100 books like The Third Day

By Joseph Hayes,

Here are 100 books that The Third Day fans have personally recommended if you like The Third Day. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Trust Your Eyes

John E. Stith Author Of Pushback

From my list on once-in-a-lifetime danger.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love books about everyman/everywoman characters facing danger, puzzles, and romance with a sense of humor. I love the suspense that builds throughout a whole book and the tension that can develop in just a paragraph. It’s easier for me to imagine I’m the protagonist and lose myself in the pages if I’m not reading about a superhero or a serial killer. With so many choices out there, it’s easier to find another person who’s seen the same TV show, for instance, but books are my true love because they are limitless and offer so many choices. It’s a privilege to be able to share some favorites.

John's book list on once-in-a-lifetime danger

John E. Stith Why did John love this book?

I love surprises and characters who are not what they seem, and I enjoy a high-tech backdrop when it fits the story. When a character thinks he sees evidence of a crime in what’s basically Google Street View, he will not let go of it and drags our unwilling protagonist into danger.

I loved the emotional core of a man dealing with his brother’s mental health issues and the blossoming romance in his life.

By Linwood Barclay,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Trust Your Eyes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What would you do if you witnessed a murder - but no one believed you . . .?

Another masterful suspense novel from the bestselling author of the Richard & Judy summer read winner, NO TIME FOR GOODBYE and FIND YOU FIRST

Map-obsessed Thomas spends his days and nights on a virtual tour of the world through his computer screen, believing he must store the details of every town and city in his head. Then one day, while surfing a street view program, he sees something that shouldn't be there: a woman being murdered behind a window on a New…


Book cover of Six Years

Jill Paterson Author Of The Celtic Dagger: A Fitzjohn Mystery

From my list on mystery that hold you in heart pounding suspense.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read. I always have. I also love to write mysteries that, hopefully, keep my reader guessing until the end of the book. I look for books that not only provide me with a mystery to solve but also inform me of situations and/or places I would otherwise never learn about. I have found all the books on my list to fill that need. They are just an example of the many I have found and read.

Jill's book list on mystery that hold you in heart pounding suspense

Jill Paterson Why did Jill love this book?

If you like a good mystery full of suspense then this is a must-read. I love books that I can’t put down, and a definite page-turner to the end.

Harlan Coben did this to a T in this book. Turning his main character's reality on its head, to create a fantastic mystery.

By Harlan Coben,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Six Years as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The bestselling author and creator of the hit Netflix drama Fool Me Once explores the dangers of obsession in this #1 bestselling suspense thriller.

Six years have passed since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of hiding a broken heart by throwing himself into his career as a college professor. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd.

But six years haven't come close to extinguishing his feelings, and when Jake comes across Todd's obituary, he…


Book cover of Down the Rabbit Hole

John E. Stith Author Of Pushback

From my list on once-in-a-lifetime danger.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love books about everyman/everywoman characters facing danger, puzzles, and romance with a sense of humor. I love the suspense that builds throughout a whole book and the tension that can develop in just a paragraph. It’s easier for me to imagine I’m the protagonist and lose myself in the pages if I’m not reading about a superhero or a serial killer. With so many choices out there, it’s easier to find another person who’s seen the same TV show, for instance, but books are my true love because they are limitless and offer so many choices. It’s a privilege to be able to share some favorites.

John's book list on once-in-a-lifetime danger

John E. Stith Why did John love this book?

A precocious thirteen-year-old girl with a sense of humor gets into big trouble and has to deal with it without adult help. What’s not to love? Ingrid is a vivid character in a great small-town setting with believable characters and plenty of tension.

And I loved the fact that she has to deal with obstacles adults don’t generally face, like not being able to drive. First of an outstanding trilogy, for my taste.

By Peter Abrahams,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Down the Rabbit Hole as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

"My all-time favorite. Astonishing." (Stephen King)

Down the Rabbit Hole is the first book in the Echo Falls mystery series by bestselling crime novelist Peter Abrahams. Perfect for middle school readers looking for a good mystery.

