I am totally missing some great titles here but I am a reader who enjoys all genres. I love an author who writes for the work, for the story itself, and not the audience; who isn’t scared of pissing the reader off because it didn’t go their way but can be recognized as the only rightful ending to the novel. Veronica Roth did this with the Divergent series and while I cried and hated her for it that entire next week, I also respected her greatly for the decision she made. (If you’ve read the series, you know what I’m talking about.) A lot of books I read are “too depressing” for some, or “too slow of a read” because it’s a classic. Posted here are some of my favorites–and I have a lot of them!–but I tried to keep it to 1) what others might enjoy and 2) not overtly popular novels. Some you may have constantly seen on store shelves or heard another rave about, but none of these titles have been shoved in your face like Gone Girl or The Hunger Games or Divergent–all of which I did love–or the dreadful, so despairingly dreadful, Fifty Shades of Grey. Some of these titles shown I may have posted a review to previously, as well.
I hope you love them as much as I do!

1) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: My #1 choice. I can’t say enough great things about this amazing book. It is absolutely phenomenal and will make you appreciate your life more while hurt for those in worse times than you. I want to read all of her work because I loved this one so.

2) The Good Girl by Mary Kubica: If you loved Gone Girl you will love this thrilling read. Entirely different storyline but equally mysterious, enthralling, and spectacular. P.S. I do believe Sharp Objects may have been Gillian Flynn’s best novel simply because of how much Gone Girl was publicly raved over.

3) The Alex Cross series by James Patterson: His best works by far. Why? He is the sole author. His style, wit, and ability to fully follow through with a crime novel in this series outshines the attempts his coauthors make in some of his other works.

4) Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen: This will always be a favorite read of mine. A timely classic that never gets old.

5) The Tenth Circle, The Pact, and Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult: My favorite works by her. If you are looking to read something by her and never have, these are the novels to start out with.

6) Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire: Fall in love with Travis. He will ruin all other men for you. If you want a romantic novel, here it is. Then, when you think you can’t love another fictional male character more, fall in love with Trent in McGuire’s Beautiful Oblivion.

7) Guilty Wives by James Patterson: A great beach read and there’s no series. It won’t leave you hanging.

8) Beautiful Bastard series by Christina Lauren: If you want something steamy, here it is. One of my favorite romantic series. The heroine in this first novel makes the book. She’s got a backbone and is a total bitch. No Anastasia Steele here and I LOVE IT!

9) The Troublemaker Next Door series by Marie Harte: Another steamy read with guys who aren’t billionaires–what makes it so appealing is the lack of money, the down to earth guys Harte creates. It is nothing like 50 Shades and that is why I absolutely love these books.

10) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Brilliant novel. I real piece of art when it comes to writing. I mean, who would have thought that Death could be such a captivating narrator?

11) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (her Ape House is amazing too!), The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (I actually loved his Looking For Alaska more!), Atonement by Ian McEwan, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, and A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway: Every one of these books have made it to the big screen and every one of these books were so much better in print. Even if you have already seen the movie, I highly recommend you read these novels.

12) The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Native Son by Richard Wright, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: My three favorite African American literature pieces. Though, I must say, Jazz by Toni Morrison is an unbelievable read as well, but Morrison is a great storyteller so that’s no surprise.

13) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: Basically because she is one hell of a talented woman. Give her a pen and she will give you art.

14) Me and Mr. Booker by Cory Taylor: A very awkward read. Extremely controversial. Think Lolita or The Reader more modernized. Uncomfortable but brilliant.

15) Finding It by Cora Carmack: The third in the Losing It series but the best one. It’s a romantic, traveling gemstone.

16) The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf: It’s thrilling and appalling but wonderful. Heartbreaking and tragic but addictive.

17) Silence and Broken Silence by Natasha Preston: Yes, yes, yes! I read both in one weekend.

18) Wallbanger by Alice Clayton: Another steamy novel and the first in the series (and sadly the only one I’ve read) but sexy, I won’t lie. It’s got attitude and sarcasm, which is why it was such a great read.

19) Wait For You series by J. Lynn: To be honest, the first one wasn’t my favorite but it was still good. It is the others (specifically, Be With Me and Stay With Me) that were pretty great reads. Again, though, a romantic read with a little mysterious edge.

20) Maybe Somebody by Colleen Hoover: Yes, another romance. However, Hoover adds a twist, a handicap, if you will, that makes this love story so much more captivating.