It can be hard to keep track of the plot of every book you’ve read. There are some books, though, that break through the basic, page after page, and stick with you for years. Whether they have jaw-dropping plot twists, heartbreaking true stories, or hilarious meet-cutes, I’ve found a few have taken root in my thoughts.
The five books below are some of those that stayed strong in my memory as I continue to read, with their characters and plot points having made a lasting impact on me.
Almost every book below has a movie or TV show or is in production for one. They’ve reached even more audiences this way and gained even more traction.
So, if you’re looking for a book you won’t be able to put down, a book that’ll stick with you no matter what, I recommend picking up one from the list below and diving into the story beyond!
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
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Funny Story is one of many Emily Henry romance books. This one follows newly single Daphne Vincent and Miles Nowak as their lives are forced together. Daphne’s fiancé, Peter, left her for his childhood best friend. This best friend just so happened to be dating Miles, leaving him behind as she ran off.
With Daphne now homeless and Miles paying double rent, the two move in together: an interesting choice for people in their situation.
Daphne is a children’s librarian, Miles is a bartender, and these polar opposite jobs are just the beginning of their differences. As they grow to stand each other, they begin to use one another to get back at their exes. The fake-dating trope comes in full swing, and per usual, the game eventually grows into something more.
Their inevitable feelings soon risk ruining what Daphne and Miles have built together. Funny Story is, well, funny, and has characters that are uniquely their own, different from Henry’s other protagonists. I found this book amazing, and it climbed to the top of my Emily Henry ranking by the time I was done with it.
- Five Survive by Holly Jackson
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Five Survive is a Holly Jackson mystery that follows six friends on their spring break. It starts out happy-go-lucky, just a bunch of friends trying to vacation as cheaply as they can.
Things go south, though, when they end up in a dark, wooded area with a flat tire and no light strong enough to see a few feet past the forest line. To make matters worse, someone is hunting them — someone who took out all four tires, preventing any potential escape.
The teenagers don’t have reception, there’s nobody nearby, and a sniper is keeping his eye on them at all times. As they sit and wait, they’re forced to reveal secrets to one another; secrets they’ve kept hidden for months. Nobody is safe in this game of ‘reveal or die,’ and there are quite a few moments of violence.
Five Survive isn’t incredibly moving, but rather the plot twists are so intense that I find myself thinking about how Jackson managed to make everything interwoven.
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
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Project Hail Mary just recently resurfaced in pop culture, with Ryan Gosling starring in the new movie. It was written by Andy Weir, who also wrote The Martian. Project Hail Mary is about a science teacher turned astronaut, Ryland Grace, and his mission to save his planet.
His story begins in a world he doesn’t remember, inside a spaceship with two copilots set on a mission he knows nothing about. As you can see, Grace’s memory isn’t the best.
I can’t speak for the movie, but the book is written so well that it pulls you right into space. The details of the bacteria growing on the sun, the description of each star Grace sails by, and the way his memories resurface are all written so entrancingly that it’s hard to put the book down.
Not only that, but the story Grace lives and the pain he feels is emotionally moving. His reason for going to space is incredibly powerful, and there are little science fun facts every other sentence, which is always a bonus.
- We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
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We Were the Lucky Ones is incredibly moving, a powerful story that follows a headstrong family as they watch the country they love crumble around them. It’s a true story based on Georgia Hunter’s grandfather and the way each of his siblings navigated the Holocaust.
The Kurc family works hard to survive, living a life of fear as Jewish citizens from Poland. Despite their country falling and their religion being targeted, each and every member of the Kurc family shows a remarkable amount of bravery and determination, just enough to keep them alive.
This family fights back, stands their ground, and sacrifices all they have. They each show undeniable strength, doing what they can to stay alive.
One daughter, Mira, keeps fighting for her own child, hiding her beneath tablecloths and in churches to keep her safe. Another daughter, Halina, does everything she can to make sure her parents remain as safe as they can.
The three sons, Genek, Jakob, and Addy, all have their own battles throughout the war. Each of them drafted, Genek and Jakob to the Polish army, and Addy to the French. These three men stand for their country, remain truthful to their history, all while trying to stay alive so they can see their loved ones again.
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
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The Nightingale is no stranger to fame. Ever since Kristin Hannah released it in 2015, fans have been raving about the story. Two sisters thrown into the heat of war, one trying to save her country and the other trying to save her family.
Their stories take place during World War II, tracing the sisters’ lives from the first moment of hatred to the final seconds of the world falling back into place.
The Nightingale isn’t a true story, but rather a fictionalized version of the real women who made an impact during the war. Whether they were saving children, housing downed airmen, or distributing pamphlets, thousands of women flew under the radar during World War II.
There’s even a moment where the sisters touch on this, saying, “Men tell stories, women get on with it. For us, it was a shadow war.”
This book is 600 pages of pure emotion. Once you’re halfway through, the heartbreaks keep coming, and when I finished it, I stared at my wall for a good five minutes. I couldn’t even consume any other media for a few hours; I was so wrapped up in how powerful the whole story is.
I’m still thinking about it to this day, about the two sisters who had their own ways of winning the battle against their country.
These five books have been floating around my brain since I picked them up. Each original pieces of work that combine joy and sadness into something even greater. With summer coming up, books are a hot commodity, so if you’re looking for one to read, I recommend any of these.
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