Keeping the reader at the edge of his seat while telling a really decent story is one of the most difficult forms of art to master. However, there are books out there that achieve this; they make the ordinary world fade into the background and cease to exist in your consciousness.

Bright Side has chosen the most fascinating books that will evoke incredible emotions and leave a pleasant aftertaste.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield It’s a fantastic gothic suspense novel with an old gloomy mansion, family secrets, ghosts, tangled fates, and mystery. The plot, atmosphere, characters, language, and style of the novel are absolutely wonderful. Sleepless night is guaranteed!

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan It’s a story about a euthanasia pact between two friends — a successful editor in chief of the popular daily newspaper, and a famous composer working on the ’’Symphony of the Millennium’’. They arrange to kill each other in case one of them loses his consciousness and is no longer able to control himself. It’s a refined and fascinating novel about how easily a person, along with his superhuman strength, can destroy everything around him.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyby Douglas Adams This book will hook you right from the beginning. It’s probably as adventurous and unbelievable as a real journey through the galaxy. It’s filled with tons of humor and sarcastic wit. Read it and hitchhike in space!

The Collector by John Fowles The novel is about a lonely young man, Frederick Clegg, who collects butterflies and is secretly obsessed with a beautiful stranger, Miranda Grey. Frederick wins the lottery, but he doesn’t know how to handle this large sum of money. The author shows the conflict between Good and Evil — between an idealistic young woman studying art in London and a startlingly ordinary young man.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen It’s a classic, timeless, and empowering novel that literally excels in every aspect. It’s not a women’s book, not at all. Every thought and every phrase is delivered gracefully with great exactitude. After having such a positive experience, it’s so difficult to come back from good old England, with its epic passions and cozy interiors, to our gray noisy modernity. You simply want to stay there, in the 19th century, forever.

The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes Billy wakes up in the morning and finds himself in a prison cell. As it turns out, he is accused of a rape and robbery. Billy is shocked — he hasn’t committed any crime. The last thing he remembers is how he was about to jump off the roof of the school building. Billy gets more terrified when he learns that it happened 7 years ago.

Memories of My Melancholy Whoresby Gabriel García Márquez It’s one of those books that will definitely take you away from reality. You will finish the last page, close it, and ask yourself -’’What the hell did I just read?’’ It’s a true, poignant, yet sad story about life and love — random, false, late, and the most fatal love, which allows a person to get the glimpse of the real world.

The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King Whenever you underestimate the power of the human spirit, just open this book and start reading it attentively. It’s a story about an innocent man who was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. You will be captivated by S. King’s excellent depiction of eternal hope, spirit, and redemption.