,

Sick of books promising fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi/adventure that devolve into a pathetic mash of makeouts, "tingles" and goo-goo-eyes? Do you immediately drop a book if the back reads something like "After [female protagonist] meets sexy mysterious bad boy..." This is the list for you!

The books on this list have plots that involve very little romance. Either the book is completely romance free, or the romantic relationships are a SUB-PLOT of the main storyline (and I mean -VERY- SUB-plot). YA, New Adult, and Adult lit welcome. Please no kids books.
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3.88 avg rating — 137,307 ratings
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4.16 avg rating — 218,485 ratings
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4.12 avg rating — 2,810,770 ratings
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3.94 avg rating — 89,356 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 62,822 ratings
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4.10 avg rating — 198,814 ratings
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3.97 avg rating — 2,841,617 ratings
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4.05 avg rating — 631,943 ratings
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15

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4.42 avg rating — 1,287,488 ratings
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4.49 avg rating — 975,277 ratings
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17

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4.04 avg rating — 27,607 ratings
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18

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3.78 avg rating — 83,587 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,474,531 ratings
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20

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3.82 avg rating — 1,492 ratings
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21

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4.02 avg rating — 126 ratings
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22

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4.16 avg rating — 286,054 ratings
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23

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4.18 avg rating — 322,467 ratings
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24

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3.89 avg rating — 53,696 ratings
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24

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3.95 avg rating — 90,568 ratings
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26

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3.91 avg rating — 28,963 ratings
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27

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4.14 avg rating — 1,605,696 ratings
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28

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4.03 avg rating — 176,502 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 176,027 ratings
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30

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4.13 avg rating — 4,383,593 ratings
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31

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 124,213 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 378,550 ratings
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32

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4.02 avg rating — 4,558,794 ratings
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34

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3.80 avg rating — 303,917 ratings
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35

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,197 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 225,323 ratings
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37

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3.83 avg rating — 1,337,581 ratings
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38

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3.92 avg rating — 162,821 ratings
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39

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3.94 avg rating — 51 ratings
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39

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3.56 avg rating — 73 ratings
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39

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3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings
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39

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4.42 avg rating — 31 ratings
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39

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3.85 avg rating — 132 ratings
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44

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3.98 avg rating — 98,904 ratings
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45

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3.90 avg rating — 2,839,191 ratings
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45

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4.50 avg rating — 18 ratings
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45

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4.06 avg rating — 81 ratings
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48

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4.17 avg rating — 54 ratings
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49

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4.01 avg rating — 1,224,774 ratings
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49

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4.05 avg rating — 135,056 ratings
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49

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4.14 avg rating — 3,335 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 7,392 ratings
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52

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3.82 avg rating — 18,169 ratings
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54

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3.85 avg rating — 93,615 ratings
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55

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3.89 avg rating — 9,345 ratings
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56

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3.91 avg rating — 296,203 ratings
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56

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4.17 avg rating — 596,923 ratings
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58

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4.33 avg rating — 14,118 ratings
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59

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3.65 avg rating — 62,435 ratings
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59

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3.88 avg rating — 515 ratings
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59

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 27 ratings
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59

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4.14 avg rating — 34,244 ratings
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63

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4.01 avg rating — 260,840 ratings
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64

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3.77 avg rating — 16,005 ratings
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64

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3.87 avg rating — 142 ratings
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64

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4.20 avg rating — 780,460 ratings
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67

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4.16 avg rating — 70 ratings
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68

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3.61 avg rating — 13,239 ratings
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69

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4.26 avg rating — 58,904 ratings
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70

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3.97 avg rating — 2,841,617 ratings
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71

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4.08 avg rating — 159,363 ratings
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71

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3.80 avg rating — 5,454 ratings
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73

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4.30 avg rating — 48,782 ratings
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74

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3.67 avg rating — 4,546 ratings
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75

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3.95 avg rating — 61,358 ratings
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76

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4.22 avg rating — 2,017,533 ratings
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77

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3.60 avg rating — 5,984 ratings
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78

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3.84 avg rating — 16,923 ratings
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78

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4.11 avg rating — 271,250 ratings
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80

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4.22 avg rating — 2,017,533 ratings
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81

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4.27 avg rating — 1,617,934 ratings
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82

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3.89 avg rating — 276,758 ratings
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83

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4.41 avg rating — 3,153,697 ratings
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84

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4.02 avg rating — 42 ratings
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84

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3.77 avg rating — 2,679 ratings
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84

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3.96 avg rating — 163,608 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 45 ratings
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84

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4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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84

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4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings
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84

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2.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
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84

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3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings
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84

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3.80 avg rating — 20 ratings
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84

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3.28 avg rating — 18 ratings
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84

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3.93 avg rating — 30,663 ratings
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84

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4.24 avg rating — 33 ratings
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84

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4.03 avg rating — 4,757 ratings
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84

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4.29 avg rating — 123,987 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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84

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3.73 avg rating — 445 ratings
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283 books · 99 voters · list created April 1st, 2013 by Jaylee (votes) .
62 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jaylee 4361 books
179 friends
Lauren 89 books
79 friends
Jensen 44 books
64 friends
Emily 323 books
1 friend
Zinnober 9 783 books
0 friends
K 59 books
0 friends
Sarah 13898 books
226 friends
Talyah 1865 books
75 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Sarah (new)

Sarah Should Divergent really be on here?


message 2: by Shelby (new)

Shelby Suderman Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . .


message 3: by Katsuyo (new)

Katsuyo Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . ."


It is, but the plot isn't. It's been a while since I read the first book, but as far as I can remember the romance is pretty separated from the main plot.


message 4: by Jaylee (new)

Jaylee Katsuyo wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . ."

It is,..."


Oh wow this is an old topic. Haha. Divergent the book has a romantic sub-plot, but it's extremely understated. Lol I made this plot in 2013 because I was an angry child sick of reading blurbs about really cool fantasy plots that just devolved into romance, and for that, I say Divergent doesn't do that at all. It's 100% about the plot.

(but also I write romance novels now and am laughing at myself that i was so Mad about this six years ago)


message 5: by Sarah (last edited Jan 29, 2019 05:55AM) (new)

Sarah Jaylee wrote: "Katsuyo wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focuse..."


I think what I was looking for was books without much or any romance at all. Which is still something I would like to find! But now I have a lot better idea why than I did six years ago...


message 6: by Dana (new)

Dana Salman "Do you immediately drop a book if the back reads something like "After [female protagonist] meets sexy mysterious bad boy...""

Probably an old list by now but that description is exactly me XD. I just want a good fantasy story, not a shallow romance. Hope I'll find something to like in this list! (Also love that The Book Thief is in the top spot!)


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