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.
We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about their favorite books that always make them cry. Here are the beautiful and moving results:
1. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan is a historical novel based on the true story of an 18-year-old Italian man who joins an underground railroad to help Jews escape...until a unique opportunity to spy on the Nazis presents itself.
2. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness combines dark humor with a deeply moving story to tell you about 13-year-old Connor, who wakes up one night and sees a monster outside his window.
3. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller reimagines the story of Homer's The Iliad, complete with all of the action, tragedy, and romance of the original — but as contemporary fiction rather than epic poetry.
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is composed of letters from the main character, Charlie, as he navigates high school; it might cause you to say "in that moment, I swear we were infinite" — or cause infinite weeping.
5. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt details the unexpected friendship between a fourteen-year-old girl whose uncle has just passed away from AIDS and a stranger who attends his funeral.
6. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a WWII story focusing on two sisters in German-occupied France and narrated by one of the sisters in the present day. But which sister?
7. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven details the love story between two teens whose lives intertwine after meeting on the edge of their school's bell tower.
8. Holding Up The Universe (also) by Jennifer Niven, centers on two high school students who learn to see each other for who they are, because apparently Niven can't stop making people cry.
9. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein tells the story of race car driver Denny Swift — through the eyes of his beloved and steadfast companion — his dog, Enzo.
10. History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera was recently released in January 2017 and chronicles the life of Griffin, whose ex-boyfriend dies in an accident, completely changing the future he's imagined for himself.
11. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a classic coming-of-age novel focusing on Francie Nolan, who lives in Wililamsburg, Brooklyn at the turn of the century with her second-generation immigrant family.
12. A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara was named one of BuzzFeed's "Books We Loved in 2015"; it's about a group of male friends who move to New York, how friendships can change over time, and the families we are born into and the families we choose.
13. Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira is the story of two sisters, told in letters written to dead celebrities the older sister admired.
14. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini follows thirty years of history in Afghanistan and how it affects and shapes the lives of two women and their families.
15. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is inspired by the author's own experience during WWI, describing German soldier Paul Bäumer as he experiences life in the trenches and is permanently changed by his time there.
16. Every Day by David Levithan tells the story of A, who wakes up every morning in a completely different body and a different life — the only thing that stays the same is that every body A wakes up in is 16 years old.
17. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo is (of course) the basis of a musical that makes everyone cry, but this unabridged version of the epic novel contains thousands more details about Jean Valjean, Cosette, Eponine, the student revolutionaries, and so much more in 19th-century France.
18. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover details the sexy love story between a nurse and a pilot who only has two rules: "Don't ask about my past, and never expect a future."
19. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh immerses the reader in the world of English aristocracy in the years after WWI through the eyes of Charles Ryder, who is friends with the wealthy Flytes, the residents of a sprawling mansion called Brideshead.
20. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is narrated by Death, a surprisingly bittersweet figure who will wring tears from you as he tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl in Nazi Germany with a burgeoning love of books.
21. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman contains the full trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) so you can enjoy the entire saga of Lyra, Will, witches, daemons, armored polar bears, connected worlds, and the mysterious substance called Dust.
22. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is set in 1986 and tells the tale of two misfits who fall in love — but who also know that first love doesn't last.
23. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres details life on the Greek island of Cephallonia during the Italian occupation in World War II — and what happens when an Italian officer falls for the daughter of a local doctor.
24. Paula by Isabel Allende is an autobiography and family history told in a unique and moving way: it's written by Allende for her daughter, who is in a coma.
25. Two Boys Kissing by David Leviathan, based on true events, follows two 17-year-old boys who embark on a 32-hour kissing marathon to set a world record — all narrated by a Greek Chorus of gay men who lost their lives to AIDS.
26. The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor is inspired by true events, telling the story of Maggie, an Irish immigrant in steerage on the Titanic, as she leaves her life behind in Ireland and struggles to survive the catastrophic sinking.
27. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss spans 60 years and follows the intertwining lives of Leo Gursky, an old man and author who is searching for his son and Alma Singer, a young girl, named after one of the characters from his book.
28. The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand centers on Lex, a young woman who has locked herself away in grief over her brother's suicide and a secret she's been keeping hidden.
29. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy is a classic novel about Jude Fawley, a stonemason who dreams of getting a university education and falls in love with his cousin, a freethinking woman. Tragedies ensue.
30. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson follows a pair of inseparable twins, Noah and Jude who, years later, barely speak to each other. Something happened to change them, but what?
31. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery centers on a trio of brilliant characters who live in a high-end apartment building in Paris; the novel is chock full of philosophical themes, moving details, and allusions to literature and art.
32. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, follows a Lithuanian girl, Lina, after her family is torn apart by Soviet officers — her father sent to a prison camp and she, her mother, and younger brother to a Siberian work camp.
33. Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin tells the story of Riley, who some days identifies as a girl, sometimes as a boy. Riley starts an anonymous blog to let out pent-up feelings, but when the blog goes viral, Riley has to make a difficult decision whether to go public.
34. A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole follows two childhood sweethearts, Rune and Poppy, who are separated when Rune moves back to Norway. But why hasn't Poppy kept in touch like she promised?
35. The Absolutist by John Boyle tells the stories of Tristan Sadler and Will Bancroft, who fight together in the trenches off World War I and details their heroism, jealousy, and the secret that Tristan can no longer keep once the war is over.
36. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen is epic novel about the midwestern Berglund family over the course of several decades, especially the marriage between the parents, Patty and Walter.
37. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman unfolds the life of the titular Ove, a curmudgeon who is cranky and bitter for a reason... but his hidden sadness might come out when a young family moves in next door.
38. Watership Down by Richaed Adams is an allegorical novel set in idyllic rural England that centers on a band of rabbits who, when man encroaches on their space, must venture forth to a new home and try to survive.
39. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson follows Taylor Edwards, a middle child with a tendency to run away when things get complicated. When her dad gets bad news, Taylor and her family decide to spend the summer together at their lake house...leaving her unable to run away, for once.
40. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner tells the story of Dill, son of a preacher involved in a public scandal, Travis, and Lydia, three teens about to graduate high school and who are looking to escape the small town they live in.
41. The Lords Of Discipline by Pat Conroy centers on a cadet at the Carolina Military Institute, who has to endure racism and hazing and avoids the school's secret society — it's inspired by Conroy's own experience at military school.
42. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz follows two 15-year-old boys (the titular Aristotle and Dante) with nothing in common as they explore their identities, their relationship, and who they want to be.
43. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a thriller about the Sinclairs, a wealthy family who gather on their private island every summer. But what happened during the summer that (the protagonist) Cadence can't remember?
44. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger tells the story of Clare, who is married to a man who disappears and reappears in his own timeline at random, making their love story uniquely impossible.
45. By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho centers on a pair of childhood friends who go on a pilgrimage through the Pyrenees and discuss some of the biggest questions of life.
46. This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl (and her parents) is part biography, part autobiography about Esther, who had terminal cancer and passed away at the age of 16. It's made up of journals, fiction, letter, art, and more to tell her inspiring story.
47. If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan centers on two Iranian teen girls in love who face difficult choices in a country where loving each other is a crime.
48. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is set in post-Arthurian England and details the fantastical story of an elderly couple looking for their son — while somehow losing their memory.
49. The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide is a beautifully-detailed Japanese novel about a cat who comes into the lives of a Tokyo couple and brings new love and joys into their home.
50. The Road by Cormac McCarthy focuses on an unnamed man and his son, who are trying to survive in the wake of an unmentioned disaster in a new and post-apocalyptic America.
51. Bright Side by Kim Holden is chock full of likable characters with great chemistry, romance, and secrets — the perfect recipe for a moving love story with a whopping 1,800 five-star reviews on Amazon.
P.S. I wasn't joking about the Kleenex.
You're gonna need 'em.
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