What are my top 3 favorite non-romance books?
Not that there’s anything wrong with romance. Duh! Obviously…since I write the stuff! 😂
Though I do enjoy the occasional non-fiction book, the books that made it onto this list are fiction. It took me a long time to narrow this down from eight (and beyond) to just three, especially since the list tends to be a bit fluid. Here are my top three current faves with a brief nod to the next top five:
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir
After reading The Martian (an honorable mention on my list, below), I bought Andy Weir’s subsequent books later when they came out. I enjoy Artemis quite a bit, too, but it doesn’t quite qualify as an all-time favorite. I think if I were forced to name my number one top favorite book, right now I would probably say it’s Project Hail Mary. And, OMG, I just saw that it’s being made into a movie! Squee!!!!!!!
There are actually quite a few similarities (theme and storytelling-wise) between The Martian and Project Hail Mary, and if Project Hail Mary hadn’t come along, I’d probably be listing The Martian as one of my top three, instead.
Why do I love them so? I like to geek out on the in-depth science details included throughout both books. Both stories feature one man, alone out in space (or abandoned on a planet) using his ingenuity and intelligence to survive, and in the case of Project Hail Mary, to save Earth. Multiple challenges to be overcome arise throughout both books, and Project Hail Mary has several fun twists and turns. It’s utterly fascinating!
Blurb
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.
All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.
His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.
Or does he?
An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
This has been on my list of favorites since I first read it, and I still reread it every few years. Why? It’s got an excellent social message inherent in the story, the storytelling itself is top notch, and the multiple/intersecting story threads vary from entertaining and intriguing to gripping.
No matter how many times I’ve read it, I always get drawn back into the story. Every word, sentence, and scene forwards the story. It’s extremely well done on top of grabbing your attention from the first page.
Blurb
One of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country.
A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens
A very recent addition to my list. A movie trailer brought it to my attention. It’s a gripping story with a fun little twist. I didn’t actually read it until after watching the movie, and I added on the audiobook shortly into it so as to lesson the need to have to put it down.
This one has not yet stood the test of time to see whether or not it holds solid on my favorites list or if it’s only here because it’s so fresh on my mind. Will I reread/listen down the road? I’d say there’s a good chance I will, and I can certainly recommend it. Regardless, it’s a gripping storyline.
Blurb
For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens.
Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.
Honorable Mentions
The Time Traveler’s Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger
(Disclaimer: IMHO it’s a time travel love story, but not truly “a romance”, but the fact that can be argued is the only reason I didn’t include it in the top three instead of Where the Crawdad’s Sing. I absolutely adore this book and have read and listened to it more than a dozen times.)
The Martian
by Andy Weir
(Supplanted from being in the top three by another book by the same author!)
In an Instant
by Suzanne Redfearn
(Fascinating story! I’ve still only read it the one time, though I expect to read/listen to it again.)
The Lincoln Lawyer Series
by Michael Connelly
(The books first caught my attention when I saw a movie trailer for the first book. So glad to have discovered them because the stories are both gripping and intriguing.)
The Jack Reacher Series
by Lee Child
(Gotta admit, this one’s a guilty pleasure due to how much it glorifies both violence and vigilantism. But the gripping storylines pull me in anyway, and I find myself eagerly awaiting each new release.)
WEBRING ~ Read Around the Rainbow!
Be sure to flip through the webring to read your favorite authors’ takes on this topic! For your convenience, here are direct links to the other WebRing participants’ posts for this month’s topic:
Ofelia Gränd :: Nell Iris :: A.L. Lester :: Lillian Francis :: Fiona Glass :: Holly Day :: Amy Spector :: K.L. Noone :: Ellie Thomas
Great choices, Addison. I love To Kill A Mockingbird and also really liked Where the Crawdads Sing, too.
I don’t think To Kill a Mockingbird will ever be edged off of my top three list.
Oh! To Kill A Mockingbird is wonderful! I’ve not read the other two, but I’m adding them to my list!
Yay! My already-long list expanded, too, when I made the rounds.
I wasn’t expecting The Martian to be bumped off your top 3 🙂
But for another book by the same author, it wouldn’t have been! Between the two, Project Hail Mary comes out on top, and it would have been wrong to consider another by the same author for a top three list. Still gave it an honorable mention, though.