Explore 500+ honest book reviews and star ratings. From literary fiction to hidden gems, find your next great read on my digital bookshelf.
The Little Liar by Mitch Albom
352 Pages, Published In 2023
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A WWII novel follows four characters—two Jewish brothers, a Greek girl, and a Nazi officer—through the Holocaust and the decades that follow, to post-war America. Narrated by Truth, the story centers on a boy who never tells a liar but transforms into a pathological liar, exploring profound themes of truth, lies, forgiveness, and redemption. An enticing opening, a well-crafted plot, and a dramatic ending. However, certain scenes and transitions between events could be developed further.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
453 Pages, Published In 1961
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Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is a darkly satirical masterpiece. Set during WWII, it follows an Army Air Corps Captain John Yossarian, stationed on a Mediterranean island, as he navigates the absurdities of war and military bureaucracy. No conventional hero—his primary goal is simply to stay alive, against the war’s senseless slaughter and the dehumanizing effects of endless contradictory rules. Catch-22 is now a common term for a no-win situation created by contradictory rules or conditions.
James by Percival Everett
303 Pages, Published In 2024
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James by Percival Everett, a brilliant retelling of Mark Twain’s original The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In James, enslaved Jim, the protagonist, is written in the first person. The story unfolds along the iconic Mississippi River, mirroring the original plot, but the journey is reshaped and the ending is entirely different. Packed with action, in just 303 pages, James explores deeper themes of race and humanity, family and friendship. Powerful, Gripping, Horrifying, also Humorous!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
333 Pages, Published In 1997
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997), is the first book of the Harry Potter seven-book series. Harry Potter is an orphan who discovers he is a wizard on his 11th birthday and embarks on his first year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alongside his friends Ron and Hermione, Harry fights the evil Lord Voldemort to protect the sorcerer’s stone. A perfect fantasy for readers of all ages. Loved to escape (and re-escape) into the unforgettable magical world.
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
322 Pages, Published In 2016
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A family saga spanning over five decades. A realistic portrait of white, middle-class family life: marriages and divorces, birthdays and anniversaries, bad relationships and good friends. Many characters: couples, lovers, ex-partners, children, step-siblings. About love and support, also loss, disappointments and regret. The story jumps around in multiple time periods, shifting between California and Virginia; Then there is a novel in the novel. Small moments but not boring. Elegant proses.
How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key
320 Pages, Published In 2023
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How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key. The author claims it is the most insane love story every told. It is not. It is a memoir about his wife’s infidelity, the collapses of their marriage, and the difficult path he chooses to save it. A relatable, sad story that you might hear from a neighbor or a co-worker. Key is candid and the readers can draw lessons from his martial crisis. However, injecting humor and portraying his wife as the villain feel unfit with the seriousness of subject.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
372 Pages, Published In 2013
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7-year-old Elsa is quite different from her peers and her 77-year-old grandmother is her closest confidante and best friend. After her granny’s death, Elsa is left with a series of letters addressed to people her granny has wronged, alongside a quest to resolve unfinished business in both the real world and a fantastical fairytale world. Heart-warming. Whimsical. Poignant. Sad. Hopeful. Witty. and FORGIVING. Loved all the characters, even the annoying Britt-Marie. It’s Fantastical Ove!
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
245 Pages, Published In 1877
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Black Beauty, the Autobiography of a Horse is an 1877 classic by English author Anna Sewell. The novel is told from the perspective of a horse, named Black Beauty, chronicling his life through the hands of various owners, both kind and cruel. A horse can be well-treated by a kind and compassionate owner or easily tortured by a cruel and neglectful one. The author wrote it to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
327 Pages, Published In 1884
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Mark Twain’s 1884 classic is narrated by Huck Finn, a teen who escapes his abusive father by faking his own death. He encounters Jim, a runaway slave, and together they embark on a raft journey down the Mississippi River. Far beyond a mere adventure tale, it delves into profound themes such as slavery, racism, morality, and conscience. Much darker and complex than its Tom Sawyer prequel. Vivid characters, intricate plots, entertaining and thought-provoking. A true literary masterpiece!
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
241 Pages, Published In 2006
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The 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner by Cormac McCarthy is about a father and a son traveling along The Road, through a ravaged, burned America, to the coast in a post-apocalyptic world. Bleak, Dark, Depressing, Suffocating, Devastating. No chapters, No quotation marks, No names, No grammar, No Plot. Nothing matters. “What would you do if I died? If you died I would want to die too. So you could be with me? Yes. So I could be with you. Okay” The only light is the love the father has for his son.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
244 Pages, Published In 1876
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Mark Twain’s 1876 novel is about the mischievous adventures of a boy, Tom Sawyer, young and carefree, growing up along the Mississippi River. Tricking his friends into whitewashing his fence, exploring caves, impressing girls, and even attending his own funeral. Lighthearted, humorous, insightful, also addressing serious issues such as morality, societal norms, and the loss of innocence during the transition to adulthood. An American literature classic. An enjoyable (re)read for all ages.
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason
158 Pages, Published In 1926
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A 1926 personal finance book by George Clason, giving timeless principles for building wealth via a set of parables set 4000 years ago in ancient Babylon, told by a fictional Babylonian character, the richest man in Babylon. 7 Cures For a Lean Purse: -Start thy purse to fattening (Save 10% each pay) -Control thy expenditures -Make thy gold multiply (Invest) -Guard thy treasures from loss -Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment -Ensure a future income -Increase thy ability to earn