21 Books That Are So Good, People Literally Could Not Put Them Down

Sleep! Be! Damned!

We recently asked members of our BuzzFeed Community, "What is one book that is so good you literally COULD NOT put it down?" and they did NOT disappoint with their responses. Here are just a few of the books that kept readers up all night long:

1. The Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo

2015 Henry Holt and Co.

"The plot is so good and, within just two books, she managed to get six highly developed three-dimensional characters, which is no easy feat. The banter between the characters is gold, the writing is amazing, and the relationships aren’t too shabby either. I loved the first book, but she outdid herself on the sequel. It's easily one of my top five favorite books ever. They are quite dark and gory at times, but I read the books almost a year ago and I still think about them often. There has been a lot of hype around them, but it is deserved."

—human_being1757

2. The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Knopf Books for Young Readers

"I am an adult who doesn't usually like YA books, but this series was absolutely riveting! The mixed media format is incredible!"

—kmivy24

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Feiwel & Friends

"The first book in the Lunar Chronicles series. As a fan of Sailor Moon and fairytale retellings, it was a perfect futuristic mashup of those two ideas, plus little bit of Star Wars in a way. I couldn't put it down."

—meownik

4. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Flatiron Books

"I bought the book at a charity book sale some time back and finally read it a month ago. I literally read the final half of the book in one sitting. It was so damn good. The story was super interesting and thrilling and, by the end, I was second-guessing everything. I actually started tearing up because I forgot to blink a couple times. When I was not reading it, I could not stop thinking about reading it."

—riaxisaac

5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Bloomsbury Publishing

"I bought it because it looked like a Beauty and the Beast story. When I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I finished it on a plane on my way back home and — as soon as I got there — I bought the next one."

—paolabarriost

6. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

G. P. Putnam's Sons

"I read the whole thing in one day. I HAD to know what happened at the end! It follows a girl who basically raises herself in a swamp in the Carolinas throughout her whole life. There’s love, life, and even a murder mystery. SO GOOD!"

—jessicak489b53b42

7. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Dutton Books

"I have loved John Green since I was in high school and I loved every single one of his books. When I found this one in the store, I just grabbed it, unaware of what it was even about. It was such a beautiful and emotional story. Like all his novels, it hit me on an emotional level and it was an absolute page turner. A brilliant look into the mind of someone with OCD, which Green himself has. It had such real characters who were extremely complex and very endearing."

—riaxisaac

8. I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Corgi Books

"It’s a government spy thriller that you think can’t possibly get wilder, and then it does. So gripping the entire way through. Highly recommend!"

—taylord485a356e3

9. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

McClelland and Stewart

"I ended up staying up all night to finish this book. She's a great writer anyway, but I think this book is her crowning achievement."

—thia_m

10. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Penguin Press

"She has such an amazing way with creating layered characters I could really empathize with. It's extremely morally ambiguous, which makes me love it even more."

—pearl2223

11. The Kingkiller Chronicle series by Patrick Rothfuss

DAW/Penguin Books

"It was so good that it only took me a week to finish, and I am still beyond excited for the third book to come out! The plot is so unique and the characters are amazing. They almost feel real. I still like to randomly dedicate a day to re-reading them just because they were so good."

—xavicide

12. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Tor Books

"1800s London, magic, pirates, romance. What more could you ask for? It shows healthy relationships and has great representation. I grabbed the first book without having even heard of the author and now I’ve read just about all of her books!"

—cecehowden

13. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Zola Books

"It’s heartbreaking, beautiful, romantic, and so poetic. I’d recommend it to everyone."

—birdieebee

14. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Quill Tree Books

"I had to see if the title was real, and the story was just so good. I didn't put it down for a few hours and almost cried when I did."

—aquadog0619

15. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Katherine Tegen Books

"I was on a course and read it in four nights, then had to wait two weeks to be able to buy the rest of the books! Needless to say, my course mates borrowed them all once I was finished and we all cried during the last book together."

—alext4e3fc38a7

16. The One by John Marrs

Hanover Square Press

"I've never read a book with as many cliffhangers before. In this book, a DNA test can tell you with 100% accuracy who your soulmate is. It jumps between many point-of-view of characters who've found their match, but nothing is as easy as it seems...in fact, quite the opposite. It's not a romance novel and has been compared to Black Mirror."

—ananaz1112

17. The Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

HarperCollins

"It is really good. I stayed up whole nights to finish these books."

—Anakta

18. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

HarperTeen

"Go into it not knowing anything if you can, but I recommend this one to anybody who loves a good YA book!"

—sa_ron

19. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover

"I read it in one sitting and ended up reading late into the night because I lost track of time. I wish I could read it again with new eyes because it has everything!"

—ashleyr452f543ab

20. The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

Pushkin Children's Books

"It was written in the '60s originally in Dutch. I literally read the whole thing in one day and it is amazing. It’s written for children, but easily appeals to older ages as well!"

—bthcnln

21. And finally — of course — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Scholastic

"I read the last book from cover to cover in one night. I just had to see how it all ended. Of course, I'm sure all fans did this..."

—stormwatcher

Now it's your turn! Share the one book that you couldn't put down and a little bit about it in the comments below for a chance to be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post and/or video.

Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.