Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. I read this probably 20 years ago and much of that book still gets to me. Disturbing and excellent at the same time.
@Joan funny that you mention Fall on Your Knees. I couldn’t believe how much I hated it, but yet I couldn’t stop reading. After so many years, the incest scenes still linger in my mind. Those poor little girls.
Really hard to pick one. Nonfiction-This is Your Brain on Parasites, The Girl With Seven Names, The Long Walk. Fiction-Wool by Hugh Howey, Overstory, The Outlander by Gil Adamson, Into the Forest by Jean Hegland.
I was in the back seat of my bosses jeep otw out of town for work. Sobbing. I mean ugly crying. They thought i was crazy lol. Neither of them were book lovers .. and it shows hahahaha
The Last Girl, which is the true story of Nadia Murad, the Nobel peace prize winner this year. She and thousands of other girls were abducted by ISIS and sold as sex slaves. Her tale of escape is terrifying.
@Ceci I loved Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate! It made it to the New York Times best seller list and has stayed there over a year. It has also been translated into many different languages. I agree about the intensity which is that much stronger because there really was a corrupt children’s home in Chattanooga run by the woman the story centers around.
I’ve been haunted by it…it was recommended to me and I had my book club read it. I entered our meeting apologizing, and many of them had stopped reading it. IDK, not for me–they even made a movie, which I can’t imagine, but you might like it
Intensity by Dean Koontz
Most books written by Greg Isles. All good
@Linda yesssssssss
Love his books
House of Leaves, Mark Danielewski.
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. I read this probably 20 years ago and much of that book still gets to me. Disturbing and excellent at the same time.
@Joan funny that you mention Fall on Your Knees. I couldn’t believe how much I hated it, but yet I couldn’t stop reading. After so many years, the incest scenes still linger in my mind. Those poor little girls.
Totally agree with you!! I just could not put it down.
@Joan I know, right? And it was a loooong book too.
Really hard to pick one. Nonfiction-This is Your Brain on Parasites, The Girl With Seven Names, The Long Walk. Fiction-Wool by Hugh Howey, Overstory, The Outlander by Gil Adamson, Into the Forest by Jean Hegland.
Bible
We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel shriver. Physically removed it from my home. Haunted me.
It was a tough one to read!!
@Karen.. the movie is the same! Creepy…
@Karen Yes – so disturbing & I never saw the ending coming…
I saw the movie and it was terrifying !
Grapes of Wrath
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen – It took my breath away
Farewell my Concubine
Intensity by Koontz.
Rust and Stardust
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
Verity was very intense for me.
On my list ♥
I Know This Much Is True. By Wally Lamb
I’ll read it since I’ve loved everything you’ve recommended. Thanks.
@Claudia Yes
@Claudia yes I would agree
@Sandra – I’ve read it twice. It’s intense.
@Claudia fantastic book
The Shack
@Sarah agreed!
@Dori, I sobbed. I doubt I could read it again. That being said, it was a wonderful book.
I have picked it up too many times to count and still haven’t finished it 🙁
@Sarah it was a tough read.
@Dori, it certainly was.
@Traci, I gave up after a few chapters.
Lying in wait by Liz Nugent
Shaina Pierce Amazing read! ?
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbanks
@Eli read that many years ago & it is definitely a book that stays with you.
Absolutely!
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
I second Rust & Stardust but it was an absolutely beautiful book.
I have a few, Every Note Played by Lisa Genova, Before we were Yours by Lisa Wingate and Glass Castles by Jeannette Walls
@P.a. all excellent books
Glass Castle!
Under the Dome
Sarah’s Key
The shack! It took me three times.
What dreams may come
Blood Games
The Ruins
Unbury Carol
Im Thinking of Ending Things
The Storyteller or Serena
@Patti The Storyteller is definitely on my top list — as well as The Pact
Those Who Save Us. There are scenes in this book that are seared into my soul.
My Absolute Darling
The ending of My Sister’s Keeper ( not the same as the movie)
@Fern I haven’t picked up one her books since reading that one.
i still remember reading in bed several years ago and coming to “that” part. I just could not get over it!
Fern Rowe I was sitting on the couch, almost burnt dinner.
I was in the back seat of my bosses jeep otw out of town for work. Sobbing. I mean ugly crying. They thought i was crazy lol. Neither of them were book lovers .. and it shows hahahaha
The great alone xx
@Melissa that was a good one
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
The Treatment by Mo Hayder
Allegedly
Every Last One, by Anna Quindlen. You won’t be able to sleep after reading it, but it was breathtaking.
“No Exit” by Taylor Adams… picks up speed at about the 20% mark. Excellent book!
1984
I read Cujo many years ago and I’m still bothered by it.
