Recs if you like The Underground Railroad...

All of his picks since 2008, both summer reading lists and yearly round-ups.

This list brings together fiction from around the world that documents historical events or periods of time. Titles in this list aren't necessarily "historical fiction" but do have an important historical element to them.

I find fiction is an easy media to help educate me about world history I never learned in school. These titles aim to bring to light historical events that may not be taught in schools!

As always, I'm open to any and all suggestions! 🤠

this is your reminder to read books by Black authors all month, all year, every year— not just during Black History Month. it’s crucially important to be able to diversify your reading and your bookshelves. expand your mind, your perspectives, your knowledge, and your taste. if you don’t know where to start, here are some recommendations!

Fiction has always been where truth hides. Across horror, thriller, literary fiction, fantasy & mystery every book on this list has something to say about power, who holds it, who destroys it, and how it reproduces itself.

this is for aesthetics only

You've built up your skills as an engaged reader - now it's time to start reaping the benefits! Every book on this list was chosen because it's genuinely enjoyable AND hiding something underneath the surface worth finding. The goal isn't to find the "right" answer, but to trust your own instincts as a reader and see where that takes you. Start in your favorite genre - it makes close reading feel like a game, not homework. Happy Reading Boundlings!!

A mix of reader favorites and editorial picks from The New York Times—100 books that defined the 21st century.

Diverse perspectives on slavery through powerful books spanning memoir, fiction, and history. From frontline accounts to reflective histories. In collaboration with heathersdesk.

(Most) Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winners since 1918!

A collection of the next wave of influential Classics of our generation. These books will become staples in homes and schools contain themes that will always be relevant. Inspired by Pagebound Club Post I made.

NYT Top 100 of the 21st Century: Reader's Choice. In order as published in 2024

a diverse selection of alternate history novels & stories (that aren’t just about WW2/nazism)

In order from #1 (My Brilliant Friend) to 100 (Tree of Smoke)

Love casts a spell; the real monster is oppression. Modern magical realism, urban fantasy, and fabulism: books that use supernatural elements to explore themes of family, desire, history, and society.

A collection of historical fiction by Black authors that brings Black history to life through unforgettable characters, family stories, friendship, love, resilience, and everything in between.

These are the kinds of books that teach you something, break your heart a little, and stay with you long after the last page.

Goodreads 80 of the Past Decade’s Very Popular Fiction from 2016 - 2025

2025 Broken Country - Isola 2024 The Women - Real Americans 2023 Tom Lake - Weyward 2022 Demon Copperhead - Diamond Eye 2021 Reading List - Cloud Cuckoo Land 2020 My Dark Vanessa - Vanishing Half 2019 Giver of Stars - Girl, Woman, Other 2018 Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - Where the Crawdads Sing 2017 Stay with Me - 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 2016 Lilac Girls - Behold the Dreamers

A list published in 2024 by the New York Times, as voted on by 503 novelists, poets, critics, and other book lovers—with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review

The most popular book of each year according to Goodreads (Posted by Sharon on April 1, 2025). In order of oldest (1925) to newest (2024)

Not exhaustive but literary fiction with Black American authors .

Will continue to update with time

Last updated 10.11.2025

These books blend genre elements, technical elements, and beautiful sentences to make big statements.