The 20 best-selling books of the year
20. "A Spool of Blue Thread" by Anne Tyler
19. "The Stranger" by Harlan Coben
Adam Price is living the American Dream, with a big house, beautiful wife, great job, and two wonderful kids. Then he runs into The Stranger and learns a secret about his wife, Corinne, that could unravel everything.
No one knows who The Stranger is. He appears out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly, but not before leaving people, like Adam, in the dust. "The Stranger" is another dramatic cliffhanger from prolific suspense writer Harlan Coben.
18. "The Crossing" by Michael Connelly
Even though Harry Bosch retired from his detective job with the LAPD, the work isn't over: Bosch's half-brother is an attorney who believes his client has been framed for murder, and he need's Bosch's help now more than ever.
Bosch takes the case as a favor to his brother, but when the real killer discovers that Bosch is hot on his trail, a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse ensues.
17. "Luckiest Girl Alive" by Jessica Knoll
When Ani was in high school, she was publicly humiliated and had to completely reinvent herself. Years later she's finally got the job she's always wanted, a handsome fiance, and a stylish wardrobe. The only thing is, she can't shake the secrets from her past.
"Gone Girl" fans will find an equally intense, can't-put-it-down story in Knoll's first novel.
16. "The Liar" by Nora Roberts
Shelby Foxworth is devastated when her husband dies, but his death is made even more tragic when she discovers that not only has he left her with his burdensome debt, but he was also an adulterer and a liar.
Shelby takes her 3-year-old daughter back to her hometown for comfort and solace, but she soon realizes that even there she can't escape the dangerous past her husband left behind.
15. "Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns" by Blue Star Coloring
Coloring books for grown-ups have become a hot trend in the last year. Not only are they an enjoyable way to pass the time, but they're also effective at reducing stress.
In this 48-pattern coloring book, Blue Star promises that you'll be "forgetting your worries," "daydreaming freely," and "feeling more creative, curious, excitable, delighted, relaxed, or any combination thereof" before you know it.
14. "The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough
A two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, David McCullough dives deep into the story of brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, who taught the world how to fly.
McCullough draws on details of the Wright Papers, which include private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, and over a thousand letters from private family correspondences to reveal not just the history, but the human side of their story.
13. "Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book" by Johanna Basford
Another best-selling coloring book for grown-ups, "Enchanted Forest" is a whimsical tome of meticulously illustrated story scenes.
Johanna Basford's detailed, elegant drawings are a work of art on their own; add a bit of color and you could find yourself with a fun, new hobby.
12. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School" by Jeff Kinney
The 10th book to appear in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, "Old School" begins with middle schooler Greg Heffley thinking back to the old days. Wouldn't it be great if things could go back to the way they were then? Wouldn't it be great if there were no technology? But then, how will technology continue to develop as Greg grows up?
These are the questions Greg asks himself when he decides to ditch electronics for a while, but he finds the challenge harder than he expected. Jeff Kinney's beloved kids' series is an entertaining and worthwhile read at any age.
11. "14th Deadly Sin (Women's Murder Club)" by James Patterson with Maxine Paetro
Detective Lindsay Boxer has a loving husband, a beautiful baby girl, and a job she loves. Everything seems perfect, but when a woman is brutally murdered in broad daylight, it leads to video footage of another murder that could be connected.
The city is shaken to the core, and Lindsay's life is in jeopardy as she tries to solve these murders and prevent any more. The Women's Murder Club series continues with "14th Deadly Sin."
10. "Silent Scream" by Angela Marsons
"Silent Scream" begins with a pact between five unknown individuals, who seal their destiny by taking an innocent life. Five years later, a headmistress is found murdered, the first of what turns into a series of disturbing killings in the area.
Detective inspector Kim Stone is pulled into the case and has to catch the culprit — whose crime spree could span years, decades even — before he or she strikes again.
