20 Best Books Of 2011 Fiction (2023 Update)

#1 new york times bestseller – in this spellbinding tale from danielle steel, a princess is sent away to safety during world war ii, where she falls in love, and is lost forever. as the war rages on in the summer of 1943, causing massive destruction and widespread fear, the king and queen choose to quietly send their youngest daughter, princess charlotte, to live with a trusted noble family in the country. despite her fiery, headstrong nature, the princess's fragile health poses far too great a risk for her to remain in war-torn london. third in line for the throne, seventeen year-old charlotte reluctantly uses an alias upon her arrival in yorkshire, her two guardians the only keepers of her true identity. in time, she settles comfortably into a life out of the spotlight, befriending a young evacuee and training with her cherished horse. but no one predicts that in the coming months she will fall deeply in love with her protectors' son. she longs for a normal life. far from her parents, a tragic turn of events leaves an infant orphaned. alone in the world, that child will be raised in the most humble circumstances by a modest stable manager and his wife. no one, not even she, knows of her lineage. but when a stack of hidden letters comes to light, a secret kept for nearly two decades finally surfaces, and a long lost princess emerges. a fascinating story of family and royalty, and an unforgettable portrait of an extraordinary young woman and the man who brings her home, royal is an exhilarating work from america's most beloved storyteller.

New york times bestseller – in this heartwarming novel from #1 new york times bestselling author danielle steel, adult siblings find their way back home—and back to each other—after loss.preston and constance whittier have built a happy life together, with a brood of six children raised in a beautiful historic manhattan mansion. now, with a nearly empty nest, it’s easier than ever for the whittiers to maintain their tradition of a solo romantic “wintermoon” ski trip.but with this year’s trip comes tragedy, and suddenly the whittiers’ adult children find themselves reuniting in the family home without their parents for the first time ever. the oldest, lyle, is reaching a breaking point in his marriage and must decide whether a divorce would be best for him and his two children. gloria’s big job on wall street has kept her single at thirty-nine, and growing ever more cynical. the twins, caroline and charlie, moved out long ago to start a fashion business that may now be faltering. benjie, with special needs, is hit hard by the loss of his parents and needs his siblings’ help. and annabelle, the youngest, drops out of college and starts to spin out of control.the eldest four are forced to put aside their personal issues and their grief to keep the family together and support each other and their two youngest siblings. selling the house, along with all the memories that live in its walls, feels like yet another devastating loss. could there be another way, as unconventional as it seems? in the whittiers, danielle steel delivers an inspiring story about the everlasting bonds of one unforgettable family.

New york times bestseller – in this thrilling novel from danielle steel, a small community is tested when their children go missing while exploring a dangerous local peak, forcing them to band together during the crisis. – fishtail, montana, is home to anne and pitt pollock, local royalty, high school sweethearts, and owners of the successful pollock ranch. the sprawling foothills of the beartooth mountains surround the town, overlooking the pollocks’ property and the nearby ranch belonging to bill and pattie brown. the two couples have known each other since childhood. – their sons peter pollock and matt brown are also the best of friends. when they and two other local kids meet juliet marshall, new to town after her parents’ bitter divorce, the five of them are soon inseparable, spending their summer days swimming, horseback riding, hiking, and fishing. – but one august afternoon, their latest adventure takes a dangerous turn—and quickly escalates into a battle for survival—when they find themselves trapped on granite peak. fear reverberates through the town as their parents grow ever more desperate to hear word that their children have been found. they must place their own trials aside amid a massive search-and-rescue operation. as they come to lean on one another for support, a media frenzy ensues, heightening tensions and testing some already fragile relationships. – in the aftermath of this one fateful event, devastating secrets are revealed, new love appears on the horizon, and families are forced to reconsider what they once held dear. in the challenge, danielle steel deftly weaves a story that is a portrait of courage and a striking tale of the bonds of love and family.

