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The 15 Top Authors, Based on Goodreads Stats

Emily Martin

Emily has a PhD in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, MS, and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from GCSU in Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor. She spends her free time reading, watching horror movies and musicals, cuddling cats, Instagramming pictures of cats, and blogging/podcasting about books with the ladies over at #BookSquadGoals (www.booksquadgoals.com). She can be reached at [email protected].

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So with all the myriad ways readers show their support for their most beloved authors online, how did I come to make this final list? Just to keep the research a little more focused, I stuck with Goodreads stats of various kinds. First of all, I looked at the list of authors who are the most followed on Goodreads. From there, I cross-referenced this list with the list of books that are most read and the most shelved on any given year, starting in 2021 and going back to 2016, just to keep the list current to what people have been reading the most over the past five years or so.

From there, what I got was this scientifically proven (disclaimer: none of this is scientifically proven) list of the top authors of our time (disclaimer again: our time being 2016–2021). Note that this is just one methodology for finding the top current authors. This methodology is less based on the quality of writing and more based on the popularity of the author and their books. But popularity has merit, I say! And it’s worth considering.

“Get on with the list,” you say? Okay, I hear you. Without any further messing around, here’s a list of the 15 top authors, based on Goodreads stats, ranked from 15th place to 1st place. Enjoy!

15 – Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas is a young adult author who is most well-known for her 2017 novel The Hate U Give . The novel debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller List and went on to win several awards, including The William C. Morris Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. In 2021, Thomas wrote a prequel to The Hate U Give, entitled Concrete Rose . This year, she also co-authored a novel called Blackout with Dhonielle Clayton , Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon.

14 – Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is a notable author on this list because she is the first author to ever write a self-published novel that made it to #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. That novel was Hopeless , but the novel Hoover is probably best-known for now is Verity , which you’ve probably seen all over BookTok. Colleen Hoover is a popular author across social media, especially Goodreads, where she’s won multiple Goodreads Choice Awards, in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Every single one of her full-length novels since 2021 have been best sellers.

13 – Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is an author who writes across several genres, including short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, nonfiction, and films. Gaiman has won several awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker awards. He is also the first author to win both the Newbery and the Carnegie medals for the same book, The Graveyard Book . It’s hard to choose one book of Gaiman’s that is the most popular because all of his novels have their fans, but American Gods is one of Gaiman’s best-selling works and has won multiple awards.

12 – Dan Brown

Dan Brown writes thriller/mystery novels that explore conspiracy theories, cryptography, and art. Brown’s novels have sold over 200 million copies. He is best known for his Robert Langdon book series, which dives deep into religious themes and history. Three out of five of the Robert Langdon novels have been adapted into films: The Da Vinci Code , Angels and Demons , and Inferno . And in 2021, Brown’s novel The Lost Symbol was adapted into a television series. Dan Brown has also donated millions of dollars in support of scholarship.

Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead book cover

11 – Colson Whitehead

Colson Whitehead is an author who is the recipient of many awards, including a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2002. His 2016 novel The Underground Railroad won the National Book Award for Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The Underground Railroad was also recently adapted into a television series on Amazon, so that would explain the resurgence of interest in this book on Goodreads. Whitehead’s 2020 novel The Nickel Boys won him another Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. So yes, the hype is real.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Ocean Vuong Novel

10 – Ocean Vuong

The year 2019 was big for poet and author Ocean Vuong. It was the year his debut novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous was released, and it was the year he received a MacArthur Genius Grant. But in 2021, Vuong is still going strong with readers on Goodreads, and it looks like he will be for years to come. Last year, it was announced that Vuong would be the seventh author to contribute to the Future Library Project , a collection of works by contemporary authors that will remain unread until 2114.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Book Cover

9 – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a popular contemporary author for many readers not only on Goodreads, but also on BookTube and BookTok. She is best-known for her novels The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo , Daisy Jones and the Six , and Malibu Rising . Daisy Jones and the Six, which is loosely based on the classic rock band Fleetwood Mac, is currently being adapted into an Amazon miniseries produced by Reese Witherspoon, starring Riley Keough as Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne.

8 – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican Canadian author of speculative fiction. She received the Copper Cylinder Adult Award for her debut novel Signal to Noise and the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel for her 2020 novel Mexican Gothic . Garcia was also a finalist for the Nebula Award for both Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic, and a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award for Mexican Gothic. Mexican Gothic is also in development as a limited series for Hulu, produced by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’s Milojo Productions.

cover of the vanishing half by brit bennett, featuring several different color shapes that appear abstract at first, but are actually the overlapping faces of two women

7 – Brit Bennett

Brit Bennett went straight to The New York Times Best Seller list with her debut novel The Mothers , and she was also named in the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35” list of promising debut novelists. With her second novel, The Vanishing Half , Bennett once again found herself on top of the NYT Best Sellers list, and The New York Times also chose this novel as one of its top ten best books of 2020. Now, both novels are being adapted; Kerry Washington is producing a film adaptation of The Mothers, and The Vanishing Half has been acquired by HBO for a limited series with Bennett serving as executive producer.

6 – Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo’s novels long been popular amongst Goodreads readers, but the recent Netflix adaptation of Shadow and Bone has introduced a whole new group of readers to the series and its spinoff Six of Crows (this story is also a part of the series adaptation). In 2019, Bardugo also published her first adult novel, Ninth House , a paranormal fantasy set at Yale University. Ninth House was listed in Tor’s Best Books of 2019 and Paste’s 19 Best Novels of 2019 . Both Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom were listed in Paste’s 50 Best Fantasy Books of the 21st Century (So Far) .

5 – Sarah J. Maas

Next up on the list is another author of a widely beloved fantasy series: Sarah J. Maas. In fact, Maas is known for not one but two fantasy series, Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses . Maas’s books have sold over 12 million copies and have been translated into 37 languages. In 2020, Maas released the first book in her new Crescent City Series, House of Earth and Blood . The next novel in the series, House of Sky and Breath , is coming in 2022. There are also more books in the Court of Thorns and Roses series in the works.

4 – Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro is a British novelist who is known for playing with genres like speculative fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction in his literary novels. In 2017, Ishiguro won the Nobel Prize in Literature. T he Swedish Academy described Ishiguro as an author “who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world.” His 2021 novel Klara and the Sun is his first novel since winning the Nobel Prize. His latest novel has been widely acclaimed by readers and reviewers and compared to another of Ishiguro’s beloved novels, Never Let Me Go .

3 – Veronica Roth

Veronica Roth is an author who is best-known for her young adult series Divergent , which was released in 2011–2013 and later adapted into a film series starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James. Although the Divergent novels were the first books Roth wrote and remain some of her most popular books, the author continues to write inventive fantasy stories that keep readers interested. Most recently, Roth released her first adult novel, Chosen Ones , the first novel in a fantasy duology.

2 – Stephen King

If you don’t know who Stephen King is, then you’ve probably been living under a rock, but just in case you’ve somehow missed it, here’s the deal with this best-selling author. Stephen King writes across many genres: horror, science fiction, fantasy, suspense, and more. King has won several awards for his works, including multiple Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards, and British Fantasy Society Awards. And in 2003, the National Book Foundation awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Stephen King’s novels are all top-selling books, but if you were wondering which of King’s novels is the best-selling of all 63 of his books, it’s The Shining .

1 – John Green

Is John Green who you expected to see at the top of this list? John Green has had many of his young adult novels hit The New York Times Best Sellers list, including The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down . In 2014, Green was named one of the 1 00 Most Influential People in the World by Time . Part of the reason he is so popular and consistently read by so many people on Goodreads is his involvement in creating so much online content. He and his brother Hank Green are big YouTubers, and John Green also has a podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed , which was adapted into a book of essays.

And there you have it! Hopefully some of the people on these list ended up being surprises to you. I have to say I was a little surprised at how it all shook out, but you can’t argue with science (disclaimer: this still isn’t science)!

Love lists where we talk about the best of the best? Here are 20 of the best children’s authors . And if horror’s more your speed, here’s a totally scientific list of the best horror authors of all time !

8 Creepy and Compelling Historical Horror Novels

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Blog – Posted on Wednesday, Oct 13

The 100 best classic books to read.

Ever been caught up in a conversation about books and felt yourself cringe over your literary blind spots? Classic literature can be intimidating, but getting acquainted with the canon isn't just a form of torture cooked up by your high school English teacher: instead, an appreciation for the classics will help you see everything that's come since in a different light, and pick up on allusions that you'll begin to notice everywhere. Above all, they're just great reads — they've stood the test of time for a reason!

If you've always wanted to tackle the classics but never knew quite where to begin, we've got you covered. We've hand-selected 100 classic books to read, written by authors spanning continents and millennia. From love stories to murder mysteries, nonfiction to fantasy, there's something for everybody.

1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

This milestone Spanish novel may as well be titled 100 Years on Everyone’s Must-Read List — it’s just a titan in the world literature canon. We could go on about its remarkable narrative technique, beguiling voice, and sprawling cast of characters spanning seven generations. Its famous first line may be all that’s needed to win you over: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”

2. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Newland Archer, one of 1900s New York’s most eligible bachelors, has been looking for a traditional wife, and May Welland seems just the girl — that is until Newland meets entirely unsuitable Ellen Olenska. He must now choose between the two women — and between old money prestige and a value that runs deeper than social etiquette.

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This allegorical tale, often recommended as a self-help book , follows young shepherd Santiago as he journeys to Egypt searching for a hidden treasure. A parable telling readers that the universe can help them realize their dreams if they only focus their energy on them, Coelho’s short novel has endured the test of time and remains a bestseller today.

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4 . All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Erich Maria Remarque’s wartime classic broke ground with its unflinching look at the human cost of war through the eyes of German soldiers in the Great War. With a lauded 1930 film adaptation (only the third to win Best Picture at the Oscars), All Quiet on the Western Front remains as powerful and relevant as ever.

5 . American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings by Zitkála-Šá

Zitkála-Šá’s stories invite readers into the world of Sioux settlement, sharing childhood memories, legends, and folktales, and a memoir account of the Native American author ’s transition into Western culture when she left home. Told in beautiful, fluid language, this is a must-read book.

The World's Bestselling Mystery \'Ten . . .\' Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious \'U.N. Owen.\' \'Nine . . .\' At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead. \'Eight . . .\' Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one . . . one by one they begin to die. \'Seven . . .\' Who among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

6 . And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

First, there were ten who arrived on the island. Strangers to one another, they shared one similarity: they had all murdered in the past. And when people begin dropping like flies, they realize that they are the ones being murdered now. An example of a mystery novel done right, this timeless classic was penned by none other than the Queen of Mystery herself .

7 . Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy’s celebrated novel narrates the whirlwind tale of Anna Karenina. She’s married to dull civil servant Alexei Karenin when she meets Count Vronsky, a man who changes her life forever. But an affair doesn’t come without a moral cost, and Anna’s life is soon anything but blissful.

8 . The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath’s only novel follows the young, ambitious Esther Greenwood, who falls into a depression after a directionless summer, culminating in a suicide attempt. But even as Esther survives and receives treatment, she continues wondering about her purpose and role in society — leading to much larger questions about existential fulfillment. Poetically written and stunningly authentic, The Bell Jar continues to resonate with countless readers today.

9. Beloved by Toni Morrison

Many books are said to have helped shape the world — but only a few can really stake that claim. Toni Morrison’s Beloved is one of them. One of the great literary luminaries of our time, her best-known novel is the searingly powerful story of Sethe, who was born a slave in Kentucky. Though she’s since escaped to Ohio, she is haunted by her dead baby, whose tombstone is engraved with one word: Beloved .

10 . The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

Before the recent fad of feminist retellings of fairy tales, there was The Bloody Chamber . But Angela Carter’s retold tales, including twisted versions of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, are more than just feminist: they’re original, darkly irreverent, and fiercely independent. This classic book is exactly what you’d expect from the author who inspired contemporary masters like Neil Gaiman, Sarah Waters, and Margaret Atwood.

11. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Though the title evokes Audrey Hepburn, this novella came first — and the literary Holly Golightly is a very different creature from the 'good-time girl' who falls for George Peppard. Clever and chameleonic, she crafts her persona to fit others’ expectations, chasing her own American Dream while letting men think they can have it with her… only to slip through their fingers. A fascinating character study and a triumph of Capote’s wit and humanity.

12. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

Set in the opulent inter-war era in England, Brideshead Revisited chronicles the increasingly complex relationship between Oxford student Charles Ryder, his university chum Sebastian, whose noble family they visit at their grand seat of Brideshead. A lush, nostalgic, and passionate rendering of a bygone era of English aristocracy.

13. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

Welcome to Theoretical Physics 101. If it sounds daunting, you aren’t alone, and Stephen Hawking does a beautiful job guiding layperson readers through complex subjects. If you’re keen to learn more about such enigmas as black holes, relativity theory, quantum mechanics, and time itself, this is a perfect first taste.

14. The Call of the Wild (Reader's Library Classics) by Jack London

London's American classic is the bildungsroman of Buck: a St. Bernard/Scotch Collie mix who must adapt to life as a sled dog after a domesticated upbringing. Thrown into a harsh new reality, he must trust his instincts to survive. When he falls into the hands of a wise, experienced outdoorsman, will he become loyal to his new master or finally answer the call of the wild?

15. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Salinger’s angsty coming-of-age tale is an English class cornerstone for a good reason. The story follows Holden Caulfield, a 17-year-old boy fed up with prep school “phonies.” Escaping to New York in search of authenticity, he soon discovers that the city is a microcosm of the society he hates. Relentlessly cynical yet profoundly moving, The Catcher in the Rye will strike a chord not just with Holden’s fellow teens but with earnest thinkers of all ages.

16. A Christmas Carol (Bantam Classics) by Charles Dickens

If you’re not acquainted with Dickens , then his evergreen Christmastime classic is the perfect introduction. Not only is it one of his best-loved works, but it’s also a slim 104 pages — a true yuletide miracle from an author with a tendency towards the tome! This short length means it’s the perfect book with which to cozy up in winter, just when you want to feel that warm holiday glow.

17. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

En route to his wedding, merchant sailor Edmond Dantès is shockingly accused of treason and thrown in prison without cause. There, he learns the secret location of a great fortune — knowledge that incites him to escape his grim fortress and take revenge on his accusers. With peerlessly propulsive prose, Dumas spins an epic tale of retribution, jealousy, and suffering that deserves every page he gives it.

18. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

A masterclass in character development , the very title of Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment is essentially an idiom for 'epic literature.' It centers around Raskolnikov, an unremarkable man who randomly murders someone after convincing himself that his motives are lofty enough to justify his actions. It turns out that it’s never that simple, and his conscience begins to call to him more and more.

19. Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

The inspiration for the seminal 90s teen drama Cruel Intentions , Laclos's epistolary classic is a heady pre-revolutionary cocktail of sex and scandal that paints a damning portrait of high society. Laclos expertly plays with form and structure, composing a riveting narrative of letters passed between the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont — aristocratic former lovers who get in over their heads when they start playing with people's hearts.

20. The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes

In this highly atmospheric book, Fuentes draws the reader in with hypnotic, visceral descriptions of the final hours of its title character: a multifaceted tycoon, revolutionary, lover, and politician. As with many classic books, death here symbolizes corruption — yet it’s also impossible to ignore as a physical reality. As well as being a powerful statement on mortality, it's a moving history of the Mexican Revolution and a landmark in Latin-American literature .

21. Diary of a Madman, and other stories by Lu Xun

This collection is a modern Chinese classic containing chilling, satirical stories illustrating a time of great social upheaval. With tales that ask questions about what constitutes an individual's life, ordinary citizens' everyday experiences blend with enduring feudal values, ghosts, death, and even a touch of cannibalism.

