10 Books for (Mostly) Everyone
Titles with universal appeal
When I’m at work, patrons often ask for book recommendations. I usually start by asking them what kinds of books they enjoy, and there are two answers I dread hearing:
“I don’t know.”
“I like everything.”
When I know a patron has no idea what they want, I move away from books and ask what types of TV shows or movies they’re into to gauge their interest and genre preferences. But I always feel a bit stuck with the people who claim to like everything. Suddenly, what should be the more straightforward answer becomes complicated because there are too many options.
Today, I want to share a list of 10 books with broad appeal. These titles could attract nonreaders and should satisfy those who claim to like anything. The books I chose have universal themes, memorable stories, and excellent storytelling. There’s some historical fiction, sci-fi, mysteries, and memoirs. Take a look at my choices and see if you agree. Let’s get started!
A blind French girl on the run from the German occupation and a German orphan-turned-Resistance tracker struggle with their respective beliefs after meeting on the Brittany coast.
I don’t reach for historical fiction very often, but I absolutely loved All the Light We Cannot See. This novel was published ten years ago, yet remains popular in my high school libraries, thanks in part to the Netflix series that premiered last year. I love that this book appeals to such a wide range of ages and interests and that it has staying power.
In a rural East Texas town of fewer than 200 people, the body of an African American lawyer from Chicago is found in a bayou, followed several days later by that of a local white woman. What’s going on? African American Texas Ranger Darren Mathews hopes to find out, which means talking to relatives of the deceased, including the woman’s white supremacist husband — and Mathews soon discovers things are more complex than they seem.
This mystery novel is unputdownable, but I added it to this list because of its themes. Are you interested in crime? Racism? Politics in the South? Marriage? Complicated family relationships? Addiction? It’s all in here. In addition to writing books, Attica Locke is a screenwriter. I could see Bluebird, Bluebird like a movie in my head as I read it, thanks to Locke’s multifaceted skills as a writer. I’d love to see this get adapted.
Trevor Noah, former host of The Daily Show, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. In a country where racism barred blacks from social, educational, and economic opportunity, Trevor surmounted staggering obstacles and created a promising future for himself, thanks to his mother’s unwavering love and indomitable will.
As you’d expect from anything authored by Trevor Noah, Born a Crime is hilarious. It’s also profound and moving and tells an important story about racism that is more relevant than ever. If you’re a fan of audiobooks, I highly recommend enjoying this book in that format. Noah reads it himself, and he effortlessly switches between different dialects and languages, making for a wonderful and memorable listening experience. This is another book that appeals to teens as much as it does to adults.
Traces the author’s experiences as a child born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, describing her participation in her family’s paranoid stockpiling activities and her resolve to educate herself well enough to earn an acceptance into a prestigious university and the unfamiliar world beyond.
If Educated were a novel, I’d say it’s too much. No plot should involve that many twists, no story should feel that outlandish. Tara Westover’s story is unbelievable, yet it all happened. Not only is this book a page-turner, but it’s also an inspiring look at a woman persevering against all the odds. I know several readers who think nonfiction is dull and boring, and I always want to hand them books like this one to prove nonfiction can be just as thrilling as any novel.
Mia isn't initially concerned when her family fails to return from a walk, until her mute brother Eugene, who suffers from a rare genetic condition, returns bloody and alone and is unable to describe what happened to their father.
Happiness Falls is a mystery, a gripping family drama, a story about disability, a crime page-turner, and a pandemic novel. Even though so much is happening, Angie Kim never loses control of the narrative. The story builds and builds until the final resolution, which reminded me why I love reading so much.
Twenty years after witnessing the violent disappearances of two companions from their small Dublin suburb, detective Rob Ryan investigates a chillingly similar murder that takes place in the same wooded area, a case that forces him to piece together his traumatic memories.
Tana French is the queen of mysteries as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never read another mystery novel that is as well-written as In the Woods. Even readers who don’t consider themselves mystery lovers might appreciate this relatable story about brokenness and loss. French’s characters are messy and complicated, and her books are dark and foreboding. She writes atmospheric stories with such precision and skill that I can’t help but sing her praises any chance I get.
A reunion with two childhood friends–Ruth and Tommy–draws Kath and her companions on a nostalgic odyssey into the supposedly idyllic years of their lives at Hailsham, an isolated private school in the serene English countryside, and a dramatic confrontation with the truth about their childhoods and about their lives in the present.
This book is a campus novel, a sci-fi tale, a heartbreaking tear-jerker, a love story, and full of suspense. It’s also relatively short. I have no idea how Ishiguro accomplished what he did with Never Let Me Go, but I’m glad he did. This is one of those books that has haunted me ever since I read the final page. Just seeing the cover makes me emotional.
Agreeing to help her former college roommate care for two stepchildren who possess the ability to spontaneously combust when agitated, Lillian endeavors to keep her young charges cool in the face of an astonishing revelation.
You might be wondering why I put a book about children who randomly burst into flames on a book list that’s meant to be universally appealing. That’s because Nothing to See Here offers more than you might imagine. It’s hilarious and witty, which is to be expected from the summary and the cover. What surprised me, though, is how heartwarming and sweet the book can be. The premise sounds so silly, yet Kevin Wilson writes his characters in such a way that everything feels real and authentic. The audiobook version of this novel is fantastic, so I encourage you to give it a try. This book was a delightful surprise.
A transfer student from a small town in California, Richard Papen is determined to affect the ways of his Hampden College peers, and he begins his intense studies under the tutelage of eccentric Julian Morrow.
The Secret History is one of the best novels I’ve ever read. It pulls you in immediately and doesn’t let go until the final word. Many novels are compared to this one, but none of the ones I’ve read have come close. This gem of dark academia was published in 1992, but it’s still extremely popular, thanks in part to social media. I know many readers of all different ages and preferences who love this modern classic.
Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, this is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.
I love stories about friendship, especially when authors show how that relationship ebbs and flows over many years. That’s exactly what Gabrielle Zevin gives readers in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. It’s a novel about video games, but you don’t have to like gaming to enjoy this. It’s also a novel about romance, but not in the way you might expect. It’s about longing, growing up, creativity, and grief. Like all good books, it’s about everything that matters most to us.
That’s my list! What titles would you add? I welcome your thoughts, as always. Please share this post if you enjoyed it.
Sounds like some good ones!
Great list! Agree that The Secret History can appeal to a wide variety of readers - we had so much to talk about after reading it, despite not being very familiar with a lot of the classical references