New york times bestsellereven the most perfect lives can be shattered in an instant. in this moving, emotionally charged novel, danielle steel introduces readers to an unforgettable cast of characters striving to overcome tragedy and discover the inner resources and resilience to win at life—once again. winners lily thomas is an aspiring ski champion training for the olympics, a young woman with her heart set on winning the gold. but in one moment, lily’s future is changed forever, her hopes for the olympics swept away in a tragic accident. dr. jessie matthews, the neurosurgeon who operates on her that night, endures a tragedy of her own, and instantly becomes the sole support of her four young children, while her own future hangs in the balance. bill, lily’s father, has pinned all his hopes on his only daughter, his dreams now shattered. other lives will entwine themselves with theirs: joe, a financial manager, faces a ruined career at the hand of a dishonest partner. carole, a psychologist at mass general, is a breast cancer survivor, her body and heart scarred by what she’s been through. teddy, with a spinal cord injury worse than lily’s, dreams of college and becoming an artist. from the ashes of their lives, six people fight to alter the course of destiny and refuse to be defeated. when bill builds a remarkable rehab facility for his daughter, countless lives are forever altered, and each becomes a winner. winners is about refusing to be beaten, no matter how insurmountable the challenge. and when lily gets on skis again and enters the paralympics, the battle to brave life again is won. winners is about more than surviving, it is about courage, victory, and triumph. when all appears to be lost, the battle has just begun.praise for winners “steel skillfully weaves the strands of the matthews and thomas families together in a layered story. . . . together, they discover friendship, loyalty, and new dreams.”—publishers weekly “[winners] will leave readers crying and cheering.”—booklist

Now an emmy-nominated hulu original series – new york times bestseller – “a stunning novel about the transformative power of relationships” (people) from the author of conversations with friends, “a master of the literary page-turner” (j. courtney sullivan). one of the ten best novels of the decade—entertainment weekly – ten best books of the year—people, slate, the new york public library, harvard crimson – and best books of the year—the new york times, the new york times book review, o: the oprah magazine, time, npr, the washington post, vogue, esquire, glamour, elle, marie claire, vox, the paris review, good housekeeping, town & country connell and marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. at school, connell is popular and well liked, while marianne is a loner. but when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins. – a year later, they’re both studying at trinity college in dublin. marianne has found her feet in a new social world while connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. throughout their years at university, marianne and connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. and as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other. – normal people is the story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. it takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t. praise for normal people “[a] novel that demands to be read compulsively, in one sitting.”—the washington post “arguably the buzziest novel of the season, sally rooney’s elegant sophomore effort . . . is a worthy successor to conversations with friends. here, again, she unflinchingly explores class dynamics and young love with wit and nuance.”—the wall street journal “[rooney] has been hailed as the first great millennial novelist for her stories of love and late capitalism. . . . [she writes] some of the best dialogue i’ve read.”—the new yorker

The first mercy thompson novel! moon called is the novel that introduced patricia briggs’s mercy thompson to the world and launched a #1 bestselling phenomenon… mercy thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. mercy asks her neighbor adam hauptman, the alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance. but mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her…“ in the increasingly crowded field of kick-ass supernatural heroines, mercy stands out as one of the best.”—locus

#1 new york times bestseller – in this riveting novel from danielle steel, a gifted young woman must grapple with the legacy of a troubled childhood in order to pursue her dreams.antonia adams is the product of a loveless marriage between an aspiring actress and an aristocrat. as a child, she is abandoned in the abyss that yawns between them, blamed by her mother, ignored by her father, and neglected by both. unprotected and unloved, she learns that the only way to feel safe is to hide from the dangers around her, drawing as little attention as possible to herself, to be “invisible.” in her isolation, books are her refuge and movies her escape. a day spent being carried away by an unforgettable film in a dark theater is her greatest thrill. her love of the movies turns into a dream to become a screenwriter, and a summer job at a hollywood studio. there, a famous british filmmaker notices her, and suddenly she can remain invisible no longer. he wants to put her in a movie and make her a star. it is a dazzling opportunity but a terrifying one, as it strips her of the camouflage that made her feel safe. she is suddenly thrust into the public eye—and even more so when they fall in love. she will never let go of her true dream of becoming a filmmaker, though, and if she wants to make that leap, she will have to expose herself in ways she never has before. when tragedy strikes, she must decide whether she will remain center stage or become invisible again, where she feels safest. will she face her demons, or run and hide? in this extraordinary novel, danielle steel tells the story of a woman who must decide how high a price she is willing to pay to pursue her passion—and whether it is possible to stay true to herself while she does.