22. Samuel Pepys The Diaries by Samuel Pepys

Best known for his recording the Great Fire of London, Samuel Pepys was a man whose writings have provided modern historians with one of the greatest insights into 17th-century living. The greatest hits of his diary include eyewitness accounts of the restoration of the monarchy and the Great Plague. The timelessness of this book, however, is owed to the richness of Pepys's day-to-day drama, which he records in unsparing, lively detail.

23 . A Doll's House and Other Plays (Penguin Classics) by Henrik Ibsen

Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a powerful play starring the seemingly frivolous housewife Nora. Her husband, Torvald, considers her to be a silly “bird” of a companion, but in reality, she’s got a much firmer grasp on the hard facts of their domestic life than he does. Readers will celebrate as she finds the voice to speak her true thoughts.

24. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Entranced by tales of chivalry, a minor nobleman reinvents himself as a knight. He travels the land jousting giants and delivering justice — though, in reality, he’s tilting at windmills and fighting friars. And while Don Quixote lives out a fantasy in his head, an imposter puts it to the page, further blurring the line between fiction and reality. Considered by many to be the first modern novel, Don Quixote is undoubtedly the work of a master storyteller.

25. The Dream of The Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin

A treasured classic of Chinese literature, Dream of the Red Chamber is a rich, sprawling text that explores the darkest corners of high society during the Qing Dynasty. Focusing on two branches of a fading aristocratic clan, it details the lives of almost forty major characters, including Jia Baoyu, the heir apparent whose romantic notions may threaten the family's future.

26. Dune by Frank Herbert

A dazzling epic science fiction classic, Dune created a now-immortalized interstellar society featuring a conflict between various noble families. On the desert planet of Arrakis, House Atreides controls the production of a high-demand drug known as "the spice". As political conflicts mount and spice-related revelations occur, young heir Paul Atreides must push himself to the absolute limit to save his planet and his loved ones.

27. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy became the blueprint for countless fantasy series , and this first installment is its epic start. In The Fellowship of the Ring, we meet Frodo Baggins and his troupe of loyal friends, all of whom embark on a fateful mission: to destroy the One Ring and its awful powers forever.

28. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Betty Friedan’s disruptive feminist text sheds light on the midcentury dissatisfaction of homemakers across America. Her case studies of unhappy women relegated to the domestic sphere, striving for careers and identities beyond the home, cut deep even now — and in retrospect, were a clear catalyst for second-wave feminism in the United States.

29. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Shelley’s hugely influential classic recounts the tragic tale of Victor Frankenstein: a scientist who mistakenly engineers a violent monster. When Victor abandons his creation, the monster escapes and threatens to kill Victor’s family — unless he’s given a mate. Facing tremendous moral pressure, Victor must choose: foster a new race to possibly destroy humanity, or be responsible for the deaths of everyone he’s ever loved?

30. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

A defining entry in the LGBTQ+ canon , Giovanni’s Room relates one man’s struggle with his sexuality, as well as the broader consequences of the toxic patriarchy. After David, our narrator, has traveled to France to find himself, he begins a relationship with messy, magnetic Giovanni — the perfect foil to David’s safe, dull girlfriend. As more trouble arises, David agonizes over who he is, what he wants, and whether it is even possible to obtain it in this world.

31. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing

This inventive meta novel is the first of Lessing’s “inner space” works, dealing with ideas of mental and societal breakdown. It revolves around writer Anna Wulf, who hopes to combine the notebooks about her life into one grand narrative. But despite her creative strides, Anna has irreparably fragmented herself — and working to re-synthesize her different sides eventually drives her mad.

32. Goodbye To All That by Robert Graves

Few people possess enough raw material to pen a memoir at the age of 34. Robert Graves — having already lived through the First World War and the seismic shifts it sparked in English society and sensibilities — peppers his sober account of social and personal turmoil with moments of surprising levity. Graves would later go on to write I, Claudius, a novel of the Roman Empire that is considered one of the greatest books ever written.

33. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Following one Oklahoma family’s journey out of the Dust Bowl in search of a better life in California, Steinbeck’s classic is a vivid snapshot of Depression-era America, and about as devastating as it gets. Both tragic and awe-inspiring, The Grapes of Wrath is widely considered to be Steinbeck's best book and a front-runner for the title of The Great American Novel.

34. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

When talking of the Great American Novel, you cannot help but mention this work by F. Scott Fitzgerald. More than just a champagne-soaked story of love, betrayal, and murder, The Great Gatsby has a lot to say about class, identity, and belonging if you scratch its surface. You probably read this classic book in high school, but a return visit to West Egg is more than justified.

35. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

Meet John Singer, a deaf and nonverbal man who sits in the same café every day. Here, in the deep American South of the 1930s, John meets an assortment of people and acts as the silent, kind keeper of their stories — right up until an unforgettable ending that will blow you away. It’s hard to believe McCullers was only 23 when she penned this Southern gothic classic.

36. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

An epic work that befits its lengthy title, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire chronicles thirteen centuries of Roman rule. It chronicles its leaders, conflicts, and the events that led to its collapse— an outcome that Gibbon lays at the feet of Christianity. This work is an ambitious feat at over six volumes, though one that Gibbon pulls off with great panache.

37. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Arthur Dent is an Englishman, an enjoyer of tea — and the only person to survive the destruction of the Earth. Accompanied by an alien author, Dent must now venture into the intergalactic bypass to figure out what’s going on. Though by no means the first comedic genre book, Douglas Adams’s masterpiece certainly popularized the idea that science fiction doesn't have to be earnest and straight-faced.

38. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle’s world-famous detective needs no introduction. Mythologized in film and television many times over by now, this mystery of a diabolical hound roaming the moors in Devon is perhaps Sherlock Holmes’s most famous adventure.

39. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Few first-time novelists have had the kind of impact and success enjoyed by Isabel Allende with her triumphant debut. Found at the top of pretty much every list of ‘best sweeping family sagas,’ The House of the Spirits chronicles the tumultuous history of the Trueba family, entwining the personal, the political, and the magical.

40. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

A perennial personal development staple, How to Win Friends and Influence People has been flying off the shelves since its release in 1936. Full of tried-and-true tips for garnering favor in both professional and personal settings, you’ll want to read the classic book that launched the entire self-help industry.

41. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

From a small Southern town to San Francisco, this landmark memoir covers Maya Angelou’s childhood years growing up in the United States, facing daily prejudice, racism, and sexism. Yet what shines the brightest on every page is Maya Angelou’s voice — which made the book an instant classic in 1969 and has endured to this day.

42. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

You don’t have to be a sci-fi buff (or a Will Smith fan) to understand I, Robot’s iconic status. But if you are one, you’ll know the impact Isaac Asimov’s short story collection has had on subsequent generations of writers. Razor-sharp and thought-provoking, these tales of robotic sentience are still deeply relevant today.

43. If This Is a Man by Primo Levi

Spare, unflinching, and horrifying, If This Is a Ma n is Italian-Jewish writer Primo Levi’s autobiographical account of life under fascism and his detention in Auschwitz. It serves as an invaluable historical document and a powerful insight into the atrocities of war, making for a challenging but essential read.

44. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

From Ellison’s exceptional writing to his affecting portrayal of Black existence in America, Invisible Man is a true masterpiece. The book’s unnamed narrator describes experiences ranging from frustrating to nightmarish, reflecting on the “invisibility” of being seen only as one’s racial identity. Weaving in threads of Marxist theory and political unrest, this National Book Award winner remains a radical, brilliant must-read for the 21st century.

45. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Like a dark, sparkling jewel passed down through generations, Charlotte Brontë’s exquisite Gothic romance continues to be revered and reimagined more than 170 years after its publication. Its endurance is largely thanks to the intensely passionate and turbulent relationship between headstrong heroine Jane and the mysterious Mr. Rochester — a romance that is strikingly modern in its sexual politics.

46. The Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en

Journey to the West is an episodic Chinese novel published anonymously in the 16th century and attributed to Wu Cheng’en. Today, this beloved text — a rollicking fantasy about a mischievous, shape-shifting monkey god and his fallen immortal friends — is the source text for children’s stories, films, and comics. But this classic book is also an insightful comic satire and a monument of literature comparable to The Canterbury Tales or Don Quixote.

47. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

A science fiction novel by one of the genre's greats, Kindred asks the toughest “what if” question there is: What if a modern black woman was transported back in time to antebellum Maryland? Octavia Butler sugarcoats nothing in this incisive, time-traveling inquisition into race and racism during one of the most horrifying periods in American history.

49. The Lonely Londoners by Samuel Selvon

The Lonely Londoners occupies a unique historical position as one of the earliest accounts of the Black working-class in 20th-century Britain. Selvon delves into the lives of immigrants from the West Indies, most of whom feel disillusioned and listless in London. But with its singular slice-of-life style and humor, The Lonely Londoners is hardly a tragic novel — only an unflinchingly honest one.

50. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Another high school English classic, Lord of the Flies recounts the fate of a group of young British boys stranded on a desert island. Though they initially attempt to band together, rising tensions and paranoia lead to in-fighting and, eventually, terrible violence. The result is a dark cautionary tale against our own primitive brutality — with the haunting implication that it's closer to the surface than we'd like to think.

51. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Flaubert’s heroine Emma Bovary is the young wife of a provincial doctor who escapes her banal existence by devouring romance novels. But when Emma decides she remains unfulfilled, she starts seeking romantic affairs of her own — all of which fail to meet her expectations or rescue her from her mounting debt. Though Flaubert’s novel caused a moral outcry on publication, its portrayal of a married woman’s affair was so realistic, many women believed they were the model for his heroine.

52. The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling

This short novella tells the story of two British men visiting India while the country is a British colony. Swindlers and cheats, the men trick their way to Kafiristan, a remote region where one of them comes to be revered as king. A cautionary tale warning against letting things go to your head, this funny and absurd read has also been made into a classic film starring Michael Caine and Sean Connery.

53. Middlemarch by George Eliot

Subtitled A Study of Provincial Life , this novel concerns itself with the ordinary lives of individuals in the fictional town of Middlemarch in the early 19th century. Hailed for its depiction of a time of significant social change, it also stands out for its gleaming idealism, as well as endless generosity and compassion towards the follies of humanity.

54. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Born in the first hour of India’s independence, Saleem Sinai is gifted with the power of telepathy and an extraordinary sense of smell. He soon discovers that there are 1,001 others with similar abilities — people who can help Saleem build a new India. The winner of the Booker prize in 1981, Salman Rushdie’s groundbreaking novel is a triumphant achievement of magical realism .

55. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Moby-Dick is more than the story of a boy on-board a whaling ship, more than an ode to marine lore and legend, and even more than a metaphysical allegory for the struggle between good and evil. Herman Melville’s “Great American Novel” is a masterful study of faith, obsession, and delusion — and a profound social commentary born from his lifelong meditation on America. The result will fill you with wonder and awe.

56. My Antonia by Willa Cather

Willa Cather’s celebrated classic about life on the prairie, My Ántonia tells the nostalgic story of Jim and Ántonia, childhood friends and neighbors in rural Nebraska. As well as charting the passage of time and the making of America, it’s a book that fills readers with wonder and a warm feeling of familiarity.

57. The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco

Originally published in Italian, The Name of the Rose is one of the bestselling books of all time — and for good reason. Umberto Eco plots a wild ride from start to finish: an intelligent murder mystery that combines theology, semiotics, empiricism, biblical analysis, and layers of metanarratives that create a brilliant labyrinth of a book.

58. The Nether World by George Gissing

A masterpiece of realism, The Nether World forces the reader to spend time with the type of marginalized people routinely left out of fiction: the working class of late 19th century London, a group whose many problems are intertwined with money. Idealistic in its pessimism, this fantastic novel insists that life is much more demanding than fiction lets show.

59. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

George Orwell’s story of a heavily surveilled dystopian state was heralded as prescient and left a lasting impact on popular culture and language (“Room 101”, “Big Brother,” and “Doublethink” were all born in its pages, to name a few). Just read it, if only to recognize its references, which you’ll begin to notice everywhere .

60. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Uprooted from the South, a pastor's daughter, Margaret Hale, finds herself living in an industrial town in England's North. She encounters the suffering of the local mill workers and the mill owner John Thornton — and two very different passions ignite. In North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell fuses personal feeling with social concern, creating in the process a heroine that feels original and strikingly modern.

61. The Odyssey by Homer

This timeless classic has the heart-racing thrills of an adventure story and the psychological drama of an intricate family saga. After ten years fighting in a thankless war, Odysseus begins the long journey home to Ithaca — where his wife Penelope struggles to hold off a horde of suitors. But with men and gods standing in their way, will Odysseus and Penelope ever be reunited?

62. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway ’s career culminated with The Old Man and the Sea, the last book he published in his lifetime. This ocean-deep novella has a deceptively simple premise — an aging fisherman ventures out into the Gulf Stream determined to break his unlucky streak. What follows is a battle that’s small in scale but epic in feeling, rendered in Hemingway’s famously spare prose.

63. On The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

Questioning the idea of a Creator — and therefore challenging the beliefs of most of the Western world — in The Origin of Species , Darwin explored a theory of evolution based on laws of natural selection. Not only is this text still considered a groundbreaking scientific work, but the ideas it puts forward remain fundamental to modern biology. And it’s totally readable to boot!

64. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

The subjective nature of “sanity,” institutional oppression, and rejection of authority are just a few of the issues tackled in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest . The rebellious Randle McMurphy is this story’s de facto hero, and his clashes with the notorious Nurse Ratched have not only inspired a host of spin-offs but arguably a whole movement of fiction related to mental health.

65. One Thousand and One Nights by Anonymous

Embittered by his first wife’s infidelity, King Shahryar takes a new bride every night and beheads her in the morning — until Scheherazade, his latest bride, learns to use her imagination to stave off death. In this collection of Arabic folk tales, the quick-witted storyteller Scheherazade demonstrates the power of a good cliffhanger — on both the king and the reader!

66. Orientalism by Edward W. Said

An intelligent critique of the way the Western world perceives the East, Orientalism argues that the West’s racist, oppressive, and backward representation of the Eastern world is tied to imperialism. Published in 1978, Edward Said’s transformative text changed academic discourse forever.

67. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Thanks to the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen, the love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy (pioneers of the enemies-to-lovers trope) is not merely a regency romance but a playful commentary on class, wealth, and the search for self-knowledge in a world governed by strict etiquette. Light, bright, and flawlessly crafted, Pride and Prejudice is an Austen classic you’re guaranteed to love.

68. The Princesse de Clèves by Madame de Lafayette

Often called the first modern novel from France, The Princesse de Cleves is an account of love, anguish, and their inherent inseparability: an all-too-familiar story, despite the 16th-century setting. Though the plot is simple — an unrequited love, unspoken until it’s not — Madame de Lafayette pours onto the pages a moving and profound analysis of the fragile human heart.

69. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

The Reader is set in postwar Germany, a society still living in the shadow of the Holocaust. The book begins with an older woman’s relationship with a minor, though it isn’t even the most shocking thing that happens in this novel. Concerned with disconnection and apathy, Schlink’s book grapples with the guilty weight of the past without flinching from the horror of the present.

70. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” Du Maurier’s slow-burning mystery has been sending a chill down readers’ spines for decades, earning its place in the horror hall of fame. It’s required reading for any fan of the genre, but reader beware: this gorgeously gothic novel will keep you up at night.

71. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

A mainstay of feminist literature , A Room of One’s Own experimentally blends fiction and fact to drill down into the role of women in literature as both subjects and creatives. Part critical theory, part rallying cry, this slender book still packs a powerful punch.

72. Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

Described by Edward Said as one of the great novels in the oeuvre of Arabic books, Season of Migration to the North is the revolutionary narrative of two men struggling to re-discover their Sudanese identities following the impact of British colonialism. Some compare it to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness , but it stands tall in its own right.

73. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

A foundational feminist text , Simone de Beauvoir's treatise The Second Sex marked a watershed moment in feminist history and gender theory. It rewards the efforts of those willing to traverse its nearly 1,000 pages with eye-opening truths about gender, oppression, and otherness.

74. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

How do genes work? And what does that mean for our chances of survival? Often cited as one of the most influential science books of all time, Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene seeks to answer these pressing questions and more. It also touts the dubious glory of introducing the word “meme” into the public consciousness.

75. The Shining by Stephen King

Jack Torrance is the new off-season caretaker at the Overlook Hotel. Providing his family with a home and him with enough time to write, it’s the perfect job, but for one tiny problem: the hotel may be haunted. And it’s only going to get worse once winter sets in. If you only read one horror book in your lifetime, you could do much worse than Stephen King’s The Shining .

76. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

The story of a man casting off his worldly possessions in the pursuit of self-discovery and enlightenment, Siddhartha may seem intimidatingly philosophical at first glance. In reality, though, Herman Hesse’s German-language classic is surprisingly accessible, and as page-turning and readable as it is spiritually enlightening.

77. The Sorrows Of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A defining work in early Romanticism that influenced the likes of Mary Shelley and Thomas Mann, The Sorrows of Young Werther is an epistolary novel that tells of a young writer infatuated with someone else’s betrothed. Drawing heavily on his own experience of ill-fated love, as well as the death of his good friend, Goethe makes the pages hum with angst and repressed desire.

78. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Dr. Jekyll’s attempt to indulge in his vices transforms him into the horrific Mr. Hyde. The more Jekyll yields to his urges, the more powerful Hyde becomes until even Jekyll can’t control him. The result is a thrilling story of supernatural horror and a potent allegory that warns against giving in to one’s dark side.

79. The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Stranger opens with Meursault, our hero, learning of the death of his mother. His reaction to the news is put under intense scrutiny from those around him. The reader is led in a strange dance of absurdism and existentialism that sees Meursault confront something even crueler than mortality: society’s expectations.

80. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth by Vikram Seth

Recently adapted into a hit drama by the BBC, A Suitable Boy is one of the newer books on our list but has already landed classic status. At nearly 1,500 pages long, the story of 19-year-old Lata's attempts to resist her family's efforts to marry her off to "a suitable boy" is astonishing in its execution and eye-opening look at class, religion, and gendered expectations in mid-century India.

81. The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

The Tale of Genji follows the romantic and political misadventures of a young official born to one of the emperor’s consorts. With no place in the line of succession, Genji makes his way through life using his good looks and charm — but these gifts ultimately bring him more sorrow than joy. Elegant and immersive, this captivating classic is often touted as the first in-depth character study.

82. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Set against sweeping landscapes and wind-torn fields, Tess of the D’Urbervilles focuses on the life of young Tess Durbeyfield, who, by her family’s great poverty, is forced to claim kinship with the wealthy D’Urberville family. What follows is a devastating tragedy, as Tess meets harsher and harsher treatment at the hands of men.

83. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

After being caught kissing down-and-out Johnny Taylor, sixteen-year-old Janie is promptly married off to an older man. Following her journey through adolescence, adulthood, and a string of unsatisfying marriages with unblinking honesty, Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the seminal masterpieces of African American literature .

84. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe’s magnum opus follows Okonkwo, an Igbo man whose sole aim is to rise above his father’s weak legacy. Okonkwo is strong and fearless, but his obsession with masculinity leads him to violently dominate others — until he goes too far one day. The following events form an unparalleled tragedy, made all the more gripping by rich details of pre-colonial Igbo culture and timeless questions about tradition and honor.

85. Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata

When a young man meets his late father’s mistress at a tea ceremony, he succumbs to a desire that is both transgressive and overpowering. While the tragic consequences of their love affair unfold, Kawabata delicately guides us through a world of passion, regret, and exquisite beauty. No wonder Thousand Cranes helped him land a Nobel Prize.

86. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This unforgettable classic centers on race relations and justice in the Depression-era South. Narrated by our protagonist as an adult, it looks back to her childhood when her father defended a Black man falsely accused of rape. She muses on what their small town’s reactions to the trial taught her about prejudice and morality. Despite the heavy subject matter, Scout’s warm, insightful voice makes To Kill a Mockingbird a joy to read; no wonder it’s often cited as the Great American Novel.

87. The Trial by Franz Kafka

The Trial begins with a bank cashier, Josef K., accused of an unspecified crime and told to await a court summons. Josef attempts to figure out what he has “done” but is met only with chaos and despair, and his sanity continues to fray as he goes through this maddening ordeal.

88. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Henry James’ brilliance arguably reached a pinnacle with The Turn of the Screw , a Gothic novella about a governess who cares for two children in the estate of Bly. She grows convinced that the grounds are haunted by ghosts — but are they, really?

89. Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Steve McQueen’s Oscar-winning adaptation recently drew renewed attention to this vital work by Solomon Northup, a memoir that takes a well-deserved place on every complete list of classic books. As a free and educated man kidnapped and sold into slavery, Northup was able to write an extraordinarily full account of life on a cotton plantation that exposes the brutal truth from the uniquely cutting viewpoint of both an outsider and a victim.

90. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

This classic sci-fi book features the original Nemo — not, regrettably, an adorable clownfish, but the captain of a submarine called Nautilus. Captain Nemo, his crew, and three scientists go on a fantastical journey in the shadowy depths of the sea. From underwater forests to walking the seafloor and finding Atlantis, this is no ordinary adventure.

91. Ulysses by James Joyce

Though it’s a long book, Ulysses traces the progress of a single day in the life of Irishman Leopold Bloom and his acquaintances. A groundbreaking modernist work, this novel is characterized by innovative literary experimentation and a stream-of-consciousness flow that winds elusively along the streets of Dublin.

92. Under the Net by Iris Murdoch

Iris Murdoch’s best-known novel is much like its protagonist: brimming with equal parts charisma and chaos. Down-and-out writer Jake Donaghue is the man of the hour, and the reader charts him all over London as he runs into increasingly odd characters and situations.

93. Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand

Untouchable follows a day in the life of Bakha, a sweeper and toilet cleaner who is rendered “untouchable” under India’s rigid caste system. Only 166 pages long, Anand presents a powerful case study of injustice and the oppressive systems that perpetuate it.

94. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

A commanding manifesto by author-activist Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman birthed the tenets of modern feminist thought. Defying the commonly held notion that women were naturally inferior to men, it argued that a lack of education for women fostered inequality. One to pick up if you want to feel good about how far gender equality has come — or if you want to fuel your fire for the distance yet to be traveled.

95. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

Two worlds must do epic battle: humankind and Martians. And only one can survive. This seminal science fiction work caused widespread panic in 1938 when its radio adaptation—narrated and directed by Orson Welles—made people across the United States think that an actual alien invasion was taking place right outside their front doors.

96. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Are you tired of being told to read Jane Eyre ? Then we suggest you pick up Wide Sargasso Sea : the feminist prequel written by Jean Rhys in 1966. Rhys reshapes the Bronte classic forever by writing from Bertha Mason’s point of view: no longer the madwoman in the attic, but a Jamaican caught in a patriarchal society from which she cannot escape.

97. Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

This book takes its reader to a fictional African nation called the Free Republic of Aburiria and brings a postcolonial edge to folk storytelling. Featuring tricksters, lovers, and magical elements, Wizard of the Crow is a hilarious satire of autocracy and an experimental feat that cleverly incorporates oral traditions into its grand vision.

98. Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis

Women, Race, and Class is a must-read for anyone who wants to know about the intersectionality of the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements. Civil rights activist Angela Davis unpacks white feminism, sexism, and racism in clear, incisive prose as she makes a resounding call for equality.

99. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Amid a terrible snowstorm, a man takes shelter at Wuthering Heights, where he learns the story of the manor’s former inhabitants: Catherine and Heathcliff. Set against the bleak and feral backdrop of the Yorkshire Moors, it’s a story of impossible desire, cruel betrayal, and bitter vengeance that rages with as much life and power as the fierce winds outside.

100. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

One of the early feminist triumphs, The Yellow Wallpaper is the famous short story chronicling the slow breakdown of a woman imprisoned in a room with (spoiler alert) yellow wallpaper—presumably to cure her “temporary nervous depression.” Highly recommended, especially since it’s only a 10-minute read.

Still hungry for more classic reads? Check out our picks for the best books of all time . If you'd like to try something a little more contemporary, we've got you covered with our favorite novels of the 21st century .

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The Greatest Books of All Time

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 264 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page .

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1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Cover of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This novel is a multi-generational saga that focuses on the Buendía family, who founded the fictional town of Macondo. It explores themes of love, loss, family, and the cyclical nature of history. The story is filled with magical realism, blending the supernatural with the ordinary, as it chronicles the family's experiences, including civil war, marriages, births, and deaths. The book is renowned for its narrative style and its exploration of solitude, fate, and the inevitability of repetition in history.

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Cover of 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Set in the summer of 1922, the novel follows the life of a young and mysterious millionaire, his extravagant lifestyle in Long Island, and his obsessive love for a beautiful former debutante. As the story unfolds, the millionaire's dark secrets and the corrupt reality of the American dream during the Jazz Age are revealed. The narrative is a critique of the hedonistic excess and moral decay of the era, ultimately leading to tragic consequences.

3. Ulysses by James Joyce

Set in Dublin, the novel follows a day in the life of Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman, as he navigates the city. The narrative, heavily influenced by Homer's Odyssey, explores themes of identity, heroism, and the complexities of everyday life. It is renowned for its stream-of-consciousness style and complex structure, making it a challenging but rewarding read.

4. Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

Cover of 'Nineteen Eighty Four' by George Orwell

Set in a dystopian future, the novel presents a society under the total control of a totalitarian regime, led by the omnipresent Big Brother. The protagonist, a low-ranking member of 'the Party', begins to question the regime and falls in love with a woman, an act of rebellion in a world where independent thought, dissent, and love are prohibited. The novel explores themes of surveillance, censorship, and the manipulation of truth.

5. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Cover of 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J. D. Salinger

The novel follows the story of a teenager named Holden Caulfield, who has just been expelled from his prep school. The narrative unfolds over the course of three days, during which Holden experiences various forms of alienation and his mental state continues to unravel. He criticizes the adult world as "phony" and struggles with his own transition into adulthood. The book is a profound exploration of teenage rebellion, alienation, and the loss of innocence.

6. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

Cover of 'In Search of Lost Time' by Marcel Proust

This renowned novel is a sweeping exploration of memory, love, art, and the passage of time, told through the narrator's recollections of his childhood and experiences into adulthood in the late 19th and early 20th century aristocratic France. The narrative is notable for its lengthy and intricate involuntary memory episodes, the most famous being the "madeleine episode". It explores the themes of time, space and memory, but also raises questions about the nature of art and literature, and the complex relationships between love, sexuality, and possession.

7. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

The novel tells the story of Humbert Humbert, a man with a disturbing obsession for young girls, or "nymphets" as he calls them. His obsession leads him to engage in a manipulative and destructive relationship with his 12-year-old stepdaughter, Lolita. The narrative is a controversial exploration of manipulation, obsession, and unreliable narration, as Humbert attempts to justify his actions and feelings throughout the story.

8. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

The novel is a detailed narrative of a vengeful sea captain's obsessive quest to hunt down a giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg. The captain's relentless pursuit, despite the warnings and concerns of his crew, leads them on a dangerous journey across the seas. The story is a complex exploration of good and evil, obsession, and the nature of reality, filled with rich descriptions of whaling and the sea.

9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Cover of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

Set in the racially charged South during the Depression, the novel follows a young girl and her older brother as they navigate their small town's societal norms and prejudices. Their father, a lawyer, is appointed to defend a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, forcing the children to confront the harsh realities of racism and injustice. The story explores themes of morality, innocence, and the loss of innocence through the eyes of the young protagonists.

10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Cover of 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen

Set in early 19th-century England, this classic novel revolves around the lives of the Bennet family, particularly the five unmarried daughters. The narrative explores themes of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage within the society of the landed gentry. It follows the romantic entanglements of Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daughter, who is intelligent, lively, and quick-witted, and her tumultuous relationship with the proud, wealthy, and seemingly aloof Mr. Darcy. Their story unfolds as they navigate societal expectations, personal misunderstandings, and their own pride and prejudice.

11. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Cover of 'Don Quixote' by Miguel de Cervantes

This classic novel follows the adventures of a man who, driven mad by reading too many chivalric romances, decides to become a knight-errant and roam the world righting wrongs under the name Don Quixote. Accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, he battles windmills he believes to be giants and champions the virtuous lady Dulcinea, who is in reality a simple peasant girl. The book is a richly layered critique of the popular literature of Cervantes' time and a profound exploration of reality and illusion, madness and sanity.

12. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Cover of 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Brontë

This classic novel is a tale of love, revenge and social class set in the Yorkshire moors. It revolves around the intense, complex relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, an orphan adopted by Catherine's father. Despite their deep affection for each other, Catherine marries Edgar Linton, a wealthy neighbor, leading Heathcliff to seek revenge on the two families. The story unfolds over two generations, reflecting the consequences of their choices and the destructive power of obsessive love.

13. Beloved by Toni Morrison

This novel tells the story of a former African-American slave woman who, after escaping to Ohio, is haunted by the ghost of her deceased daughter. The protagonist is forced to confront her repressed memories and the horrific realities of her past, including the desperate act she committed to protect her children from a life of slavery. The narrative is a poignant exploration of the physical, emotional, and psychological scars inflicted by the institution of slavery, and the struggle for identity and self-acceptance in its aftermath.

14. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Cover of 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky

A young, impoverished former student in Saint Petersburg, Russia, formulates a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker to redistribute her wealth among the needy. However, after carrying out the act, he is consumed by guilt and paranoia, leading to a psychological battle within himself. As he grapples with his actions, he also navigates complex relationships with a variety of characters, including a virtuous prostitute, his sister, and a relentless detective. The narrative explores themes of morality, redemption, and the psychological impacts of crime.

15. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Set in 19th-century Russia, this novel revolves around the life of Anna Karenina, a high-society woman who, dissatisfied with her loveless marriage, embarks on a passionate affair with a charming officer named Count Vronsky. This scandalous affair leads to her social downfall, while parallel to this, the novel also explores the rural life and struggles of Levin, a landowner who seeks the meaning of life and true happiness. The book explores themes such as love, marriage, fidelity, societal norms, and the human quest for happiness.

16. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Cover of 'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck

The book follows the Joad family, Oklahoma farmers displaced from their land during the Great Depression. The family, alongside thousands of other "Okies," travel to California in search of work and a better life. Throughout their journey, they face numerous hardships and injustices, yet maintain their humanity through unity and shared sacrifice. The narrative explores themes of man's inhumanity to man, the dignity of wrath, and the power of family and friendship, offering a stark and moving portrayal of the harsh realities of American migrant laborers during the 1930s.

17. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Set in the backdrop of the Napoleonic era, the novel presents a panorama of Russian society and its descent into the chaos of war. It follows the interconnected lives of five aristocratic families, their struggles, romances, and personal journeys through the tumultuous period of history. The narrative explores themes of love, war, and the meaning of life, as it weaves together historical events with the personal stories of its characters.

18. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Cover of 'The Sound and the Fury' by William Faulkner

The novel is a complex exploration of the tragic Compson family from the American South. Told from four distinct perspectives, the story unfolds through stream of consciousness narratives, each revealing their own understanding of the family's decline. The characters grapple with post-Civil War societal changes, personal loss, and their own mental instability. The narrative is marked by themes of time, innocence, and the burdens of the past.

19. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The book is a satirical critique of military bureaucracy and the illogical nature of war, set during World War II. The story follows a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier stationed in Italy, who is trying to maintain his sanity while fulfilling his service requirements so that he can go home. The novel explores the absurdity of war and military life through the experiences of the protagonist, who discovers that a bureaucratic rule, the "Catch-22", makes it impossible for him to escape his dangerous situation. The more he tries to avoid his military assignments, the deeper he gets sucked into the irrational world of military rule.

20. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Cover of 'The Lord of the Rings' by J. R. R. Tolkien

This epic high-fantasy novel centers around a modest hobbit who is entrusted with the task of destroying a powerful ring that could enable the dark lord to conquer the world. Accompanied by a diverse group of companions, the hobbit embarks on a perilous journey across Middle-earth, battling evil forces and facing numerous challenges. The narrative, rich in mythology and complex themes of good versus evil, friendship, and heroism, has had a profound influence on the fantasy genre.

21. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Cover of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll

This novel follows the story of a young girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantastical world full of peculiar creatures and bizarre experiences. As she navigates through this strange land, she encounters a series of nonsensical events, including a tea party with a Mad Hatter, a pool of tears, and a trial over stolen tarts. The book is renowned for its playful use of language, logic, and its exploration of the boundaries of reality.

22. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Cover of 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad

This classic novel follows the journey of a seaman who travels up the Congo River into the African interior to meet a mysterious ivory trader. Throughout his journey, he encounters the harsh realities of imperialism, the brutal treatment of native Africans, and the depths of human cruelty and madness. The protagonist's journey into the 'heart of darkness' serves as both a physical exploration of the African continent and a metaphorical exploration into the depths of human nature.

23. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Cover of 'Madame Bovary' by Gustave Flaubert

Madame Bovary is a tragic novel about a young woman, Emma Bovary, who is married to a dull, but kind-hearted doctor. Dissatisfied with her life, she embarks on a series of extramarital affairs and indulges in a luxurious lifestyle in an attempt to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. Her desire for passion and excitement leads her down a path of financial ruin and despair, ultimately resulting in a tragic end.

24. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Cover of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain

The novel follows the journey of a young boy named Huckleberry Finn and a runaway slave named Jim as they travel down the Mississippi River on a raft. Set in the American South before the Civil War, the story explores themes of friendship, freedom, and the hypocrisy of society. Through various adventures and encounters with a host of colorful characters, Huck grapples with his personal values, often clashing with the societal norms of the time.

25. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Cover of 'Invisible Man' by Ralph Ellison

The novel is a poignant exploration of a young African-American man's journey through life, where he grapples with issues of race, identity, and individuality in mid-20th-century America. The protagonist, who remains unnamed throughout the story, considers himself socially invisible due to his race. The narrative follows his experiences from the South to the North, from being a student to a worker, and his involvement in the Brotherhood, a political organization. The book is a profound critique of societal norms and racial prejudice, highlighting the protagonist's struggle to assert his identity in a world that refuses to see him.

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Welcome to the Authors page on BookSeriesInOrder. This is a listing in alphabetical order of all of the authors that we currently list.

Please note it is listed by the authors First Name . So if looking for Stephen King you would search by “S”, not “K”.

We also have a search engine you can use to make it easier as there are so many authors out there it makes it a lot of work browsing through the list:

A. American
A. Bertram Chandler
A. Meredith Walters
A. Zavarelli
A.A. Albright
A.A. Attanasio
A.B. Guthrie, Jr.
A.B. Yehoshua
A.C. Arthur
A.C. Baantjer
A.C. Crispin
A.C. Gaughen
A.C.F. Bookens
A.D. Davies
A.D. Garrett
A.D. Justice
A.D. Miller
A.E. Osworth
A.E. van Vogt
A.E. Warren
A.F. Steadman
A.G. Barnett
A.G. Howard

We are adding more authors and their series in publication and chronological order every day.

273 Responses to “Authors”

Awesome website. My go to source when I need to find a book to read or books by a specific author. Great Work Guys.

Thank you John. Truly appreciate it 🙂

I’m golad to find this website. I am a constant reader, and I think this will provide me with new authors and series.

Great website, love the email with recommended books, keep uo the great work

Thank you Sean – truly appreciate that 🙂

This is a great resource. I look forward to using it.

My granddaughter likes the Warrior Cat series by Erin Hunter. I don’t see them here.

They are listed here: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/the-warriors/

You dont seem to have Australian writer Peter Fitzsimmons some of his books “Mutiny on the Bounty, Batavia, and Cook are really great reads detailed with a mix of fiction, worth including in your list.

Peter is listed here: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/peter-fitzsimons/ Cheers

Please add Michael Robotham. Especially his Joe O’Loughlin series. Good mystery writer. Thanks for putting this all together for all readers.

He is already listed here: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/michael-robotham/

Hi, excellent site. Would there be any way the works of Brenda Trim be added to the site? Thank you.

Thanks Don. Brenda is on our list of authors to add so this will bump her up the priority list 🙂 Cheers

please add Christopher Reich, especially his Simon Riske series

Christopher is already listed here: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/christopher-reich/

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Are you a fan of psychological thrillers? A big fan of authors such as Gillian Flynn? These are our most recommended authors in the thriller genre, which is my personal favourite genre:

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12 Top Authors Pick the Best Books of the Year

David baldacci, louise penny and others offer their favorite reads from 2021 and of all time.

Christina Ianzito,

illustration of hardcover books opened face up so their pages look like wings flying through the sky

As we’ve noted in our seasonal roundups , 2021 has been a fantastic year for books — so much so it can be hard to choose which one to read next. We asked top authors for one novel or work of nonfiction that stood out for them this year, as well as a less recent book that they particularly loved. Here’s what they said.

Dean Koontz

Best-selling author of suspense novels, most recently Quicksilver

When Christmas Come s by Andrew Klavan (2021) : This is an exciting but tender, heartfelt crime novel about an English professor’s attempt to clear a former Army Ranger of murder. It’s fast-paced, haunting, with a central character you’ll love.

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Breakfast at Tiffany’ s by Truman Capote (1958): An enchanting country kid becomes a Manhattan party girl, Holly Golightly, who retains a heartbreaking innocence that makes her unforgettable. Exquisite prose and a sweetly semi-tragic ending make this novella a minor classic.

Jodi Picoult

Author of more than 25 novels, including the new Wish You Were Here

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren (2021): A charming novel about the intersection of science and romance, and what happens when DNA can predict your perfect match. Is that a blessing or a curse? And does destiny matter more than individual choice?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2005): A story about the resilience of humans, and how one little life can make a difference in thousands of others. And it’s narrated by Death, which is a mic drop in and of itself.

David Baldacci

Blockbuster thriller author, most recently of Mercy

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson (2021): The story of biochemist Jennifer Doudna, who helped to develop a gene editing technology, ushering in wondrous possibilities and unsolvable ethical dilemmas. It’s written in the unputdownable style of a novel as Isaacson does so well.

The Drowning Pool by Ross Macdonald (1950): A body of a woman in a pool leads to everything that Macdonald (real name Kenneth Millar) did so well: exploring the darkest of family secrets, the chasm between rich and poor, the dirt that clings to every pore of humanity, and most brilliantly of all, Macdonald’s detective, Lew Archer, who tries to make sense of the insensible. Macdonald is the best of the crime noir writers, taking up the mantle from Hammett and Chandler and lifting it to a rarefied level.

Louise Penny

Canadian author of the Chief Inspector Gamache series, including her latest, The Madness of Crowds . Penny also cowrote the recent thriller State of Terror with Hillary Rodham Clinton

When Harry Met Minnie: A True Story of Love and Friendship by Martha Teichner (2021): About the bond between two rescue dogs and their owners, this is a warm, intelligent, funny and most of all a luminous celebration of love and friendship and how life-changing events can spring from the mundane.

A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth by Samantha Weinberg (2000): In 1938, fishermen off the coast of South Africa brought up something extraordinary in their nets: a coelacanth, a huge fish with limb-like fins thought to be extinct for some 65 million years. This is the riveting story of what was described as the “greatest scientific find of the century.”

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Erik Larson

Bestselling nonfiction writer whose books include 2021’s The Splendid and the Vile

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (2021): A moving exploration of loneliness and artificial intelligence, as told through the observations and experiences of an “Artificial Friend” named Klara, acquired to be the companion of a dying girl. It kept me thinking for weeks afterward.

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The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman (2019) : Set in Nazi Germany, this novel traces the wrenching journey of a Jewish girl named Lea and her mystical guardian, Ava, a golem Lea’s mother hopes will protect her — a thrilling story of the lasting power of love.

Author of 2013’s award-winning A Tale for the Time Being and 2021’s The Book of Form and Emptiness , among other novels. She’s also a Zen Buddhist priest.

The End of Bias: A Beginning by Jessica Nordell (2021): Implicit and unconscious bias exists in us all and underlies our most destructive human behavior. Nordell’s examination, based on 15 years of research and filled with fascinating case studies, is lively, informative, optimistic, compassionate and necessary. The takeaway is: We can change our biased behavior, so let’s start now.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Mǻrquez (1967): This sprawling masterpiece of a novel about a multigenerational Colombian family named Buendía was the first encounter I had with magical realism. It was the book that made me want to be a fiction writer. “Wait, I want to do that!” I remember thinking.

Lisa Jewell

British author of popular thrillers, most recently The Night She Disappeared

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (2021): This tale of a frustrated writer stumbling upon the perfect plot for a novel but having to negotiate a moral minefield to use it in his own work is so clever, so taut, so dazzling, I read it in about five hours flat. There is not one bum note or wasted word.

The Push by Ashley Audrain (2020): A mesmerizing exploration of the dark side of motherhood; what happens if your perfect baby girl turns out not to be made of sugar and spice and all things nice? Are you a bad mother? Or is your daughter a bad child? Spellbinding.

Chris Bohjalian

Author of best-selling novels, including 2021's The Hour of the Witch

Woodrow on the Bench: Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog by Jenna Blum (2021): I feel I got to know Woodrow, novelist Jenna Blum’s black lab, in Blum’s wise, wrenching and devastatingly beautiful memoir of his last half-year. After reading it, you will never again look into your dog’s — or any dog’s — eyes and not feel the bond that can exist between a person and their pet.

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez (2018): Wistful and elegiac, but also rich with gentle humor, this is the story of a woman, her literary mentor who kills himself, a tiny apartment and an aging Great Dane. I loved it, with its explorations of the bonds between humans and our closest animal companions.

Janet Evanovich

A fixture on best-seller lists since 1994; her most recent book is this year’s Game On

Black Ice by Brad Thor (2021): Scot Harvath is back and better than ever in this fun, fast-paced thriller set in the beautiful country of Norway and the Arctic. You don’t need to have read the others in the series, your pulse will be pounding either way.

Heroes’ Feast: The Official D&D Cookbook by Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson and Michael Witwer (2020): This beautifully illustrated and charmingly written cookbook is not just for Dungeons & Dragons fans, but for anyone with an adventurous heart and a love for other-worldly travel.

Wanda M. Morris

Debut author of the buzzed-about new legal thriller All Her Little Secrets

Revival Season by Monica West (2021): A 15-year-old girl must come to grips with who her father, a famous Baptist preacher in the South, really is and the newfound power she possesses in a community where women are thought to be invisible and powerless. I love this coming-of-age story that is both compassionate and suspenseful, as well as a complicated and moving story about family and faith.

Defending Jacob by William Landay (2012): A quiet suburb is rocked when the local assistant district attorney's teenage son is charged with the murder of a classmate. This book enthralled me, not only because of the outstanding storytelling, but because it posed the scenario every parent, including me, grapples with — how far would you go to save your child?

Anthony Horowitz

British TV writer behind PBS's Foyle's War and author of best-selling mysteries, such as the recent A Line to Kill

Checkmate in Berlin by Giles Milton (2021): This is a fantastic story of Berlin at the end of World War II. It starts with the disease and destitution that Berliners faced when the fighting stopped, moves through the increasing tension and menace of the Cold War and climaxes with the logistically impossible Berlin Airlift that managed to save thousands of lives. In Giles Milton’s expert hands, focusing on the larger-than-life characters who made this all happen, history is as enthralling as any fiction you’ll ever read.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2009): I love the work of Sarah Waters, who brings the 19th and early 20th century to vivid life like no other writer. The Little Stranger is a superlative ghost story … if it is a ghost story. It’s hard to say. Certainly, Hundreds Hall, the grim, decaying mansion where it is set, contains a malign presence of some sort. But can we believe Dr. Faraday, the country GP called to the house, or is he the ultimate unreliable narrator? This book will linger in your mind long after you read it. It will haunt you.

Best-selling author of international thrillers, including Black Ice .

Steel Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann (2021): A serial killer is loose on an aircraft carrier. It’s an absolutely chilling thriller.

One Second After by William Forstchen (2009): In the aftermath of a mysterious event that cripples all modern electronics, the residents of a small college town must band together to survive. One of the best books I have read in the last 10 years.

Christina Ianzito is the travel and books editor for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine , and also edits and writes health, entertainment and other stories for aarp.org. She received a 2020 Lowell Thomas Award for travel writing.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 8, 2021. It's been updated to reflect new information.

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20 Amazing Authors and Their Books To Read in 2020

2020 means a new year, a new decade, and new chances to read amazing books by some of our favorite authors. Several of the talented writers we plan on reading this year have published numerous books in genres across the board, including horror, historical fiction, and magical realism, and even YA. Perhaps one of your 2020 reading goals is to try a new author or genre. We hope you can use our list to add books to your own TBR—or maybe even discover your new favorite author!

Armando Lucas Correa: Correa, an award-winning journalist, editor, and author, has written two books about families who face incredible circumstances during World War II. With the international bestseller The German Girl on his roster, Correa delivers again with the poignant and heart-wrenching The Daughter’s Tale . Correa’s journalism background lends itself to his novels beautifully; they are well researched, thoroughly investigated, and told with reverence and respect for the subject matter. If you’re a lover of authentic historical fiction, you should definitely pick up Correa’s books.

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Jess Kidd: The award-winning author of Himself , Jess Kidd is a spectacular writer with one foot in the mythical and the other planted firmly in reality. Kidd creates remarkable characters and real-life settings, and then makes them magical. Her upcoming novel, Things in Jars , is a mesmerizing gothic mystery that follows detective Bridie Devine as she investigates the kidnapping of a London society man’s secret daughter—a girl who is rumored to have supernatural powers. Kidd expertly uses her cast of characters to create and solve the mystery, and her books are ones you don’t want to miss.

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Martha McPhee: New York Times bestselling author Martha McPhee’s poetic prose and incredibly aware domestic fiction always delivers. McPhee’s work is expertly crafted and incredibly enticing. Her most notable novel, Gorgeous Lies , is a colorful, quirky story of a dying therapist who tries to make sense of his life and his relationships with his family as his conditions worsen. McPhee’s ability to write about relationships also comes across in her upcoming novel, An Elegant Woman , which follows four generations of women as they fight for their freedom and work toward a better future.

Megan Miranda: The bestselling author of All the Missing Girls , Megan Miranda writes thrillers that keep you wondering what will happen next—all the way up to the last-minute plot twist. Her latest book, The Last House Guest , is a chilling tale of two friends, Avery Greer and Sadie Loman, who might as well come from different worlds. The things that connect them are Littleport, Maine, and its wealthy summer residents and a dangerous secret that somehow involves the Loman family. The Last House Guest is thrilling and unpredictable, and perfect for fans of domestic thrillers looking for a contemporary angle. Miranda also writes YA fiction, so you’ll have plenty of material to read if you like crossover appeal or if you’re a diehard Megan Miranda fan.

Read a review of the book Megan Miranda can’t stop recommending .

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Helen Phillips: Dynamic author Helen Phillips is incredibly skilled at weaving together wild fantasy with the mundanity of everyday life. Longlisted for the National Book Award, The Beautiful Bureaucrat tells the story of a woman named Josephine, whose job it is to enter numbers into a mysterious system called The Database. But when her husband disappears, and reappears with no explanation, things quickly turn become bizarre and terrifying. Phillips expertly balances the fear and terror of Josephine’s experience and the exhilarating twists and turns of a political thriller.

