BookRank
Where to start

Books to read

Looking for good books to read? Every pick here comes from 1,850,461 reader ratings of 4,621 books, not from a publisher’s list. Start with the genre you already like, or with a mood.

Each genre has its own page: three books to start with, then — depending on the genre — short reads, series starts, new titles and classics.

One book to start each genre

The first pick of every genre page. Open a genre for more.

GenreStart withScore
FantasyThe Way of KingsBrandon Sanderson9.2
Science fictionProject Hail MaryAndy Weir9.0
Crime & mysteryCrime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoyevsky8.5
ThrillerA Good Girl's Guide to MurderHolly Jackson8.3
HorrorThe Graveyard BookNeil Gaiman8.4
RomanceThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn HugoTaylor Jenkins Reid8.5
ClassicsDuneFrank Herbert8.8
Historical fictionJamesPercival Everett8.7
AdventureSkywardBrandon Sanderson8.7
HumourBorn a CrimeTrevor Noah8.9
DystopianNineteen Eighty-FourGeorge Orwell8.5
Short storiesStories of Your Life and OthersTed Chiang8.4
Literary fictionDemon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver8.8
Graphic novelsMausArt Spiegelman9.0
ComicsThe Sandman: Preludes & NocturnesNeil Gaiman8.6
Young adultThe Hate U GiveAngie Thomas8.8
Children’s booksWhere the Sidewalk EndsShel Silverstein8.6
Middle gradeThe HobbitJ. R. R. Tolkien8.6
Biography & memoirKnow My NameChanel Miller9.0
BusinessEmpire of PainPatrick Radden Keefe8.8

Book series worth starting

First volumes of the highest-rated series, with the reading order.

  1. Mistborn: The Final EmpireBrandon Sanderson · 2006 · 669 pages8.9/10 · 5,819 ratingsMistborn · Reading order →
  2. The Fellowship of the RingJ. R. R. Tolkien · 1954 · 496 pages8.8/10 · 5,853 ratingsThe Lord of the Rings · Reading order →
  3. A Game of ThronesGeorge R. R. Martin · 1996 · 801 pages8.7/10 · 6,459 ratingsA Song of Ice and Fire · Reading order →
  4. The Fifth SeasonN. K. Jemisin · 2015 · 512 pages8.7/10 · 1,971 ratingsThe Broken Earth · Reading order →

Good short books

Under 300 pages, rated highly across genres.

  1. Flowers for AlgernonDaniel Keyes · 1966 · 274 pages8.8/10 · 2,493 ratings
  2. The Emperor's SoulBrandon Sanderson · 2012 · 96 pages8.8/10 · 1,352 ratings
  3. When Breath Becomes AirPaul Kalanithi · 2016 · 232 pages8.6/10 · 1,012 ratings
  4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyDouglas Adams · 1979 · 216 pages8.6/10 · 6,138 ratings

Books by mood

What do you feel like? Each mood opens “Find a book” with that filter set.

Adventurous1,321Dark1,235Funny503Light605Tense913Mysterious840Moving1,179Hopeful610Thoughtful940Informative345

More shortcuts into “Find a book”

Filters set in advance; the counts are books in the tool.

Book series798Standalone books2,477Short books (under 220 pages)453New books170Books with a film or series252Award-winning books487

All genres

Fiction

FantasyScience fictionCrime & mysteryThrillerHorrorRomanceClassicsHistorical fictionAdventureHumourDystopianShort storiesLiterary fictionGraphic novelsComics

Children and young adults

Young adultChildren’s booksMiddle grade

Non-fiction

Biography & memoirBusiness

Questions readers ask

What are good books to read?

Books that many readers rate highly. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (9.2/10) opens our Fantasy list; every genre page names three books to start with.

What should I read next?

Start from a book you liked: the “I read… and want more like it” field in “Find a book” finds books that share its themes and mood, from other authors.

What book series should I start?

Mistborn, from Mistborn: The Final Empire, is the highest-rated series start here. Each series has a reading order page.

Where do these recommendations come from?

From reader ratings collected from independent sources and combined into one score; a book needs at least 50 ratings to be picked.