20 Best Books For Young Men To Read (2023 Update)

A very sad but compelling first hand view of an unfathomable event in history. How Viktor Frankl was able to relive these memories and put it all into words in order to finding meaning is admirable and inspiring.scarlet1017-81

Intressanta tankar kring vad som gör livet värt att leva samtidigt som det även handlar om livet och döden i ett koncentrationsläger under andra världskriget; handlingen om livet i ett koncentrationsläger som egentligen är bokens huvudtema och introduktion för att sedan diskutera vidare meningen med livet.Josephine T

This book broke my heart into a million pieces. It is a truly beautiful and intriguing reimagining of the life of Achilles that showcases themes of true friendship, lovers, enemies, innocence, kindness, and of course pure love. This book gives a glimpse of Greek mythology through a love story between an exile and a prince who are ready to be the best warriors of their generation, with thousands of emotions tied into every chapter. In the end nothing but love matters, love between the souls that is far from the boundaries of gender, looks, or age. There is so much thought put into every page, and lots of small lessons are tied with each passing event! This book is stunningly written, I could not recommend it more.Bookish Nerd

"We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other." The Song of Achilles, set in ancient Greece 'in the age of heroes' follows the perspective of protagonist Patroclus and his life's journey up until the trojan war. Patroclus, strong willed, yet weak bodied, son of King Menoitius, is exiled to the court of King Peleus of Phthia where he comes into the acquaintance of Peleus' son, Prince Achilles. The unlikely relationship between the two evolves from a hazy friendship, later maturing into one of intimacy, tenderness, and love. Madeline Miller presents this elegant and devastatingly beautiful story, contemporarily reimagining Homer's mythological tale 'Iliad'. This reconceptualisation of a tale as old as history presents modern and ancient philosophies of changing gender expectations and the influence of power and agency over the aspirations of both male and female characters. As far as queer literature goes, this is absolutely one of the most perfectly and beautifully crafted pieces ever written. I found that regardless of the gender of the two protagonists, this book merely showcased two people, who, were simply and utterly, in love. As a historically fictional and mythological retelling, Miller characterises the heroes, gods, and men over the course of the book, achieving this by emphasising the importance of honour, pride, and legacy. Personally, I discovered that the characterisation of Achilles after he receives a prophecy from the Fates before the battles at Troy, alludes to the suggestion that, after the battle, 'his honour is all that will remain'. Miller skilfully articulates historical jargon throughout the book, in such a way that it would be comprehensible to anyone who wishes to read it. After finishing this story, I would unequivocally recommend this book for anyone over the age of 15 interested (or not) in ancient Greek mythology. To those who wish to read this story, be prepared to have your heart – metaphorically – ripped into a thousand tiny pieces.Gus the booknerd

Madeline Miller is a sweetheart and a goddess for this one. I love the song of Achilles, and I will always have a place in my heart just for it. This is one of those books that you never want to finish, you know it would break your heart but you still read it and after reading it you sit in your tears, and you wish it has a different ending or at least a resolution in the ending that goes like, "and then they lived happily ever after", but I guess we don't always get what we want. Not a summary but my wishes, likes, and dislikes: Anyway,I'm glad that Thetis later chose the right thing the do and redeemed herself. I didn't like how Briesis ended, I dislike phyruss and I kinda like that he died. I didn't have any dislike for Hector, he was a good man who was fighting for the honor of his family. I despise Agamemnon because he had a hand in what happened to Patroclus, although Achilles pride was a huge contributor (reminded me so much of Arthur and Merlin). I wish patroculus dad would've known the brave, strong man his son grew up to be. I wasn't happy for the man Achilles became after the death of Patroclus. I wouldn't say I was happy, happy at the end because I don't think they found peace, but I'm glad that at least they found something almost like peace in the darkness of the afterlife. ✨"Go," she says. "He waits for you." IN THE DARKNESS. two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy, dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun✨😭Just Readit

I have not yet read this novel, so this review is not about the quality of the novel. Instead, this novel is about the state I had to so unfortunately buy this book. I had to buy this book with two stickers on the cover. One was a Netflix sticker stating that this novel was made into a Netflix original. This sticker was placed in the bottom left corner. In the other hand, the second sticker is stuck in the dead center of the authors name. It was not even a good sticker. It was an annoying one saying 20% off. I dislike this for several reasons. One of which, I do not appreciate my books being covered up with useless stickers that tell me the same thing the cashier tell me. I am only writing this as a review on the hook because I could not find an email for this multimillion dollar company. Thank you for reading this and I am letting you know that I will not be spending my money on books from Target.Chloe

