The Best Books On Kindle Unlimited, According To Reviews
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To borrow the words of legendary author Stephen King, "Books are a uniquely portable magic." Indeed, people do love to glimpse into the magic world of books. Cozying up on one's couch, wrapped up in a warm blanket, while it's a winter wonderland outside, and getting lost in the pages of a book is many people's idea of utter bliss.
In fact, Americans appear to love books, and the United States seems to be a "nation of bookworms." A study by the Happy Guy Writing Services indicated that 39% of 374 participants had read more than 20 books in 2022 and planned to read even more in the following year.
So, for those who love to read, picking up a new book is always an exciting affair. From top romance books to snag for your Kindle, to steamy books that will get your heart racing, people are always on the lookout for the next story plot that will blow them away. But with our daily lives being so busy, we really do want to make sure that we wisely spend our free time reading books that will be worth our while and deeply resonate with us. We get more specific about our methodology later in the article, but we used the best Amazon reviews to help us pick the most "unputdownable" e-books you can get your hands on right now.
Thriller with a twist: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
If you haven't read this already, then you must definitely add it to your TBR list — if for no other reason than to simply have an informed opinion when the topic of this book pops up. And trust us, "The Silent Patient," the first book by the Cypriot Alex Michaelides, is often the talk of book lovers. The 2019 book has over 295,000 reviews so far on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.5 stars, and has received high accolades around literary circles.
Hailed as "an unforgettable — and Hollywood-bound — new thriller ... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy" by the Entertainment Weekly, "The Silent Patient" follows Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who shoots her husband — a high-end fashion photographer — and refuses to utter a word after her arrest. All the police can find is a painting of Alcestis — a tragic character in one of Evripides' ancient Greek tragedies whose husband had chosen to sacrifice her to save his own life. As Alicia refuses to speak, Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, decides to unravel the mystery behind her actions.
"The story has so many unexpected turns, that it will surprise and delight you. I am a psychotherapist ... I recommend this excellent read," wrote a pleased reviewer, who gave the book five stars. Another one wrote, " ... this book didn't end at all as I expected and I loved it!! I ... never figured all of it out until the big reveal."
The Global Phenomenon: Verity by Coleen Hoover
Coleen Hoover, three-time winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance (2015, 2016, and 2017), did not fail to deliver when she chose to follow a different genre for her 2021 book "Verity." This beautifully written psychological thriller became a TikTok sensation with more than 84.1K posts and left people at a loss for words. "There are no words, Bravo" and "Left me completely speechless" are only a few of the comments of the million reviewers who gave "Verity" five stars on Amazon. The book is hailed as a global phenomenon and not without good reason: It is the winner of The British Book Awards' Pageturner of the Year Award for 2023, making Hoover one of the Kindle authors you need to be reading right now.
The book follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh as she moves into the house of renowned author Verity Crawford. Verity, left paralyzed after a car accident, cannot complete the novels left in her series, so her husband, Jeremy, hires Lowen to complete the job. As Lowen searches Verity's library for manuscripts, she stumbles on her personal diary, where Lowen discovers a horrifying truth.
And, truth be told, with so many twists, you will be hard-pressed to put this page-turner down. If you do read it, then know that there is a bonus chapter (not included in all copies of the book) that has Reddit users both excited and torn.
A little bit of anthropology: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Dr. Yuval Noah Harari gives us a book worthy of "six stars," according to one passionate Amazon reviewer. Hailed by Bill Gates as "a fun, engaging look at early human history," the New York Times Best Seller is a must-read for anthropology enthusiasts. Originally published in 2015, the book has not lost its appeal to readers nearly a decade later. With well over 137,000 ratings on Amazon and over a million on Goodreads, the book received 4.6 and 4.4 stars, respectively.
Available on Kindle Unlimited, Harari's book delves into our evolution as mankind and the prevailing of Homo sapiens over the remaining species that existed 100,000 years ago. What is it that made this particular species the fittest one to survive? And if natural selection is the one that guides the course of history, how much control does it still have on our future, given that we humans have the ability to design our environment and mold ourselves to fit into it?
The book prompts readers to "question loads of beliefs and to ponder how fast and beyond fathoming we are evolving." A recent five-star review puts it best: "Harari's ability to distill complex ideas into an accessible and engaging narrative makes this book a must-read for anyone curious about the forces that have shaped our species and the trajectory of our shared history. Highly recommended for those seeking a transformative exploration of the human story."
Timely biographies: Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words by Andrew Morton
Unsurprisingly, Princess Diana's biographies have risen in demand and peaked readers' interest, given the wake of the popularity surge driven by the hit series "The Crown" on Netflix. As viewers watched the dramatized account of the British royal family, the desire to explore the real-life narrative of Princess Diana naturally intensified.
Andrew Morton's intimate portrayal, based on the princess's own raw words on her marriage and the royal family, provides readers with a poignant and authentic insight into her life, making it a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most iconic figures in recent history. Originally published in 1992, the biography was published again in 2017 with exclusive raw material. The book received more than 13,000 global ratings, with an average of 4.6 stars on Amazon.
"I feel for Diana and how she was treated throughout her life married to Charles ... She was an amazing woman to overcome all of her trials and tribulations and used that to help others," commented one reviewer who gave the book five stars. Another one admitted that the book is a must-have for all of Princess Diana's fans, while one reviewer described it as the "cruelest love story ever told," with Morton making it clear that the princess indeed was part of one of the greatest love stories ever told, cast "in a supporting role as an unintended voyeur."
