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 Wishing Game

by Meg Shaffer

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Fathers, Literature, Art, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Safety & Danger

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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The Witch Elm

by Tana French

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Justice, Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Family, Nature Versus Nurture, Disability, Memory, Hate & Anger, Fear

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature

The Witch Elm (2018) is a psychological crime thriller by best-selling American Irish author Tana French. The story follows Toby Hennessy, who unearths harmful family secrets while salvaging his identity after a traumatic assault. A standalone novel separate from French’s award-winning Dublin Murder Squad series, The Witch Elm appeared on NPR’s list of best books from 2018 and the New York Times’s notable books of 2018. Other works by this author include The Trespasser (2016)... Read The Witch Elm Summary

The Women

by Kristin Hannah

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, Military & War, World History, Romance

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The Word is Murder

by Anthony Horowitz

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Truth & Lies, Revenge

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

The Word Is Murder is a murder mystery by prolific author Anthony Horowitz, published in 2017. It is the first entry in the Hawthorne & Horowitz series, which combines the detective novel with metafiction. Horowitz functions as both author and character, accompanying the fictional Daniel Hawthorne on his investigations. Their investigation blends the mystery genre with meditations on the creative process, the nature of plot, and what makes a character likable or relatable.Horowitz first achieved... Read The Word is Murder Summary

The Young Elites

by Marie Lu

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Place, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction

The Young Elites (2014) by Marie Lu is a young adult fantasy novel with thriller and romance elements. Protagonist Adelina Amouteru faces a dismal future as a malfetto—a person marked by the blood fever epidemic that occurred when she was a child. Discovering that she has the supernatural capabilities of a Young Elite, a quality marking only a few malfettos, positions her on a path of deadly conflict and desire. Highlighting themes of The Concept... Read The Young Elites Summary

They Went Left

by Monica Hesse

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Death, Marriage, Siblings, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History

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Thick: And Other Essays

by Tressie Mcmillan Cottom

Publication year 2019

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Beauty, Justice

Tags Creative Nonfiction, Gender & Feminism, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, African American Literature, Women`s Studies, Sociology

Tressie McMillan Cottom’s Thick: And Other Essays (2019) is a collection of personal essays that explore race, gender, and class in the US. McMillan Cottom is a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an influential public intellectual whose writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Thick situates McMillan Cottom’s personal experiences within sociological and structural analysis to link her experiences to... Read Thick: And Other Essays Summary

Thicker than Water

by Kerry Washington

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, The Past, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Art, Fame, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Biography, Arts & Culture

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