The Best of "Best Book" Lists Collection gathers together a selection of popular bestsellers and fan favorites that frequently appear on "Best of" lists. This diverse Collection includes picks to suit a range of age groups and genre preferences, from otherworldly fantasy to gripping crime thrillers.
Publication year 2019
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Disability, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Psychology, Biography
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government
Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (2017) is a historical study of how the US government and legal system implemented and enforced de jure segregation. This guide cites the 2017 Kindle edition, and all pagination refers to location numbers.Rothstein challenges the belief that segregation was de facto, or the result of individual choices. Rather, he shows how all levels of government created the system of residential... Read The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Inspirational, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: World, Military / War, WWII / World War II, History: European, Politics / Government
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, History: U.S., Modern Classic Fiction
The Corrections is a 2001 novel by Jonathan Franzen that won the National Book Award. Franzen is the author of several essay collections and novels, including the novels Freedom, Purity, and Crossroads. He has received many awards for his work, including the Whiting Award in 1988 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1996.The main action of the novel takes place during the turn of the 21st century, a time of great financial prosperity in the United... Read The Corrections Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Fantasy
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Couple Next Door, Shari Lapena’s 2016 international best-seller, begins as a classic detective story. As the mystery deepens, the novel turns into a tense psychological study of a dysfunctional family, the calculating logic of emotional manipulation, the spiral of post-partum depression, and the corrupting power of greed. Paramount Television optioned the novel for a TV series adaptation in 2018. Shari Lapena is the author of eight novels for adults, including The Couple Next Door... Read The Couple Next Door Summary
Publication year 1966
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Satire, Post Modernism, American Literature, History: U.S., Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) is a short novel by Thomas Pynchon that handles topics related to the US counterculture movement and the 1960s at large. In the novel, Oedipa Maas unearths a centuries-old conspiracy about warring mail-delivery firms. This discovery leads her along an absurdist investigation of the firms and their motivations. The novel has been heralded as one of the best English-language novels of the 20th century and is considered a primary... Read The Crying of Lot 49 Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Latin American Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Community
Tags Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Anthropology, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government
Publication year 2020
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, History: World, Biography, Social Justice
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality
Tags LGBTQ, African Literature, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: War
Tags Ancient Rome, Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War, History: European, Classical Period, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Education, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Education, Education, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help
Publication year 1988
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics
Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology, Psychology, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government
Publication year 1660
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags History: European, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Reformation, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography