5-Star Book Recommendations: Fiction, Memoir, Classics, and Nonfiction

I love trading book recommendations with friends and strangers (new friends!). I’m a decade-long user of Goodreads and have logged 384 books on my completed-reads list. 

Each time someone asks me for a great book to read, I start poring through my memory files to pick the book best for them… often not as quickly as I’d like. So, I’ve compiled a list of 15 books I’ve rated with 5 stars and can confidently and enthusiastically recommend.

I used to think I was a prolific reader (about 30 books per year) until I met a coworker who read more than 200 books in 2021 alone. Now I think I just read a normal amount, ha! 

Goodreads offers users the chance to assign a personal rating (1 to 5 stars) and review of a book, which I use extensively to look back through my completed list and jog my memory. LIke any rating system, everyone has their own method. The coworker I mentioned above is much more generous than I am and rarely rates a book below 3 stars. For me, 3 stars is “good” and worth reading but can be better. Allow me to explain my highly refined system.

FICTION

I read books in nearly every genre, so you'll find a bit of everything on my virtual bookshelf. In this fiction list, I have one sci-fi, one dystopian, one historical fiction, a romance, and two YA novels.

• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. I'll start here simply because this is the most recent fiction read on this list. Quinn blends the true story of women who served as codebreakers for the Allied Forces in WWII with complex, interesting fictional characters. This is my favorite way to learn history: through a compelling, well-written story.

• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Where The Rose Code will inspire you through the stories of smart, historical women, Atwood’s dystopian novel will remind you of just how hard it is to be female. (Maybe read The Handmaid’s Tale before The Rose Code…) While this is a fictional story, know that Atwood made it a point to only include policies and events that have happened at some time in history. It is disturbing but incredibly well-written and will truly make you think about society, culture, and perseverance.

• The Martian by Andy Weir. How about a pick-me-up? I could not put this book down. Between the smart main character, the fast pace, the fascinating science, and the generous humor, I was hooked. Worth the read whether you've seen the movie or not.

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I’m a huge Green brothers fan in every medium: books, YouTube, podcasts, live shows, all of it. Elder brother John Green's writing is charming, accessible, and funny. This book will touch your heart and leave you in a puddle afterward. I've read everything he's written.

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Keeping with the YA theme, if you haven’t read this book, it will open your eyes to all the ways we're living in a real-life Hunger Games today.

• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I'll finish my fiction list with a book you won’t finish in three days, but you’ll fall in love with the characters and want to keep plowing through the rest of the series. I never want to say goodbye to Claire and Jamie. But it takes Gabaldon 4+ years to write each historically researched tome, so I've read several books in this series twice or more.

MEMOIR

• A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. I credit this book with opening my eyes to the memoir genre. I read it as assigned reading in college and remember laughing out loud through the entire book. Anyone who is intimately familiar with small-town America (especially in the Midwest) will find this hits very close to home.

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed. You've heard of this one, maybe saw the movie, but reading the book will make you understand just how gritty and gifted Strayed is. Her writing style is heartfelt and vulnerable without ever being too sweet—and never helpless.

• The Storyteller by Dave Grohl. lf you can get this as an audiobook, do it. Not only is Grohl a gifted story-crafter on the page, he’s a dynamic storyteller in your ears. My husband is a huge Grohl fan. I was neutral about him until reading this book. I now count myself as a fan, too.

CLASSICS

Let's be honest: many novels deemed "classics" are completely miserable to read. I try to sprinkle at least one classic into my reading list each year, and these two are actually enjoyable to read.

• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I have read this book no fewer than four times. And every time I read it, I love it more. I first read it in college, and once I got accustomed to Austen's 18th-century writing style, I was hooked. I've since read every one of her novels, and this remains my favorite.

• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I credit this book with showing me I can actually truly enjoy reading a classic. I read this nearly 20 years ago and remember being so impressed with the character development - specifically how the wrongfully imprisoned transformed himself so intentionally into the Count to exact his revenge on those who were responsible for ruining his life.

NONFICTION

• Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. For the nonfiction list, I’ll start with the book I read most recently. There's no way to summarize the idea of this book except to say I learned that how much and how well you sleep impacts *absolutely every part of your life.* I realize that statement alone is not compelling, but the way neuroscientist Walker presents the scientific research to prove it—in accessible, readable, even humorous language—may very well change your life. Seriously.

• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. While we're on the subject of life-changing books, this one did for me. My family will attest to the fact that I was an extremely picky eater as a child. I'm now the most adventurous eater and home cook in the family. And I read this book during the period of my mid-20s when I was consciously working to become that way. This book changed how I eat at home, order in restaurants, and shop at the grocery store. It's well-written and easy to read, too—two requirements I feel are particularly important in nonfiction.

• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown. I will read, listen to, or watch anything Brené Brown creates. I have so much respect for her integrity as a researcher and a human, and on top of it, she's vulnerable, real, and funny. This book is a must-read for anyone who tends toward perfectionism or who has ever struggled with feeling good enough.

• The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. Let's end this list on an uplifting note. Achor’s book will give you a step-by-step template to take control of your own happiness. Hint: it's pretty simple if you’ll only commit to doing it.