Welcome to Echo Falls, home of a thousand secrets. In Down the Rabbit Hole, eighth grader Ingrid Levin-Hill is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at least her shoes are. And getting them back will mean getting tangled up in a murder investigation as complicated as the mysteries solved by her idol, Sherlock Holmes.

With soccer practice, schoolwork, and the lead…


Book cover of Wilderness

John E. Stith Author Of Pushback

From my list on once-in-a-lifetime danger.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love books about everyman/everywoman characters facing danger, puzzles, and romance with a sense of humor. I love the suspense that builds throughout a whole book and the tension that can develop in just a paragraph. It’s easier for me to imagine I’m the protagonist and lose myself in the pages if I’m not reading about a superhero or a serial killer. With so many choices out there, it’s easier to find another person who’s seen the same TV show, for instance, but books are my true love because they are limitless and offer so many choices. It’s a privilege to be able to share some favorites.

John's book list on once-in-a-lifetime danger

John E. Stith Why did John love this book?

While I love Parker’s Spenser series, I love the stronger emotional payoff I often get more of in stand-alone books, which this book is. Plus, Parker brings some of his humor to the table. (To me it’s a very rare book that can’t carry some humor along with life-and-death stakes.)

While I loved the whole idea of a married couple working together to extricate themselves from big trouble, the confrontation with the cops at the end of the book was a terrific cherry on top.

By Robert B. Parker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wilderness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“A novel of violence, crisp dialogue, and suspense. . . . The reader is immediately caught up in the ambience of danger.”—The Boston Globe

At forty-six, Aaron Newman was enjoying the good things in life—a good marriage, a good job—and he was in good shape himself. Then he saw the murder. A petty vicious killing that was to plunge him into an insane jungle of raw violence and fear, threatening and defiling the things he cared about.


Book cover of Anybody Out There?

Jennifer Saint Author Of Elektra

From my list on grief and complicated family dynamics.

Why am I passionate about this?

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the unbroken chain of storytelling that stretches from the ancient world to the present day, which is why I write mythological retellings. So many myths tackle grief and families in all their myriad forms and shapes, and their continued existence shows us how storytelling is a healing process and always has been. We can see our own complicated family relationships and the profound impact of love and loss reflecting back to us across the centuries. Fiction continues to do this for us today too and I’ve chosen the modern books which I think do this the best. 

Jennifer's book list on grief and complicated family dynamics

Jennifer Saint Why did Jennifer love this book?

This is my favourite book from my all-time favourite author. I will never forget reading this for the first time, in my then-boyfriend’s flat at the start of our relationship. I ignored him all day (it’s ok, we ended up married) until I’d read it cover to cover. Marian Keyes knows how to pack a devastating emotional punch within her witty, entertaining novels and this is one of the most brutal. It’s a crystal-clear insight into grief, a book that made me sob uncontrollably, and there is no one better at presenting the frustrations and comforting joy of family dynamics and friendships. I don’t think there is any other book that has wrought so many tears from me, both of sadness and laughter.  

By Marian Keyes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Anybody Out There? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bestselling author Marian Keyes has delighted readers with the lives, loves, and foibles of the irrepressible Walsh sisters and their eccentric mammy. In this Life in the Big Apple is perfect for Anna. She has the best job in the world, a lovely apartment, and great friends. Then one morning, she wakes up in her mammy's house in Dublin with stitches in her face, a dislocated knee, hands smashed up, and no memory at all of what happened. As soon as she's able, Anna's flying back to Manhattan, mystified but determined to find out how her life turned upside down.…


Book cover of The Empathy Exams: Essays

Kymberly Dakin-Neal Author Of Head, Heart, and Hands Listening in Coach Practice: The Listening Coach

From my list on our quietest superpower: listening.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been curious about people and the way they interact. When I was a small child, all our neighbors had their back doors wide open to catch the summertime breeze; they’d get the sense they were being watched… by my small face pressed against the screen door, listening and learning. My parents would get called..” She’s doing it again.” As an introvert, a performing artist, and a coach, I’ve learned to tune my ears to the messaging beneath the words—the unspoken truth in the interaction. And I truly believe that if we can learn to be more effective and compassionate listenersour world will change for the better.

