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.

The Dollhouse

by Fiona Davis

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance

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The Doors of Perception, and Heaven and Hell

by Aldous Huxley

Publication year 1954

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Art, Religion & Spirituality, Fear, Joy, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Language, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Beauty, Good & Evil, Literature, Music, Order & Chaos, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Health

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The Dovekeepers

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Femininity, War, Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, Gender & Feminism, Magical Realism, Jewish Literature, Grief & Death, World History

The Dovekeepers (2011) is a historical fiction novel by Alice Hoffman, set in ancient Israel in 70-73 CE. Infused with magical realism, the book is a dramatized feminist retelling of the Siege of Masada, an event in which 960 Jews resisted the onslaught of Roman forces for nine months. The siege took place in the rugged mountain fortress of Masada and left only seven survivors: two women and five children. In Hoffman’s telling, the narrative... Read The Dovekeepers Summary

The Dreamer

by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Illustr. Peter Sis

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Literature, Justice, Childhood & Youth, Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Perseverance, Conflict, Loneliness, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Children`s Literature, World History

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The Elsewhere Express

by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Love, Memory, Disability, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Grief & Death

Samantha Sotto Yambao’s novel The Elsewhere Express (2026) is a work of speculative fiction that blends fabulism with fantasy. Yambao is the author of several other novels, including Before Ever After and Love and Gravity. The Elsewhere Express follows two protagonists, Raya and Q, who are separately grappling with deep loss. Raya is a medical student haunted by guilt over her brother’s death, while Q is a celebrated artist losing his sight to a degenerative... Read The Elsewhere Express Summary

The Empathy Exams

by Leslie Jamison

Publication year 2014

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Mental Health

Tags Health, Gender & Feminism, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Psychology, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse

The Empathy Exams: Essays by Leslie Jamison is a collection of nonfiction essays that are connected thematically by pain and caring. Jamison uses a combination of personal experiences and journalistic approaches to ponder essential questions about both physical and emotional wounds, tenderness, and how people connect through pain. First published in April 2014, this collection premiered at #11 on the New York Times bestseller list and has received considerable acclaim from reviewers across the world... Read The Empathy Exams Summary

The Ending Writes Itself

by Evelyn Clarke

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Marriage, Art, Fame, Literature

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

The Ending Writes Itself (2026) is a satirical locked-room mystery written by Evelyn Clarke, the pen name for the team of best-selling authors V. E. Schwab and Cat Clarke. The novel follows seven writers who are invited to legendary author Arthur Fletch’s remote Scottish island for a literary salon. Upon their arrival, they learn that Fletch is dead and that they have been gathered to compete for a life-changing prize: the chance to secretly ghostwrite... Read The Ending Writes Itself Summary

The End We Start From

by Megan Hunter

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Mothers, Perseverance, Femininity, Climate, Friendship

Tags Science Fiction

The End We Start From (2017) is a dystopian novel by British author Megan Hunter. Set in an apocalyptic version of London, the story centers on climate disaster survival and the trauma of navigating pregnancy and motherhood in the wake of a cataclysmic climate event that alters the world as we know it. The story is primarily told from the first-person perspective of an unnamed narrator and written in a lyrical style that swings between... Read The End We Start From Summary

The Ex Hex

by Erin Sterling

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Love, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Special Occasions, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read The Ex Hex Summary