From million-selling author robert j. her mother is missing. a psychotic beast is stalking her. how will she escape? alonesienna nealon was a 17 year-old girl who had been held prisoner in her own house by her mother for twelve years. then one day her mother vanished, and sienna woke up to find two strange men in her home. on the run, unsure of who to turn to and discovering she possesses mysterious powers, sienna finds herself pursued by a shadowy agency known as the directorate and hunted by a vicious, bloodthirsty psychopath named wolfe, each of which is determined to capture her for their own purposes… untouchedstill haunted by her last encounter with wolfe and searching for her mother, sienna nealon must put aside her personal struggles when a new threat emerges – aleksandr gavrikov, a metahuman so powerful, he could destroy entire cities – and he's focused on bringing the directorate to its knees.soullessafter six months of intense training with the directorate, sienna nealon finds herself on her first assignment – tracking a dangerous meta across the upper midwest. with scott byerly and kat forrest at her side, she'll face new enemies and receive help from unlikely allies as she stumbles across the truth behind the shadowy organization known only as omega.if you like jim butcher, kevin hearne, bella forrest, michael anderle, ilona andrews, shayne silvers, shannon mayer, or j.r. rain, you will love the first installment of the girl in the box.

#1 new york times bestseller – named one of the best books of the year by booklist in her now classic novel outlander, diana gabaldon told the story of claire randall, an english ex-combat nurse who walks through a stone circle in the scottish highlands in 1946, and disappears . . . into 1743. the story unfolded from there in seven bestselling novels, and cnn has called it "a grand adventure written on a canvas that probes the heart, weighs the soul and measures the human spirit across centuries]." now the story continues in written in my own heart's blood. 1778: france declares war on great britain, the british army leaves philadelphia, and george washington's troops leave valley forge in pursuit. at this moment, jamie fraser returns from a presumed watery grave to discover that his best friend has married his wife, his illegitimate son has discovered (to his horror) who his father really is, and his beloved nephew, ian, wants to marry a quaker. meanwhile, jamie's wife, claire, and his sister, jenny, are busy picking up the pieces. the frasers can only be thankful that their daughter brianna and her family are safe in twentieth-century scotland. or not. in fact, brianna is searching for her own son, who was kidnapped by a man determined to learn her family's secrets. her husband, roger, has ventured into the past in search of the missing boy . . . never suspecting that the object of his quest has not left the present. now, with roger out of the way, the kidnapper can focus on his true target: brianna herself. written in my own heart's blood is the brilliant next chapter in a masterpiece of the imagination unlike any other. praise for written in my own heart's blood " written in my own heart's blood] features all the passion and swashbuckling that fans of this historical fantasy series have come to expect."–people "another breakneck, rip-roaring, oh-so-addictive page-turner from gabaldon . . . take a deep breath, jump aboard, and enjoy the ride."–library journal "with her outlander series, gabaldon . . . successfully juggles] a sizable and captivating cast of characters; developing thrilling plotlines that borrow equally from adventure, history, and romance; and meticulously integrating a wealth of fascinating period details into the story without slowing down the pace. the result is a sprawling and enthralling saga that is guaranteed to keep readers up long past their bedtimes."–booklist (starred review)

New york times bestseller – the reese witherspoon x hello sunshine book club pick“every once in a while, i read a book that opens my eyes in a way i never expected.” —reese witherspoon (reese’s book club x hello sunshine book pick)people magazine’s top 10 books of 2017bustle’s 17 books every woman should read from 2017pop – sugar’s our favorite books of the year (so far)refinery29's best books of the year so farbookbrowse’s the 20 best books of 2017pacific northwest book awards finalist – the globe and mail's top 100 books of 2017longlisted for 2019 international dublin literary award“it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think.” —liane moriarty, #1 new york times bestselling author of big little lies – this is how a family keeps a secret…and how that secret ends up keeping them. – this is how a family lives happily ever after…until happily ever after becomes complicated. – this is how children change…and then change the world. he’s five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. he also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess. – when he grows up, claude says, he wants to be a girl. – rosie and penn want claude to be whoever claude wants to be. they’re just not sure they’re ready to share that with the world. soon the entire family is keeping claude’s secret. until one day it explodes. laurie frankel's this is how it always is is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales, and family. and it’s about the ways this is how it always is: change is always hard and miraculous and hard again, parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts, children grow but not always according to plan. and families with secrets don’t get to keep them forever.