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Kristin Harmel: Another author with an impressive catalog, Kristin Harmel has written a dozen novels, each with stunning backdrops of war and turmoil. Harmel is an expert in writing about the personal stories of historic events, with a special lens on the relationships between female friends and families. Though of course, Harmel writes beautifully about romantic love, particularly in The Winemaker’s Wife , where two women risk their lives and their loved ones as they try to navigate danger and decide between being a resistor or a collaborator; both decisions could endanger their lives. The Winemaker’s Wife is a high-stakes historical fiction that doesn’t make light of its setting and is a great place to start if you’re looking to dive into Harmel’s remarkable novels.

The author of the “engrossing” ( People ) international bestseller The Room on Rue Amélie returns with a moving story set amid the champagne vineyards of France during the darkest days of World War II, perfect for fans of Heather Morris’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz .

Champagne, 1940 : Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance . Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, the French-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.

When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love—and the vineyard that ties them together.

New York, 2019 : Recently divorced, Liv Kent is at rock bottom when her feisty, eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.

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Karen Kingsbury: Karen Kingsbury is the legendary author of the Baxter family books, and her last twelve novels have topped bestseller lists and have found homes with many dedicated fans. In addition to the Baxter family novels, Kingsbury has written numerous other books within other series, as well as true crime and children’s books. If you’re looking for compelling page-turners about love and people who feel as real as your own family, Kingsbury’s Love Story just might be the right pick for you. Plus, it’s very unlikely that you will run out of Kingsbury books to read anytime soon!

The instant New York Times bestseller featuring everyone’s favorite family—the Baxters—in a deeply emotional novel “faithful fans will no doubt relish” ( Publishers Weekly ).

When John Baxter is asked to relive his long-ago love story with his wife Elizabeth for his grandson Cole’s heritage school project, he’s not sure he can do it. The sadness might simply be too great—after a storybook romance that lasted almost thirty years, beginning when the two were in college, Elizabeth tragically died of cancer. But John can’t say no to his grandson and in the process of telling his love story, he finally allows his heart and soul to go places they haven’t gone in decades. Back to the breathless first moments, but also to the secret heartbreak that brought John and Elizabeth together…

Cole’s report on his grandparents touches the hearts of the entire family—and causes Cole to better understand his own beginning.

Whether you’re meeting the Baxter family for the first time or finding them all over again, Love Story will stir your heart and remind you of the generational impact of love and the eternal bond of family.

Rebecca Serle: Rebecca Serle is an author and TV writer whose characters move her novels forward seemingly without any help. With perfect pacing and riveting characters, Serle’s adult and YA novels alike deliver poignant heartbreak and exciting triumph. All of her books deliver some truth about the human experience, but in particular, The Dinner List manages to hit all spots on the emotional spectrum. The story follows a woman named Sabrina, who turns up to her 30 th birthday to a huge surprise. Prior to the dinner, she made a hypothetical list of the five people, living or dead, that she’d want to have dinner with — and magically, that list comes to life. She’s surrounded by her best friend, three significant people from her past, plus Audrey Hepburn. This tender, thoughtful book shows the way people shape our lives, for better or worse, and what we can learn even when they’re no longer with us.

Sally Rooney: Irish author Sally Rooney is an incredibly talented author with unique perspective, well-established characters and thorough understanding of cultural elements that influence who we are. Rooney’s latest novel, Normal People , discusses the relationship between Connell, a handsome and popular boy, and Marianne, an intelligent yet intimidating girl whose family employs Connell’s mother. Rooney follows the pair through their lives and lets us in on the most intimate part of them as they navigate trauma and experience, never quite able to hold on to each other. You can also find Rooney’s short stories, essays, and poems in places like the Dublin Review and the New Yorker .

Lisa Jewell: The queen of domestic thrillers, Lisa Jewell is known for her bestselling novels that are the definition of page-turners. Jewell’s ten novels are all equally captivating, but her blockbuster hit , Then She Was Gone , or her latest, The Family Upstairs , are great introductions to the riveting world that is reading Lisa Jewell. The Family Upstairs is as much a contemporary drama as it is a thriller, as we follow Libby Jones on her journey of discovering her birth parents that involves secrets, terror, and disappearing children. If you’re a fan of Ruth Ware and haven’t yet read Lisa Jewell, we highly recommend that you start now.

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Haruki Murakami: Japanese writer Haruki Murakami is a prolific bestselling author whose books have been translated into fifty languages and have sold millions of copies outside of Japan. Murakami is noted for his somewhat absurdist humor in his writing, as well as many traditional elements of Japanese literature. Among his many notable novels, Kafka on the Shore follows two distinct plots. In one, a fifteen-year-old boy named Kafka goes on a journey to escape an oedipal curse and find his family. In the other, a cat-finder named Nakata realizes that his path is changing. Murakami’s writing blends so many elements of literature—like humor, magical realism, suspense, and more—and he is truly one of the most groundbreaking writers of our time.

Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder.

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Kiley Reid: Short story writer and Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate Kiley Reid’s debit novel, Such a Fun Age , is a page-turning drama about race and privilege that centers around a black babysitter named Emira, who one day is accused of kidnapping the white child that she babysits. The child’s mother, Alix, is appalled and wants to help—but Emira, who is young, lost, and wary of the world, is hesitant. Reid expertly explores the social and racial dynamics, and the complicated reality that people face living in a world where we cannot escape the effects of race, privilege, and how they intersect. Reid’s commentary is smart and empathetic and shows her considerable literary talents.

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Imbolo Mbue: Imbolo Mbue won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her 2016 novel, Behold the Dreamers . The book follows two families in New York City during the financial crisis; an immigrant family from Cameroon, the Jonga family, and their wealthy employers, the Edwards family. Mbue is a smart writer with a background in business, and her understanding of the system is clear as she explores how American bureaucracy works to protect the wealthy and keep away “outsiders.” Mbue is an incredible writer, which is evident in her short stories and essays as well, all of which are moving and feature her signature prose and social commentary.

There have been dozens of novels recently published about the financial crisis of 2008, but few have focused on those most profoundly affected: the working families left to pick up the pieces. Jende Jonga is a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem with his wife, Neni, and child when he lands a job as a chauffeur for a senior executive at Lehman Brothers. As the story alternates between Jende and Neni and speeds perilously close to economic disaster, they learn about privilege, pride, and impossible choices.

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Famed and bestselling author Terry McMillan has written numerous books with female protagonists, many of which feature single women finding their place in the world and seeking happiness. Noted for her 1992 novel, Waiting to Exhale and, of course, the ever necessary read How Stella Got Her Groove Back , McMillan is still writing about the female protagonists we’re all dying to read about. While How Stella Got Her Groove back will always be a fan favorite and is a great first book if you haven’t read McMillan’s books, her latest novel , I Almost Forgot About You , is another fantastic story of finding love and finding yourself that is a can’t-miss for new and old fans alike.

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Mary Kubica: Mary Kubica took the world by storm with the publication of her first novel, The Good Girl , which tells the story of Mia, the daughter of a prominent judge. Mia is kidnapped in an elaborate plot, and the kidnapper suddenly changes the plan and decides to keep her in a secluded cabin. Kubica’s writing is tight and she doesn’t waste a word, which makes the fast-paced thriller an emotional and intense read that you won’t want to put down. Kubica has four other books on her roster, and her newest novel, The Other Mrs ., is coming out in early 2020. If you’re ready to dive into page-turning thrillers, make sure you try this spellbinding author.

An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, THE GOOD GIRL is a propulsive novel that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems.

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Colleen Oakley: Author and essayist Colleen Oakley of Before I Go and Close Enough to Touch is definitely an author you should have on your list, if you’re not already looking forward to the release of her next book, You Were There Too , in early January. Oakley writes about love, loss, and following one’s heart in her latest novel, themes that we can see in her earlier works. If you’re looking for something that is heartwarming but also, somehow, makes you question everything you think you know, then Colleen Oakley is the author you should get to know this year.

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June eBook Deals: 12 New Reads for an Eclectic Digital Library

By Off the Shelf Staff | June 2, 2022

Stephen Graham Jones: SA horror and speculative fiction writer, Stephen Graham Jones is known for the complexity of his stories and characters. In Mongrels , Jones tells the story of a young boy who lives on the outskirts of society in a world that shuns and fears him. This coming of age book makes us question what it means to be ordinary and puts Jones’ talents as a horror writer on display- the book is sometimes grisly, but it is often poignant and emotional, and makes the supernatural seem very human. Luckily, you have lots to read if you become a fan of Stephen Graham Jones; to date, he has published 22 books and counting—his next novel, Only Good Indians, is highly anticipated and publishes this May.

If you love literary novels about ordinary people facing extraordinary events, Cummins is one of the best authors you can read. Cummins has an astounding ability to see things from multiple perspectives, and an impressive way of writing about all sides with equal empathy and clarity. The Outside Boy follows an Irish gypsy boy, Christopher Hurley, who has only ever known a life of wandering, haunted by the knowledge that his mother died giving birth to him. When his father decides to settle down in a town, Christy struggles to fit in. Then, he discovers a secret about his mother’s past, and everything changes. Moving and mystifying, The Outside Boy is a must-read from one of our favorite must-read authors — and her new book, American Dirt, publishes January 2020.

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The 100 greatest novels of all time: The list

1. Don Quixote Miguel De Cervantes The story of the gentle knight and his servant Sancho Panza has entranced readers for centuries. Harold Bloom on Don Quixote – the first modern novel

2. Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan The one with the Slough of Despond and Vanity Fair. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Pilgrim's Progress

3. Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe The first English novel. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Robinson Crusoe

4. Gulliver's Travels Jonathan Swift A wonderful satire that still works for all ages, despite the savagery of Swift's vision. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Gulliver's Travels

5. Tom Jones Henry Fielding The adventures of a high-spirited orphan boy: an unbeatable plot and a lot of sex ending in a blissful marriage. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Tom Jones 6. Clarissa Samuel Richardson One of the longest novels in the English language, but unputdownable. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Clarissa

7. Tristram Shandy Laurence Sterne One of the first bestsellers, dismissed by Dr Johnson as too fashionable for its own good. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

8. Dangerous Liaisons Pierre Choderlos De Laclos An epistolary novel and a handbook for seducers: foppish, French, and ferocious. Jason Cowley on the many incarnations of Dangerous Liaisons

9. Emma Jane Austen Near impossible choice between this and Pride and Prejudice. But Emma never fails to fascinate and annoy. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Emma

10. Frankenstein Mary Shelley Inspired by spending too much time with Shelley and Byron. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Frankenstein

11. Nightmare Abbey Thomas Love Peacock A classic miniature: a brilliant satire on the Romantic novel. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Nightmare Abbey

12. The Black Sheep Honoré De Balzac Two rivals fight for the love of a femme fatale. Wrongly overlooked. Balzac drank 50 cups of coffee a day: Daily Rituals of Creative Minds Jason Bourke on France's tradition of art imitating life Nick Lezard on a translated collection of short stories and Balzac's influence on other literary greats

13. The Charterhouse of Parma Stendhal Penetrating and compelling chronicle of life in an Italian court in post-Napoleonic France. The Charterhouse of Parma - review

14. The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas A revenge thriller also set in France after Bonaparte: a masterpiece of adventure writing. Dumas's five best novels

15. Sybil Benjamin Disraeli Apart from Churchill, no other British political figure shows literary genius. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Sybil

16. David Copperfield Charles Dickens This highly autobiographical novel is the one its author liked best. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: David Copperfield

17. Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff have passed into the language. Impossible to ignore. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Wuthering Heights

18. Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë Obsessive emotional grip and haunting narrative. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Jane Eyre

19. Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackeray The improving tale of Becky Sharp. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Vanity Fair

20. The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne A classic investigation of the American mind. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Scarlet Letter

21. Moby-Dick Herman Melville 'Call me Ishmael' is one of the most famous opening sentences of any novel. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Moby-Dick

22. Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert You could summarise this as a story of adultery in provincial France, and miss the point entirely. Julian Barnes rewrites the ending to Madame Bovary The Everest of translation, by Adam Thorpe 23. The Woman in White Wilkie Collins Gripping mystery novel of concealed identity, abduction, fraud and mental cruelty. The Woman in White's 150 years of sensation

24. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland Lewis Carroll A story written for the nine-year-old daughter of an Oxford don that still baffles most kids. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

25. Little Women Louisa M. Alcott Victorian bestseller about a New England family of girls. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Little Women

26. The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope A majestic assault on the corruption of late Victorian England. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Way We Live Now

27. Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy The supreme novel of the married woman's passion for a younger man. Rereading Anna Karenina, by James Meek

28. Daniel Deronda George Eliot A passion and an exotic grandeur that is strange and unsettling. A new novel from George Eliot - the Guardian's first review of Daniel Deronda, from 1876

29. The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoevsky Mystical tragedy by the author of Crime and Punishment. Stuart Jeffries on the incorrect title In Pictures: Readers suggest the 10 best long reads Author snapshot: Fyodor Dostoevky

30. The Portrait of a Lady Henry James The story of Isabel Archer shows James at his witty and polished best. Profound and flawed: Claire Messud on rereading The Portrait of a Lady Hermione Lee on the biography of a novel that changed literature

31. Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain Twain was a humorist, but this picture of Mississippi life is profoundly moral and still incredibly influential. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels - Huckleberry Finn

32. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson A brilliantly suggestive, resonant study of human duality by a natural storyteller. Ian Rankin on The Strange Story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

33. Three Men in a Boat Jerome K. Jerome One of the funniest English books ever written. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels - Three Men in a Boat

34. The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde A coded and epigrammatic melodrama inspired by his own tortured homosexuality. Fiona MacCarthy on the inspiration behind The Picture of Dorian Gray Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Picture of Dorian Gray 35. The Diary of a Nobody George Grossmith This classic of Victorian suburbia will always be renowned for the character of Mr Pooter. Buy The Diary of a Nobody at the Guardian Bookshop

36. Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy Its savage bleakness makes it one of the first twentieth-century novels. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Jude the Obscure

37. The Riddle of the Sands Erskine Childers A prewar invasion-scare spy thriller by a writer later shot for his part in the Irish republican rising. Classics Corner - The Riddle of the Sands

38. The Call of the Wild Jack London The story of a dog who joins a pack of wolves after his master's death. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Call of the Wild

39. Nostromo Joseph Conrad Conrad's masterpiece: a tale of money, love and revolutionary politics. Chinua Achebe and Caryl Phillips discuss the case against Conrad

40. The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame This children's classic was inspired by bedtime stories for Grahame's son. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Wind in the Willows

41. In Search of Lost Time Marcel Proust An unforgettable portrait of Paris in the belle époque. Probably the longest novel on this list. Melvyn Bragg rereads In Search of Lost Time

42. The Rainbow D. H. Lawrence Novels seized by the police, like this one, have a special afterlife. Rachel Cusk rereads The Rainbow Adam Thorpe on The Rainbow

43. The Good Soldier Ford Madox Ford This account of the adulterous lives of two Edwardian couples is a classic of unreliable narration. Jane Smiley on The Good Soldier, stylistic perfection Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Good Soldier

44. The Thirty-Nine Steps John Buchan A classic adventure story for boys, jammed with action, violence and suspense. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Thirty-Nine Steps

45. Ulysses James Joyce Also pursued by the British police, this is a novel more discussed than read. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Ulysses

46. Mrs Dalloway Virginia Woolf Secures Woolf's position as one of the great twentieth-century English novelists. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Mrs Dalloway

47. A Passage to India EM Forster Forster's great love song to India. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: A Passage to India Damon Galgut on the unrequited love at the heart of A Passage to India

48. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald The quintessential Jazz Age novel. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Great Gatsby What makes Gatsby great? by Sarah Churchwell

