The most recommended books about Europe

Who picked these books? Meet our 897 experts.

897 authors created a book list connected to Europe, and here are their favorite Europe books.
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Book cover of Rifka Takes a Bow

Gloria Koster Author Of Dance the Hora, Isadora

From my list on lighthearted picture books with Jewish characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a school and public librarian as well as a writer. I also serve as a member of the Children’s Book Committee of the Bank Street College of Education. We review hundreds of books each year for consideration of a place on our list –The Best Children’s Books of the YearI've chosen to recommend some lighthearted picture books with Jewish characters or themes because a number of my own books fit into this category. Mitzi’s Mitzvah, Little Red Ruthie, and Dance the Hora, Isadora! are three of my Jewish themed books. Each of these titles has been selected by PJ Library, an organization that sends a book each month to children.

Gloria's book list on lighthearted picture books with Jewish characters

Gloria Koster Why did Gloria love this book?

This book reflects the author’s own experience as a child during the heyday of Yiddish theater. It’s an exciting story that will engage kids with a slice of history as they imagine themselves taking to the stage and enjoying the thrill of the limelight. So many Jewish-themed books focus on the holidays, so it’s refreshing to have others that just reflect Jewish life in the past or the present.

By Rebecca Rosenberg Perlov, Cosei Kawa (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rifka Takes a Bow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Rifka's parents are actors in the Yiddish Theater in New York, but one day Rifka finds herself center stage in a special role! A slice of immigrant life on New York's Second Avenue, this is a unique book about a vanished time and a place – the Yiddish theater in the early 20th century―made real through the telling of the true life story of the 96-year-old author as a little girl.


Book cover of Hitler's War and the Germans

Neil Gregor Author Of How to Read Hitler

From my list on biographical studies of Hitler.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Professor of Modern European History at the University of Southampton, UK, and publish widely on diverse aspects of Nazi Germany. The first history book that I ever read was Alan Bullock’s Hitler. A Study in Tyranny - the first scholarly biography of Hitler to appear. I still recall the fascination of reading this as a teenager: it sparked a curiosity that formed the basis of a scholarly career that has spanned nearly three decades. The desire to make sense of the phenomenon of Nazism was never purely academic, however – my own family origins in Germany, and the stories elderly relatives told of their wartime experiences, gave the history texture, immediacy, and urgency.

Neil's book list on biographical studies of Hitler

Neil Gregor Why did Neil love this book?

This is not a full biography – the biography Steinert wrote later in her career is not available in English – but many of the ideas in Steinert’s biography can also be found in this earlier work, which has faded into posterity slightly but can be read with great profit. Here, Steinert is concerned to give texture to a hitherto often two-dimensional image of German society and its attitudes to Hitler’s War. The result is an interesting, differentiated account of public opinion in Nazi Germany. In many respects, it was pioneering and opened up questions surrounding the relationship between state and society that other historians went on to explore further in the 1980s. Steinert’s Francophone background, and perhaps the fact that she was a female writer working in a profession that was then very male-dominated, probably account for the fact that her work is less well-known in the English-speaking world…

By Marlis G Steinert,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hitler's War and the Germans as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Text: English, German (translation)


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Book cover of Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds: Living the Dream in Rural Ireland

Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds by Nick Albert,

Nick and Lesley Albert yearn to leave the noise, stress and pollution of modern Britain and move to the countryside, where the living is good, the air sweet, with space for their dogs to run free.

Suddenly out of work and soon to be homeless, they set off in search…

Book cover of The Penultimate Peril

R.J. Vickers Author Of The Natural Order

From my list on teens grappling with the line between good and evil.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a fantasy author, I have always been drawn to magic and alternative universes as a way of exploring the issues that seem unsolvable here on earth. We are so entrenched in our own ways of seeing the world that it can be hard to imagine looking at things from a different perspective, but twisting these ideas sideways and adding a dash of magic can remind us that everything exists in shades of grey. Teenagers are learning to think abstractly and explore their own relationships with ethics, and I have vivid memories of being drawn to moral ambiguity at that age. 

