Recs if you like Jacob's Room...

Based on the list/book published in 2006, general editor Peter Boxall.

Books recommended by musician Lucy Dacus, a solo artist and member of the band boygenius. Pulled from her goodreads list.

I'm including books where a character's presence is minimal and every character, conflict, and theme leads back to them. Their absence feels loud. Their past decisions shape the present.

Open for recommendations that meet these parameters 💓 I haven't read all the books in this list but feel fairly confident about their inclusion here, if you believe one of these doesn't fit feel free to discuss in the comments

A list published by The Guardian on 5/16/2026, as voted on by authors, critics, and academics worldwide.

The Guardian Top 100 Best Novels

a complete list of virginia woolf’s works, published during her lifetime. work published posthumously has not been included, as well as any essays that were not published in a book format.

Books that were featured on an episode of Backlisted.

In May 2026 the Guardian published a list of the 100 greatest novels published in English of all time. The list was created based on votes from authors, critics, and academics.

Due to an error, the list originally included The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley instead of The Stranger by Albert Camus. Both are included here, as an unofficial 101 best novels

for me to keep track