The most groundbreaking books of our time with stories of human adventures written in a captivating style

Why am I passionate about this?

Having written in the genre of psychological/crime thriller fiction for some years, I am always drawn to original voices, particularly those who are prepared to go that extra mile to produce something fresh or a concept that hasn’t been touched on before. With this kind of writing, it is quite easy to get pigeonholed, and the author has to be as meticulously authentic as they possibly can. Thinking and then using the absurd in writing is probably the best endorsement for any book; the stranger, the better. In this modern, media-fueled world, you always have to go to different places and ignite new ideas and narratives. 


I wrote...

Last Orders

By S.J. Butler,

Book cover of Last Orders

What is my book about?

Time is running out for aging divorcee DCI Rick Bailey. Haunted by an unsolved case in which a young jogger, Kelly Watson, is brutally murdered, he slowly begins to realise that two other cases may be linked. Ridiculed professionally by colleagues whilst having to deal with poor health and an ongoing disciplinary investigation, he is slowly being pushed towards the door.

Obsessed with the Watson case, he spends a lot of his time in his car at the riverwalk where she was snatched. Although on a downhill spiral with the help of newly promoted DS Lambert, he painlessly begins to piece it all together and retrieve a little of his dignity. 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Heart of Darkness

S.J. Butler Why did I love this book?

Joseph Conrad is the grand master of storytelling! A captivating read for those who love this genre of writing, it's totally addictive from beginning to end. It's a story that you never tire of returning to (I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read it).

If you are interested in humanity and, in particular, man’s inhumanity to man, you will love this novel. Being that the film Apocalypse Now was based on this story shows its importance.

It's a delightful, must-read, a great start for any reader indulging in Conrad for the first time. I’m a real fan. He is someone who has definitely influenced me as a writer.

By Joseph Conrad,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Heart of Darkness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Although Polish by birth, Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) is regarded as one of the greatest writers in English, and Heart of Darkness, first published in 1902, is considered by many his "most famous, finest, and most enigmatic story." — Encyclopaedia Britannica. The tale concerns the journey of the narrator (Marlow) up the Congo River on behalf of a Belgian trading company. Far upriver, he encounters the mysterious Kurtz, an ivory trader who exercises an almost godlike sway over the inhabitants of the region. Both repelled and fascinated by the man, Marlow is brought face to face with the corruption and despair…


Book cover of Junk

S.J. Butler Why did I love this book?

This book is a very human story of teenage vulnerability and social instability.

Tense and gritty, this book doesn’t disappoint. Honest in its portrayal of drug misuse and abuse it perhaps isn’t for the faint-hearted. Ideal for those who seek to understand the underbelly of society. Written in a no-nonsense style, this is a novel that naturally flows.

Hard to put down, I read this book in a day. Well written, this is a story where you quickly immerse yourself in the characters who are so unnervingly real.

By Melvin Burgess,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Junk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

It was a love story. Me, Gemma and junk. I thought it was going to last forever.

Tar loves Gemma, but Gemma doesn't want to be tied down. She wants to fly. But no one can fly forever. One day, finally, you have to come down. Melvin Burgess' most ambitious and complex novel is a vivid depiction of a group of teenagers in the grip of addiction. Told from multiple viewpoints, Junk is a powerful, unflinching novel about heroin. Once you take a hit, you will never be the same again.

'Everyone should read Junk' The Times


Book cover of If This Is a Man and The Truce

S.J. Butler Why did I love this book?

This book has been described as one of the century’s truly necessary books.

If you are interested in holocaust literature, then this is a starting point. It's biographical writing at its best. No stone is left unturned in the writer’s account of his time spent in a concentration camp. A story of survival, this book is humanly honest in the portrayal of the unthinkable.

Reading this book for the first time was an experience not to be repeated. It is an essential read for everyone. 

