25 Unputdownable Books

Me sitting on a chair with a stack of books and one open in front of my face, with my dog beside me.

I am by no means a literary expert. In fact, I often times go months without reading a single book, not counting cookbooks. Creating recipes for my blog, social media, and TV shows can fill the available time I might have for reading. But since my latest injury, I’ve made time for books (the paper kind that I prefer!), rekindling my love for reading and making me wonder what took me so long.

The following list of books are ones that I’ve read over the last couple of years, including eight that I’ve read in this year alone. There are others, but these are books that I’d recommend. I’ve tried to list them in order of light to heavy, without a ton of analysis. Apparently, I have a thing for WWII novels, because the last five took place then.

The Orphan Train and The Poisonwood Bible are two of my favorite deep reads on this list, while the first three listed (by Fredrik Backman) are some of my most current easy reads. A Man Called Ove is what started my latest book obsession. It’s the perfect book for anyone, and I’ve passed it on to a handful of friends already.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was probably the hardest book for me to follow at times. It details a little boy’s struggle with losing his father in the 9/11 Attacks in NYC. I enjoyed it, and it gave me a lot of perspectives, but it took me longer to read.

I’ve read all of Jodi Picoult’s novels, not just the two I’ve listed. I enjoy her style of writing, and the stories often end with a twist. They are easy summer reading.

The Girl on The Train, Gone Girl, The Martian, and Me Before You are books I’ve seen in movies too. Why is it that I ALWAYS enjoy books so much more than movies? These are all quick reads, perfect for rainy days or summer vacays on the beach.

The Woman in the Window: A Novel just arrived at my door via Amazon. It seems like more of a mystery, and I’m anxious to read it. I’ll give y’all an update on it soon.

After some recommendations from my sister and Oprah’s Book Club, I’ve shopped for a slew of other books that are in my Amazon cart, making it easy for me to hit “pay with one click” when I need a new read! Don’t you just love (some) technology?

I’d love to hear what YOU are currently reading, or what you could recommend to me. Please?

Let’s get back to reading, peeps!! ๐Ÿ™‚

(These books are Amazon Affiliate links.)

A Man Called Ove: A Novel  by Fredrik Backman

Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel by Fredrik Backman

Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Girl on the Train by Liane Moriarty

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Martian by Andy Weir

Me Before You by Jodi Moyes

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Small Great Things: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Life We Bury by Allen Askens

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

The Nightingale: A Novel by Kristin Hannah

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

10 Comments

  1. Iโ€™m so glad I found this list! From this list of books it seems that you and I have a very similar taste in books. Unbroken and boys in the boat are two of my favourite books ever and all the light we cannot see is also great. I have also read many Jodi Picoult books and also really like her writing style and also read Room (great book!) me before you and gone girl. Excited to now read my way through the rest of this list!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I actually need to share another round of books! It’s on my to-do list! Enjoy. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Glad this is a repost. You are giving me ideas for my next read. I am so excited! I just finished A Woman in the Window. I heard it will be a movie on Netflix soon. I love to compare books to movies! It was slow for me to get into it. I was reading before bed and I would get sleepy, BUT then… I couldnโ€™t put it down.
    What do you do with your books when you are done?
    I want to keep them to see what I have accomplished but, I also want to declutter spaces.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Keep on reading, friend! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Jackie Thill says:

    Craig and I just listened to โ€œThe Woman In the Windowโ€ on audible on a road trip to Iowa. It was a good premise and we liked the surprise ending, but we thought the author used too much detail, or what Craig calls โ€œflowery languageโ€. It took forever to get to the point. I like the use of descriptive detail, especially when you see the connections to important events later in the book, but I have to agree that this one went too far. This is one case when we think the movie will be better than the book, if a movie is made.
    We also listened to โ€œGirl On the Trainโ€ on a previous road trip and thought that one was better than the movie.
    Favorites of mine are, โ€œA Man Called Oveโ€, which Craig didnโ€™t like, โ€œBoys On the Boatโ€, (which we both really liked) โ€œThe Martianโ€, โ€œGone Girlโ€ and โ€œMe Before Youโ€. I also read โ€œAll the Light You Cannot Seeโ€. Good book as well.
    Iโ€™m now reading Hamilton (a fantastic historical novel about the life of Alexander Hamilton). Itโ€™s a very long, but interesting, story about our Forefathers, the Writers of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, the creation of the US Mint and the beginning of The US military… The author favors Hamilton, but itโ€™s worth reading.
    Next up on my book list is โ€œBeing Mortalโ€, by Atul Gawande. Itโ€™s about the current medical approach to aging and dying in the US and other parts of the world. Recommended by a trusted friend and avid reader.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I canโ€™t believe Craig didnโ€™t like โ€œA Man Called Oveโ€! That was one of my favs!! โ€œHamiltonโ€ sounds interesting. We need to do a book swap!

  4. Putting me to shame. I have some work to do. At least, I know some good books to read!

  5. I am one of those friends who goes to Sue for book advice. I would love to read more but, I seem to let chores get in the way. However, when I read I enjoy it so much. I have read Me before you and saw the movie. I agree with Sue, the movie is always so much better. I have Sueโ€™s copy of , A Man called OVE and loving it. Girl on the train was lots of twist and turns. Again, the book was better than the movie so, get to reading. My kids read Poisiknwood Bible for school and when I told them it was on the blog, they agreeed that looking back it was a good book. They said, they would not have read it on there own. I guess I will have to pick it up and read it on one of those patio/deck days.!!! Thanks for the recommendations , Sue.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Thanks for your feedback, Michelle! I’ve got more books for you when you are ready. ๐Ÿ™‚

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