Sign in with Facebook
The Goodreads Staff (and Bookish Guest Stars) Share Top Book Recommendations
This collection is one of our favorite regular traditions. You know those “Staff Picks” recommendations you see at your favorite bookstore, written on sticky notes and three-by-five cards? Yeah, this is our Goodreads version of that, but digital, enthusiastic, and companywide.
The concept is dead simple: We asked our colleagues (and some special guests from around the company) to share four books they love to recommend, and why. This year we’ve folded our staff recommendations into our larger summer reading extravaganza as another route to a happy season of sunny bookworm contentment.
So wander through the collection and see what interesting rabbit holes you might like to dive into. As always, you can click on the book cover images to get more details on each title. Feel free to use the Want to Read button to add what captures your attention to your own digital bookshelf.
Think of it as a celebration of the ancient and honored tradition of book recommendations. They make the world go ’round.
Cybil Wallace, Goodreads Managing Editor
In the past 57 years, no one has written a more modern/edgy/weird/heartbreaking book than Kurt Vonnegut’s classic. Also: a wind-swept literary mystery, a look at a common killer, and a reexamination of the Age of Exploration. These books will emotionally devastate you, in the best way possible.
Sharon Hsu, Goodreads Senior Editor
Professionally, I stand by the belief that you have to match book recommendations to each reader’s taste and mood. Personally, here are four books that I’ve pushed on absolutely everyone I know because I couldn’t stop thinking about them long after I read the last page.
Tatiana Douaihy, Goodreads Product Marketing Manager
I’m usually a romance reader at heart, but every once in a while a book completely pulls me out of my comfort zone, and these are the ones that did it. They’ve also become some of my all-time favorites. From emotionally immersive stories to unforgettable characters (plus a romance because obviously), these are the four books I recommend to just about anyone.
Daniel Kessel, Goodreads Social Media Program Manager
I like a book that can get you talking: an interesting premise, a memorable character, a unique writing style—all the fodder you need for dinner party conversation.
Elaine Raymond, Goodreads Head of Marketing and Editorial
I’m usually a mystery and thriller reader who seeks that edge-of-your-seat feeling with my book selections. But so far this year, I’ve been hooked by books from other genres for a myriad of different reasons. These get five stars!
Katie Berk, Goodreads Head of Product
I take book recommending very seriously, and narrowing down this list to four books was nearly impossible. But after consulting my Goodreads five-star ratings and polling my friends and family I’m told I have insisted at one time or another that they all read these books (or series, in some cases), and you and everyone else should, too!
David Peng, Goodreads Software Dev Engineer
The big three of modern fantasy manga and anime, absolutely worth the read if you’re getting into manga, whether you’ve seen the anime adaptations or not—plus the underrated and unadapted gem that I think stands above them all!
Adriana Mora, Goodreads Support Expert
There are countless books I adore, but these four have stayed with me the most—cozy, feel-good reads that are equal parts cute, swoony, and emotional.
Nate Taggart, Goodreads Senior Policy Manager
In a world that feels increasingly fragmented and frightening, these books, from the mystical to the maritime to the cosmic to the catastrophic, remind us of the extraordinary range of human experience and our ability to find meaning even in the face of the incomprehensible.
Kelli Padis, Goodreads Sr. Publishing & Author Ads AE
I constantly recommend these four books that explore the human condition through transformative journeys, offer insights into our modern anxieties, showcase the power of connection through correspondence, and remind us of life’s infinite possibilities.
Chelsie Cooper, Goodreads Sr. Product Manager - Mobile
Life is hard, and loss is something we all encounter in different ways. For quiet summer days, especially the rainy ones that invite reflection, I recommend these four books that offer gentle companionship. Each one meets you where you are, encouraging self-compassion and understanding.
Ciara Fogarty, Goodreads Head of Publishing & Author Sales
Picking just four books is an impossible task, but if I have to, I’d choose these titles that span my last ten years of reading (including one from just six months ago) because they’ve stayed with me and I want everyone to experience them.
Hanna Koh, Goodreads Software Development Engineer
This is probably one of the hardest questions you could ask me, but I do have a list of favorites I always go back to (tracked on Goodreads, of course)! These are four of my favorites—two fantasy and two contemporary novels—and three of them are by authors originally from the Pacific Northwest!
Stephanie Frey, Goodreads Software Development Manager
I love hearing someone loved a book I recommended. These are my go-to, depending on favorite genre, and haven’t failed me yet!
Priscilla S. Guido, Goodreads Brands & Agency Ads Account Manager
I like keeping a variety of books to try matching the person’s reading preference and looking at my “favorites” shelf on Goodreads to remind me of the novels I’ve enjoyed the most. Among my picks I have a short book, a classic, a memoir, and my current absolute favorite.
Simhon Chourasia, Goodreads Software Development Engineer
I kept thinking about these books for a while after reading them and will definitely be rereading—some for the third time!
