Finding the most exciting books you can’t put down is perhaps the biggest quest of any reader, and it isn’t an easy task. But, based on my reading experience of 100+ books per year, I’ve found a few select page-turners that are the most utterly unputdownable books to start your reading habit too.
These fast-paced novels are practically guaranteed to keep you up at night and completely immerse you until you finish as quickly as possible. Add them to your “to be read” list today!
List of Exciting Books You Can’t Put Down
TOP 3 PICKS
The God of the Woods: Two compelling missing sibling mysteries set in two timelines, told by a cast of characters, keep you guessing the whole way through. Short chapters with cliffhangers are a bonus!
The Last Thing He Told Me: It starts right in the middle of things, and then keeps your heart pounding throughout the chase for the truth.
Verity: All of Colleen Hoover’s best books move quickly, but this one in particular is so shocking in nature that it’s unputdownable. I read it over the course of one plane ride!
Contemporary Fiction
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
Mystery
- Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Romance
- The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
Thriller
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Verity by Colleen Hoover
- The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Reviews of My Favorite Unputdownable Books You Can Read in a Day
Some elements that make books hard to put down are being plot-driven, suspenseful, shocking, short in length, and having many cliffhangers.
When you can’t put a book down, it means the story is highly engaging and captivating. An intriguing plot, and/or immersive writing create a strong pull, making it difficult to stop reading until the end.
Learn why I couldn’t put these books down below.
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
I read Cover Story because it was advertised as a mix of Inventing Anna, The Dropout, and Catch Me If You Can — three things I loved! (For the record, I agree with these comparisons.)
The story is a great beach read that follows the diary entries of a naive young woman who becomes a ghostwriter for the glamorous daughter of a foreign mogul living at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
But behind all the money is a trail of lies, fraud, and stolen identities. The suspense builds until the shocking ending leaves you questioning everything you just read. You’ll think, “Wait, what?!” I re-read the final chapter at least three times!
Related Post: Best Books About Con Artists
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
In The Girl on the Train, an alcoholic woman sees a perfect young couple on their porch, outside the train windows, each day.
Then, she sees something shocking and becomes entangled in their lives. What keeps this one of the most exciting books you can’t put down is the unreliable nature of the narrator. You want to believe her, but you just aren’t sure about her.
The ending is a suspense-filled page-turner too!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
In The God of the Woods, it’s August 1975, and a teenager disappears from her Adirondack summer camp, throwing the camp and the surrounding community into turmoil.
As the daughter of the camp’s wealthy owners, her disappearance stirs up old wounds, mainly because her older brother vanished under similar mysterious circumstances fourteen years earlier. The ensuing search reveals hidden secrets and tensions within both the affluent owners and the working-class locals employed by the camp.
Besides being an utterly unputdownable book, the characters are nuanced, and the narrative has much to say on several themes, from class to gender, survival, and so much more. I had to wake up early just to finish it, which was the most indulgent feeling.
Related Post: The God of the Woods Book Review | Ending of The God of the Woods
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl is a long beloved psychological thriller book that takes you on one wild and crazy ride.
Beloved Amy has gone missing, and her husband is the prime suspect. As the evidence comes in, it all points to him– or does it?!
There are shocking plot twists with depravity you probably haven’t read before. That’s exactly why so many readers keep coming back to it all these years later!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Hate U Give thoughtfully explores the death of a young unarmed Black man at the hands of a cop through the eyes of the charming teenager Starr, who witnessed everything.
Starr lives in two different worlds– her diverse neighborhood and her cookie-cutter private school. She is forced to come of age in these distinct settings while relying on her vibrant family to cope with the tragedy and its aftermath.
The dialogue is downright captivating, and the characters are so multi-dimensional that they feel real. This propels the novel forward at a fast pace that feels more like watching a movie.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
In The Last Thing He Told Me, a husband disappears into thin air one day with but a short note to his new wife: “Protect her” (his moody 16-year-old daughter). Then, his boss is very publicly arrested for fraud, and the FBI has questions.
As she and her stepdaughter head across the country, they face uncovering the past and creating a different future for themselves.
It’s chock full of intrigue and suspense while also sharing the meaning of family. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I would do in these circumstances. I also bet you will never guess what’s behind the mystery.
Reading Tip: The author’s Spotify playlist for this book pairs especially well with it. You can also make the lead’s beloved brown butter and sage pasta.
Related Post: Discussion Questions for The Last Thing He Told Me
The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
In The Light We Lost, Lucy and Gabe meet in college on September 11, 2001, and share a memorable love, but life ultimately pulls them in different directions.
Yet, their story continues for over a decade as space cannot keep them out of each other’s hearts. How it all ends is both surprising and unforgettable. I was moved to tears, which kept me fully engaged until the last words.
Reading Tip: The follow-up, The Love We Found, will be released in 2025.
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
In Nothing to See Here, Lillian gets a letter from an old college friend begging her to care for her twin stepchildren. There’s a very unlikely catch — the twins burst into flames whenever they are agitated.
Lillian learns to form bonds with the twins and meet their needs in this humorous, powerful, and very unique story about parenting. Her unique voice as a character makes the narrative especially engaging.
Reading Tip: This book works especially well in audiobook format as it’s narrated so realistically.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Verity is an author injured in a car accident, and struggling writer Lowen agrees to finish her books. But when she begins to sift through Verity’s notes and study her demeanor, something feels…off.
She writes disturbing things that may or may not be fiction, and she doesn’t always appear to be all that injured. This has spawned two camps of thought: Team Manuscript and Team Biography.
That’s only the beginning of this jaw-dropping roller coaster ride. The most common reaction to this book is a stunned, “OMG!” I couldn’t agree more.
Related Post: Books Like Verity | Book Club Questions for Verity | Verity Trigger Warnings | Spicy Colleen Hoover Books
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
In The Villa, Emily and Chess are thirty-somethings with a strained friendship who reunite for a trip to Italy.
Back in 1974, a famous rockstar rented their villa and invited a musician to stay there with his girlfriend and stepsister. One ended up writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, one composed a platinum album, and one was brutally murdered.
As the women dive into the villa’s storied past, the past threatens to repeat itself. The duality of thrilling plots makes this one especially intriguing to read.
Fun Fact: This book is inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the famous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at Lake Geneva Castle, where Frankenstein was born.
Recap
TOP 3 BOOKS YOU CAN’T PUT DOWN
Get started with my all-time favorite page-turners:
I have read at least 4 of these books and I didn’t find any of them that suspenseful at all. In fact, I found them to be overly hyped books that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. I was hoping for a more unique list. I don’t think books have to be scary books or even mysteries to be hard to put down. I have stayed up many a night reading books like the NF book Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman. Books that are fascinating to me are the most difficult to close at night.
thank you for the quick list. While I can go through and see books I like the list for when I am shopping. thanks for all your recommendations.
You’re welcome. I try to make it as easy to read as possible!!
And Outlander