By Primo Levi, Stuart Woolf (translator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked If This Is a Man and The Truce as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With the moral stamina and intellectual pose of a twentieth-century Titan, this slightly built, duitful, unassuming chemist set out systematically to remember the German hell on earth, steadfastly to think it through, and then to render it comprehensible in lucid, unpretentious prose. He was profoundly in touch with the minutest workings of the most endearing human events and with the most contempible. What has survived in Levi's writing isn't just his memory of the unbearable, but also, in THE PERIODIC TABLE and THE WRENCH, his delight in what made the world exquisite to him. He was himself a "magically endearing…


Book cover of Keep The Aspidistra Flying

S.J. Butler Why did I love this book?

A true storyteller, Orwell invites us into a world of harrowing poverty in which individuals rage against a changing modern society.

An excellently crafted novel; you can almost smell and touch the grime littered throughout this novel. What struck me most was the seamless plot and intriguing characters.

Extremely well-written, fast-paced, gripping, and full of twists and turns, this is a must-read. The finale is quite unexpected. A real old-fashioned page-turner you will probably read more than once in your lifetime.

By George Orwell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Keep The Aspidistra Flying as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A pre-cursor to his more famous works of Animal Farm and 1984, Keep the Aspidistra Flying is Orwell's social commentary on capitalism's constraints. Orwell captures the struggles of an aspiring writer with almost pitch-perfect attention to psychological detail, exploring the gulf between art and life.
Gordon Comstock is a poor young man who works in a grubby London bookstore and spends his evenings shivering in a rented room, trying to write. He is determined to stay free of the "money world" of lucrative jobs, family responsibilities, and the kind of security symbolized by the homely aspidistra plant that sits in…


Book cover of Stargirl

S.J. Butler Why did I love this book?

This book is an unusual, magical story about differences and how we often react to those who don’t conform to the norms in society.

The plot is tremendously intertwined with suspense, the type that unexpectedly creeps up on you and surprises you every time. You are instantly hooked from start to finish.

Unputdownable. I was totally immersed from the first page. It's an unforgettable book. If you believe in non-conformity, then this book is for you.

By Jerry Spinelli,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Stargirl as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Soon to be an original film on Disney+ streaming service!

Before ELEANOR AND PARK, there was STARGIRL. The seminal life-affirming YA novel celebrating first love and self-acceptance - now in a beautiful new edition for the next generation of readers.

She's as magical as the desert sky. As mysterious as her own name. Nobody knows who she is or where she's from. But everyone loves her for being different. And she captures Leo's heart with just one smile.

STARGIRL is a classic of our time that celebrates being true to ourselves and the thrill of first love. A life-changing read…


You might also like...

Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story

By Amy Q. Barker,

Book cover of Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story

Amy Q. Barker Author Of Lap Baby

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Avid reader Nature lover Park ranger wanna be Best Nana ever

Amy's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

A contemporary romance novel about second chances, love in the workplace, and balancing single parenthood with a career. Bailey Grant and Fox Goodman have given up on love. They’re working hard, they’re raising kids—romance is the last thing on their minds. Until they get seated next to each other on a flight and realize they have more in common than just the company where they work.

But can a VP date the CEO? How will they make it work? Wait and see how sparks fly in this uplifting, feel-good, dual-narrative romantic read!

Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story

By Amy Q. Barker,

What is this book about?

Bailey
Even from afar, you could feel it: the man's ever-present, effortless charm, looks, and for lack of a better word, swagger.
Everyone—and by everyone, I meant every female at Havelin—had speculated about his personal life. We all knew he had two sons, but what about a wife?
Not that I cared.
I was VP of Quality, a widow, and a mother raising two teenage daughters. Love was the last thing on my mind.

Fox
She was staggeringly beautiful.
And she didn’t know it. Not even in the slightest. Not a clue.
I’d never felt like this before.
Even more…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in satire, colonies, and popularity?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about satire, colonies, and popularity.

Satire Explore 151 books about satire
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Popularity Explore 17 books about popularity