R.J.'s book list on teens grappling with the line between good and evil

R.J. Vickers Why did R.J. love this book?

A Series of Unfortunate Events begins by pitting the Baudelaires against the evil Count Olaf and his henchmen, escaping time and time again from his villainous schemes. But as the series progresses, good and evil begin to blur. The Baudelaires are forced to do things they would have previously considered evil (lighting fires, lying), while they learn that V.F.D. is not the noble organization they had once thought. 

Towards the end of the series, the moral ambiguity grows starker than ever, and in The Penultimate Peril, the Baudelaires find themselves facilitating an evil scheme in the process of trying to disguise themselves. Though aimed at younger readers, these books are very cleverly written, with plenty of hidden meanings that I’ve enjoyed rediscovering as an adult! 

By Lemony Snicket,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Penultimate Peril 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?

Dear reader,

There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution...

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In The Penultimate Peril, the siblings face a harpoon gun, a rooftop sunbathing salon, two mysterious initials, three unidentified triplets, a notorious villain, and an unsavoury curry...

In…


Book cover of The Aspern Papers

Ellen Pall Author Of Must Read Well

From my list on characters you do not want for friends.

Why am I passionate about this?

Okay, I’m just going to say this: I’m a notoriously likable person. I try to be kind. I try to do good. But in fiction, unlikeable characters fascinate me—their secretiveness, their single-minded energy, their shameless lies and utter selfishness. I’ve written Regency Romances featuring dark antagonists. I’ve written murder mysteries featuring—you know, murderers. (I’ve also written some literary novels about ordinary mortals.) I wouldn’t want to have a villain for a pal. But I sure like the freedom fiction gives me to get to know a few.

Ellen's book list on characters you do not want for friends

Ellen Pall Why did Ellen love this book?

One night, decades after I first read James’s suspenseful gem of a novel, the book suddenly came to mind.

For years, I’d been struggling with how to fit together two women whose voices had been haunting my head. Now, in a flash, I saw the parallels they offered to the characters in Aspern. A determined, none-too-scrupulous scholar (male, in James’s book), an elderly woman who’d had a secret affair with a celebrated man, the two living together in the ruins of a once-elegant home, and a cache of hoarded papers the scholar desperately wants…

I dissected Aspern chapter by chapter, then gently fitted my characters onto its skeleton. Voilà: Must Read Well. “We stand on the shoulders of giants,” writers sometimes say. Also, “Steal from the best.”

By Henry James,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Reproduction of the original: The Aspern Papers by Henry James


Book cover of Yes & No

Emma Bland Smith Author Of Odin, Dog Hero of the Fires

From my list on children’s books about dogs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a librarian and author living in San Francisco. Like many children, I grew up on dog books. I read and re-read Lassie Come Home and The Incredible Journey. James Herriot’s memoirs—many of which feature dogs—were my bedtime stories. Today, I often write about animals as a way to build empathy in child readers and teach the values of loyalty, kindness, and friendship. (My picture books include stories about dogs, alligators, wolves, and ducks!) Although I love a good cry over a book, I have chosen mostly happy books for this list of picture and middle-grade books about dogs. I hope the animal-loving child readers in your life enjoy them!

Emma's book list on children’s books about dogs

Emma Bland Smith Why did Emma love this book?

I grew up a dog lover, but today our family has one dog and one cat. I’ve learned to accept and even appreciate the differences in attitude between the two, and this beautifully-illustrated picture book celebrates them lovingly. We follow a dog and a cat throughout their day, as the dog responds an enthusiastic “Yes!” to all queries from the person of the house, while the cat gives a standoffish “No.” By the end, the roles reverse and we feel affection for both animals in their unique quirkiness. Cuddly and hopeful.

By Elisha Cooper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Yes & No as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Caldecott Honor author/illustrator Elisha Cooper comes Yes & No, a timeless tale of friendship, adjusting your perspective, and the joys (and trials) of siblinghood.

Good morning, good morning. It's time to wake up!

Join a cat and puppy pair through their day―the ups of being fed and romping through grass, and the downs of days that are too short and things that don't go as planned―as they realize that sometimes the very best thing that can happen is just being together.