Pritesh Patil, Goodreads Go-to-Market Manager
I’ve been reading books from Indian speculative fiction authors recently. I grew up reading about distant worlds—the fantastical, such as Ankh-Morpork and Middle Earth, and the real, such as London and New York. But as I write my own stories and live in a distant land, I find myself getting back to my roots and reading stories set in worlds inspired by India and Asia, rediscovering the richness in their cultural tapestry, and how pirates, adventurers, wizards, and heroes can come from a world so familiar yet not.
Leiyan Cao, Goodreads Software Development Engineer
I feel like sometimes it’s hard for me to recommend books because I’m somewhat of a one-dimensional reader (I tend to read really long fantasy books). So with that in mind, I’ll try my best to recommend four personally impactful books that have something for everyone!
Jaclyn Woods, Goodreads Program Manager
Trust me, you CANNOT go wrong with these books (unless you’re disagreeing with them as recommendations, in which case you are very wrong).
Glenn McDonald, Goodreads Contributing Writer/Book Blurb King
I recommend books so often that friends and family have requested that I dial it down. Nevertheless, I persist. Here are the recommendations I’ve had the most success with—each part of a longer series!
Megan Kiest-McFarland, Goodreads Principal Software Engineer
Whenever I’m asked about my favorite books from YA/childhood, these are the ones that come to mind. They even hold up well to rereading as an adult. Bonus points for seeing the movies, too. [Find all of Megan’s picks here!]
Cynthia Feeney, Goodreads Content Strategist
I’m drawn to memoirs about unconventional journeys, friendship, and transformation, especially stories that resonate with my raising teenagers and young adults.
Alana Lindner, Goodreads Head of Design and Research
Here are a few of my most recommended books I’ve enjoyed for their laugh-out-loud quality, beautiful character development, compelling perspectives, and, above all, grounded in humanity. Thanks to my fellow Goodreaders who have influenced my picks over the years!
Allyson Noonan, Goodreads Public Relations
I love a book that takes me back in time, even if it’s through a magical lake. There’s nothing like getting to experience another era, culture, or historical moment as if you were actually there.
April Umminger, Goodreads Contributing Writer/Author Interviewer
I love a story where highly improbable things happen to ordinary people and there is some triumph of the human spirit. I also consistently recommend plays, and will read anything by Stephen Adly Guirgis.
Margo Throckmorton, Goodreads Sr. Program Manager
I highly recommend these books because each one offers a unique perspective on the human experience, blending powerful storytelling with profound insights that resonate deeply and leave a lasting impact.
Jay Upadhyaya, Goodreads Software Development Engineer
These four books represent a mix of my favorite genres, from fantasy and mythology to science fiction with a hint of philosophy, and all kept me hooked from start to finish!
Abby Abell, Senior Editor at Amazon Books Editorial
At the end of the day, my favorite books are the ones that surprise me, whether by transporting me to a place I could never have imagined, making me laugh unexpectedly (often too loudly and in public), or holding me hostage with a story that takes my breath away. While these books may seem quite different (and they are), each one whisked me away somewhere new and surprised me with its depth, humor, magic, and grace.
Al Woodworth, Senior Editor at Amazon Books Editorial
Obviously a book has to match the mood you’re in, the vibe you’re seeking, and the world you want to be in. But in the absence of being able to ask those questions and then pick out the perfect book for you, I’ll recommend some of my all-time favorites. Rest assured these books will give you a kick in your step, make your heart soar, and leave you ravenous to read another great book. Because there’s no better feeling than finishing a great read and picking up another one.
Annabel Gutterman, Editor at Amazon Books Editorial
My favorite reading experience is when a book seems to speak directly to me, releasing a tidal wave of emotions that I perhaps didn’t even know I contained. These four books, each a little spooky and strange, do just that, in unexpected and sometimes shocking ways. They each sucked me in from their very first pages—and left me wanting more when I finished.
Lindsay Powers, Senior Editor at Amazon Books Editorial
The truth is usually stranger than fiction. Can you tell I’m the nonfiction and history editor on the Books Editorial team? My favorite kind of books are true page-turners that make me see the world differently, give me plenty to talk about with friends and family, and that have fascinating tidbits that stick in my head for years to come. Whether you only read nonfiction, or don’t usually dip into the genre, here are four books that will captivate you.
Pippa White, Editor at Amazon Publishing
I love books that plunge me headfirst into a new world while also tugging at my heartstrings. Each of these books genuinely made me both laugh and cry (not such an easy feat!). These four are the ones I find myself buying for friends and family most often.
Katie O’Connor, Senior Director at Global Editorial at Audible
My ideal listen includes high stakes, a strong female lead, and, if warranted, an enemies-to-lovers (or rivals-to-lovers) subplot. Most important? Knock-out performances. These four listens are a beautiful Venn diagram of those requirements!