49. The Trial Franz Kafka The enigmatic story of Joseph K. John Banville on the story behind Kafka's great novel of judgment and retribution

50. Men Without Women Ernest Hemingway He is remembered for his novels, but it was the short stories that first attracted notice. Chis Power salutes some of the greatest short stories ever written

51. Journey to the End of the Night Louis-Ferdinand Celine The experiences of an unattractive slum doctor during the Great War: a masterpiece of linguistic innovation. Tibor Fischer on Celine's journey to the cutting edge of literature Celine: great author and absolute bastard

52. As I Lay Dying William Faulkner A strange black comedy by an American master. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: As I Lay Dying Alison Flood on the anniversary edition of The Sound and the Fury in coloured ink

53. Brave New World Aldous Huxley Dystopian fantasy about the world of the seventh century AF (after Ford). Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Brave New World Read the original Guardian review from 1932

54. Scoop Evelyn Waugh The supreme Fleet Street novel. Ann Pasternak Slater on the journalistic experiences that shaped Waugh's novel Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Scoop

55. USA John Dos Passos An extraordinary trilogy that uses a variety of narrative devices to express the story of America. Charlotte Jones on New York in books Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Nineteen Nineteen (the second book in the trilogy)

56. The Big Sleep Raymond Chandler Introducing Philip Marlowe: cool, sharp, handsome - and bitterly alone. John Dugdale on Chandler's crime-writing revolution Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: The Big Sleep

57. The Pursuit Of Love Nancy Mitford An exquisite comedy of manners with countless fans. Olivia Laing on Mitford's genius wicked humour

58. The Plague Albert Camus A mysterious plague sweeps through the Algerian town of Oran. Marina Warner's review of The Plague Tony Judt on the man behind the novel Ed Vulliamy on The Plague, 55 Years later

59. Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell This tale of one man's struggle against totalitarianism has been appropriated the world over. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Nineteen Eighty-Four Sam Jordison discusses Will Self's criticism of Nineteen Eighty-Four From the Archives: the original review from 1949

60. Malone Dies Samuel Beckett Part of a trilogy of astonishing monologues in the black comic voice of the author of Waiting for Godot. Robert McCrum's 100 best novels: Murphy (the first part of the trilogy) Keith Ridgway rereads his favourite Beckett Peter Conrad and Philip Hensher review the Collected Letters, vols 1 and 2

61. Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger A week in the life of Holden Caulfield. A cult novel that still mesmerises. Ten things you should know about The Catcher in the Rye Stephen Bates on the possible sequel to The Catcher in the Rye David Barnett offers his take on the controversy Anne Roiphen rereads Salinger's novel

62. Wise Blood Flannery O'Connor A disturbing novel of religious extremism set in the Deep South. The Reading Group takes on O'Connor's debut Peter Wild takes a look at O'Connor's cartoons Is Flannery O'Connor a Catholic writer?

63. Charlotte's Web EB White How Wilbur the pig was saved by the literary genius of a friendly spider. John Updike on EB White Stephen Amidon remains enchanted with Charlotte's Web 50 years after its publication Alison Flood on the spider that inspired Charlotte's Web

64. The Lord Of The Rings J. R. R. Tolkien Enough said! Claire Armitstead remembers reading The Lord of the Rings in Lagos Visuals: The Lord of the Rings family tree and demographics chart Sarah Crown's guide to The Lord of the Rings

65. Lucky Jim Kingsley Amis An astonishing debut: the painfully funny English novel of the Fifties. Olivia Laing on not reading Amis on the bus John Mullan analyses Lucky Jim for the Guardian Book Club John Crace "digests" Lucky Jim for the Guardian Podcast

66. Lord of the Flies William Golding Schoolboys become savages: a bleak vision of human nature. Writers' desktops: William Golding's former home in pictures Steven Morris on the composition history of Lord of the Flies

67. The Quiet American Graham Greene Prophetic novel set in 1950s Vietnam. Zadie Smith on the genius of Graham Greene Terry Eagleton reviews the collected letters of Graham Greene

68 On the Road Jack Kerouac The Beat Generation bible. Read more about Kerouac and his coterie in the Beats week special David Mills' response to Beats Week

69. Lolita Vladimir Nabokov Humbert Humbert's obsession with Lolita is a tour de force of style and narrative. From the archives: Lolita and its critics David Lodge on Nabokov's sexual style Baddies in Books: Humbert Humbert

70. The Tin Drum Günter Grass Hugely influential, Rabelaisian novel of Hitler's Germany. The Tin Drum summarised the 20th century in three words Jonathan Steele on Grass's influence on Germay's conscience A life in writing: Günter Grass by Maya Jaggi

71. Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe Nigeria at the beginning of colonialism. A classic of African literature. Read the first page of Achebe's great novel here Nadine Gordimer remembers Achebe Chinua Achebe in pictures

72. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Muriel Spark A writer who made her debut in The Observer - and her prose is like cut glass. James Wood on Muriel Spark Muriel Spark didn't just write novels. Adam Mars-Jones reviews Spark's short stories Martin Stannard writes about the influence of Spark's life on her fiction

73. To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee Scout, a six-year-old girl, narrates an enthralling story of racial prejudice in the Deep South. To Kill A Mockingbird has been in and out of classrooms for decades. Read John Sutherland on Lee's and other American classics

74. Catch-22 Joseph Heller 'He would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; if he didn't want to he was sane and had to.' Stephen Bates on surprises in Heller's Letters Chris Cox reads Catch-22 fifty years after its publication

75. Herzog Saul Bellow Adultery and nervous breakdown in Chicago. Alex Clark reviews Bellow's short stories John Crace 'digests' Herzog James Wood on Saul Bellow

76. One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel García Márquez A postmodern masterpiece. Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 5 Must reads Gabriel García Márquez - a life in pictures From the archive: the 1970 review of One Hundred Years of Solitude One Hundred Years of Solitude tops world literature polls

77. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont Elizabeth Taylor A haunting, understated study of old age. Charlotte Mendelssohn celebrates the other Liz Taylor's short stories Read Natasha Tripney's review of an early novel here

78. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy John Le Carré A thrilling elegy for post-imperial Britain. William Boyd on the A-Z of Tinker, Tailor The Reading Group discusses Tinker, Tailor and the spy novel genre

79. Song of Solomon Toni Morrison The definitive novelist of the African-American experience. Take the Toni Morrison quiz Morrison on America, by Rachel Cooke Read interviews with Morrison here and here

80. The Bottle Factory Outing Beryl Bainbridge Macabre comedy of provincial life. Laura Potter interviews Beryl Bainbridge at 74 Kate Kellaway on Bainbridge's art beyond writing Alex Clark asks, which is Bainbridge's best novel? Beryl Bainbridge earns a Booker at last

81. The Executioner's Song Norman Mailer This quasi-documentary account of the life and death of Gary Gilmore is possibly his masterpiece. Dead Calm: Gordon Burn rereads The Executioner's Song Alpha Mailer: McCrum meets Mailer Jay Parini weighs up Mailer's journalistic and novelistic qualitites

82. If on a Winter's Night a Traveller Italo Calvino A strange, compelling story about the pleasures of reading. John Sutherland (and quite a few Guardian readers) just can't get to the end of the novel David Mitchell thinks back on Calvino's novel about writing Chris Power writes about Calvino's short fiction Ian Thomson reviews the new collection of Calvino's letters

83. A Bend in the River VS Naipaul The finest living writer of English prose. This is his masterpiece: edgily reminiscent of Heart of Darkness. Robert McCrum's World of Books column on Naipaul Naipaul as the summer read of 2008 The Shadow of Empire: DJ Taylor's look at recent post-colonial novels

84. Waiting for the Barbarians JM Coetzee Bleak but haunting allegory of apartheid by the Nobel prizewinner. James Meek writes about Coetzee's alter-egos Rory Carroll on the South African novelist who's unread at home The Voice of Africa: Robert McCrum on Coetzee

85. Housekeeping Marilynne Robinson Haunting, poetic story, drowned in water and light, about three generations of women. Notes to Self: Robinson and others look back on their work Read Emma Brockes's interviews here Marilynne Robinson talks to Robert McCrum John Mullan on Housekeeping

86. Lanark Alasdair Gray Seething vision of Glasgow. A Scottish classic. Janice Galloway rereads Lanark William Boyd on Lanark at 25 John Mullan considers Lanark's cover for the Guardian Book Club An interview with the 'Clydeside Michaelangelo'

87. The New York Trilogy Paul Auster Dazzling metaphysical thriller set in the Manhattan of the 1970s. Hadley Freedman interviews Paul Auster about New York Alison Flood in conversation with Paul Auster Charlotte Jones on New York in literature

88. The BFG Roald Dahl A bestseller by the most popular postwar writer for children of all ages. Listen to Roald Dahl read from The BFG Read about Chae Strathie's favourite nonsense words in children's books Read Alison Flood's piece on the planned film adaptation of The BFG

89. The Periodic Table Primo Levi A prose poem about the delights of chemistry. From the Archive: Michael Joseph's review Ian Thomson considers Levi's influence on our moral history The Periodic Table made its way into the hands of a Guardian Science journalist... ...and to the top of the Science book favourites list

90. Money Martin Amis The novel that bags Amis's place on any list. Buy Money at the Guardian Bookshop

91. An Artist of the Floating World Kazuo Ishiguro A collaborator from prewar Japan reluctantly discloses his betrayal of friends and family. Buy An Artist of the Floating World at the Guardian Bookshop

92. Oscar And Lucinda Peter Carey A great contemporary love story set in nineteenth-century Australia by double Booker prizewinner. Read Angela Carter's review of Oscar and Lucinda here... ...and find out what Sam Jordison thinks the second time around here In Pictures: See Carey's own annotations on his novel Emma Brockes interviews the Booker winner

93. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Milan Kundera Inspired by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, this is a magical fusion of history, autobiography and ideas. Buy The Book of Laughter and Forgetting at the Guardian Bookshop

94. Haroun and the Sea of Stories Salman Rushdie In this entrancing story Rushdie plays with the idea of narrative itself. Buy Haroun and the Sea of Stories at the Guardian Bookshop

95. LA Confidential James Ellroy Three LAPD detectives are brought face to face with the secrets of their corrupt and violent careers. Hear Ellroy talk about the first novel in his LA quartet on the Guardian Books Podcast Read a short interview with Ellroy here

96. Wise Children Angela Carter A theatrical extravaganza by a brilliant exponent of magic realism. Read an extract from Susannah Clapp's memoir of Carter Kit Buchan's piece on Wise Children for the Families in Literature series

97. Atonement Ian McEwan Acclaimed short-story writer achieves a contemporary classic of mesmerising narrative conviction. Read the first chapter online John Mullan writes on the weather in Atonement for the Guardian Book Club John Sutherland's interview with the author can be found here Geoff Dyer is won over by Atonement, while Nick Lezard is less sure

98. Northern Lights Philip Pullman Lyra's quest weaves fantasy, horror and the play of ideas into a truly great contemporary children's book. Baddies in Books: Mrs Coulter might just be the mother of all evil Northern Lights named the 'Carnegie of Carnegies' Read Kate Kellaway's interview with Philip Pullman

99. American Pastoral Philip Roth For years, Roth was famous for Portnoy's Complaint . Recently, he has enjoyed an extraordinary revival. Tim Adams's review of American Pastoral From our My Hero series: James Wood on Philip Roth

100. Austerlitz W. G. Sebald Posthumously published volume in a sequence of dream-like fictions spun from memory, photographs and the German past. Read the 2001 review of Austerlitz here The Last Word: Maya Jaggi interviews Sebald Robert McCrum on Sebald's legacy

Who did we miss?

So, are you congratulating yourself on having read everything on our list or screwing the newspaper up into a ball and aiming it at the nearest bin?

Are you wondering what happened to all those American writers from Bret Easton Ellis to Jeffrey Eugenides, from Jonathan Franzen to Cormac McCarthy?

Have women been short-changed? Should we have included Pat Barker, Elizabeth Bowen, A.S. Byatt, Penelope Fitzgerald, Doris Lessing and Iris Murdoch?

What's happened to novels in translation such as Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, Hesse's Siddhartha, Mishima's The Sea of Fertility, Süskind's Perfume and Zola's Germinal?

Writers such as JG Ballard, Julian Barnes, Anthony Burgess, Bruce Chatwin, Robertson Davies, John Fowles, Nick Hornby, Russell Hoban, Somerset Maugham and VS Pritchett narrowly missed the final hundred. Were we wrong to lose them?

Let us know what you think. Post your own suggestions for the 100 best books on the Observer blog .

The 100 best novels
Daniel Defoe
Henry Fielding
Miguel de Cervantes

More on this story

10 overlooked novels: how many have you read?

1000 novels everyone must read: the definitive list.

The 100 greatest non-fiction books

Books and Authors 2024, List of Books Writers & Authors

Books and Authors

Books and Authors 2024

Books and authors 2023, books and authors 2022, books and authors 2021, books and authors 2020, books and authors 2019, books and authors 2018.

Table of Contents

Famous Books and their Authors are now part of every exam. Books and authors cover a vast range of genres and periods, but here are some notable examples across various categories. T For the important Government exams, if have come up with important books and their authors. The government exams, like RRB, Bank Exams, UPSC, IBPS, and SSC, are some of the exams in which two or three questions from books and authors are asked in the general awareness section. Check the famous and award-winning books and authors for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 , 2019 and 2018 .

Books and authors have played pivotal roles in the evolution of societies. Throughout history, written works have been catalysts for change. They have challenged oppressive systems, championed human rights, and sparked movements for social justice. Authors are the magicians who conjure worlds out of thin air. They craft characters with unique voices, settings with vivid details, and narratives that transport readers to distant realms. Through their creative brilliance, authors enable us to experience the lives, struggles, and triumphs of fictional and historical figures alike.

The relationship between books and authors is a fundamental and symbiotic one. Authors are individuals who write and create the content found in books, and books serve as a medium through which authors communicate their ideas, stories, knowledge, and perspectives to readers. Here is the list of Authors who have published their books in the year 2024 and the list will be updated timely.

The relationship between books and authors is one of profound influence and symbiosis, shaping societies, sparking revolutions, and expanding the horizons of the mind. In the below table, we have explored the names of Books and Authors 2023.

The list of Books and Authors of 2022 has been enlisted below and will be updated with the release of new books.

Check the complete list of Books & Authors of 2021 in the below table.

Check the important books and its authors of 2020 in the table below.

Check the important books and its authors of 2019 in the table below.

Check the important books and its authors of 2018 in the table below.

Q 1. Who won the Jnanpith Award 2023?

Q 2. Won won the Man Booker Prize 2019?

Q 3. Who won the Man Booker International Prize 2019?

Q 4. Who won the Saraswati Samaan 2019?

Q 5. Who won the Pulitzer prize for fiction 2019?

Q6. Who is the author of ‘Bose: The untold story of an inconvenient nationalist’?

Q7. Which book is shortlisted for International Booker Prize 2022?

Important Links

Government Exam Articles
List Of Famous Books & Authors For General Awareness Section

List of Famous Books & Authors for General Awareness Section

List of Famous Books and Authors is important from a competitive exams point of view be it SSC exams, Bank Exams, Government exams or the coveted UPSC exams.

The questions related to famous books and authors are covered under the Static GK part of the General Awareness section.

Candidates can check the SSC General Awareness section page for more such topics.

Candidates preparing for any of the government exams must by heart the names of famous books and authors as 2 to 3 questions related to important books and authors are asked in these examinations.

Candidates can also check the Current Affairs page for their preparation.

In this article, candidates will get the list of famous books and authors, also they will be able to download Famous Books and Author PDF which enlists more than 200 names of important books and authors. The PDF of Famous books and Authors list given contains both Indian and International books and authors.

List of Famous Books and Authors PDF:- Download PDF Here

List of Famous Books & Authors

Candidates can go through the list of famous books and authors given below and it is advised that they keep a track of this page as we will be adding more names to the list.