This is such a feel good book and is adorable. I read this book recently and only because it was becoming a Netflix movie and I saw it was based on a book so I had to read the book first. This book is very well-written and unique to any storyline I've seen. I couldn't put this book down and as soon as I finished the book I HAD to immediately get the second and third book. I made the order and now I just have to wait, I'm in love with the storyline so much I will be immediately reading them as soon as they are delivered. This is such a feel good book and It was great that the main character was Korean-American which isn't often seen in young adult books. I am extremely invested in the story and I have to finish the series to know how it ends.Taylah

Original fan. Read it when it first came out. I enjoyed all 3 books in the series very much. Some may not enjoy the main character as much as I did. Shes very innocent and almost childlike. She reminds me of myself sometimes. The story is original and cute. If you can be open minded about Lara Jeans personality, believing girls can still think and act like this (we can) then I think youll love the books as much as me!CaseyB

My brother, myself and our two best friends ( when we were kids), David and Thomas Stevens were the only four white Kids around our little neighborhood, the rest were all mexicans and our school was the same, and up till we read the Outsiders we had no real clue what to do for self preservation, because back then in the 60s for us, the Mexicans would do things like have the SMALLEST kid walk over SPIT on us and we would look around only to see like TEN OTHERS WAITING around a corner for the one who was GETTING SPIT ON to say something or do something to the one that spit on us, (we had a saying back then about fighting with a Mexican kid, IF YOU FOUGHT ONE BEAN, YOU HAD TO FIGHT THE WHOLE BURRITO!) This made it basically impossible to defend yourself and we were always getting beat up but after reading the OUTSIDERS we formed our own little club using the same names as we read about in the book and we started to stand together side by side and we were successful in helping to protect one another. Not to the point of being able to do anything, but because instead of us being alone and an easy target being venerable we were now pretty much always in a group making it a little harder to single just one of us out to pick on. This book really made a difference in the livesof us four during the years that we lived in Pacoima, Californication, being White and on Welfare having basically nothing, marked us as WHITE-TRASH and of really small stature, we were nothing more then MOVING TARGETS to the other local residents and that was NOT AT ALL A FUN TIME!!!! I myself ended up by high school my best friends being Spanish but those younger years was not fun at all, I lived almost two miles from school and we had no bus and thus I had to walk, and when I did? I ended up beat up from the feet up so I RAN and let me tell you I had a REALLY FAST TWO MILE TIME in my younger years, but thatt changed as my friends changed! But I dont think we could have made it had we not read the OUTSIDERS we were grateful for the guidance and the information and we had a ball also with all the pretending living as someone else lol. As bad as it could be, it could also be fun and exciting.leapingcrane

Super excited when my teen daughter became interested in a story I loved so well. Ponyboy and the gang with big hearts but from the wrong side of town navigate the challenges of sharing their hometown with the Soc crew. When violence escalates, we are reminded that "nothing gold can stay" and a good heart isn't always enough.PAULA

This classic piece by a WOW of a gifted young woman (she was a teen when she wrote it) was a favorite of every single 11+ year-old I taught-and there were over 1,000 of them! It offers a master class in the meaning of family, the value of friends, the importance of acceptance of "other"-timeless for all people, all ages. READ IT! Then read it again!!Lynn

It is a very insightful reading of the history of masculinity. Great for anyone working with groups of men, or young boys looking to understand themselves better.Pat

My boyfriend whom is normally not a reader read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and could not put it down and therefore I decided to give it a try. Like him, I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every chapter! It is original, especially with its futuristic 2045 date and “OASIS” video game setting. The main character and his friends are likable and relatable, and therefore, as a reader I found myself cheering him along throughout entirety of the storyline. There are a lot of 80s references that I did not care for either way but they did not take away from the interesting and exciting plot.gabriella.c

This book has become one of my top favorites in the last few years! I read tons of books, probably at least 2-3 a week and I’m all over the place in my interests, but still this one is a little unusual for me- I don’t know much at all about video games or 80s nostalgia which are the main themes of the book. I’ve read it 2 times (will probably read it again someday) and I almost NEVER repeat read a book! I was surprised how much I loved “Ready Player One” but it quickly pulled me in! The book is so much better than the movie, don’t cheat and watch the movie thinking it’s the cliff notes version, I promise you’ll enjoy the book more.M

