceration, Military & War, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Social Justice

... Read Properties of Thirst Summary

Queenie

by Candice Carty-Williams

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Family, Self Discovery, Conflict, Perseverance, Race, Sexual Identity, Love, Apathy

Tags Gender & Feminism, Race & Racism, Relationships, Love & Sexuality, Trauma & Abuse, Coming of Age, Classic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

... Read Queenie Summary

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Shame & Pride, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Wins & Losses

Tags Self-Improvement, Business & Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Sociology, Education, Leadership, Parenting

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is a nonfiction book by Susan Cain, published in 2012. It is considered part of the psychology and self-help genres. The book made several bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and National Public Radio. It also was voted the best nonfiction book of 2012 by the Goodreads Choice Awards and has been translated... Read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Summary

Rabbit, Run

by John Updike

Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Love & Sexuality

John Updike’s novel Rabbit, Run (1960) is the first installment in his acclaimed Rabbit tetralogy, which chronicles the life of its protagonist, Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom. The series follows Rabbit from his restless youth into his middle age through the subsequent novels Rabbit Redux (1971), Rabbit Is Rich (1981), and Rabbit at Rest (1990), the latter two both winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Set in 1959, the literary fiction novel introduces Rabbit as a 26-year-old... Read Rabbit, Run Summary

Ragtime

by E. L. Doctorow

Publication year 1975

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Social Class, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

... Read Ragtime Summary

Raising Hare

by Chloe Dalton

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Environment, Grief, Hope, Love, Animals, Self Discovery

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Nature Writing, Animals, Science & Nature

... Read Raising Hare Summary

Raybearer

by Jordan Ifueko

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+

... Read Raybearer Summary

Red City

by Marie Lu

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Regret, Race, Coming of Age, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy

... Read Red City Summary

Red Harvest

by Dashiell Hammett

Publication year 1929

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Red Harvest (1929) is a detective novel by American author Dashiell Hammett. The plot is loosely based on the Anaconda Road massacre, a 1920 labor dispute that escalated after a mining company fired upon its miners who were on strike, wounding 16 men and killing another. In 2005, Time magazine named Red Harvest one of the 100 best novels of the 20th century. The novel has influenced many works of noir fiction. This guide uses the... Read Red Harvest Summary