9. "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania" by Erik Larson
This year marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania, briefly the largest passenger ship in the world. It was was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat during World War I, killing nearly 1,200 of the 2,000 men, women, and children on board.
"Dead Wake" looks at the ocean liner's 101st — and final — voyage from New York to Liverpool, told from the perspective of both the hunter and the hunted.
8. "The Girl in the Spider's Web: Millennium Series Book 4" by David Lagercrantz
Mikael Blomkvist, a magazine publisher, reunites with his savant-hacker friend Lisbeth Salander when he receives a phone call from a source who claims to have vital information. As a result, Blomkvist and Salander become trapped in a web of cybersecurity, superhackers, and people who would kill to protect the information.
Stieg Larsson's riveting trilogy — "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played with Fire," and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" — gets the finale readers have been waiting for from author David Lagercrantz.
7. "Rogue Lawyer" by John Grisham
Sebastian Rudd is a street lawyer. He has no firm, no partners, not even an office. Instead, he works out of a bullet-proof van, and defends the people no other lawyers want to represent: satanic-cult drug addicts, child molesters, you name it — all because he believes everyone deserves a fair trial, even if that means cheating the system to ensure his clients get one.
Legal-thriller mastermind John Grisham is known for his engaging page-turners, and "Rogue Lawyer" is no different.
6. "Make Me: A Jack Reacher Novel" by Lee Child
Mother's Rest is a small town hidden by miles of wheat fields. Among its residents is a woman named Michelle Chang, who mistakes Jack Reacher, a former Army major-turned-investigator, for her missing partner in a private investigation case that may have turned deadly.
Reacher agrees to help Chang in her case, thinking it should be pretty simple, but when it ends up dragging him all over the country and face-to-face with some villainous characters, Reacher thinks maybe it's not so cut-and-dry after all. "Make Me" is Child's 20th Jack Reacher novel.
5. "Memory Man" by David Baldacci
Amos Decker's life changed the first time when a sports accident left him unable to play and unable to forget anything. It changed the second time when, as a police officer, he returned home one evening to find his family murdered.
Losing his home and his future, Decker also finds himself losing hope, until one year later when a man turns himself in, claiming to be responsible for the murders. Now Decker has the chance to learn the truth, and what his remarkable memory is capable of. This is the first installment in a new series by best-selling author David Baldacci.
4. "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah
It's 1939 in France, and the Nazis have invaded. Vianne, still caring for an infant daughter, is forced to host a Nazi soldier while her husband is fighting on the front; her rebellious 18-year-old sister, Isabelle, falls in love with a young man who believes France can fight the Nazis from within.
While Vianne and Isabelle are separated by both distance and age, Hannah highlights their resilience and shows World War II from a touching perspective.
3. "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee
In the sequel to "To Kill a Mockingbird," Scout Finch, now 26, returns to Alabama from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. When she learns some unsavory information about her family and her hometown, it stirs up old memories in what was then a region stuck in the middle of the tense Civil Rights movement.
Harper Lee's "Go Set a Watchman" continues the stories of Maycomb, Alabama's most beloved characters.
2. "Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian" by E.L. James
Handsome and uberwealthy businessman Christian Grey has his world turned upside down when Anastasia Steele, a college student looking to interview him for an article she's writing, literally stumbles into his office. He can't help but feel dangerously drawn to her — and her to his dark obsession.
The iconic and infamous erotic saga between Anastasia and Christian continues in James' unexpected fourth book — only this one is told from Christian's perspective.
1. "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Every day Rachel takes the commuter train to London, and every day she passes the same house occupied by a couple who seem perfect. Rachel gives them names and even makes up a backstory about their life together. That is, until one day, when the train passes by and Rachel sees something disturbing. She becomes wrapped up in the lives of people she only knew in her imagination, who it turns out may not be so perfect after all.
Hawkins' "Girl on the Train" is a masterful thriller that chills from beginning to end.
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