Book cover of Rates of Exchange

Emily Katz Anhalt Author Of Embattled: How Ancient Greek Myths Empower Us to Resist Tyranny

From Emily's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Classics Professor Reader Runner Rider Open-minded inquirer

Emily's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Emily Katz Anhalt Why did Emily love this book?

Published in 1983, this hilarious novel follows the travels and travails of a feckless British professor of linguistics – who, despite his academic discipline, laughably speaks no languages other than English -- as he embarks on an unexpectedly instructive cultural exchange in a fictitious eastern European communist country.

Though set during the cold war, Rates of Exchange seems both timeless and timely in its humorous but barbed criticism of both naïveté and cynicism.

As a college professor, I particularly enjoyed the novel’s brilliant, laugh-out-loud satire of the pretentions of academia and the hypocrisies of communism.

By Malcolm Bradbury,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Slaka! Land of lake and forest, of beetroot and tractor. Slaka! Land whose borders are sometimes here, often further north, and sometimes not at all!

Dr Petworth is on a cultural exchange to the small (and fictional) Eastern European country of Slaka. Pallid and middle-aged, Dr Petworth might appear stuffy, but during his short stay he manages to embroil himself in the thorny thickets of sexual intrigue and love, while still finding time to see the major sites.

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1983, Rates of Exchange took Bradbury's satirical gifts to a new level.


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Book cover of Norman Mailer at 100: Conversations, Correlations, Confrontations

Norman Mailer at 100 by Robert J. Begiebing,

Winner of the Robert F. Lucid Award for Mailer Studies.

Celebrating Mailer's centenary and the seventy-fifth publication of The Naked and the Dead, the book illustrates how Mailer remains a provocative presence in American letters.

From the debates of the nation's founders, to the revolutionary traditions of western romanticism,…

Book cover of I Love the Rain

Joan Budilovsky Author Of Floretta

From my list on to help grieving children open up about death.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up living above our family funeral home. My parents were exceptionally compassionate people. I learned through their kind upbringing that heaven was and is, here and now. Death was not only an inevitable part of life but a daily part. As an adult, I became a Yoga Teacher. Yoga means union. It's an exploration into the intimate balance between body and mind. One particular yoga pose essential to every single class – Savasana or Corpse PoseA coincidence a young girl raised in a funeral home would end up teaching daily classes of corpse pose? I think not. And through it all bloomed Floretta. The story of life and death coming together into a magnificent circular experience. Bilingual yet parallel worlds amidst beautiful chakra colors.

Joan's book list on to help grieving children open up about death

Joan Budilovsky Why did Joan love this book?

Rain can be a bummer unless you can find fun ways of transforming it into an experience of wonder and fun. And that’s exactly what this book does. Fun, fun, fun! Unless you live in the Sahara Dessert, almost every one of us will encounter a rainy day - if we’re lucky!

By Margaret Park Bridges, Christine Davenier (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Love the Rain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Molly hates rainy days. The gray sky, the soggy wait for the school bus, they seem to make everyone grumpy. Everyone except her friend Sophie, who shows Molly the magic she has been missing.

The simple, poetic language in this lovely book takes readers on a journey from the girls' first tentative steps into the drizzle to a rain-drenched romp in a puddle. The lyrical text is perfectly matched by the joyful watercolor paintings, which capture not only the color and beauty of a rainy day, but the warm interactions of the girls' blossoming friendship. An exuberant homage to finding…


Book cover of The Night Library of Sternendach: A Vampire Opera in Verse

Kevin J. Haar Author Of Intercession

From Kevin's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Educator Father Social justice advocate Lover of folklore Armchair adventurer

Kevin's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Plus, Kevin's 8-year-old's favorite books.

Kevin J. Haar Why did Kevin love this book?

The Night Library of Sternendach is a beautiful and clever melodramatic tale of a truce between a vampire and a family of hunters that falls apart.