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book. This genre is not one I usually read and I’m not much of a video-gamer. I was worried I was going to miss most of the references. It was the internet-loving, AIM-using, addictinggames-playing middle schooler in me that loved every page of this book. The whole plot — the race to be the first to figure out each of the clues and win (not only to inherit a billionaire’s fortune but also to beat the bad-guys to it) — had me hooked. The narrator tells the story in a way that makes you feel as though you are him, living in his brain, working out his thoughts as he tries to solve every puzzle and quest. No, I didn’t get all of (most of) the '80s references and I definitely didn’t get most of the video-game references (except Pacman, shout out to Pacman!) but the author employs each reference in a way that makes sure you don’t feel excluded for not having known of them before. So you DON’T have to be a gamer or nostalgic about the ‘80s to love this book. Plus, the online chats between friends ("sign on after school and we’ll hang later”) and between young lovers (“you’ve got a crush on me?”) were my nostalgic parts of this book anyway.I do wonder if I might’ve felt differently if I had drawn out the reading this book (since I read the bulk of this book in three days) if I might’ve been a little less enthusiastic about it, being that it dragged a little at parts. The author does have instances of giving a ton of details where you might sometimes think “okay we get it, I’m ready to move on to the next thing” … but for me, that didn’t ruin my overall enthusiastic feeling about it.Last thoughts: Now's the time to read this book. Taking place in the not-so-distant future of 2044, the book reminds us that we’re currently working on depleting all of the beautiful resources Earth gives us, the environment is a disaster, we spend all of our time using technology, and generally, we're gluttons. The book is in line with other popular novels exploring similar currently-relevant themes, for example The Hunger Games (post-apocalyptic damaged-Earth dystopia, the race to be the last-man-standing, the grand prize of a fortune to provide a comfortable life once again) and The Circle (virtual utopia, the want of a monopoly on all technology). And with Net Neutrality being a current hot topic, there’s no better time to read this book.melissa.i

Sapiens is an insightful, history-laden explanation of how and why we humans organize ourselves the way we do. At the same time, it's a readable story of human history. Harari is an apt guide who doesn't preach, but lays out for us how we may have come by some of our inner workings. At a time when the future looks opaque, an unflinching look at our past can do wonders. I read all three Harari books this past summer, but found Sapiens to be the most compelling and important work of the three. A book that will change your mind, if you're open to it.jwregularguy

The book is a modern day classic which tries to reason why certain decisions were chosen over the other and how these decisions have shaped up the course of human history. While giving us potential explanations, Yuval also reminds us that these are mere speculations or theories and nobody can be sure what was going inside the minds of homo sapiens at that time. Some chapters are a bit of a stretch, though when someone tries to summarize the course of 70,000 years of human history into 416 pages, one can hardly complain. I have given an extra star for BookishSanta team who have provided the book in original (color edition) form with a nice touch of handwritten note.Utkarsh Y.

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and had me gripped from page one. The author puts things into perspective – drawing analogies and parallels – that is shocking , surprising and even funny. I felt a number of emotions reading this, from ignorance, astonishing intellect, shock, horror, surprise, anger, sadness, hunger? I highly recommend for anyone looking for a easy, albeit enlightening read about the development of human, society and life as we know it.Gene

This book is a little different twist for Lisa Wingate. She has taken actual events, the adoption scandal of The Tennessee Children's Home Society that was exposed in 1950, and has woven an engrossing account of lives changed. A large family living on a houseboat on the Mississippi River finds themselves in a desperate situation one dark and stormy night. The father must take the mother, in the midst of a life-threatening childbirth, to the hospital leaving the five children on the boat. Operatives for the predatory orphanage grab the children and propel them into a terrifying situation. Big sister Rill tries desperately to protect her siblings and keep them together through it all. It is told in two different voices in two different times, but unlike some books that doesn't prove a distraction. It is very easy to keep it all straight, and it adds to the suspense by taking you up to a point and then pulling you back to a different aspect of the story. The characters are well developed, and you are allowed to peel back the layers slowly to get the big picture. As Rill's story unfolds, you are held spellbound by the unrelenting sadness of her situation, and horrified by the fact that these things really happened to some children. Wingate has a gift for imagery that pulls you into a scene. But in true Lisa Wingate fashion, there are also plenty of happier moments to relieve the sadness and many truths uncovered. The other voice is that of Avery, the daughter and heir-apparent of a political dynasty. Her story gives some interesting insights into how political families live their lives on display. She wasn't the most sympathetic character in the beginning, but she did grow on me as she learned to be more aware of her own aspirations and feelings. This is a well-crafted new effort from Wingate – one of those books you can't put down and you don't want to end!Pittypat

