People Share Their Favorite Books (14 pics)

1

Firestarter
Stephen King
(1980)
564 pages

King’s “Firestarter” was one of the first in the “fugitive kid with superpowers” genre.
It follows a father and daughter on the run after a shdy government lab trial gives the daughter the ability to torch anything with her mind.
It’s short, combustible chapters, and has relentless chase energy.
Read this if Stranger Things scratched your “kids with powers vs. government control.”

2

Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir
Norm Macdonald
(2016)
256 pages

Norm’s voice in your head for 250 pages. It’s absurd, tender, thought-provoking, and really funny.
It reads like a long Norm bit.
RIP

3

The Martian
Andy Weir
(2011)
384 pages

Think: MacGyver on Mars.
A movie starring Matt Damon came out a few years ago, the book is better, makes you feel like… how far away from reaching Mars, are we?
In The Martian, Mark Watney gets left behind on (yes, you guessed it) Mars and decides to not die.
It reads like light sci-fi, with some thrill, and plenty of jokes. There’s short-form logbook entries, so some chapters read quickly, there are some fun cliffhangers, and you might even learn a thing or two (like how to survive on an barren planet.)

4

The Art Thief
Michael Finkel
(2023)
224 pages

This is like a true-crime cat burglar fairytale—except it’s real.
Stéphane Breitwieser spends years lifting masterpieces from small European museums in broad daylight, then hoards them at home.
It reads easy, full of “how did he do that” details, and gets into the mind of a complusive thief.

5

“Animal Farm“
George Orwell
(1949)
400 pages

This is a must-read classic. It honestly gives the "oh right, this is why we read" vibes.
A fairytale farm revolt turns into a miniature dictatorship. It's fast, sharp, savage, and every page lands like a proverb.

6

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
B.J. Novak
(2014)
288 pages

Micro-fiction, jokes, and oddball stories from a guy who knows how to stick the comedic landing.
The Office
These are all tiny stories with big payoffs—perfect light read to cap off the summer.

7

2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur C. Clarke
(1968)
297 pages
Another classic.
Short sections, crystalline prose, constant “what does it mean?” momentum, and an ending that scrambles your brain in the best way.
If you're in the mood for smart sci-fi, some existential wonder, and a pretty predictive text from almost 60 years ago, this is a fun ride.

8

Running the Light
Sam Tallent
(2020)
290 pages

A washed-up road comic white-knuckles his way through dive bars, bad motels, and worse choices.
It’s filthy, funny, and sort of tender, definitely a cool genre.

9

Me Talk Pretty One Day
David Sedaris
(2000)
272 pages

Laser-sharp, self-roasting personal essays about the author's family, school, and ebilitating speech impediment.
It’s Sedaris at peak timing&deadpan one second, quietly moving the next, so you’re laughing and then suddenly, “oh wow, that actually slaps.”

10

Fever Beach
Carl Hiaasen
(2025)
368 pages

Peak Florida caper energy.
A freshly divorced newcomer gets tangled with a corrupt congressman, some cosplay neo-Nazis, and an eco-vigilante.
It’s misfits, dark money, bad decisions, and swampy comeuppance, all delivered with Hiaasen's trademark wit.

11

Slaughterhouse-Five
"Kurt Vonnegut
(1969)
279 pages

A time-skipping antiwar fever dream that’s somehow hilarious.
The page sections are short, so too are Vonnegut's sentences. Easy to read, full of big ideas, and unforgettable author's voice.
If you want a classic that's fun to read, you really can't go wrong here.

12

A Dirty Job
Christopher Moore
(2006)
387 pages

Beta-male thrift-store owner Charlie Asher accidentally becomes a Death Merchant in San Francisco, collecting souls between diaper changes and demon attacks.
It’s urban fantasy with Moore’s signature goofball chaos and surprising heart. Quick chapters and a supernatural story that never takes itself too seriously.

13

Fight Club

Chuck Palahniuk
(1996)
218 pages
Like the classic movie, Palahniuk brings insomnia, soap, underground scrapping, and a swaggering alter ego who wants to burn your IKEA life down.
If you wanna go dark humor, this is a must-read.