Bestsellers in English: TOP-5 modern books

23 January 2025

English-learners

Oleksandra Kulish

Book expert

Knowing English today is definitely the most important skill, without which a person is extremely limited in information consumption and development. What to say, English has become the language of international culture and has given us many outstanding works of modern literature. And it is extremely useful to read new books in the original, because it allows you to better understand the author's intention, improve your language skills and enrich your vocabulary with words that are relevant in the language environment. It also helps you get a feel for the writer's style and emotional nuances that may be lost in translation. If you are ready to dive into the world of English-language bestsellers and novelties, this article will be useful to you. We've picked out the top 5 contemporary books that will definitely appeal to you.

Things We Never Got Over - Lucy Score. A must read for those who love romance literature

A moody small-town hairdresser + a hopelessly romantic bride running away from her own wedding reception = big fights, tension, and lots of hot encounters!

Running away from her own seemingly perfect wedding, Naomi Witt finds herself in the run-down town of Nokemaw, Virginia, determined to come to the rescue of her estranged twin sister Tina.

Too bad Naomi soon realises that her ‘evil’ twin hasn't changed at all. After Tina takes Naomi's car and money, she leaves her with something unexpected: an 11-year-old niece Naomi never knew she had. Now she's stuck in a town with no job, no plan, and no home, but a whole bunch of extra responsibilities.

Knox avoids troubled women and complicated relationships with people on principle, much less romantic ones. But as Naomi's life has collapsed virtually before his eyes, he still believes her and decides to help her out of this situation. And once she stops getting into trouble, he can leave her and go back to his peaceful, solitary life.

That was his plan though, until their lives started to intertwine in ways they never thought possible....

King of Wrath - Ana Huang. Reading a captivating love novel in one breath

She's the wife he never wanted.... And his weakness. Arrogant. Calculating. Ruthless. Driven to constantly evolve. Dante Russo strives to have control over everything in both his personal life and business.

The billionaire and CEO never planned to marry until blackmail forces him into an engagement to a woman he barely knows: Vivian Lau, heiress to a jewellery brand and daughter of his new enemy.

It doesn't matter how beautiful and charming she is. He'll do anything to destroy the evidence that compromises him and break their engagement. There's only one problem: now that he has her. he can't bring himself to let her go.

Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered. Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her family's pass to the upper classes. Marriage to Rousseau will open doors for her that would otherwise remain closed to her family. Although the rude and evasive Dante is not her ideal partner, she agrees to this marriage contract out of a sense of duty. Intimacy with him was not part of her plans. Neither was the worst thing she could do: fall in love with her future husband.

King of Wrath is a passionate novel about a marriage of convenience to a billionaire. It contains explicit scenes and profanity. Recommended for adult readers only.

Shining - Stephen King. A read that will send shivers running down your spine

‘You have a special gift ... I've always called it shining. My grandmother used that word too, because she too had that ability. When I was a boy, no older than you, we would often sit in the kitchen with her, having long conversations without even opening our mouths...’

The Shining, a mystical horror novel by Stephen King, the star of the American thriller, was first published in 1977. The book instantly became a top 10 bestseller according to The New York Times.

Jack Torrance takes a job as a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in the mountains and moves there with his family. His young son Danny one day meets the cook, Dick, who convinces him that he is ‘radiant’ with the ability to see the future and the past. However, the boy begins to be followed by a mysterious ‘hotel owner’....

In 1980, cult American director Stanley Kubrick made a horror film of the same name based on The Shining. The role of Jack Torrance was played by three-time Oscar-winner Jack Nicholson. In 2013, King released a sequel to the novel called Dr Sleep.

Verity - Colleen Hoover. A must read for fans of interesting tangled stories

Oven Ashley - A writer on the brink of financial ruin when she got a chance that could have changed her life. Jeremy Crawford, husband of famous bestselling author Verity Crawford, has offered Owen the chance to complete a series of books that his paralysed wife is unable to finish.

Ouwen arrives at the Crawford home to familiarise herself with Verity's many notes, which should help to start work on the novels. However, quite by accident she finds Verity's unfinished autobiography, which hides frightening and frank confessions. It also contains memories of the night her family's lives changed forever.

Owen decides to hide the manuscript from Jeremy, realising that its contents could break him. However, as feelings begin to brew between her and Jeremy, she realises that this horrible truth could play into her hands.

Yellowface by Rebecca Quang. A must read for those who adore engrossing thriller novels

The story begins with an unexpected death. However, despite such a tragic beginning, the tension only builds with each page and leads to an unexpected finale that tightens your throat like a noose. It's a finale where catharsis intertwines with madness, and even though the final picture is presented to us in a bright light, it's still hard to be sure who is the victim and who is the villain here. As in life, there are no black and white characters in this story. There are only heroes, more or less determined, immersed in the swamp of the race for success and doused with the mud of public opinion - some less, some more....

‘Yellow Mask’ shows the publishing market, the workings of social media and the path to fulfilling dreams from a side you wouldn't want to see. Even so, you won't be able to put the book down until you've read the last page.

Reading interesting books in the original is not only a great way to spend time, but also a useful investment. Books help us to quickly expand our vocabulary in an easy and relaxed way.