We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. Book one of Preacher, a comic book series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. Much like the gory TV series adaptation, the comics are chock-full of supernatural possession and murder that'll keep you more than entertained, with eight more volumes to binge-read afterward.
2. A copy of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, which is both a sci-fi and a coming of age story that explores the meaning of love and mortality. It'll take you through twists and turns with all of the fun (and insight) that clones, a love triangle, and inevitable death can bring.
3. Copies of Persepolis and Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi. The two comics depict a moving autobiography, following Satrapi's life in Iran and Austria during and after the Islamic Revolution.
4. A copy of The Color Purple by Alice Walker that explores the cyclical nature of racism, sexism, and trauma, and the importance of voice. It's a powerful book that confronts intense abuse and difficult topics from the perspective of a young black girl living in rural 1930s Georgia.
5. A copy of I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara, which covers the investigation of the Golden State Killer. If you loved the HBO series, are a fan of true crime, or are as obsessed with My Favorite Murder as I am, then do yourself a favour and read this.
6. A copy of Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman that'll take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Much like the recent film starring Timothée Chalamet (*swoon*), the novel focuses on the romantic relationship that develops between two Jewish boys in 1980s Italy.
7. The first volume of Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo that'll awaken a deep appreciation for Neo-Tokyo and Japanese cyberpunk. If you've seen the film and loved it, you'll be pleased to discover it only covers the first of six volumes — meaning there is so much more story to explore.
8. A copy of The Godfather by Mario Puzo that'll immerse you into the world of Don Vito Corleone. Yes, everyone is obsessed with the films (and that's fair!), but without reading the book, you're missing out on an entire subplot, alternate ending, and in-depth character backstories.
9. A copy of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood that'll rock your world if "true crime" is basically your middle name. Capote (journalist and writer of Breakfast At Tiffany's) investigates a quadruple murder in Kansas to give us a detailed recount of the events that ensued.
10. A copy of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity that'll make you laugh at the absurdity of heartbreak, life, and death (y'know, all the juicy stuff). If you're looking to relate with a character going through a period of serious self-reflection, this quirky book might be the one for you.
11. A copy of No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy that'll immerse you in hitman Anton Chigurh's sinister hunt for Llewelyn Moss (who stumbled upon a heck ton of money at the gory scene of a drug deal gone wrong).
12. The first volume of Frank Miller's Sin City series that'll suck you into the neo-noir world of Basin City's crime. With dark and striking illustrations, the artwork of Miller's graphic novels makes each volume all the more intriguing (even if much of the series' stories rely on a damsel-in-distress narrative we've heard time and time again).
13. The first volume of Nausicaä, which was written and illustrated by Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki. This manga is actually credited for the foundation of Studio Ghibli — which produced popular films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. The more you know!
14. A copy of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, because it's just so iconic. If you've ever been interested in the war on drugs and the American dream, it's probably about time you pick this baby up.
15. A copy of Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil by John Berendt that’ll take you deep within the Southern States of America in the 1980s. It reads like a fictional novel, but is based on the true events surrounding the murder of Danny Hansford.
16. A copy of Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. If you are obsessed with the movie (or the HBO series), there's no doubt that you'd enjoy the original comic, too.
17. A ~replica~ of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, because if you loved either Blade Runner movies, you won't be disappointed by the OG written journey of Rick Deckard.
18. A copy of I Heard You Paint Houses, which is what inspired Scorcese's film The Irishman. It's a nonfiction novel by Charles Brandt (a former homicide prosecutor, investigator, and defense attorney!?) about the life and confessions of mafia hitman Frank Sheeran.
19. A copy of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold that'll give you all of the feels. It's a story about 14-year-old Susie, who "watches" her family and friends cope with her kidnapping and murder from the afterlife. You'll want plenty of tissues on hand.
You, every time someone says, "yeah, but have you read the book?" like:
