For years, I looked down on people who preferred fiction to nonfiction. As an avid reader of books on business, personal development, psychology, history, and leadership, I thought reading too much fiction was a waste of time.
my literary snobbery led me to judge people who talked about the latest fiction bestsellers and “beach reads”.
You are reading: Good fiction books for adults
I finally came to my senses and realized my non-fiction grinchy heart was two sizes too small. after all, many of the best life lessons come from fiction:
- if you want the most honest picture of humanity, don’t choose historical non-fiction: read oliver twist and the invisible life of addie larue.
- if you want to deepen your love and empathy, you don’t read a biography, you read the wretched and the fading half.
- if you want to stir your creative juices, you don’t read a writing advice book, you read the time machine and a wrinkle in the time.
Now I’ve fallen in love with fiction and I’m slowly working my way through the top 200 books of all time, as well as reading many newer novels.
Of the more than 700 books I’ve read in the last ten years, these are my 30 favorite fiction books, arranged alphabetically by author’s last name. I’ve included a three-sentence summary for each book, along with a bookshop.org affiliate link. (if you buy one of the books, you will be supporting both me and the local bookstores. win-win!)
For years, I prejudged this book, thinking it wasn’t part of the target market for a coming-of-age story about four sisters. I was 100 percent wrong. Alcott’s classic about Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy Marsh is meaningful, funny, and inspiring.
Surprisingly, I never read Austen until this year, and now I know why her books rank high on nearly every top 100 list ever written. Austen’s story is a fascinating insight into social class, outdated gender roles, family, vanity, gossip, and psychology. and yes i am now a fan of mr. darcy.
Like everyone else in the country, I jumped on the young adult fiction bandwagon (already) after reading books like the hunger games. Red Rising is the best series I have come across for scratching that same itch, and the first book in the series is also one of the most unattainable books of all time. I can usually predict where a book is going, but this one fooled me several times.
Bulgakov’s classic novel served as a scathing critique of political and religious oppression in Stalinist Russia. The devil comes to earth and wreaks havoc in Russia alongside his motley crew that includes a black cat, a tall man with broken glasses, and a hit man. I’m still trying to process the allegorical layers of this book because there’s a lot to unpack.
Because I didn’t like to read in middle and high school, I didn’t read this book until I was an adult. still packed a punch. Enrolled in a military school, precocious young Ender Wiggin faces off against his fellow students and otherworldly enemies in this fast-paced sci-fi novel.
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The year is 2045 and the world has been devastated by poverty, climate change and war. Most of humanity copes with the world’s destitution by immersing themselves in the virtual reality of the Oasis, the brainchild of computer scientist James Halliday. Halliday has decided to bequeath his fortune to whoever can find the easter egg hidden within the oasis, and teenage gamer Wade Watts thinks he’s up for the challenge.
It’s hard to express exactly how good (and underrated) this book really is. Two federal agents go missing in Wayward Pines, Idaho, and the Secret Service agent sent to find them realizes there’s a lot going on behind the scenes in this spooky town. I flew through this book and immediately read the rest of the trilogy.
I’ve seen the movie Old Gene Wilder several times, but reading the book gave me the opportunity to experience the joy all over again when Charlie opens the candy bar containing that glorious golden ticket. Dahl is one of the greatest children’s authors of all time, and this book is a must read for children and adults alike. it will help you rediscover your childhood wonder and fantasy.
all of flynn’s books are dark and twisted, and this is my favourite. A woman named Amy Dunne goes missing, and passages from her diary indicate that her husband, Nick, may not be the gentleman she appears to be. Not only is this book an incredible psychological thriller, but it also boasts a unique storytelling technique that inspired emulation by many other authors.
chances are you’ve seen the movie but not read the book. The Princess Bride is a fun game through hacking, romance, intrigue, murder and revenge. You’ll leave the book with an even deeper love for Westley, Buttercup, and the gang.
if you love suspense and have never read patricia highsmith, stop reading this story and go read this novel. tom ripley is many things: hustler… genius… sociopath. After Tom reconnects with his old friend Dickie in Europe, Tom decides he’s too jealous of Dickie’s life to go back to his boring life in America, so he comes up with a unique way to live life. you’ve always wanted.
I have a problem with long books, so this 1200+ page monster was a challenge for me, but the reward was worth it. les miserables contained several of the best examples of unconditional, unromantic love I have ever read. It’s also an excellent introduction to the French Revolution.