Candidates appearing for any competitive exams such as SSC exam, IBPS exam, RRB exams etc. can check Previous Year Question Papers with solution PDF to understand the type of questions asked in the general awareness section of these examinations.

Check the links given below for competitive exam preparation:

For further information on various competitive exams go through the given links:

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More From Forbes

Ai and the author: how ai is transforming book writing.

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Miles Rote is the Chief of Author Strategy at KAA, empowering authors through book writing, editing & publishing navigation. See our books.

Many people want to write a book, but few actually do it because of how difficult the process can be. I’ve interviewed thousands of business professionals and thought leaders about their books, and consistent themes resonate through them all.

It’s not a lack of desire or inspiration that keeps them from doing it. It’s lack of time, unfamiliarity with the industry, and the intimidation of a blank page. But in the age of generative AI and modern publishing, the arduous journey from a blank page to a published book is no longer what it used to be.

How To Use AI To Enhance The Book-Writing Process

Many of the titles we know and love are ghostwritten by other people. That doesn’t mean the book isn’t from the author or isn’t their words. On the contrary, a talented ghostwriter amplifies the author’s voice.

AI can do something similar: Help us extract the ideas we have in our head and piece them together for a book. AI's role is therefore less about writing the book and more about enhancing the ability to start and finish one.

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Can it replace high-quality ghostwriters or editors? No, but here are a few strategies to use AI to help with the book-writing process.

• Ideation: AI can help overcome the dreaded blank page syndrome. By inputting a theme or a basic premise, AI can suggest creative ideas, character arcs or even entire story outlines to kickstart the creative process.

• Structuring: Organizing a book can be daunting. AI can help in outlining chapters, suggesting narrative structures and even advising on pacing and plot progression.

• Research: AI can swiftly summarize relevant information, provide historical context or even suggest thematic material, significantly reducing the time spent on research. It can also review your writing and poke holes in your arguments.

• Language And Style: For those struggling with grammar, sentence structure or stylistic elements, AI tools offer real-time suggestions for improvement, enhancing the readability and professionalism of the text.

• Character And Plot Development: Especially in fiction, crafting compelling characters and plots is vital. AI can suggest character traits, plot twists or even dialogue options, enriching the narrative.

AI Tools To Help Write Your Book

The market has become saturated with AI writing aids, each offering unique features. You can do some online research to discover many more, but I'll focus on three of my recommendations below.

Use Perplexity For Research

While Perplexity AI utilizes a combination of its own proprietary and existing AI models to power its services, its real strength is providing the most current information available, making it akin to having an up-to-date news reporter at your disposal. It’s like having a team of virtual assistants Googling and researching on your behalf.

• Pros: Fast and reliable research with citations, real-time information, contextual understanding, versatility.

• Cons: Content creation, rewriting, chain prompting.

Use ChatGPT For Writing

The paid version of ChatGPT continues to be a leading tool for a variety of writing tasks. It’s easy to use and is the most popular tool, in part because of its Custom GPTs feature.

• Pros: Content creation, ideation, rewriting, plot structure, chain prompting, custom GPTs.

• Cons: Can’t analyze large amounts of text, not great at research.

Pro tip: Check out the Creative Writing Coach custom GPT to assist with fiction writing.

Use Claude For Analysis

Claude is unique in that it has a very large context window, allowing you to enter more than 5X the information compared to ChatGPT. This means you can reference significant portions of your manuscript for consistency, coherence and plot holes so you can make improvements on pacing and structure. Claude can also analyze large PDF files (think ebooks) to assist with research.

• Pros: Analyzing large chunks of text, analyzing PDFs, character development, consistency.

• Cons: Content creation, rewriting, less well-known.

Tips for Using AI To Help Write Your Book

Get good at prompting..

The quality of your prompt will define the quality of the output. The better you get at prompting AI with the right questions, the better answers you’ll receive.

Blend AI suggestions with your creativity.

AI tools provide suggestions; it's your job to select, refine and integrate these into your book. Use AI-generated ideas as a springboard for your creativity, not a replacement.

Maintain authenticity.

While using AI, it's essential to retain your voice and ensure the story reflects your vision. AI should augment your narrative, not define it. When overused, generative AI tends to flatten your voice, not enhance it.

Integrate with traditional writing practices.

AI tools are most effective when used in conjunction with human intuition, creativity and editorial judgment. Regular writing routines, feedback from peers or mentors and personal reflections are just as crucial in the writing process as AI assistance.

Embracing AI As A Collaborative Partner In Writing

AI in book writing offers a new way to enhance your creative process, break through barriers and bring about more efficiency. However, the heart of your book—its message, emotion and connection with readers—comes from you, the author.

Over-reliance on AI can lead to homogenized content that doesn’t interest or help readers. Even when used appropriately, it’s still important to work with professional editors to elevate your manuscript from good to great. Looking ahead, AI's role in writing is poised to grow. We can anticipate more sophisticated AI tools that offer even more nuanced suggestions and insights. However, the essence of storytelling will still remain a profoundly human endeavor.

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Books | Why the shut-down of a book distributor caused…

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Books | why the shut-down of a book distributor caused chaos for bookstores and publishers.

In a sudden shock to the book community late last month, the book distributor Small Press Distribution abruptly announced it would be closing up shop after a 55-year run – effective immediately.

Until the announcement, the distribution house had been serving more than 300 independent literary publishers and distributed titles , including books that were National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winners.

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Small Press Distribution, or SPD, issued a statement pointing to “ years of declining sales and the loss of grant support” as well as “the challenges of a rapidly changing book industry and funding environment.” With the closure, hundreds of indie presses and authors are now scrambling to figure out how to pick up the pieces and move forward.

Leland Cheuk, founder of the Los Angeles-based 7.13 Books , said his company has four books that were set to be distributed by SPD, two of which were the indie press’s bestsellers. The publisher had until then been ordering print runs of around 500 books for each title and then replenishing as needed; there are hundreds of books they’re trying to account for.

Cheuk is just one of many wondering, “How do I get them? How do I sell them? Are these just out of print?”

According to Cheuk, the New York publishing scene often shies away from experimental literature. “We publish primarily debut books,” he said. “ I just don’t think people should have to wait until they’re on their deathbed like I did to publish this first stupid book” – Cheuk’s own near-death experience led him to publish his first book – “It’s just a book, right? You should go out and share it with people. It doesn’t have to be The Big New York Book.”

For bookworms looking outside of what’s found on the bestseller lists or celebrity book clubs , Cheuk said it’s already difficult for readers to get their hands on literature outside of the mainstream. “ You really have to be a fan of small press literature to go get them. Those displays that you see in indie bookstores, the small press showcases and stuff like that, those disappearing will be bad,” he continued. “I think for a lot of bookstores, it’s easy for them to just call up Small Press Distribution and say, ‘Hey, what are your bestsellers? Should we stock some of those books?’ I think those going away will have an impact on people who are shopping for books in brick and mortar stores.”

Unnamed Press editor and publishing manager Allison Miriam Woodnutt echoed Cheuk’s take on corporate publishing, adding that while “these corporate entities that are in the business of making art,” they don’t always leave room for experimental works. As well, she says that’s also true for books in translation, works by marginalized voices, and “anything that kind of goes beyond a kind of channel of the mainstream becomes harder to sell.”

“They’re in the business of selling as many books as possible to keep their giant houses running,” she continued. “Smaller presses and independent presses – they’re independent. We all work to publish the books that we want to publish.”

Woodnutt said small presses are able to publish books that cover taboo topics, and marginalized writers whose work may have been overlooked.

“The health of publishing, books, art and writing in general – it depends on who’s advocating for it, what we’re advocating for, how we do that, and how we distribute it and get it on shelves.”

According to Allison K. Hill , CEO of the American Booksellers Association (and a former books columnist for these newspapers ) , it’s readers who ultimately suffer the consequences when an institution like SPD closes, which she believes is the result of Amazon’s stranglehold on the book industry.

“ Small presses are vital to the literary landscape,” said Hill. “They publish debut authors, champion diverse voices, introduce experimental formats, and ensure that a variety of books from a variety of sources are available to readers. And many small and independent press titles and authors are award-winning and/or bestsellers that might not have been published without this support.”

Small Press Distribution’s abrupt closure hasn’t just disrupted the availability of indie books; it’s also created a financial challenge: Publishers and authors need to get paid, and there are now tens of thousands of books stuck in limbo.

“I emailed frantically,” said Holly Crawford, who founded and runs San Diego’s AC Books , a small nonprofit publisher that specializes in contemporary art history, criticism and art practice. “I had to quickly tell people, please don’t ship to the [SPD] warehouse.”

Crawford said she had to break the news to authors expecting their work to be distributed by SPD. Crawford said she’s been working tirelessly to find alternatives and save these authors’ books.

“I feel a responsibility to people,” she continued. “I’ve taken on their books, and I need to figure out how to get them out.”

New York’s Black Lawrence Press had used SPD as their primary distributor for the past 12 years. The independent publisher launched a GoFundMe campaign, stating that it could not withstand a financial loss of this magnitude. According to the crowdfunding page, the closure had put Black Lawrence Press in a dire position – uncertain how or when it would have access to 18,289 books in SPD’s warehouse or collect royalties owed. (On April 4, Black Lawrence Press posted an update stating it had met its GoFundMe goal: “We still have a logistical mess on our hands, but we’re working diligently to come to solutions as quickly as possible. Thanks to your donations, however, we are not in the dire financial circumstances that we found ourselves one week ago today.)

While rising rental costs, book publishing costs, increasing postage, and across-the-board price hikes for backend operations have hit the publishing industry especially hard in recent years, Jhoanna Belfer, who founded Long Beach’s Bel Canto Books , thinks SPD’s closure should serve as a wake-up call for book lovers.

Belfer said now is the time for folks to get to know the small presses in their communities, to make sure that you’re purchasing books from them, interacting with them on social media, signing up for their newsletters, and becoming involved.

“It’s gonna take each and every one of us to get more involved in the publishing and book reading community to ensure that authors across the spectrum – especially authors from historically marginalized communities – are still able to find their audiences and get in front of readers,” she says.

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Lynne Reid Banks, author of ‘The Indian in the Cupboard,’ dies at 94

Her works ranged from the feminist novel “the l-shaped room” to the “indian in the cupboard” children’s book series.

Lynne Reid Banks, a British writer whose best-selling, sometimes contested works ranged from the feminist novel “The L-Shaped Room” to “The Indian in the Cupboard” and its sequels, a chapter-book series about a boy and his animated plastic figurine that was read by millions of children on both sides of the Atlantic, died April 4 in Surrey, England. She was 94.

The cause was breast cancer, said Omri Stephenson, her youngest son, for whom the protagonist in “The Indian in the Cupboard” was named.

Ms. Banks, a onetime actress and television reporter, made her literary debut in 1960 with “The L-Shaped Room,” a novel about a young, unmarried woman who goes to live during her pregnancy in a boardinghouse room of the shape described in the title.

The book became a 1962 British film starring Leslie Caron in a rare dramatic role for the French-born actress-dancer and thrust Ms. Banks to fame. She went on to write what she described as “book after non-best-selling book” until she “stumbled upon the idea,” as she put it , “of bringing a toy plastic American Indian to life in a magic cupboard.”

“The Indian in the Cupboard” appeared in 1980 and was followed by four sequels, “The Return of the Indian” (1986), “The Secret of the Indian” (1989), “The Mystery of the Cupboard” (1993) and “The Key to the Indian” (1998).

For years those volumes were staples of library shelves, recounting to young readers the adventures of Omri and Little Bear, the first of many figurines that come alive when Omri places them in his cupboard and turns an ornate key.

In 1995, “The Indian in the Cupboard” was adapted into a film directed by Frank Oz. A review by New York Times film critic Janet Maslin captured what admirers saw as the magic at the core of the story:

“As ‘E.T.’ did,” she wrote, referring to the 1982 Steven Spielberg movie about a boy and his extraterrestrial friend, “‘The Indian in the Cupboard’ imagines what it would be like to have a wondrous hidden companion, the kind that stays in a boy’s room all day while the boy goes to school.”

However, critics objected over the years to what they regarded as Ms. Banks’s reliance on racial and cultural stereotypes, in particular in her representation of Native Americans. The American Indian Library Association included “The Indian in the Cupboard” on a list of “titles to avoid.”

Writing in The Washington Post in 1986, Louise Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa who would later receive a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize, described Little Bear as “a ruthlessly unpleasant and unoriginal man, an itty-bitty savage who speaks B-movie English and has none of the tenderness, wit or even intelligence which normal humans, including American Indians, might be expected to possess.”

Furthermore, Erdrich continued, the main character’s control over Little Bear carried a “depressing implicit message.”

“American Indians, a child may gather, can be ‘brought to life’ when it suits the convenience of those in power, and turned back into plastic when they become too real,” Erdrich wrote. “Banks’ books can, in fact, be read almost as Orwellian allegories of childish imperialism.”

In the course of the series, Little Bear tells Omri that he wishes to be called a “Native American” rather than a “Red Indian.” Ms. Banks vigorously objected to suggestions that her books should carry a warning label but remarked to the London Independent in 1995 that she “probably wouldn’t have written that book the way I wrote it, now.”

Belinda Reid Banks, an only child, was born in London on July 31, 1929. Her father, of Scottish heritage, was a doctor, and her mother, whose family was Irish, was an actress.

Ms. Banks started her education at a Catholic boarding school before being evacuated with her mother to Saskatoon, a city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, to avoid bombings of London during World War II. Her father, as a physician, remained behind.

In Canada, Ms. Banks said, she was entranced by the idea of the Wild West, which mixed in her imagination with stories her mother had told her — the foundation, perhaps, of Ms. Banks’s later books for children.

“I was brought up to think we really shared the world with … fairies and elves and so on — that they were all around us,” she told the Times in 1993. “Fairy tales were my young mythology, and the pioneer West was my teenage mythology.”

After five years in Canada, Ms. Banks returned to England, where she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She initially followed her mother into a stage career but was forced to change course when her father died suddenly.

In search of more reliable income, she became a reporter for the television outlet that is now ITV. She was one of few women on the British airwaves at the time, and, annoyed by the tedium of the inconsequential assignments allowed to her, began writing “The L-Shaped Room” during her spare time.

Years later, she expressed regret about the way she had depicted a Black character who lives at the boardinghouse with the protagonist. “There are certain aspects of the book now, in my treatment of him, that embarrass me,” Ms. Banks told an interviewer .

Nevertheless, the book was regarded as an important contribution to feminist literature of the era and kick-started Ms. Banks’s career, even if it at times brought her impertinent questions.

“Everyone assumed that I’d had a baby, even people who’d known me for years. I was getting strange letters, like, ‘My dear, you have got us all guessing …’” she told the Independent. “My mother begged me not to publish under my own name. Everybody thought it was me and everybody still does. It was all pure imagination.”

In the early 1960s, Ms. Banks met her future husband, Chaim Stephenson, an English sculptor who at the time was living in Israel. She accompanied him back to Israel and lived for nearly nine years on a kibbutz, teaching English as another language, before they returned in 1971 to England, where she pursued her literary career in earnest.

Ms. Banks wrote plays, short stories and articles in addition to her books, a number of which centered on Israel and the Middle East. She also wrote two books about the writers Charlotte and Emily Brontë, “Dark Quartet: The Story of the Brontës” (1976) and “Path to the Silent Country: Charlotte Brontë’s Years of Fame” (1977).

The first of her dozens of books for children was “The Adventures of King Midas,” published in 1976.

Ms. Banks’s husband died in 2016 after 50 years of marriage. Her survivors include three sons, Adiel Stephenson of Budapest and Gillon Stephenson and Omri Stephenson, both of London; and several grandchildren. In “The Indian in the Cupboard,” the fictional Omri’s brothers are named Adiel and Gillon.