Intensity by Dean Koontz
@Celia good one!
Winter Garden
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.
@Pam I loved this but it kept me awake for days. Sleeping with a crucifix awake! The first of his I read and have been hooked ever since!
@Judy, I know it was hard to sleep for me, too!
@Judy Salem’s Lot was the first Stephen King book I read as well. I loved it.
In cold blood by Truman Capote, alone at home when I was flatting…
The Handmaid’s Tale
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Stand. It. Christine
Retribution – Jilliane Hoffman
Intensity by Dean knootz very intense
Baby Teeth
Prince of Tides
@Muffy completely agree
Ender’s Game.
Basic reading level, amazing story.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Verity by Colleen Hoover definitely started with a bang and never stopped!
All The Light We Cannot See, and City of Thieves.
One would be from the Corner of his Eye by Dean Koontz
Nightingale
Da Vinci Code
Still Missing
Luckiest girl alive
Verity!
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris.
@Suzanne agree!
The Stand by Stephen King
@Kerry ues!LOVE that book
Me too! It’s my favorite!!!
Hidden Bodies (which is the sequel to her book You) by Caroline Kepnes and the Stephen King’s 11/22/63
@Nancy 11/22/63 is one of my all-time favorite novels
Not everyone thinks so though. I LOVED it! But a few people that read it after me didn’t like the ending.
@Nancy I thought the entire book was perfect!
Hanover House by Brenda Novak
Helter Skelter. Frightening to the core and it was non-fiction. Scared the CRAP out of me!
@Judy I was thinking the same!
@Chelsie I thought for sure they were coming for me ?
@Judy – me, too!
The Magical Year of Thinking by Joan Didion. It’s intense and heavy, but it’s a great book about grief.
Sophie’s Choice
The Great Alone
Her darkest nightmare by brenda novak. Therewas another by Dean Koontz but I can’t remember the name
A Child Called It
All the ugly and wonderful things stuck with me
For awhile
Inside The OBriens by Lisa Genova
Room was pretty intense.
@Leslie yes, it was
Les Miserables
Into Thin Air
It was like I was tapped on Everest.
I have this but haven’t read it yet!
The Nightengale.
Room
Room, the great alone, the other woman.
Mischling – but that’s partially because I’m a twin & that probably makes WWII Nazi twin testing more intense.
A Fine Balance by Mistry
Mondays Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson
Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica Kincaid, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
Beloved, All The Ugly Wonderful Things, Full Dark No Stars, Behind Her Eyes
The Last Girl, which is the true story of Nadia Murad, the Nobel peace prize winner this year. She and thousands of other girls were abducted by ISIS and sold as sex slaves. Her tale of escape is terrifying.
All the Light We Can Not See
I loved “All the Light we cannot see”.
Lilac Girls
Salem’s Lot
It is hard to decide but I would say C C Warren’s Holly series starting with Criss Cross!
Before We Were Yours. Gone Girl..
@Ceci I loved Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate! It made it to the New York Times best seller list and has stayed there over a year. It has also been translated into many different languages. I agree about the intensity which is that much stronger because there really was a corrupt children’s home in Chattanooga run by the woman the story centers around.
Laura Dyer Hamby Memphis. Yes. it is a true story. Google Georgia Tann
I am well aware of it. She was an evil woman!
Handle with Care (Jodi Piccoult), The Nightingale, Lac Girls, Small Great Things and most of all, the book that has stayed with me the most is Wonder.
Deep end of the ocean
The Great Alone
Clockwork Orange
The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker.
“A House in the Sky” and “Mornings in Jenin”
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
? Following
For me, THE STAND by Stephen King was intense, compelling, and riveting.
My favorite book??
A Thousand Splendid
Suns.
Gone Girl
Silence of the lambs
We Have to Talk about Kevin. Wish I’d never read it.
@Patti who is that by??
I don’t remember, but don’t read it!!!
@Patti just found it. Unfortunately I probably will. I tend to lean toward that stuff
I’ve been haunted by it…it was recommended to me and I had my book club read it. I entered our meeting apologizing, and many of them had stopped reading it. IDK, not for me–they even made a movie, which I can’t imagine, but you might like it
@Patti just reading the synopsis I could see why it would be hard to digest.
Very dark and intense…just my kind of book…
Saving Noah
The Road
A Little Life
Defending Jacob
@Kim – yes! Defending Jacob!
Season of the Witch
I am still thinking about IDAHO (Emily Ruskovich) two years later. It’s haunting.
Intensity by Dean Koontz…but since so many named it…I’ll name another I didn’t see…Afraid by Jack Kilborn
Intensity, Koontz
Saving Beck, by Courtney Cole