Reading fiction has always been a source of joy and inspiration for me. In this post, I share some of my all-time favorite fiction books that have left a lasting impression.
This list contains all of my favorite books that I’ve given a 5-star rating on Goodreads and StoryGraph. I used to be such a bookworm, and I’m trying to get back there! I wish all books could be 5-star favorites.
5-Star Criteria
For a book to get 5-stars from me, it has to meet one or more of the following criteria:
- I couldn’t put it down
- I read it more than once
- I still think about it years later
I will indicate which criteria apply to each book on the list.
My Favorite Fiction Books
Without further ado, in alphabetical order, so as not to play favorites amongst my favorites, these are my favorite books of all time.
The Top 2
If someone asks me what my favorite book is, I can’t just rattle off a dozen. These are the top of my list. (Yes, I’m counting HP as one because it’s one complete story, and one item on this list.)
Harry Potter Series
Couldn’t Put It Down, Read It More Than Once, Still Think About It Today – The Trifecta!
I started reading the books when I was in 4th grade, when there were still only 2 or 3 of them. I am still so thankful to the local library for recommending them. I was in college when the 7th book came out, so these were a pretty big part of my life.
I think everyone knows by now that this series is about a boy who learns that he is a wizard and gets to go to wizard school. It’s also about friendship, coming of age, and taking down an oppressive government.
The books are everything. The movies don’t count (although the casting was perfection).
My favorites are in this order: 3, 1, 7, 4, 2, 5, 6
Gone with the Wind
Read It More Than Once, Still Think About It Today
This is a classic for a reason. While it takes place during the Civil War, it is about a woman who will do anything to survive (and get what she wants) while her world is crumbling down around her. In that way, it’s timeless.
Warning: Slavery is viewed through the rose-colored glasses of a well-off 15-year-old. It deserves acknowledgement as an incomplete telling of the time.
Disclaimer: The book is looooooooong. They had to cut out A LOT (husbands, kids, etc.) just to get it down to a movie that’s so long that it includes an intermission. The movie does not replace the book.
The Other 5-Star Reads
I have given a full 5 stars to the rest of these books, too, and I would recommend any of them based on what you’re looking for in your next book. These are listed in alphabetical order so as not to play favorites amongst my other favorites.
11/22/63
Couldn’t Put It Down, I Still Think About It Today
A man finds a wormhole into the past and tries to stop the assassination of JFK. Yes, there’s gore, but it’s infrequent and not the focus.
Angels & Demons
Couldn’t Put It Down, Read It More Than Once
This is the first in the series that includes the DaVinci Code. It is un-put-down-able. Travel the world, solve clues, beat the clock. I was on the edge of my seat and enjoyed every second of it.
I‘m always looking for something else as un-put-down-able as this.
Behind Every Good Man
In 1960s Washington DC, a woman decides to become a campaign manager for a senate candidate running against her soon to be ex-husband’s senate candidate. There are friendships, country clubs, and boss babes ahead of their time. There’s Jackie O fashion, rom-com energy, a snarky but lovable mother, an adorable toddler, the list goes on.
Dear Hollywood, are you listening? Please, please, please make this into a show or movie!
Sarah Goodman Confino is one of my new favorite authors. I read Don’t Forget to Write shortly after this one, and it was a delight, too!
City of Girls
Couldn’t Put It Down
Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame) is one of the best authors out there. Every single story sucks you in, and they are all so different. This one takes place in NYC in the 40s with showgirls, and it’s great.
The Help
Couldn’t Put It Down, Still Think About It Today
This one takes place in the South in the 60s, and it is about making some small voices heard. It is wonderful.
The movie is great, too, with an all star cast: Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and more.
The Huntress
This was so good! The plot follows a team of nazi hunters, and the story follows three perspectives, each of which is captivating. I do love historical novels, and I gravitate toward those about WWII, but this is an angle that was new to me, and I LOVED it.
Format: Kindle
Lessons in Chemistry
Couldn’t Put It Down
This story was amazing. It’s feminist, it’s ahead of it’s time (the 60s, not today). Think Julia Child, but make it science. The tv series was great, too.
Disclaimer: It’s advertised as a rom-com. It is NOT. It’s a drama. There’s heartbreak. There’s not enough funny to add the “-com.” Dramas advertised as comedies is one of my biggest pet peeves – along with computers that are slower than people.
The Midnight Library
Still Think About It Today
This was a Goodreads book of the year for a reason. This is for anyone who has ever wondered what might have been.
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide
Couldn’t Put It Down
This was a delight! While the theme is dark, it reads as funny and clever. It’s about adult students learning how to ‘delete’ an enemy while on a secret hidden campus. I loved every bit of it, and I hope there’s a second on the way.
Nineteen Minutes
Couldn’t Put It Down
This one is about a school shooting and was written before school shootings are as common as they are today. It’s worth reading. Jodi Picoult is known for looking at diffcult issues through different lenses.
The Princess Diaries
Read It More Than Once, Couldn’t Put It Down
The Princess Diaries was my favorite when I was younger. Books 1, 2, and 3 are the core. I could take or leave the rest. Give 1, 2, and 3 to a middle school girl in your life.
Disclaimer: The movie is wonderful, BUT it is an alternate reality from the books. One does not replace the other. Think of them as two totally different fantastic stories.
Sarah’s Key
Couldn’t Put It Down, Still Think About It Today
This one is heartbreaking. It’s about the Nazi occupation in Paris during WWII.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Couldn’t Put It Down
This is my favorite of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novels. The story is told from two perspectives.- a star in Old Hollywood and a present-day reporter. Their paths converge in an unexpected way.
The Signature of All Things
Couldn’t Put It Down
Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame) again! This one is exquisite – like poetry. It’s not fast-paced, and I still couldn’t put it down.
The Women
Couldn’t Put It Down, Still Think About It Today
This book drew me in. I am still thinking about the characters and the ending. It’s about a woman who enlists as a combat nurse in Vietnam. It’s about the experience of that, the aftermath back in the US, and the relationships and hardships along with way. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, and I got one of the most intense book hangovers of my life.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! My favorite books in the fiction category. Fiction has the power to transport us to different worlds and perspectives. I hope my recommendations inspire your next great read. What are your favorite fiction books?
Grab a latte, a pastry, some knitting if you’re a multitasker, and enjoy!
If you’re interested in non-fiction, knitting or board books, I have lists for those, too! And if you’re interested in my method for having multiple books going at once, I’ve written a guide for you.