Written in rhyming verse, Levai is able to craft emotionally complex characters, elicit empathy, and craft a believable and enigmatic world. However enjoyable the story is, it is the writing in verse that is the triumph here. Levai is so clever and emotive and perfectly rhythmic. I reread many passages full of wonder at how she was able to craft such clever and perfect rhymes. This was such a fun read to sink your teeth into and complete in a few hours.

Levai elevates poetic storytelling and will have me thinking about and reciting her crafty lines for days to come.

By Jessica Lévai,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Night Library of Sternendach as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In starry Sternendach, as long as

The vampire Graf has ruled this land

The Heller clan, with weapons strong as

Their wills, have killed his kindred and

Been killed in turn. The two sides nearly

Destroyed themselves. The Graf saw clearly

The need to make the killing cease,

And forced a pact to keep the peace.

The youngest of the Heller faction

Is Kunigunde. Trained to fight

It never suited her aright.

She can’t deny her soul’s attraction

For books and poetry, and for

The Graf, who gave her these and more.

Kunigunde is destined to become the next in…


Book cover of Am I Really Ready for A Puppy?

Argyro Graphy Author Of Inspiring Children to be Kind

From my list on children’s books where kindness wins every time.

Why am I passionate about this?

I know first hand the damage that bullying can have on children, It weighs heavy on your psyche, and emotional well-being. I was determined to find a way to teach children important values to fight the root causes of bullying. I found an old "sketch" and it was my "aha" moment. With continued tweaking, my bubbly hippo was born that I named Bentley. Sporting his red running shoes, Bentley has become a positive role model for children. He represents resilience, friendship, joy, and kindness. We all grew up hugging a teddy bear, but now it's time for the World to Hug a Hippo. The books I've picked below inspire me and will help kids learn the value of kindness. 

Argyro's book list on children’s books where kindness wins every time

Argyro Graphy Why did Argyro love this book?

Being kind is not only doing something, but kindness is also knowing when you are not ready or responsible enough to care for something like a pet. Oftentimes we think of ourselves and our wants and overlook our capabilities and responsibilities.

By Doliah Snead,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Am I Really Ready for A Puppy? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

So many children think puppies are so cute, and they desperately want one, not truly understanding the responsibility that comes along with it. This novel is about a little boy who was one of those kids who desperately wanted a puppy, or so he thought. He learns the cost of having a puppy, both financially and physically. Teachers, parents, and students will find an extension activity at the end of this novel that tie Reading, Language Arts, Writing, and Math together with one story. Students are asked to find the total amount this family spent, research specific breeds, and calculate…


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Book cover of Dormice & Moonshine: Falling for Slovenia

Dormice & Moonshine by Sam Baldwin,

When two brothers discover a 300-year-old sausage-curing cabin on the side of a Slovenian mountain, it's love at first sight. But 300-year-old cabins come with 300 problems.

Dormice & Moonshine is the true story of an Englishman seduced by Slovenia. In the wake of a breakup, he seeks temporary refuge…

Book cover of Veneziaenigma: Thirteen Centuries of Chronicles, Mysteries, Curiosities and Extraordinary Events Poised Between History and Myth

Meredith F. Small Author Of Inventing the World: Venice and the Transformation of Western Civilization

From my list on Venice (non-guidebooks).

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an anthropologist who became attached to Venice after spending time in Italian language school there and returning over and over, often staying for months. What tourists see is the superficial beauty of the city. But Venice is a place of incredible depth and complexity, both historically and today. During my many visits, I began to hear (on the street) and read (in museums) of the many inventions that happened in Venice. I soon started making a list and, with additional reading, this list grew to 220 inventions—such as quarantine and the paperback book—and realized how much we owe to Venice for how we navigate the world today.

Meredith's book list on Venice (non-guidebooks)

Meredith F. Small Why did Meredith love this book?

Toso Fei is a Venetian author who writes about the quirks and mysteries of Venice. He has several books about ghost stories, strange events, and inventions. All his books are great because he not only writes well but is knowledgeable as only an insider can be.

By Alberto Toso Fei,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Unusual book


Book cover of Rifka Takes a Bow
Book cover of Hitler's War and the Germans
Book cover of The Penultimate Peril

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