Prepared to be swept away into these fascinating books you can’t put down. Just make sure you don’t have anything important going on the next day because these are 19 gripping books that will keep you up all night long.
We’ve all read them. Those books that keep you up all night because you are completely enthralled in the story. You lose all sense of time and don’t realize it’s suddenly 3 o’clock in the morning. But you only have 30 more pages to go, so why stop now?
The best page turners are worth the loss of sleep. Just remind yourself that you won’t be able to sleep anyways. You’ll just sit in bed with your mind spinning with possibilities. You simply must know what will happen next.
I’ve read more than my fair share of books that are hard to put down. Many a time I’ve stayed up way too late reading a captivating book. It’s like the author cast a spell on me. I can’t look away.
The mere fact that these books you can’t put down exist, teach you that they must be really good books. The author has done his job. He has made you completely invested in these characters and this story.
So if you are prepared to lose some sleep, here are 19 books you can’t put down once you begin.
The Best Page Turners
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Stieg Larsson
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote
Before the Fall
Noah Hawley
In the Woods
Tana French
Really Good Books That Are Hard to Put Down
Everything I Never Told You
Celeste Ng
Me Before You
Jojo Moyes
Await Your Reply
Dan Chaon
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins
Historical Fiction Books That Keep You Up All Night
The Secret Keeper
Kate Morton
Girl At War
Sara Nović
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah
Code Name Verity
Elizabeth Wein
Gripping Novels in Young Adult Fiction
If I Stay
Gayle FOrman
We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
The Harry Potter Series
J. K. Rowling
The seven books in the Harry Potter Series are the ultimate books you can’t put down. J. K. Rowling’s masterpiece about the boy wizard Harry brings the ultimate theme of literature – the battle of good versus evil – to life with vivid imagery and fantastic imagination. You get so caught up in Rowling’s fantasy world that the books are hard to put down. The series basically defines the millennial generation and will be around for generations to come.
Ender’s Game
Orson Scott Card
Sci Fi/Fantasy Books You Can’t Put Down
The Martian
Andy Weir
Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss
Do you like to read books you can’t put down? What books have kept you up all night?
I have read only The Martian from the books listed here, and it is really very well written. I am glad you mentioned it here.
I love your lists Rachel but Girl on the Train-for me —was perhaps the worst book I ever read. Dreadful overall characters and main character I hated !! Just my opinion
FYI There’s a book called Girl From the Train, about a little girl escaping the Holocaust, was wonderful
Agree with Fran. I had a hard time finishing Girl on the train. Girl “from” the train was good though. I’ve read 4 other books on the list and will say that “the Nightingale” was my fav but Capotes book was a close 2nd. I look forward to exploring the rest of the list
Rachael, are you me?! Most of this list is made out of my favourites. Tana French, Stieg Larsson, Jojo Meyes, Rowling & Mandel are some of my all time favourites. Station Eleven was one of the first dystopian books I read and it made me a fan of the genre – love love love Mandel’s storytelling.
There are a couple of books on this list that I haven’t read and they have gone right to the top of my to-read list 🙂
P.S. I have spent nearly an hour on your site, loving the recommendations. Have a huge spreadsheet with a list of books I need to get into. Thank you!
You found me out. I am actually your clone. Haha.
It just means that you have good taste in books. 😉
If you loved the Nightingale (and I loved that and The Great Alone was amazing too…I couldn’t put it down)…please read Under a Scarlet Sky…WWII, based on a true story about an Italian teenager…amazing story!
Thank you Rachel,
I’ve just finished Code Name Verity and it was hard to put it down. I loved it. I think I’ll go for The Nightingale as others also liked it.
Ender’s Game (just the first of the trilogy) is one of my favourites..
Thanks again!
I’m so glad you loved Code Name Verity. I think it’s time for me to do a reread of it!
If you haven’t already, please read THE GARGOYLE by Andrew Davidson. A mixture of history, magical realism, romance and more this page-turner kept me up all night. It’s a hell of a story.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Agree with The Nightingale and Code Name Verity. If you liked those try Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.