The Dead Zone quickly became one of my favorite Stephen King books of all time, and I’ve read 22 of them. I was amazed at King’s ability to foreshadow plots early in the book and then deftly connect them later in the story. Protagonist Johnny Smith develops the ability to see the future of anyone he touches, and he doesn’t like what he sees when he comes into contact with ambitious politician Greg Stillson.
Author Paul Sheldon comes face to face with his biggest fan in this hair-raising novel. When Sheldon’s car crashes in the middle of nowhere, a woman named Annie Wilkes nurses him back to health. But then Wilkes decides to take Sheldon hostage until he writes a new story about his favorite character from his books: Misery Chastain.
Failed writer Jake Bonner is working as a teacher when he meets brilliant and arrogant student Evan Parker. Parker tells Bonner the plot of a story he is writing and then dies before it can be published. So Bonner takes matters into his own hands, only to discover there’s a dark side to Parker’s story.
last halloween i decided to read one of the most iconic horror books: rosemary’s baby. Levin’s omens and storytelling were so brilliant that I immediately ordered two of his other books: Stepford’s Wives and A Kiss Before Dying. Together, those three books cemented Levin as one of my favorite authors of all time.
bird box is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in years. Malerman does an amazing job building suspense around an unseen entity that causes millions of people around the world to commit suicide. the scattered survivors live in fear, cowering behind blindfolds and closed windows.
As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I immediately wanted to read it: A woman named Rachel receives a phone call telling her that her daughter has been kidnapped. In addition to paying a $25,000 ransom, Rachel must select and kidnap another child to keep “the chain” going. The request is the ultimate test of a mother’s love, and Rachel discovers that her love runs deep.
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michaelides’ rookie novel is a thriller about a woman who murders her husband and then refuses to speak for six years. this book kept me guessing until the end. Apparently it did the same thing for the rest of America too because the Silent Patient spent months on the bestseller list.
another marvel of michaelides. This 2021 release tells the story of a professor who exercises mysterious control over a group of young college students. is full of Greek tragedy, murder, intrigue and unexpected twists.
Not only are the illustrations in this book amazing, but the narration is on a par with any book I’ve ever read. And the political undertones of the book sound eerily similar to some of the things that have happened in America in recent years. I don’t read a lot of graphic novels, but v for vendetta and alan moore’s watchmen (next on the list) might have turned me on.
This graphic novel not only ascended to the heights of pop culture, but literary greatness as well. it’s included in countless “top books” lists, including my super top 200 books list. watchmen is beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, and beautifully moving.
A mysterious apothecary named Nella creates killer potions. his only rule: potions must be used on men, not women. The story is told from the perspective of three women, adding interesting layers to this tale of mystery, history, and revenge.
In this epic novel, Pressfield recounts how King Leonidas led 300 Spartans against the massive Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae. pressfield images are so realistic that west point, usa. uu. naval academy, and the marine corps assigns fire gates to its young cadets. this book is one of my ten favorite novels of all time.
i am immensely grateful to my friends cris, cary and alex for recommending this book. I’m not usually a big fantasy reader, but the name of the wind was mind-bogglingly good. It’s the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy, but Rothfuss has been ramping up the third book in the series for the past decade.
addie larue is a heartbreakingly beautiful modern Faustian story about a girl who makes a deal to live forever. The capture? Everyone she knows immediately forgets her…until she meets a guy named Henry Strauss.
This book was very different from what I expected. Shelley’s portrayal of the monster as a loving, humane creature was meaningful and moving. she should have read this book years ago.
Told from the perspective of a dog named Enzo, this book is a story of family, heartbreak, hard work, and redemption. I love when writers come up with new ways to tell stories, and Stein’s decision to tell this story from the dog’s perspective was unique. the book is a tearjerker, but it’s worth reading.
Speaking of engaging storytelling, Stoker uses journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings to tell this iconic story. The local peasants of Transylvania are wary of Count Dracula, who owns a creepy castle on top of a hill. And when English lawyer Jonathan Haker sleeps in the castle, he realizes there’s good reason for the peasants’ concern.
h.g. Wells broke new literary ground with this book, which popularized the concept of time travel and became the first modern science fiction novel. wells explores fascinating questions about humanity’s potential future as the gap between rich and poor widens. I loved this book.
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