I love recommending books to friends, and I also hate it. It’s so much pressure, you know? I only recommend books that I have rated highly and so, because of that, I have an emotional connection to them. They meant something to me. What happens if a book I recommended isn’t as loved by this person? What if they – gasp! – hate it? Will our friendship even survive? (Answer: probably not.)
In any event, I do recommend books because friends come to me asking for them, knowing I am a voracious reader. They want me to give them titles for the beach, a long car ride, a vacation. They’re looking for something that will suck them in and keep them hooked.
And so, I thought it might be fun to make a list of the 5 fiction novels I recommend most frequently. In a follow-up post, I’ll talk about the nonfiction I recommend.
1) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
This is my all-time favorite novel, mostly because it was a book that I didn’t expect to love as much as I did. It’s a heartbreaking read, but it’s also incredibly hopeful and fun. It’s the kind of read that you can bring on vacation due to its light-hearted nature, even if it does take a turn for sadness. It’s always my first recommendation.
Best for… people who are looking for a heartfelt novel that isn’t too fluffy but also isn’t too serious.
Click here to add this book to your Goodreads shelf.
2) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
This book shattered me, but it also made me hopeful and grateful. It forced me to face the privileges I enjoy as a white woman living in the United States. Its message is powerful and will sit with you for a long, long time. The novel is beautifully written and wonderfully paced. And the characters. Laila and Mariam are complex, courageous, enduring characters. I felt grateful to Hosseini for writing this, for bringing these characters into my orbit.
Best for… people who want to read a compelling novel that will impact them and make them think.
Click here to add this book to your Goodreads shelf.
3) The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
This book is just plain fun in all sorts of ways. It’s essentially fan fiction about Prince William and Duchess Kate, how they met and how their love story evolved. But don’t let the term “fan fiction” deter you because it is so wonderful and fun to read. I continue to recommend it to friends because I’ve yet to see someone straight-up despise the novel.
Best for… people looking for a light but engaging vacation read.
Click here to add this book to your Goodreads shelf.
4) The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
This novel is just perfection. It’s not very plot-heavy – much more of a character-driven novel – but there’s something so lovely and beautiful about the pacing of this novel. It made me love the experience of reading and that’s all you really want from a novel, right?
Best for… book lovers who are looking to connect with their bookish side. And also for people who want a slow yet compelling read that isn’t too heavy.
Click here to add this book to your Goodreads shelf.
5) In the Blood by Lisa Unger
This is a mystery novel that’s creepy and full of twists and turns. I’m normally pretty decent at guessing the mystery element, but this one took me completely by surprise and was so fantastically written that I constantly recommend it to friends. (Also, Lisa Unger is apparently a local author who lives in my area! Who knew?! My book club is obsessed with her novels!)
Best for… people wanting a thrilling mystery that will suck them right in and keep them guessing until the very last page.
Click here to add this book to your Goodreads shelf.
What’s a book you find yourself recommending over and over again?
#1 and #2 are also in my top ten list! I really want to read the Storied Life of AJ Fikry and I started it in May but couldn’t get into it. I do want to give it another shot. I usually recommend The Time Traveler’s Wife (was my #1 before I read Me Before You) and Little Women (my all time favorite classic). I also recommend anything by Kristin Hannah, especially The Nightingale and Firefly Lane. Fun post!
I feel that same pressure when recommending books because I’m always wondering, “but what if they hate it?!” And due to my job, I am always recommending books! Ohhhh the pressure! Hahaha. So fun but stressful at the same time.
This was fun to read! I love recommending books but it’s also so nerve wracking! Like I am nervous to get the journal back for the book I picked for our postal book club in case some people didn’t like it!!
I have read 3 of these books, but haven’t read The Royal We or In The Blood. I will have to check out both of them! I recently did a post like this myself, as you know, and some of the books I included were We Were Liars and The Book of Unknown Americans.
Oh, thanks for this! I love that you did this, because people (myself included) are always sharing what they read but not always paring down what they really LOVED to read, so it can all get jumbled. I haven’t read the first two because neither necessarily appealed to me, but after reading this, I’m much more interested. And that mystery sounds right up my alley!
Jemima J by Jane Green
Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani
Good in Bed, Jennifer Weiner
The Shadow in the Wind is so good; Book Thief. I could go on and on!
For people who enjoy paranormal I highly recommend the Sookie Stackhouse series! I have lots of diverse reading tastes so I can come up with something for almost everyone if they need something but I do get nervous making recommendations in case someone didn’t like the book. I haven’t read any of these but a few are on my shelf to read!
The only one I haven’t read is In the Blood! I also consistently recommend Me Before You to people. I think my most recommended book is The Art of Racing in the Rain. I just loved that book so much. Its been years since I read it, I should really re-read it!