Lisa Unger's 6 favorite books you won't want to put down
The best-selling author recommends works by Charlotte Brontë, Daphne du Maurier, and more

When you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
Lisa Unger is the best-selling author of Last Girl Ghosted, Confessions on the 7:45, and many other thrillers. Her latest novel, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, follows three couples during a getaway weekend that turns harrowing.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)
I read this Gothic masterpiece too young to discern its layered commentary on feminism, class, and religion, but was transported into its whirlwind of mystery and romance, and the poignancy of Jane's coming-of-age. A strong young heroine, a brooding lord, a Gothic mansion — teen catnip. Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938)
Rebecca made me want to write thrillers. It's the foundation for a continuing theme in my work: the ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances. A young woman spontaneously marries an older widower and moves to his estate in this deftly written blend of mystery and romance. The husband's dead wife looms large, and the creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers may be one of the most memorable villains of all time. Buy it here.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1965)
Capote gave me permission to be the writer I wanted to be: someone who could explore darkness with deep empathy. The first true-crime book ever written, and groundbreaking for its unflinching exploration of the criminal mind. It's as propulsive as it is beautiful and strange. Buy it here.
The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker (1989)
This multinarrative, time-spanning masterpiece is a lyrical, enthralling examination of the African diaspora experience in America. Walker's prose always entrances, but it's her bone-deep knowledge of her characters, her gift for empathy and compassion, and her weaving of the mythical with the modern that make this book so involving. Buy it here.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (2003)
Fair warning: There are things you will not be able to unknow after reading this book. Richly researched, darkly funny, and absolutely unsentimental about all the ways in which we decay, it's a surprising and engrossing exploration of humanity. Buy it here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales (2003)
Through adventure narrative and scientific exploration, Gonzales dives into the biology and psychology of people who find themselves in extreme circumstances and survive. A unique blend: harrowing adventures, the riveting science of survival, and useful advice on how to get yourself out of all sorts of trouble. Buy it here.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
Labubu: the 'creepy' dolls sparking brawls in the shops
Craze for the pint-sized soft toys has reached fever pitch among devotees
-
The top period dramas to stream now
The Week Recommends Heaving bosoms and billowing shirts are standard fare in these historical TV classics
-
Women need more pain management during gynecological procedures
Under the radar Pain should no longer be ignored
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Amor Towles' 6 favorite books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, and more
-
Susan Page's 6 favorite books about historical figures who stood up to authority
Feature The USA Today's Washington bureau chief recommends works by Catherine Clinton, Alexei Navalny, and more
-
Ione Skye's 6 favorite books about love and loss
Feature The actress recommends works by James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more
-
Colum McCann's 6 favorite books that take place at sea
Feature The National Book Award-winning author recommends works by Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, and more
-
Max Allan Collins’ 6 favorite books that feature private detectives
Feature The mystery writer recommends works by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and more