Twelve-year-old Rill Foss, the "princess of Kingdom Arcadia", lives on the Mississippi River with her parents and four siblings in a homemade shanty boat built by her dad. The river proves to be more forgiving than land during the Great Depression, and Rill's family flourishes on hard work, a little food, and lots of love. They don't have much but they're happy. Queenie, Rill's mother, must be rushed to the hospital late one night while giving birth to twins. Policemen come to the boat the next day and kidnap the five siblings, starting a nightmare of abuse, scandal, loss and perseverance for Rill. Told from two angles, one from Rill during the 30's; the other from Avery, a distant relative during present day life in Aiken, South Carolina, the plot weaves closer and closer together, keeping your interest with each turn of the page (or touch of the screen, whichever applies!). The story and people are fiction but based on true events that happened in Memphis Tennessee when Georgia Tann was investigated for child trafficking, running a black market baby adoption scheme that involved powerful political and Hollywood figures. Lisa Wingate gives life to each character and their surroundings; you'll hurt for the victims as if they truly existed. I can easily recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about human emotion, especially when the plot is based on historical events. It will captivate you with the first page, and you'll keep reading until you can make sense of the mess created by stolen children, whose identities were wiped clean, names and histories changed. Excellent read, but will leave you with a sadness that this situation happened and flourished during harsh times. (I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for making it available.)Avid Historical Fiction Reader

The contents of the book are just so much drivel, not at all entertaining. Useless waste of paper, cant believe this book was printed.trs50

One book was exactly as described. The second copy was in poor conditions and the book cover was completely different then what was pictured – as in Ive never even scene that cover before. I now need to find another book – as I needed multiple copies and want them all to match. I felt like it was a bait and switch. Book on the right with the black cover is what was shown – but these are the two books that arrived.blivin

This edition, including his 1958 essays, about Huxley's prophetic 1931 vision of the future will be a mind stimulating experience for those derisive of 'conspiracy theorists' as well as those who identify with this tribe. The essays express alarm that his vision of a globally controlled and pacified population has already commenced. And now it's 2021.Anne

Huxley was another visionary. When I first read Brave New World at school in the 70s, it didn't strike me as particularly relevant to that society. I was 14. I wasn't aware of social inequality. Reading as an adult though, not only does Huxley address society, he also covers the technology we live with today.Toni

When read side by side with Orwell's 1984, Brave New World isn't exactly scary or a future may would be concerned about. Rampant totalitarianism of action, seachand thought in 1984 exhibits fears that humans accustomed to freedom experience. But Brave New World presents a far more insidious and real present and future we face. The death of individuality, paid for by the allure of comfort, zero inhibitions and hedonistic fulfilment of each and every desire, with the only sacrifice being the freedom to think, believe and act against the grain. Death isn't the antithesis of life in this story, but rather the much more modern fear or exclusion. A timely, accurate and prophetic vision of our modern world.LBoh

This book took me far beyond any true story of survival I have read to a place of extreme and life challenging circumstances and conditions. The human spirit is a mighty thing.Annie

A great read. I couldn't put the book down – read it in a day. It was a little disturbing but overall, incredibly inspirational.Ritz

Once I finally got into the book, this was a good story of survival. The men and women who crashed in the Andes had to overcome horrible situations — injuries from the crash, an avalanche, and then the lack of food. What they did to survive was admirable, even if some may judge them harshly over their decision to eat the flesh of their dead friends. That being said, though, the story moves so slowly, and the author's writing style is so staid, that it took me forever to actually feel like I was reading something worthwhile. A good story, but it's a journey to plod through it.teensreadtoo

I for one believe that this book has a modern and well stated emphasis on today's society. When reading this book, I discovered that the dialect was much parallel to the spoken dialect of today. There was no dialect specifically dedicated to the book, but it was written as just as someone would be normally speaking. Therefore, it was in my opinion easier to comprehend the story. I also believe the story was just and satisfying. The main summary of the book was the story of a black teenager being arrested and brutally assaulted by a white police officer, for a crime in which the former had not even committed. From there we met characters like Quinn, who were caught in the crossfire of which side of the debate surrounding the assault to be on. To me, to see the experiences and feelings of people that have not only been victimized, but also forced to make hard decisions such as Quinn and others, made me see the real life issue this book is based off on, in a different light. It made me see all the issues of the people that are enveloped in this situation and question what my actions would be. As for such, I'd believe if such a book could allow me to open a new view of judgement, I personally advocate it for others to read as well.Centennial15