Kymberly's book list on our quietest superpower: listening

Kymberly Dakin-Neal Why did Kymberly love this book?

One of the most powerful benefits of skilled listening is building trust. Empathy is essential to creating trusting relationships. Jamison is a trained actor, and deep listening and empathy are essential to the craft of acting.

This book spans her experiences, from her work in medical training to her research on incarceration, reality TV, and street violence. I was struck by the heartfulness and clarity in Jamison's writing about what she has witnessed and experienced. She pulls no punches.

The stories in this book provide a clarion call for our species to regain our empathy for each other through skilled and intentional listening to connect, extend understanding, and ensure our survival.

By Leslie Jamison,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Empathy Exams as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From personal loss to phantom diseases, The Empathy Exams is a bold and brilliant collection, winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize

A Publishers Weekly Top Ten Essay Collection of Spring 2014

Beginning with her experience as a medical actor who was paid to act out symptoms for medical students to diagnose, Leslie Jamison's visceral and revealing essays ask essential questions about our basic understanding of others: How should we care about each other? How can we feel another's pain, especially when pain can be assumed, distorted, or performed? Is empathy a tool by which to test or even grade…


Book cover of Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time

Minette Norman Author Of The Boldly Inclusive Leader: Transform Your Workplace (and the World) by Valuing the Differences Within

From my list on amazing leader, listener, and human being.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent 20 years leading global teams in Silicon Valley, and I had few role models for empathetic, human, and inclusive leadership. I was committed to being the leader I wished I’d had all those years. I had a lot of success, a big VP-level job, and I loved my work. Then, I got a new manager who bullied, undermined, and silenced me. I decided I wanted to help leaders do better. I became an author, speaker, and consultant focused on inspiring leaders to create an environment where everyone is heard, seen, and respected.

Minette's book list on amazing leader, listener, and human being

Minette Norman Why did Minette love this book?

I could not stop listening to this book, read by the author, Rob Volpe. It’s filled with compelling, entertaining, and moving stories of Rob’s interactions with people from all walks of life as he conducts consumer insights interviews. To me, the book is not only a masterclass in both storytelling and empathy but also a book about the power of listening with an open mind and heart, which is why I believe it should be a leadership must-read (even if it’s not technically a leadership book).

I loved Rob’s personal stories and was fascinated by the stories from his consumer interviews. You have to read it to witness how Rob seamlessly moves from a conversation about an interviewee’s brother’s ghost to preferences in soup flavors!

By Rob Volpe,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tell Me More About That as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's time to shape up your empathy muscle.

Empathy is in short supply these days-and it's hurting us. From the rise in workplace bullying to increased anxiety and depression, a lack of empathy for one another is wearing away at the gears of society, grinding us down to the nubs. The very technology that is supposed to keep us connected is actually driving us apart, with face-to-face interactions on the decline, and news filtered through an echo chamber that shelters us from other points of view.

But all is not lost. Just as physical workouts strengthen your body, there are…


Book cover of So You Want to Be a Dog?

Nicole Audet Author Of Parents For Sale

From my list on helping children learn great life lessons.

Why am I passionate about this?

My journey as a writer began in correlation with my career as a family doctor. After reading Dr. Jacques Ferron’s, books, I knew I wanted to be an author as well as a doctor. While pursuing my medical career, I wrote medical articles and books. My husband and I have also been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul of Quebecers with the story Witness of the Last Breath. This is the story of the last night of my daughter-in-law dying of lung cancer. Before she died, I promised Marie-Noëlle that I would pursue my writing career to change the world one young reader at a time. And I did.

Nicole's book list on helping children learn great life lessons

Nicole Audet Why did Nicole love this book?

Martha Speaks is the famous speaking dog. I recommend this chapter book as it relates to my book.

In this story, two children exchange their lives with that of their dog for a day. I like this original scenario because it can teach great lessons on being happy with who you are and what you have. At the end of the book, the author gathered new words in a glossary.