Omri Stephenson said in an interview that like his fictional namesake, he, too, played with plastic figurines when he was growing up. He also had a cupboard, a metal one that was perhaps less “romantic” than the one depicted in his mother’s books, but a place that nonetheless served as a hiding place for his treasures. Ms. Banks would sometimes carry it with her to book signings, to show her young readers where her ideas came from.

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Authors scramble after the main distributor for small publishers suddenly closed

Deena Prichep

Book distributors get titles into readers' hands. And last week, Small Press Distribution abruptly closed — leaving over 350 small presses scrambling to figure out how their industry can move forward.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

The book on your nightstand was written by an author, put out by a publisher and sold by a bookseller. And there's another player that gets less attention - distributors, the people who get books into stores. A little over a week ago, the main distributor for small publishers closed down without warning. Deena Prichep reports on what happens now to small presses.

DEENA PRICHEP, BYLINE: Books are an art, but they're also a business. And for many small publishers, a huge part of their business was SPD - Small Press Distribution. They'd been around for 55 years, working with over 350 small presses. And then, they weren't. Publishers found out by email, by text.

DIANE GOETTEL: You know how sometimes if you fall down or something happens suddenly, and you can't tell right away how badly hurt you are? That's how I felt for the small press world when I got that email.

PRICHEP: Diane Goettel heads Black Lawrence Press. They publish poetry, literary fiction, debut authors - the sorts of books that major publishers won't always take a chance on.

GOETTEL: My gut instinct was this is going to be very bad. And for smaller presses or fledgling presses, it could be the end.

PRICHEP: There's kind of three parts to how bad this is. First off, there's the back pay. Publishing tends to pay quarterly, which means publishers are owed months of payments that they may never get. Josh Savory runs Game Over Books, which primarily publishes voices from marginalized communities.

JOSH SAVORY: We did the GoFundMe for about 5,000 to cover the costs of, like, paying authors.

PRICHEP: Many presses are owed several times that amount. And small presses run small margins.

SAVORY: And I have no idea how much it's going to cost to get those books back.

PRICHEP: That's the second part of the problem - the actual books. SPD consolidated orders for buyers by having all the books in the same warehouses, which just shut down.

SAVORY: I got an email from them that said that, like, here, fill this out. You have two weeks. If you don't fill it out, we're going to destroy your books.

PRICHEP: And publishers have to pay to ship the books back. For presses whose back stock could fill pallets, like Diane Goettel at Black Lawrence Press, that could add up.

GOETTEL: My husband and I might, you know, put together a really great road trip playlist and rent a U-Haul.

PRICHEP: And there are authors who are out on book tour right now. Alvina Chamberland's novel, "Love The World Or Get Killed Trying," came out one week before SPD shut down.

ALVINA CHAMBERLAND: So I got an email from my publisher that was like, don't panic.

PRICHEP: Chamberland is on the road to connect with readers but also to sell books.

CHAMBERLAND: I had just done, like, five events in New York. They'd all gone really well. Then all of a sudden on Monday, I get all these emails from bookstores. Like, we would really like to order the book, but it's not available.

PRICHEP: Small presses are dealing with the finances and logistics, coming together for emergency meetings, selling books from their own websites. But the biggest problem is - what happens next? There are other distributors, but they won't be able to take on everyone, or they have minimum orders that the smaller presses just aren't able to meet.

STEPHEN SPARKS: It becomes a loss culturally, in that we are not going to have as easy access to these kind of radical ideas or, like, creative ways of thinking and writing.

PRICHEP: Stephen Sparks runs Point Reyes Books in California and regularly ordered from SPD. These titles may not be the biggest sellers, but they make a difference.

SPARKS: To get a book to someone, you know, that could crack open the world, that may, like, change their life. I mean, that's why we do this.

PRICHEP: SPD - which is not responding to questions - reported under a million dollars in book revenue last year. This is a fraction of the book industry, but it includes books that have won national book awards and Pulitzer Prizes. They've launched careers. They've changed readers' lives. And small presses hope that even without SPD, they'll be able to figure out a way to continue doing that. For NPR News, I'm Deena Prichep.

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Lynne Reid Banks, Author of ‘The Indian in the Cupboard,’ Dies at 94

She explored the struggles of young women in the novel “The L-Shaped Room” but found her biggest success with a children’s book about a magical cupboard.

Lynne Reid Banks in a black and white photo wearing a loose flannel shirt and sitting in front of a typewriter while turning to face the camera.

By Rebecca Chace

Lynne Reid Banks, a versatile British author who began her writing career with the best-selling feminist novel “The L-Shaped Room” but found her biggest success with the popular children’s book “The Indian in the Cupboard,” died on Thursday in Surrey, England. She was 94.

Her death, at a care facility, was caused by cancer, said James Wills, her literary agent.

Ms. Banks was part of a generation of writers, including Shelagh Delaney and Margaret Drabble , that emerged in postwar Britain and whose books explored the struggles of young women seeking personal and financial independence, in sharp contrast to the contemporaneous “ angry young men” literary movement defined by John Osborne and Kingsley Amis .

Over Ms. Banks’s long career, her character portrayals were often called insensitive and her language offensive, particularly in her two best-known works. A complicated, sometimes contradictory figure, she became increasingly unrepentant about her firmly held opinions.

“The L-Shaped Room” (1960), lauded by critics as a second-wave feminist novel, tells the story of an unmarried secretary whose conservative, middle-class father throws her out of their home when she tells him she’s pregnant. Rather than reach out to the father of the child, she rents a small L-shaped room at the top of a rooming house in London and becomes part of an improvised family of fellow boarders, including a Caribbean-born jazz musician. Class, race, sexism and the danger of illegal abortions are all central to the plot.

Ms. Banks didn’t consider herself a feminist when she wrote the book; as a young woman coming of age in the 1950s, she said, she thought that men were superior.

But she soon changed her mind. “What a joke,” she told the BBC program “Bookclub” in 2010. “I mean, I don’t believe that anymore. I think women are infinitely the superior sex and that men are probably the most dangerous creatures on the planet.”

Ms. Banks came to regret the racial tropes used in her portrayal of the Caribbean housemate in “The L-Shaped Room,” acknowledging that racism had permeated her narrative. “The prejudices existed, and they came out in this book, and it’s shame-making, but there they were,” she told the BBC. “They were absolutely part of the atmosphere.”

The novel became an immediate best seller in Britain and was made into a film, released in the United States in 1963, which starred Leslie Caron, who was nominated for an Oscar for best actress.

After “The Indian in the Cupboard” was published in 1980, The New York Times hailed it as the best novel of the year for children. Ms. Banks wrote four sequels.

The first book in the series begins when a boy, Omri, is given an old medicine cabinet with magical properties: When he places plastic action figures inside, they come alive. The first toy he brings to life is a Native American named Little Bear — the “Indian” of the title. One of Omri’s friends places his toy cowboy in the cabinet, and a well-worn conflict is set in motion.

Although the purported message to young readers was the importance of tolerance and respect for other cultures, Ms. Banks was later accused of perpetuating stereotypes. (Little Bear speaks in a dialect of broken English, and the cowboy is a laconic man who likes his whiskey.)

By the fourth book, “The Mystery of the Cupboard” (1993), critics had grown impatient with the clichéd characters that would step out of the magic cupboard. “Through its innocent-looking mirrored door march a succession of plucky, albeit creaky cultural stereotypes, ever predictable and true to the dictates of their sex, ethnic group or time,” the fiction writer Michael Dorris wrote in The New York Times Book Review.

The American Indian Library Association in 1991 listed “The Indian in the Cupboard” series among the “titles to avoid,” and a school board in British Columbia temporarily removed the first book from its libraries in 1992, citing “offensive treatment of native peoples.”

Still, the series remained popular, and “The Indian in the Cupboard” was adapted into a 1995 film directed by Frank Oz.

Lynne Reid Banks was born in London on July 31, 1929. She was the only child of James and Muriel (Reid) Banks. Her father, who was Scottish, was a doctor; her mother, known as Pat, who was Irish, was an actress.

As a child during World War II, Lynne was evacuated with her mother to Canada, where they settled in Saskatchewan. It was a mostly happy time, and the human cost of the war became clear only when she returned to London at 15.

“I found my city in ruins,” she said in an interview for the reference work “Authors and Artists for Young Adults.” When she learned about the wartime hardships that the rest of her family had endured, she was horrified and ashamed. “I felt like a deserter,” she said.

She first pursued a career as an actress, studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and working in repertory theater. She also began writing plays. In 1955, she became one of the first female television reporters in England, working for Independent Television News (later ITV). One day, she was asked to try out a new kind of typewriter in the newsroom. One sentence led to another, and she realized that she was writing in the voice of a woman who was pregnant, unmarried and on her own. These random first sentences became the seeds of “The L-shaped Room.”

“I didn’t know I had a book,” she later told the BBC . “I knew I had a situation.”

The success of the novel gave her the freedom to write full time, and she quit her television job. But her life took another turn when she met and married Chaim Stephenson, a sculptor, and moved to Israel to join him on a kibbutz.

The move led her mother to accuse her of wasting her talent and placing herself in a dangerous and “soul-stunting” situation, Ms. Banks wrote in The Guardian in 2017. But she loved her adopted country, and she taught English and continued to write while raising three sons, until the family moved back to England in 1971.

Ms. Banks wrote two sequels to “The L-Shaped Room” — “The Backward Shadow” (1970) and “Two Is Lonely” (1974) — as well as two books on the Brontë sisters: “Dark Quartet: The Story of the Brontës” (1976) and “Path to the Silent Country: Charlotte Brontë’s Years of Fame” (1977).

She began writing books for children and young adults in the 1970s, incorporating elements of magic and fantasy that would find full expression in “The Indian in the Cupboard.” She wrote more than 45 books for adults and children altogether, many with Jewish themes, as well as 13 plays produced for radio and theater.

The challenges of single motherhood was a theme Ms. Banks returned to in 2014 in “Uprooted: A Canadian War Story,” a young adult novel based on the years that she and her mother spent in Canada during the war.

She is survived by three sons, Adiel, Gillon and Omri Stephenson, and three grandchildren. Her husband died in 2016.

Ms. Banks remained productive in her later years. “It’s great being old,” she wrote in The Guardian in 2017, in an essay on the advantages of aging. “I can be eccentric, self-indulgent — even offensive.”

Indeed, at the age of 85, she touched off another literary furor when she wrote a letter objecting to The Guardian’s decision to award its children’s fiction prize to David Almond for his book “A Song for Ella Grey” (2015), writing that a book with “lesbian sex,” as well as swearing and drinking, was not appropriate for children.

A predictable outcry in response to her letter followed. “Although I’m still on the outs with modern life,” she wrote, “being old means I’ve stopped minding what people think of my opinions.”

Sofia Poznansky contributed reporting,

Report: LGBTQ content drove book banning efforts in 2023

The latest report marks the start of National Library Week.

The American Library Association released its annual list of the top 10 most targeted books of 2023 on Monday, the majority of which were challenges because of their LGBTQ content.

“Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe topped the list for the third year in a row. The graphic memoir, which chronicles the author's experience with sexuality and gender from childhood to adulthood, was challenged for its LGBTQ content and for claims that it is sexually explicit.

“At ALA, we are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read," said ALA President Emily Drabinski in the announcement. "Shining a light on the harmful workings of these pressure groups is one of the actions we must take to protect our right to read.”

In 2023, the ALA recorded 4,240 unique titles that have been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. It's a record-breaking 65% increase from 2022, the highest totals recorded by the ALA since it began collecting data more than 20 years ago.

MORE: What's in some of the most challenged books in America?

Jennie Pu, ALA member and Hoboken Public Library Director, told ABC News that "this list affirms the pattern that we're seeing, that it's a small group of people who don't want their stories to be told and the retargeting of historically underrepresented and marginalized voices."

Hoboken's library system was declared a book sanctuary in 2023.

Across the country, classroom and library content has been at the center of contentious debates between educators, librarians, parents and politicians. Conservative-led legislative efforts to restrict what discussions and content could be had in classrooms regarding race, gender, sex, and sexual orientation has ignited a debate about the materials students and their families have access to.

Advocates of such legislation say these policies ensure that "inappropriate" content is weeded out of classrooms to protect children from "indoctrination," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have said.

Politicized groups or individuals have been at the center of large swaths of book challenges nationwide, sometimes demanding the censorship of multiple titles -- often dozens or hundreds at a time. This helped drive the surge in book challenges, according to the ALA.

The other most-targeted titles, in order of the number of challenges, are:

PHOTO: “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson

2. “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson, for LGBTQ content and claims of sexually explicit content.

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3. “This Book is Gay,” by Juno Dawson, for LGBTQ content, sex education, and claims of sexually explicit content.

PHOTO: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky

4. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky, for LGBTQ content, rape, drugs, profanity and claims of sexually explicit content.

5. “Flamer,” by Mike Curato, for LGBTQ content and claims of sexually explicit content.

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PHOTO: “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison

6. “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison, for themes about rape, incest, DEI content and claims of sexually explicit content.

7. “Tricks,” by Ellen Hopkins, for LGBTQ content, themes concerning drugs, rape, and claims of sexually explicit content, tied with “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews for claims of sexually explicit content.

9. “Let’s Talk About It,” by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan, for LGBTQ content, sex education, and claims of sexually explicit content.

10. “Sold,” by Patricia McCormick, for claims of sexually explicit content and themes concerning rape.

The ALA compiles its data from reports filed with its Office for Intellectual Freedom by library professionals and news reports. However, the organization says the data is only a "snapshot" of book censorship attempts because it's not likely that all attempts are reported to the ALA or covered by the press.

The latest report marks the start of the organization's National Library Week.

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Energy & Environmental Science

Degradation of sodium co-intercalation chemistry and ether-derived interphase on graphite anodes during calendar aging.

The graphite anodes with solvent co-intercalation mechanism exhibit excellent kinetics and cycling stability in sodium-ion batteries. However, the dramatic volume changes caused by solvent participation are challenging for interphasial conformality. Herein, we reveal the intercalation compounds degradation and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) evolution of graphite at different sodiated state via capacity loss and fluctuation of Coulombic efficiency (CE) induced by calendar aging. The abnormal calendar aging depended on sodiated states is found, which appears as more severe capacity loss and lower CE in partially sodiated graphite anode. The deteriorated performance results from its high-staged intercalated phase transition accompanied by huge volume shrinkage. Under the effect of different intercalation degradation, the growth/destruction of SEI coexists on the partially sodiated graphite, compared to growth-dominated SEI on fully sodiated graphite. Combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we distinguished that the evolution of ether-derived SEI is dominant by alkoxides. These findings reveal the abnormal calendar aging of graphite anode in ether system, providing new insights into its interphasial stability.

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J. Wang, J. Hu, F. Kang and D. Zhai, Energy Environ. Sci. , 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4EE00993B

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100 Best American Authors (755 books)
100 Best American Authors. American authors that write about the American experience. flag. All Votes Add Books To This List. 1. To Kill a Mockingbird. by. Harper Lee. 4.26 avg rating — 6,118,229 ratings.
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13 - Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman is an author who writes across several genres, including short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, nonfiction, and films. Gaiman has won several awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker awards. He is also the first author to win both the Newbery and the Carnegie medals for the same book, The ...
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Here is the list of Authors who have published their books in the year 2024 and the list will be updated timely. Books and Authors 2024. Book Name. Authors Name. "Ek Samandar, Mere Andar". Sanjeev Joshi. "Political History of Assam (1947-1971) - Volume 1". Dr. Rajen Saikia.
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The graphite anodes with solvent co-intercalation mechanism exhibit excellent kinetics and cycling stability in sodium-ion batteries. However, the dramatic volume changes caused by solvent participation are challenging for interphasial conformality. Herein, we reveal the intercalation compounds degradation a