Instant new york times bestsellerwinner of the national book critics circle's john leonard prize for best first book winner of the ferro-grumley award for lgbtq fictionnamed a best book of the year by: new york times * npr * washington post * la times * kirkus reviews * new york public library * chicago public library * harper's bazaar * time * maureen corrigan, fresh air * boston globe* the atlantic – a vibrant story collection about cambodian-american life–immersive and comic, yet unsparing–that offers profound insight into the intimacy of queer and immigrant communities – seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tenderhearted, balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth, afterparties offers an expansive portrait of the lives of cambodian-americans. as the children of refugees carve out radical new paths for themselves in california, they shoulder the inherited weight of the khmer rouge genocide and grapple with the complexities of race, sexuality, friendship, and family. – a high school badminton coach and failing grocery store owner tries to relive his glory days by beating a rising star teenage player. two drunken brothers attend a wedding afterparty and hatch a plan to expose their shady uncle's snubbing of the bride and groom. a queer love affair sparks between an older tech entrepreneur trying to launch a "safe space" app and a disillusioned young teacher obsessed with moby-dick. and in the sweeping final story, a nine-year-old child learns that his mother survived a racist school shooter. – the stories in afterparties, "powered by so's skill with the telling detail, are like beams of wry, affectionate light, falling from different directions on a complicated, struggling, beloved american community" (george saunders).

New york times bestseller – in this riveting novel, danielle steel explores a high-profile affair that reverberates throughout an entire family, from the wounded wife to her husband—torn between two women—to the wife’s close-knit sisters and their mother.when rose mccarthy’s staff at mode magazine pitches a cover shoot with hollywood’s hottest young actress, the actress’s sizzling affair with a bestselling french author is exposed. the author happens to be rose’s son-in-law, which creates a painful dilemma for her. her daughter nadia, a talented interior designer, has been struggling to hold her marriage together, and conceal the truth from their young daughters, her family, and the world. but nicolas, her straying husband, is blinded by passion for a younger woman—and not only that, she is pregnant with his child. nadia’s three sisters close ranks around her, flying to paris from los angeles and new york to lend support and offer their widely divergent advice. athena, a jovial celebrity chef with her own tv show in los angeles, is leery of marriage. olivia, a stern conservative new york superior court judge, is haunted by a shocking secret of her own. venetia, a zany fashion designer, happily married with three kids, has the gentlest, most realistic point of view. despite their well-meaning advice, nadia needs to figure out what she herself thinks, and what to do next. the affair is about the painful journey to discover who you are, what you want, and how much forgiveness and compromise you are capable of in order to be loved. it’s about finding yourself at the crossroads of life when everything is on the line.

A repackage of new york times bestseller v.e. in their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. but when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.ten years later, victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. meanwhile, eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end? schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question." a dynamic and original twist on what it means to be a hero and a villain. a killer from page one…highly recommended!" —jonathan maberry, new york times bestselling author of marvel universe vs the avengers and patient zero

New york times bestseller – in danielle steel’s stunning novel, modern relationships come together, fall apart, and are reinvented over time, proving that age is just a number.eileen jackson was happy to set aside her own dreams to raise a family with her husband, paul. together they built an ordinary life in a connecticut town, the perfect place for their kids to grow up. but when eileen discovers that paul’s late nights in the city are hiding an affair with a younger woman, she begins to question all those years of sacrifice and compromise. on the brink of forty and wondering what she’s going to do with the rest of her life, is it too late for her to start over? meanwhile, as paul is thrust back into the role of suburban fatherhood, his girlfriend, olivia, is in manhattan, struggling to find herself in the shadow of her mother, a famous actress, and her grandmother, a fiercely independent ninety-two-year-old artist. with their unique brands of advice ringing in her head, olivia takes a major step, expanding her art gallery business internationally. seeing her mother pursue old dreams and even find new love, olivia realizes that there is so much she must learn about herself before committing her life to someone else. ultimately, eileen decides to chase her own dreams as well. she’s off to paris to attend le cordon bleu cooking school. what awaits is an adventure that reinvents her life and redefines her. at every age, there are challenges to be met and new worlds to discover. in this surprising, illuminating novel, danielle steel gives us a warmhearted portrait of people driven by their emotions, life experiences, and loyalties, who realize that it’s never too late to turn a new page and start again.

