All the Bright Places: I knew this book would hurt me but oh mighty carven caramel fudge monuments, I did not see the actual intensity of the agony to come. I wasn’t myself for a week afterwards and I’ve heard others mention similar periods of shock and melancholy following reading All the Bright Places. Approach it with caution. Shantaram: This book has the best definition of good and evil I’ve ever encountered. It deserves every bit of the acclaim it’s received but the conclusion will kick you right in the feels. Plague Dogs: Everyone’s heard of Watership Down (which is also a tearjerker) but very few people know about this book. It’s more intense than Watership Down as it deals with two dogs that escape from a vivisection laboratory. If you can reach the point where you finally understand Snitter’s rhododendron references without dissolving into a puddle of snot and tears then there’s something amiss with you. At least it has a happy ending. |
Have you read any of these books? Or know of any others that you think should be on this list?