Unless you’ve been living among the remote tribes of the Amazon, you’ve probably heard of John Green’s YA cancer book turned movie: The Fault in Our Stars. It is a whirlwind of sad and funny, making you laugh even as you cry. And you will cry. Oh gods, you will… It’s a powerful read and it’s the only book I’ve ever read in one sitting.

The book’s main character, Hazel, is terminally ill with a form of lung cancer and maybe has two or three years to live. Not a great situation, but her lot in life gets better when she meets Augustus Waters, a charismatic young man who has survived his battle with cancer and has been living in remission.

John Green has experience dealing with pediatric cancer patients and, to the best of my knowledge, portrays it in a true and raw way. The movie was also a very good adaptation of the book and definitely stays true to it in both plot and spirit. Check out the number of readers to ratings below (it’s among the highest in my recommendations). Good chance that you’ll like it. If you’ve already read this one, but not anything else by John Green, I recommend checking out Looking For Alaska. Similar book in tone, if not in topic.

The Rook begins with a woman, Myfawny Thomas, waking up surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves and no memory of how she got where she was or even who she is. She then discovers that she works for a secret organization in London that combats the supernatural. She and the others who work for this organization all of some sort of power. Sort of like X-Men in terms of abilities between individuals.

This book is really interesting and fun. The power of the individuals are pretty creative, too. For instance, one of the characters has four bodies—one mind that controls four individuals. Cool, right? It also has a distinct fantastical element to it as well. There are vampires and all sorts of other monsters. Nevertheless, it is still classified as science fiction. 

The world that Daniel O’Malley has built is quite the escape, but the mystery behind Myfawny’s attack is what will really keep you engaged as you explore it. One of my favorite books of the year and if the premise intrigues you at all, then you’ll probably enjoy it as well.

The Twelve is the second book in Justin Cronin’s The Passageseries. If you’re thinking about starting the series, check out my other two recommendations for the series. Book one recommendation, The Passage, will give you idea of the premise. Book three, The City of Mirrors, will give you an idea of the series as a whole without spoiling anything. The third book is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, btw.

If you read the first book and are debating about continuing with the series, I’ll say that The Twelvewas my least favorite of the three. It will still very good, but for me, it wasn’t even close to the third book. Justin Cronin is an incredible writer, though, making everything easier to get through.

Me Before You is about the exceptionally ordinary Lousia Clark who, desperately needing a job, beings to take care of wheelchair-bound Will Traynor. Will used to live the fast-paced life of extreme sports, big business, and world travel, and has not adjusted to his condition very well. He is moody, depressed, and often downright intolerable. However, Lousia refuses to give up on this stranger and finds herself caring more about Will’s happiness than her own. 

This is a heartbreakingly sad romance that still has a lot of humor to temper the sting. It explores sensitive topics about disability and free choice as well. I read this with my book club and the group seemed to be split into two groups: those who thoroughly enjoyed it, and those who thoroughly disliked it. Obviously, I fall into the former group. I like books, even sad ones, that get me thinking about life, death, and what it all means. Me Before You definitely does that. Like all sad stories, it also has a lot of good humor in it to help keep you going. It’s not one of those relentlessly depressing stories that doesn’t let up.

Me Before You is the first in the seires, but I haven’t read the others yet and am not sure if I will. There is also a movie starring Emilia Clarke.

I’m guessing you’ve probably heard of Gillian Flynn’s dark thriller, Gone Girl. Not only is the book insanely popular, but it was made into a movie starring Ben Afflek and Rosemund Pike. If you haven’t heard of it, it is about a wife that goes missing and a husband who may or may not have had something to do with it. 

This mystery will definitely keep you guessing and engaged all the way until the end. It’s difficult to write a ton about it without giving any spoilers, so I’ll just say that if you’re in the mood for a good mystery/thriller, Gone Girlis a pretty safe choice. You won’t be disappointed.