The international bestseller & indie next pick"griffin's stunning debut, brimming with irresistible irish-isms, is an elegy to love, loss and the complexity of life." –people magazineone of goodreads' 43 most anticipated reads of 2019“beautiful. intimate. tearful. aching and lyrical. so simply and beautifully told.” –louise penny, #1 new york times bestselling author"i'm here to remember–all that i have been and all that i will never be again." if you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? if you were to raise a glass to each of them, what would you say? and what would you learn about yourself, when all is said? at the bar of a grand hotel in a small irish town sits 84-year-old maurice hannigan. he’s alone, as usual – though tonight is anything but. pull up a stool and charge your glass, because maurice is finally ready to tell his story.over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. through these stories – of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice – the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.beautifully heart-warming and deeply felt, the voice of maurice hannigan will stay with you long after all is said and done.

From #1 new york times bestselling author danielle steel, a powerful story about fighting for a chance at happiness—whatever the cost. – charles vincent seems to have it all—a beautiful wife, two successful children, and a well-paying career. yet happiness remains out of reach. he is trapped in a loveless marriage and his job is simply a paycheck. but his life changes forever one night as he drives along the normandy coast, heading to their lavish château for the weekend. in one terrifying moment, charles falls asleep at the wheel and veers off the road, plunging thirty feet down the face of a rocky cliff. – miraculously, charles survives. after gathering the courage to climb to safety, he starts to walk—bruised, bloody, and desperate for help. in the dark of night, he happens upon a cabin where he meets the kind and beautiful aude saint-martin. they have an instant connection, and as she nurses him back to health, charles begins to discover the passion he’s been missing for so many years. – in the aftermath of the crash, charles has a startling realization: he doesn’t have to go back. he could simply choose to disappear, to walk away from his old life. when his car is discovered, he’ll be presumed dead, washed away at sea. if he stays with aude, he has a chance at a fuller, happier life that he didn’t know was possible. it all seems too good to resist. but aude has secrets of her own, and before long their pasts catch up to them, threatening everything they have fought to build. – what would happen if you were given a chance to walk away from everything in your life and start over with a blank slate, and you had a split second to decide? in without a trace, danielle steel tells an irresistible story of the risks two people are willing to take in exchange for a chance at the life they’ve always wanted.

Return to the unforgettable world of the newbery medal-winning and #1 new york times bestselling novel the one and only ivan (soon to be a major motion picture!) in this incredible sequel, starring ivan’s friend bob! don't miss the audiobook, read by danny devito! bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, ivan and ruby. as a hurricane approaches and time is running out, bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.bob, ivan, and ruby have touched the hearts of millions of readers, and their story isn’t over yet. catch up with these beloved friends before the star-studded film adaptation of the one and only ivan hits theaters in august 2020! one and only bob is an instant #1 new york times bestseller, embraced by new and old fans of katherine applegate's beloved one and only ivan!

A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. by day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. as the boys' delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive, and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance. first published in 1954, lord of the flies is one of the most celebrated and widely read of modern classics.

A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. by day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. as the boys' delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive, and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance. first published in 1954, lord of the flies is one of the most celebrated and widely read of modern classics.

Collector's edition available for a limited time in celebration of the five year anniversary of the launch of lizzyland. includes all three non-series titles released in 2011: "the warlord's secret," "maddy's oasis," "a demon's desire." the warlord's secret a queen with a secret … rissa, the tormented warlord of tiyan, struggles to protect her people and tiyan's magical springs against enemies and traitors within her own walls. she must also safeguard the secret of tiyan's magic and the source her ultimate doom: the parasitic demon lurking within her, which has awoken to kill her as is tradition every generation of ruler. maddy's oasis with an ill mother in need of expensive surgery, madeleine flies from nyc to the west texas desert to take on the doomed desert oasis resort project in hopes of earning the bonus attached to finishing it on schedule. she soon finds there's only one thing hotter than the desert sun: jake, the infuriating texan whose dislike of the fast-paced city puts them at odds at everything. a demon's desire emma crossed paths with a black witch in an ill-fated love triangle that ended in emma fleeing and the death of the man they both loved. two years later, the witch is seeking revenge. emma turns to the only person who can help her: a man rumored to be half-demon with the power to control the shadows. tristan agrees to help her lift the curse on her family but isn't prepared for what he uncovers.