Goodreads Choice: The Housemaid's Secret by Frieda McFadden
Winner of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Award in the category "Best Mystery & Thriller," Frieda McFadden's "The Housemaid's Secret" is a page-turner that has readers constantly on edge and keeps them from putting it down, until the very last page. One reader, who gave the book five stars on Amazon, very aptly said, "I could not put down 'The Housemaid's Secret.' What a thriller! ... This story has it all — suspense, toxic love, a character you root for, characters you love to hate ... crazy twisting and turning storyline. Guaranteed to keep you up way past your bedtime."
The book is actually the second part in the series of addictive thrillers Kindle readers are obsessing over, and follows Millie Calloway to New York, where she works as a housemaid for wealthy Manhattan clients. Millie has her own secrets, but it seems that her new employers, Douglas and Wendy Garrick, have a few sinister secrets of their own. Douglas surely keeps some skeletons locked in his closet, but he also seems to keep his wife locked up in the guest room, too. Millie is sure she hears her crying and spots blood droplets on Wendy's nightgown. Douglas is the controlling type, and Millie suspects that he is abusing his wife. Once she opens the door to the guestroom, she is convinced that her suspicions are valid. And she vows to make her employer pay for it. After all, it's something she's done before.
Editor's pick: Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score
The much anticipated third book of the "Knockemout" series by Lucy Score was published in September 2023. The previous two books, "Things We Never Got Over" and "Things We Hide From The Light" became TikTok sensations, and "Things We Left Behind" did not fail to rise to the occasion and please fans everywhere. With an average rating of 4.6 stars on Amazon, the book's emotionally charged narrative wooed readers.
The story plot follows Lucian, a revenge-driven mogul who wants to eradicate his father's memory, as he gets tangled up with Sloane, the town's feisty librarian. Despite their shared secrets and initial dislike, a spontaneous one-night stand changes everything, and the enemies soon turn into lovers. Yet, their growing passion leads to a dilemma as Lucian, haunted by past beliefs, hesitates to commit. If you are looking for a love story, then this book is for you.
And if you are looking for some steamy elements as well, you will not be disappointed. One reviewer who gave the book five stars said, "Emotional, laughter, joy, anger, back to laughing out loud ... sensual heat that could ignite [forest] fires." Or, as another more explicitly admitted, "You know how you say someone is so hot you can't even directly look at them? Well, I've just found a new level of hot. Lucian freaking Rollins is so hot I couldn't even read about him without closing my iPad every so often to gather myself."
Charming and uplifting: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
"Fascinating, captivating and special all in one ... It takes you on a journey like most books do, but this one, I ... hope that it becomes a part of me so that I can carry it with me always," commented a riveted Amazon reviewer who gave "The Lost Bookshop" book five stars.
This feel-good book is an Amazon Kindle bestseller and ranked number one by the Wall Street Journal and Sunday Times. An enchanting tale of self-discovery, "The Lost Bookshop" is more than meets the eye and carries so many beautiful, heart-warming lessons for the reader. The story revolves around three characters living in different timelines: Opaline, Martha, and Henry. In 1921, Opaline opened up a rare bookshop in Paris after fleeing London to avoid a forced marriage. In modern times, Martha — fleeing her abusive husband — meets Henry, a Ph.D. student on a mission to discover Emily Brontë's lost manuscript, after reading about it in one of Opaline's letters. Past and present story plots intertwine in this "beautiful story that begs to be read in one sitting ... a magical story filled with beautiful prose and many surprises that readers will not soon forget," wrote another reviewer.
Measuring over 41,000 ratings so far with an average 4.4 stars, "This novel has it all: wit, a dash of magic, and a large heart." If you are looking for a captivating, spellbinding story that will give you the fuzzy nostalgic vibe of the classic novels of the Brontë sisters, then this is it.
How we chose the books
With an abundance of books available, it's easy to get lost while browsing Kindle options. And due to Amazon's algorithms, suggestions will pop up on your page based on your latest reads. So if you've been enjoying a good thriller or two, it's easy to go down the rabbit hole and keep up with the specific type of books. While this is not by any means wrong, we figured you might be missing out on other genres that you could ultimately end up finding enjoyable (or interesting in the case of biographies and informative in the case of history books). So, before making our final suggestions list, we first compiled an inventory of different genres we wanted to include in our roundup to offer a diverse selection that might spark your interest.
As such, we decided to include a thriller for avid page-turner enthusiasts, a sultry romance novel that deviates from the ordinary, a timely and insightful biography, a heartwarming, feel-good read, and a captivating history/anthropology book to expand your horizons and make you fall in love with diverse genres. Next, we went onto Amazon's Kindle Unlimited and browsed the Best Sellers. Books that fit into our categories were selected for round two of the ultimate countdown. From this list, we eventually chose books that measured over 10,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.4 stars and above. Of course, books that won an award or were written by nationally acclaimed authors earned a bonus point. Books that earned a Goodreads Choice award or became a global phenomenon were indeed no-brainers and had to be included.
So, if you are dealing with a book hangover and lamenting the end of a reading era, we hope this list will help you pick up your next "portable magic" to cozy up and get lost in its pages.