I never have to question whether the Amazon Best Books list will have something I'm interested in reading or not. Year after year, their editors seem to have their fingers on pop culture's pulse, and I truly love that for them — and my bookshelf!
Even more, I especially love having a central place — like the Amazon best books list — for book lovers who are consistently trying to find new BookTok or summer books at a discounted price...without leaving our apartments. 👀 It makes it way more convenient, way less costly, and gives us way more time to crack open these books we love so much.
So, here are the 12 of the best Amazon books that I absolutely can't get enough of — they're absolute must-adds to your TBR list this summer!
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James by Percival Everett
Ever wondered what it would be like to read someone else's perspective in the classic read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Now, you can with Percival Everett's James. It vividly captures the escaped slave Jim's POV well before he connects with Huckleberry Finn.
Prior to embarking on a transformative journey, Jim learns that he'll be ripped away from his wife and daughter because his master wants to sell him. Deciding that's not an option, Jim escapes around the same time Huckleberry Finn decides he's had enough of his abusive father.
They team up and decide to travel down the Mississippi River to seek a new life filled with freedom elsewhere. Somewhere along the lines, the two learn to rely on each other and develop a deep-rooted friendship that they won't ever forget.
Amazon
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Frances "Frankie" McGrath decides she'd rather leave her sheltered and reserved life behind to try to make a difference in the world. This leads her to follow her military brother to Vietnam where she enlists in the Army Nurse Corps.
When she gets there and is immersed in the horrific nature of war, Frankie wonders if she's in over her head. There's also the fickle portion of human relationships that she has to deal with.
It's something that begins changing her, but it's the world she has to face when she goes back to the states that truly opens her eyes to how much making a chance can weigh on a person.
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All the Worst Humans by Phil Elwood
This #1 bestseller is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as you learn about all the things Phil Elwood saw during his time in the Public Relations sector. Jaded by his time in Washington, he decides he wants to leave it all behind by revealing some pretty terrible things about the industry.
First, he begins with himself. He reveals the work he's done for clients like Gaddafi, Assad, and the government of Qatar by talking about how the truth can always be distorted. Of course the details are gritty.
Whether he was in cahoots with an agency that could change the communications course for a terrorist organization or finding ways to sway journalists to turn a blind eye to things, Elwood's done it all.
Over time, the things he chose to do began to weigh on his conscience. But, nothing truly changes until the FBI confronts him about something that had implications.
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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The Ministry of Time reads like the modern version of The Time Traveler's Wife, except it's told from the POV of a civil servant who lands the job of her dreams.
She becomes a "bridge" for Commander Graham Gore ("1847") to help him adjust to being alive in a much more technologically advanced future than he could've ever imagined. Technically, Commander Gore lost his life in 1845 during a trip gone wrong so he's taken aback by how different things are.However, he begins adjusting with the help of the bridge and other people who are in his position.
As the normalcy beings to become more common, the bridge realizes that she's fallen for Commander Gore and will have to face the consequences of whatever she decides to do next.
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Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Cyrus Shams has a lot of trauma — generational and personal — he has to contend with. Both of his parents lives were cut short due to terrible accidents and this has left him more than a little ornery.
He's an alcoholic and fiend who also happens to have a way with words. Also, he can't stop researching about martyrs — especially the ones in his family.
He learns about an uncle who posed as an angel of death and even comes face-to-face with a painting that tells a different story about his mother.
Soon Cyrus will learn just what it means to be a martyr.
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Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
Annie Jacobsen continues the work that so many other journalists before her did by exploring more of the nuclear war. In Nuclear War, she reveals new interviews with military personnel and civilians who have firsthand experience with everything that occurred in the past.
Specifically, she dives into what truly happened leading up to and after a nuclear missile was launched.
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All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
All the Colors of the Dark is an excellent book to read after you finish Kristin Hannah's The Women. It picks up towards the end of The Vietnam War during the mid-70s. America itself was in the midst of several changes, but the most alarming was how many girls were going missing.
Though a young girl that's taken from a wealthy family is rescued by a young boy named Patch, his actions create a ricochet affect that affects everyone.
His heroism comes with a price and it oddly takes a toll on the community he lives in.
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Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Rufus Leung Gresham is in a world of debt due to careless spending. There's virtually nothing in the Gresham Trust, but not to worry. His mother decides that he's to position himself to secure the future of his family by catching the eye of a wealthy woman. Where will he meet such a woman? At his sister's wedding!
He has eligible picks such as a French hotel heiress or a tattooed venture capitalist. Yet, his heart belongs to his next door neighbor's.
Before he can fully decide what to do, a fiery situation literally erupts and changes the course of the Gresham's scheme forever.
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Lost Man's Lane by Scott Carson
Marshall Miller is convinced something odd is going on in the town he lives in. For one, he clearly remembers the moment he saw a girl being put into the back seat of a cop's car and even got the cop's name — Maddox.
But, people are saying that such a cop doesn't exist and the girl he saw? Well, her face is on a missing person's poster.
Marshall knows that his options are limited as a teen, but he doesn't give up his pursuit for the truth. But, he'll discover some shocking things about his town and his family the more he keeps digging.
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This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
Kennedy Ryan is on a roll this year! Her second novel in the Skyland series has made it to Amazon's best books of 2024 list and is a well-deserved nod to such a touching novel.
This Could Be Us focuses on Soledad Barnes' rediscovery of herself after her narcissistic husband puts their family lives in jeopardy due to greed. As easy as it would be to give up, Soledad decides to document her cooking and self-love journey on social media.
She gains a following and even begins a wary friendship with the man who helped reveal the truth about her husband — Judah Cross. There's no reason to trust him when he's the reason her life changed, but she's eventually able to see that he's never been her enemy.
That there's love to be found in unexpected places.
Amazon
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
This title alone has my full attention and apparently the editors at Amazon agree that it's well worth the read!
Margo Millet's life is interesting for a lack of a better word. She's the daughter of a Hooters waitress and ex-pro wrestler who learned how to be independent early on. Actually, she had to rely on herself because who else was going to be fit to care for her?
In the midst of trying to figure things out, Margo finds herself having an affair with her English professor that ends in a surprise pregnancy. It's almost like history has a weird sense of humor by sort of repeating itself.
She's only 20 years old and somehow has to figure out how to care for a young infant. Suddenly, her dad (Jinx) moves in after a period of estrangement and he begins helping her with her baby.
Unsure of what to do, Margo begins experimenting on OnlyFans and finds that she's actually great a creating an online persona that people are willing to pay money to experience.
Only time will tell if having more money and fame will actually solve her problems though.
Amazon
Skin & Bones by Renée Watson
Lena Baker is 40 years old and feels that she has a pretty stable life. She splits her time between hanging out with her besties and planning a wedding to someone she's in love with. But, everything shifts when a bombshell is dropped on her actual wedding day.
Suddenly, the ground Lena has been walking on feels shaky. While she's trying to piece together the jagged edges of her life, she still has to pour into her daughter and try to navigate the reality that her co-workers may not always realize they're being offensive.
It's a soul-baring read that'll help you confront the different times you've felt you've had to navigate hard moments in life while trying to love yourself.
See the full list of the Amazon best books of 2024 list here! Also, check out our Amazon page to see more of our book recommendations!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
Lead images via Amazon