Readers can also follow the step-by-step experiment at the end to become a dog for the day. Do not hesitate to read this book with your children and make them speak about their understanding of the story.

By Susan Meddaugh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked So You Want to Be a Dog? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

Hypothesis: "It’s easier being a dog than being a human." This seems pretty safe to say, but the notion is put to the test in this funny, action-packed, full-color chapter book based on the PBS showMartha Speaks. When Carolina is turned into a dog, she finds out how irresistible mud, meat, and squirrels can be…and ends up at the shelter! Then T.D. volunteers to live as a dog for a day. Is it as easy at it looks? By the end, readers will not only have had a good laugh, they’ll know the difference between empathy and sympathy, manners…


Book cover of Lisa, Bright and Dark

Anna Esaki-Smith Author Of Make College Your Superpower: It's Not Where You Go, It's What You Know

From my list on books for teenagers about stuff parents don’t—or can’t—discuss.

Why am I passionate about this?

I understand how stressful it is to be a teenager today. And we’re talking stress across a variety of fronts, from academics to personal matters and everything in between. In my book on college admissions, I advise high schoolers to use data so they can get the most value from their university education as well as reduce the anxiety of what can be an overwhelming process. In my book recommendations, I’ve chosen novels the teenaged me thought honestly depicted the emotional challenges teenagers face and how those challenges are resolved. Whether it be applying to college or developing relationships, the key is to be authentic in who you are!

Anna's book list on books for teenagers about stuff parents don’t—or can’t—discuss

Anna Esaki-Smith Why did Anna love this book?

I would say this book, which delves into the complexities of mental illness, was way ahead of its time. Even as a teenager, I understood the deftness of using two simple words in the title to clearly illustrate the complexities of extreme moods.

The author sets this story in a suburban high school, which I could relate to, as a group of friends witness the increasingly erratic behavior of one of their classmates, Lisa. In deciding how to help, each friend must confront her own fears and prejudices.

Even though the girls often don’t know what to do, I loved how steadfastly supportive and loyal they remained. As a result, the book ends up being less about mental illness and more about how empathy and compassion can overcome the stigma surrounding it.

By John Neufeld,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lisa, Bright and Dark as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Hailed as a "work of art" by the New York Times, this bestselling classic brings a deft touch and understanding spirit to the story of a teenage girl's descent into madness-and the three friends who are determined to walk with her where adults fear to tread.


Book cover of Tending Roses

Myra Johnson Author Of The Soft Whisper of Roses

From my list on Christian true-to-life women dealing with life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a native of Texas who loves bluebonnets, big skies, and barbecue! With 25+ books in print, I write about imperfect characters who discover their inner strength as they lean on God and learn to trust each other and themselves. I’m fascinated by the dynamics of personalities and relationships, as well as the backstories that made the individuals who they are now. If you’re looking for stories of true-to-life characters growing deeper in faith while dealing with all the messiness human relationships entail, here are some novels you may enjoy.

Myra's book list on Christian true-to-life women dealing with life

Myra Johnson Why did Myra love this book?

When I read this book several years ago, I was just starting out in my writing career, and I remember thinking, If only someday I could write like this! Lisa Wingate has a beautiful way of eliciting emotion and empathy, of creating scenes and situations so true-to-life that she never fails to draw me in. Like all her books, Tending Roses takes a deeply honest look at human relationships—the good, the bad, and the in-between—and always with an underlying current of faith. Kate’s situation may be different from my own, but I could still relate to her feelings and struggles, her questions and doubts. That resonance—that connection—is what makes any story memorable.

By Lisa Wingate,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tending Roses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends and Before We Were Yours comes a heartfelt novel about the bonds of family and the power of second chances.

When Kate Bowman temporarily moves to her grandmother’s Missouri farm with her husband and baby son, she learns that the lessons that most enrich our lives often come unexpectedly. The family has given Kate the job of convincing Grandma Rose, who’s become increasingly stubborn and forgetful, to move off her beloved land and into a nursing home. But Kate knows such a change would break her…


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