Recommended for you
Everyone always tells me they’re hoping to incorporate more reading time into their schedule, but they don’t know where to start. Since there are so many books out there, it can feel quite overwhelming to select just one. As a result, many people often throw their hands up in the air and avoid reading altogether.
Fortunately, I’ve rounded up some of the most profound and engaging books you’ll ever read that are so rich and engrossing, they’ll morph you into the ultimate bookworm. Here are my absolute fave books to pick up with you need something fast and furious!
Scroll to see our favorite binge-worthy books you should add to your shelf this year — you'll fly through them!
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Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
While the movie starring Emilia Clarke is cute and all, it’s nothing compared to the gutwrenching book by Jojo Moyes. This unconventional love story will break your heart into a million pieces, yet not always in the gimmicky ways you’d expect. It manages to tackle a very controversial and heartbreaking topic in the most truthful way, without using emotional manipulation to force readers into tears. It all feels natural, authentic, and realistic, which somehow makes it all the more beautiful. While not exactly a beach read due to its tragic themes, it’s what I’d consider a genuine piece of literature that will make you eager to read more the moment you finish the last page.
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One Day by David Nicholls
I don’t care if you’ve already seen the Anne Hathaway movie or binged the mini series. While both are great in their own right, nothing compares to the original source material written by David Nicholls. It raises the question of whether men and women can really just be friends. I’d consider it a more cynical take on When Harry Met Sally, and it’s a literary masterpiece.
Amazon
Modern Love by The New York Times
Modern Love offers a collection of the best stories from this New York Times section, on life, love, and relationships. It explores what it’s like to date as a modern man/woman in NYC, and it’s an absolute 11 out of 10 read. In here, you’ll find some fascinating dating stories by some of your favorite celebs, as well as everyday New Yorkers. I breezed through it in one sitting, and it’s something I recommend to all my friends who are looking for something profound without the time-consuming factor.
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The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis feels like one big, horrible college party crammed into a singular novel. It’s an extremely bleak and cynical take on modern romance (or should I say 1980s romance, when the book was written). Yet even so, it’s just as relevant today. Ellis, best known for his novel American Psycho, knows just how to satirize the ugliest aspects of our society in order to get people talking and evoke change.
Content warning: Be sure to check out some of the trigger warnings before purchasing, since this novel deals with some highly disturbing themes.
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The Glass Castle by Jennette Walls
If you haven’t read The Glass Castle yet by Jennette Walls, you’re in for a gut-wrenching adventure. This is a memoir about Jennette’s fascinating vagabond upbringing with her homeless family. Yet while they may be poor in the conventional and materialistic sense, their lives are rich with adventure and experiences. It’s one of those books I find myself re-reading every couple of years, and everyone I know who has read it considers it a life-changing book.
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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I know everyone enjoyed the movie starring Ben Affleck, but the novel takes it up a notch by 100%. Fortunately, I read the book before ever watching the film, so when that surprise twist came, I literally jumped up and down and started screaming. I listened to it in audiobook format while walking down the street, and needless to say, when that scene finally came up, I ended up startling some passersby with my reaction. Sorry, guys! It’s one of the best books you’ll ever read on the subject of female identity, all packed into one of the most entertaining books of all time.
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Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
This is a gorgeous literary take on what it means to be an outsider in the Western world. Written by Jean Rhys in 1966, it remains a beloved classic to this day due to its rich writing, Caribbean pride, and lovely prose. It’s one of my absolute favorites, and I’d go so far as to recommend everything by author Jean Rhys, who’s just as talented (dare I say more so) than Sylvia Plath, yet is far less known by modern society. Her books are actually what got me into reading, and now I’m the ultimate bookworm all these years later.
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Franny and Zooey by JD Salinger
Everyone talks about JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, but Franny and Zooey is just as thoughtful and sophisticated, if not more so. It explores the lives of the Glass Family, made up of two sensitive outsiders who see the world through a very philosophical lens. It will change the way you view the world, and it’s an absolute must-read for those hoping to read high-end literary masterpieces.
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More exciting books to read this year:
- Ghost Fish by Stuart Pennebaker
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
- Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
- Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This post has been updated.
