"I Was And Still Am Obsessed": 14 Books So Good People Found It Physically Impossible To Put Them Down
Earlier this month, we shared the books that Redditors loved so much, they put everything else on the back-burner until they got to the last page, and the BuzzFeed commenters weighed in with their own nominees in the category of "Books That Devoured My Life." Here are 14 of their most beloved page-turners.
Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
1."If you like Circe, also read The Song of Achilles. It’s by the same author (Madeline Miller) and is also amazing!"
"I stayed up after getting off the night shift to finish The Song of Achilles and then had to sort laundry to calm down because I was crying so hard."
"100%. Incredibly emotionally draining. That book took a piece of my soul with it when I was done. Absolutely one of the best books I’ve ever read."
What's it about? Patroclus, a disgraced prince, narrates this tale of gods, war, and the love he shared with Achilles, the half-god fated to be the "Best of the Greeks."
(This just so happens to be the last book I read. I second these recommendations!)
2."I'm currently about halfway through Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and can't put it down. There are parts that are extremely hard to read, but it's so worth it. Incredibly eye-opening read about the injustices of our prison system, especially death row."
What's it about? This book shares the story of the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based nonprofit founded by Stevenson that fights mass incarceration, the death penalty, and abuse in prisons.
3."I read Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake in one sitting. I felt my eyes were bleeding by the end but I simply could not put it down."
What's it about? The first in Atwood's MaddAddam trilogy, Oryx and Crake follows Snowman, once a boy named Jimmy, who wanders an Earth desolated by a pandemic and recounts the role he played in the story of its destruction.
4."Misery by Stephen King. I bought it after wanting to read it and the movie is one of my favorites of all time. I read it in a day and a half; I could not put it down for the life of me. I was and still am obsessed, and I've read it about three times now. It's different from the movie, but after reading it and loving every detail and second, I can say that although the movie had to take some things out, it still holds up. I've read many of his works and it's hard to choose but I'd have to say this, It, and The Shining are his best works!"
What's it about? After being injured in a car accident, writer Paul Sheldon wakes up under the care of the increasingly terrifying Annie Wilkes, his self-proclaimed number one fan.
5."Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. Beautiful and creepy and haunting and so full of musings on humanity without being at all didactic and simply very very compelling and readable!"
What's it about? The first of the Southern Reach trilogy, Annihilation follows a team of four women, all experts in different academic areas, who are sent to explore a treacherous and mysterious place known as Area X.
6."I read Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen in one afternoon. Just sat in my kitchen and soaked in the sun and the words. It was wonderfully captivating and eye-opening. Definitely a 9/10 in my opinion!"
What's it about? This memoir chronicles the teenaged Kaysen's time as a patient at McLean Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts.
7."Mine has to be Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. It has an enlightening take on religion vs. science with mystery and puzzles in every twist and turn, all taking place in the beautiful landscape of Rome and Vatican City. Many times I had to Google what the buildings/statues/paintings look like because I'm just so intrigued! I've read The Da Vinci Code, too, and I found myself Googling quite a lot, but the ending didn't leave me breathless like Angels and Demons did."
What's it about? Robert Langdon, a Harvard "symbologist", works with the scientist Vittoria to stop a plan to blow up the Vatican with antimatter stolen from Vittoria's adoptive father's lab following his murder.
8."Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. I was reading it in the bath and legit just couldn't stop reading; I was in there for hours, having to continually add more hot water. I think I was in there til 1 a.m."
What's it about? A rock star who collects creepy artifacts acquires a dead man's suit, which comes with an added (and chilling) bonus: the ghost of the man who died in it.
9."I recently read The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, which then sparked a hyper-fixation on researching the real-life historical events that inspired the book. And I ended up staying up all night then, too, not because I was reading, but because I couldn’t sleep without envisioning everything I had just learned. But it was worth it because the book is fantastic and more people should know about the actual history it represents."
What's it about? When Rin, a gifted orphan, performs extremely well on a test designed to select the most capable young people in her kingdom for military education, she frees herself from a life of poverty and struggle...and finds herself facing new challenges of prejudice from her fellow students, unexpected magical abilities, and incoming war.
10."Normal People by Sally Rooney! I could NOT put it down. It was excellent. By the time I finished, my eyes were so tired, but it was totally worth it."
What's it about? Connell and Marianne meet as teenagers in Ireland and begin a loving but complicated relationship that is strained by class, mental illness, and good old-fashioned poor timing.
11."Another one I stayed up late for is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin. Amazing. Literally anything she writes is phenomenal."
What's it about? The first in Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms introduces Yeinn Dar, who is sucked into a deadly world of politics and subterfuge in the floating city of Sky when the king unexpectedly makes her one of his heirs.
12."The only riveting book in my personal history that is not on this list is White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Talk about a gorgeously written book! When it came out, I was so moved by the writing that I forced my mother to sit still while I read it aloud to her. Please check it out."
What's it about? Astrid, the daughter of a genius poet-turned-murderer, grows up in a series of Los Angeles foster homes after her mother is imprisoned.
13."The second Bridgerton book, The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn. It has a lot of details and scenes that the show left out, and is actually a lot faster paced!"
What's it about? This installment, which inspired Season 2 of the Netflix series, follows Anthony Bridgerton's efforts to find love in Regency-era England, while stymied by Kate Sheffield, the older sister of the woman he intends to marry.
14.And finally: "Gideon the Ninth needs to be on here!!!!! Tamsyn Muir is a genius."
What's it about? The first in the Locked Tomb series, Gideon the Ninth follows the title character as she attempts to escape a dreary future of servitude and finds herself chosen as the protector of a necromancer attempting to win immortality and glory.
(That description is all well and good, but maybe we should trust the blurb on the cover: "Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!" sells me on it.)