Rashad is a 16 yr old African-American boy who is accused of stealing at a local neighborhood convenience store. Before he can even explain what happened, he finds himself face down on the sidewalk being savagely beaten by a cop – a white cop. Quinn is a 16 yr old Caucasian boy who goes to school with Rashad and stumbles upon him being beaten by the cop – a cop who happens to be a close family friend. What follows is an exploration of race in America, community & family values, and what it means to truly be an ally. Tie-ins: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, police brutality, current events Disclaimer for teachers and librarians: there is a LOT of cursing in this book, including the F word, but it's mainly used as an adjective and not as a sexually explicit verb, if that matters in your school. And it is used very authentically (i.e. this IS how teenage boys talk to each other!).Marti

At first glance, the length of this book is intimidating. In fact, it really reads fast. I love character development in a novel, and this does not disappoint! And the style of writing is so smooth and captivating!Donna

I bought this for my husband. From the moment he started reading He could not put the book down. Amazing book. I also read and enjoyed it.Enna

What can one say? Another amazing tale from Amor Towles. This one set in 1950s Americana via Greek Mythology. A great book to suggest to almost anyone!Susan

WOB are one of my go to online booksellers. Reasonable price. Speedy delivery. Quality books. Book met description. The book, The Illustrated Man, is one of Bradbury’s best. Easily my favourite by the author.Andrew

I have bought this book at least ten times since I discovered Ray Bradbury in the early 1960's. The book is way better than the movie. A book allows you your imagination to explore the recesses of your mind. I end up giving books away to share the compelling stories or helpful information. This copy is for me!lushlife007

Physical book quality was good, for a used book. Actual book content is easy-to-read and simple to understand. Contains adequate stories, although, they seem to have been written for middle school-level readers. Not rich in insightful stories, but are somewhat interesting.briagomy3tch

This book is interesting. It's an academic read, heavy on dates, places, numbers, and research attribution. The author does a good job of presenting the info in a readable style. Unfortunately, it's depressingly repetitive and begins to feel like a clinical analysis of mass murder. A worthwhile reminder for readers, since it gets easier, over time, for all of us to diminish what "Ordinary Men" were shown to be capable of.rbstern

I was a history teacher and always found it strange that anyone could convince smart people like the German that they had an enemy in the Jews who had been a vital part of the Germany economy. But then again a leader of a country who uses short phrases over and over and appeals to the lowest in a society seems to gain cult status. The big rallies in Nuremburg with the total focus on the leader help develop the feeling that he was above the law. The murder of millions because of their faith was one of the most shameful events in the history of the world.williajero-0

This book is interesting. It's an academic read, heavy on dates, places, numbers, and research attribution. The author does a good job of presenting the info in a readable style. Unfortunately, it's depressingly repetitive and begins to feel like a clinical analysis of mass murder. A worthwhile reminder for readers, since it gets easier, over time, for all of us to diminish what "Ordinary Men" were shown to be capable of.rbstern

I was a history teacher and always found it strange that anyone could convince smart people like the German that they had an enemy in the Jews who had been a vital part of the Germany economy. But then again a leader of a country who uses short phrases over and over and appeals to the lowest in a society seems to gain cult status. The big rallies in Nuremburg with the total focus on the leader help develop the feeling that he was above the law. The murder of millions because of their faith was one of the most shameful events in the history of the world.williajero-0

I bought this book as a present for a guy friend a I have. He said that he had never read a book like this. As I read the book before I gave it to him, I realized that this book is so accurate about how girls think. Totally recommend it to any guy who is trying to understand the alien gender.abibendod

It's hard to express to guys how differently girls think. This book is very straightforward and simple. Highly recommend it for men of all ages, and women who need help explaining things to men.toeslovesnose

I bought this book as a present for a guy friend a I have. He said that he had never read a book like this. As I read the book before I gave it to him, I realized that this book is so accurate about how girls think. Totally recommend it to any guy who is trying to understand the alien gender.abibendod

It's hard to express to guys how differently girls think. This book is very straightforward and simple. Highly recommend it for men of all ages, and women who need help explaining things to men.toeslovesnose