It’s no secret that I love to write (obviously…) but my true great love is reading. I love reading. Put me in a Barnes & Noble or on the beach with a good book & I’ll be happy for hours. I truly believe good books are good for the soul–hence why I’m constantly searching for new things to read.

I wrote a list of book recommendations here a few summers ago with some of my favorites, but I decided to ask a few of my blogger friends what books they love because, again, most writers love reading & more importantly, we appreciate really really good books. 

Whether you’re looking for a psychological thriller (some of my favorites are thrown in here) or an inspirational self-help book, this list has got it all, complete with commentary. Enjoy!

Fiction

For those of you who want to escape reality with a realistic story. 

The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)

“It brought out every emotion in the book – pun intended. I laughed, I cried, I got mad and frustrated and anxious and excited. The writing was phenomenal!” –Jacqui of Drink The Day (Buy The Art of Racing in the Rain here)

Redemption (Karen Kingsbury)

“This is the first book in the Baxter Family Series. The Baxter Family series is all about an incredible family and the ordinary every day struggles they get through together.” –Shelly of  The Attic Girl (Buy Redemption here)

The Last Kingdom Series (Bernard Cornwell)

“This book has everything from awesome battle scenes to romance, and as a Viking history nerd, it’s pretty historically accurate! There are always unexpected twists and turns, and all the characters (females included) are so bada**. All the books are quick reads, and once you’re done, you can watch the equally awesome TV show on Netflix!” –Julia of Philly with a Fjallraven (Buy the first book here) 

 The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)

“Beautifully written and an interesting take on a very saturated subject (WWII). The story is narrated by death and the importance and emphasis of words is just incredible.” –Sarah of Sarah Searches

“Ugh, I love this book. It draws you in right from the beginning. It’s a fascinating account of WWII & phenomenally written. I definitely cried multiple times, it’s that good.” –Kasia (Buy The Book Thief here)

Winter Street (Elin Hilderbrand)

“This may seem really corny – but it’s a complete guilty pleasure book which combines two of my favorite things – summer & the Holidays!” –Hal of Hair By Hal  (By Winter Street here)

Love/Romance

Warning: may cause butterflies & swooning

When Dimple Met Rishi (Sandhya Menon)

“When Dimple Met Rishi is romantic, funny, and led by an amazing couple who become fast friends before falling in love.” –Feliza of Girls in Capes (Buy When Dimple Met Rishi here)

High Fidelity (Nick Hornby)

“This book is not only filled with laughs and romance, but it also has a great plot. If your looking for a summer read, I would highly recommend this classic.” –Melody of Melody Rose (Buy High Fidelity here)

Mystery/Suspense

Plot twists galore. 

Behind Her Eyes (Sarah Pinborough)

“The ending will actually blow your mind. I think I audibly said ‘oh my god’ as I finished the last few pages. Sarah Pinborough makes you suspend your sense of reality a bit but it’s totally worth it. Trust her where she takes you in this book because you’ll be rewarded at the end. I promise you will NOT guess the plot twist.” –Kasia (Buy Behind Her Eyes here)

Luckiest Girl Alive (Jessica Knoll)

“I was hooked on the main character and the story is addicting. It’s comparable to Gone Girl and Girl on the Train but in my opinion it’s better than both of those. Exciting, funny, but a little dark.” –Sam of F Perfection

“We love how honest and real the main character (Ani) is! She seems to have this glamorous life on the outside, but it isn’t what it seems. Readers get to understand how she really feels and thinks all while trying to figure out what from her past is haunting her. It’s a twist you won’t even see coming!” –Carine and Sabine of RINNY & BEAN (Buy Luckiest Girl Alive here)

Six Wakes (Mur Lafferty)

“It’s not every day you find a book about clones trying to find out who murdered their previous bodies… Six Wakes is thought-provoking and filled with twists.” –Feliza of Girls in Capes (Buy Six Wakes here)

All Is Not Forgotten (Wendy Walker)

“I was extremely satisfied at the end of this book. The characters are very well developed (a must for me) & I like how Wendy Walker gives you clues along the way. Even more satisfying is that you figure everything out just as the main character does–it’s a great feeling. Highly recommend if you like psychy-mysteries.” –Kasia (Buy All is Not Forgotten here)

Self-Help

Get inspired & become your best self. 

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life (Jen Sincero)

“It’s funny, honest, and gives you the confidence boost you need to do some much-needed soul searching and dream catching. It’s perfect for 20-somethings who need a little inspiration.” –Sam of F Perfection (Buy You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life here)

The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle (Stephen Pressfield)

“It’s about the ongoing battle against coming into your own by simply showing up. Knowing the resistance to create, the resistance to become who you might be is a struggle every single person who aims to create something worthwhile faces. But knowing it’s there and doing the work anyway is how we’ll win the war.” –Khoi of Gentleman Within (Buy The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle here)

The New Alpha (Danielle Harlan)

“It really touches on the way in which the ‘alpha’ archetype has evolved over the years, and rather than being the stereotypical rude/pushy person who gets ahead, the ‘new alpha’ is someone who gets ahead by building up the people around them, and bringing them along for the ride. The author is fantastic and truly seems to follow her book. I wrote about it here as well” –Kate of The Gold Sister (Buy The New Alpha here)

Show Your Work! (Austin Kleon)

“Shows you the importance of putting your work out there. Especially relevant for bloggers who are building a brand. It’s about finding your people, honing your craft, and creating work that matters. Highly recommend for anyone who does creative work for a living and wants to make an impact.” –Khoi of Gentleman Within (Buy Show Your Work! here)

Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution (Brene Brown)

“Brene Brown is God. She is a shame specialist who writes about accepting yourself as is, loving yourself, forgiving yourself etc. Rising Strong looks at the similar qualities between successful people who have overcome hardship and why they were able to not allow their failure to stop them. Everything she writes is amazing.” –Sarah of Sarah Searches (Buy Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution here)

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (Elizabeth Gilbert)

“It’s the perfect book to motivate people to unleash their creativity & it motivates me to put myself out their in an honest & true way – despite what people may think or have to say about it.” –Hal of Hair By Hal (By Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear here)

What’s the best book you’ve ever read? Comment below! Happy reading. &.