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9 Books That Goodreads Editors Highly Recommend
At Goodreads, we love reading (shocker, I know). There's just nothing like curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee or tea and burying yourself in a good book; it's escapism at its finest. Sadly, we can't read books all day, every day (despite what you might think!), but we find time for them whenever we can. And not that we're keeping track, but currently our editor Sharon has read the most books so far this year, with 41 books. Cybil and I have our work cut out for us.
With the recommendations below, you'll see our reading tastes are as varied as ever. Danny grabbed a classic, a Stephen King, and a pop-culture exposé. Cybil gravitated toward a modern horror, a buzzy mystery, and something with a very interesting title. All while Sharon read a harrowing memoir, a bookish thriller, and the latest from the author of All the Light We Cannot See.
Tell us which editor's reading recommendations pique your interest the most (because we're that competitive)! And let us know what you've been reading and loving recently in the comments below.
With the recommendations below, you'll see our reading tastes are as varied as ever. Danny grabbed a classic, a Stephen King, and a pop-culture exposé. Cybil gravitated toward a modern horror, a buzzy mystery, and something with a very interesting title. All while Sharon read a harrowing memoir, a bookish thriller, and the latest from the author of All the Light We Cannot See.
Tell us which editor's reading recommendations pique your interest the most (because we're that competitive)! And let us know what you've been reading and loving recently in the comments below.
Danny Feekes, Managing Editor
"I have so many friends who say 'I could never read a Stephen King book, too scary.' And, look I get it, this guy is the master of horror, but that's not all he writes. If something like The Stand scares you, try one of King's Hard Case Crime books instead. The latest of which, Later, is a psychological thriller in the vein of The Sixth Sense. So, you know, just a little bit scary. And, good news for those of us who are King obsessed, his next book is just around the corner."
"To keep my brain occupied during the panda bear (what I affectionately call the pandemic), I decided to take a class at City College of San Francisco called From Greece to Stonewall: Global LGBT Literature, Art, and Culture. In this class we read The Well of Loneliness, and, let me tell you, I fell hard for Radclyffe Hall's tale of sapphic love and desire. And if that doesn't sell it for you, maybe the fact that it was banned for obscenity when it was published in 1928 will (though it's quite tame by today's standards)."
"For pure and utter popcorn escapism, you can't do better than Brian Moylan's The Housewives. I'm not even a huge Housewives fanatic (sure I've watched RHOA, RHONY, RHOBH, RHONY, but...ok maybe I am a fanatic); it had been years since I'd watched the show. That changed when Moylan's exposé reeled me back in. It was so cool getting an inside-look into how the show comes together, what the housewives are like on- and off-camera, and even how much money they make. I was hooked from page one."
Cybil Wallace, Senior Editor
"I picked up this book based on the premise alone: 'A Black woman reluctantly returns to her hometown for her childhood friend's plantation wedding...AND HORROR ENSUES as she reconnects with the blood-soaked history of the land and the best friends she left behind.' What!? This debut novel is a reading-slump-buster horror novel that I canceled plans to finish. Mark your calendars, it hits stores on Aug. 3."
"I first discovered Chandler with her law firm murder thriller, Whisper Network, which also served as a delicious skewering of a certain type of ambitious woman. Now she's back, and she's set her sights on the spouses of these women in a Stepford wives-gender-swap pageturner. Let's just say The Husbands offers up a unique solution to the 'how can women have it all?' dilemma. This one is also available for devouring on Aug. 3."
"Are you up for some literary weirdness? Well, look no further than the debut Nightbitch. Very simply put this book is about an artist turned stay-at-home mom who becomes convinced she's turning into...a dog. You'll either love this or hate it. I could not put it down and can't wait to see what Rachel writes next."
Sharon Hsu, Associate Editor
"I was completely riveted by Ashley C. Ford's memoir. She has a gift for narrating difficult events from a child's perspective, paying particular attention all the ways that children interpret and misinterpret the actions of the adults around them, all while maintaining so much compassion for her younger self and her family. It's a supremely effective technique for writing a memoir that I haven't encountered elsewhere."
"How's this for a premise? An arrogant MFA student declares to his professor that he's got a plot so incredible his book will be a guaranteed bestseller. If that weren't annoying enough, the downtrodden professor suspects this student might actually be right. Then the student dies without having finished his book, and, well, remember that saying about how good writers borrow, while the best writers steal? I couldn't put this one down!"
"I realize I'm just torturing you all by recommending a book that won't be out until September 28, but I got to read an early galley and can't wait any longer to push Doerr's newest novel at people! Cloud Cuckoo Land is a centuries-spanning, genre-bending, epic love letter to reading and readers, moving seamlessly between settings as disparate as 15th-century Constantinople and a far-future generation ship on an interstellar mission. In a word: mesmerizing."
We're curious, which books piqued your interest? And what have you recently read and loved? Tell us in the comments!
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Check out more recent articles:
24 New Family Dramas to Keep You Turning the Pages
Debut Graphic Novelist Recommends Great One-and-Done Reads
Most Read of the 2021 Reading Challenge (So Far)
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Cassandra
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Jul 26, 2021 06:56AM
When the Reckoning Comes sounds intriguing and I've added it to my TBR list.
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"At Goodreads, we love reading (shocker, I know)"Shocker, I know... hahaha 😆
Really?!
I was a little bit suspicious but now that you stated in post Danny, it is crystal clear now ... LOL... Just kidding! 😊
Which book piqued my attention?
Definitely "Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr - "epic love letter to reading and reader". Looking forward to read ;)
I have not read a Stephen King book in over 20 years. This new one though… Well it sounds intriguing.di
I can't wait for the books on Cybil Wallace's list, also "Later". I was on the fence until I saw it compared to "The Sixth Sense".
Sharon Hsu gets my vote for most intriguing picks.
Stephen King isn’t scary… like, at all.
I'm sorry but Later by Stephen King was SUCH a disappointment. So.. pointless and halfassed. Worst King I've ever read,
Later by Stephen King... you need to be an incel reading his first book ever to enjoy this in all honesty.
Looks like Cybil Wallace and I have the same taste in books, those three are on my want to read list! Can’t wait to read them!
"Are you up from some literary weirdness?"Is this supposed to be "...up FOR some"? "...up from" doesn't make a lot of sense.
Sharon’s list has my vote! Those choices are more my type.
I read SCARLETT LOSY IN THE FIVE LANDS by Rajendra Sarilla. It is quite under rated but I say it's the best fantasy book of 2020.
SCARLETT LOST IN THE FIVE LANDS by Rajendra Sarilla.
I liked The Plot! Would recommend.
I've been wondering when we might see another book by Anthony Doeer! I know this will be on my TBR list!
Wendy wrote: "I have not read a Stephen King book in over 20 years. This new one though… Well it sounds intriguing.di"It's the perfect one to get back into Stephen King. A fun (well in a King way) ride that is over before you know it.
The Plot is on my TBR list - sounds riveting. I'm currently reading The god of small things by Arundhati Roy - really really good. 📚
Stephen King hasn't written anything good in a long, long time. Too many great authors out there to waste time on his stuff.
My book group is reading The Plot- I guessed who did it. I'm the only one finished so far. Curious as to other correct guesses. But regardless of figuring it out, the book is a great read.
Sharon Hsu gets my vote. Cant wait....
