Books I Recommend the Most (and Will Never Stop Recommending)
So, I went through my post archives since the very beginning of my blog (2021, you guys, which feels insanely long ago) and I picked out the books that I remember the most, liked the most, and most of all, the books I recommend the most (and will NEVER stop recommending because they were just that good). You can check out the full list of books (in no particular order) below!
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
A book that made me reminisce about the first time I read The Hunger Games, I am so surprised that this one hasn’t blown up more than what I’ve seen. A dystopian novel about girls who are sent away into the wilderness for a year to “get rid of their magic”. These girls are forced to survive while there are poachers all around them wanting to sell parts of them (literally like black market organs) for a heck of a lot of money. The Grace Year was SO GOOD, and I recommend it to anyone who will listen.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
If you are part of the book community AT ALL, you should’ve definitely saw this one coming. Fourth Wing is literally the book that got me into fantasy. With dragons, forbidden romance, and so much more, this was the read of a lifetime (and I’m not kidding at all). There are so many reviews of this book already, so if you haven’t been a part of the book community, check this out right now even if you don’t like fantasy. You can read my full review of Fourth Wing here.
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
I read this book years ago before I even started my blog, but it was so impactful and so well written that I did a reread so I could have the review posted before The Way I Am Now came out (which is the follow-up to The Way I Used to Be).
A YA novel about how sexual assault can change a whole person’s life, Eden’s story broke my heart but put a fire there that I didn’t have before. This book made me want justice and it made me want SO much more for young girls and women. A must-read but get ready for an emotional roller coaster.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
A novel told with two different POVs, Listen for the Lie is THE BEST book to listen to with audiobook. I’m serious, one point of view is the podcaster investigating the murder, the other point of view is the girl accused of murdering her best friend. It was amazing, a great mystery, and had a satisfying ending. When I ask people if they want a mystery book to read, this is always one of my top ones to recommend the most.
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Y’all, I had to put at least ONE Colleen Hoover book on this list because, seriously, I never stop recommending this novel. Reminders of Him is soul-crushing in the best way and the romance? Phew, phenomenal. I can’t tell you how many times I teared up while reading this book and I cannot wait for the movie to come out in 2026.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The fact that I can still remember almost 90% of the plot tells you how good of a book it was. Demon Copperhead took me by surprise in the best way. An eye-opening experience about how the system fails so many children, poverty changes the lives of those children, and how even the healthcare system can fail them. So powerful but not a light read by any means. It doesn’t mean I won’t recommend it to anyone who is willing to try something a little heavier!!
Happy Place by Emily Henry
By far my favorite Emily Henry book, Happy Place has a great friend group dynamic, a fake relationship trope, and honestly a little enemies to lovers vibe going on. It’s about finding yourself, accepting things you may not want to, and learning to love in the fullest way possible. A beautiful summer romance that I will probably never forget.
Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
A novel I seriously don’t hear people talking about enough, Thieves’ Gambit is basically a game show for thieves where they compete against each other for the chance to have any wish granted. This was such a fun YA novel and gave the excitement of The Hunger Games without all the gore (and much less emotional if I’m being honest). Truly a gem and I loved every second of it.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Like I said, if it wasn’t for Fourth Wing, I would have never started reading fantasy. Shield of Sparrows was so great and just gave me everything I wanted out of a romantasy. Monsters, the pending apocalypse, an arranged marriage to a prince she doesn’t love, and a secret crush harbored on her protector. This book was amazing. The second book in this series comes out in 2026 and I have pre-ordered it right when it came available.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
A great adult novel about a woman who feels like she has nothing left. She goes to this fancy hotel to kill herself, but ends up in the wedding party for the bride who was supposed to have the whole place reserved (and refuses to let this woman kill herself on the week of her wedding). The Wedding People is that rare novel that lets you find hope even when the subject of the book is supposed to be morbid (but honestly wasn’t morbid at all). A great adult take on finding yourself after you feel like you’re too old to start over again. My book club was head over heels in love with it and so happy that I chose it as my book ☺️.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Literally the YA version of Listen for the Lie, Sadie is told in the same format: a podcaster looking for the teenaged Sadie who has gone missing, and Sadie who is looking for the man who murdered her sister. This was high stakes, thrilling, a nail-biter, any description you can think of that is synonymous with what I’ve said. It was heartbreaking and real and you could feel Sadie’s emotions throughout the whole novel. I read this so long ago, but it is honestly probably the novel that I recommend the most out of all of these on this list.
The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros
If you want a romance that will destroy every last bit of you, The Things We Leave Unfinished is the perfect novel for you. A war-era romance told from past and present POVs, this book had everything I could have asked for in a novel. I love emotion, but I love emotion with purpose more. This had depth and love and hope and everything. Rebecca Yarros is a brilliant writer and has quickly become one of my top authors to put on “yes I will automatically read anything you release”.
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
A book that TORE MY HEART OUT, it may be trope-y, it may be sappy, and yes, it is a YA romance, but this book packs a punch. I loved this book, I loved Rune and Poppy, and I just wanted so much more even after the book was over. I usually can’t overlook overly sappy things that use tropes too often, but this book right here? Man, I don’t know it just got me. You can check out my full review for A Thousand Boy Kisses here.
