Book cover of The Hero of This Book

Book description

Named a Top Ten Best Book of the Year by Time and People

Named a Best Book of the Year by: Washington Post * Kirkus Reviews * New Yorker * Chicago Public Library * NPR * Oprah Daily * Philadelphia Enquirer

A taut, groundbreaking new novel from bestselling and award-winning…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Hero of This Book as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I’d had this book for a while – I loved McCracken’s previous work - but hadn’t read it because my sister fell ill, and I didn’t feel that I could deal with a book that talked about death. And then my sister died, and I picked the book up, and I couldn’t have made a better choice.

Some books are just necessary, and this one, so perfectly pitched it moved from pain to aphorism to a hard-won and never flippant wit, was the right book at the right time.

I tweeted how much I loved it, and the author replied,…

If you love The Hero of This Book...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like The Hero of This Book?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Hero of This Book.

Browse books like The Hero of This Book

Book cover of A Quiet Retreat
Book cover of The Violet Hour
Book cover of Clap When You Land

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

165

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Hero of This Book, you might also like...

Book cover of The Tao of Poison

The Tao of Poison by Isham Cook,

A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.

The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…

Book cover of Big Ideas... For Small Businesses: Simple, Practical Tools and Tactics to Help Your Small Business Grow

Big Ideas... For Small Businesses by John Lamerton,

Big Ideas… for Small Businesses is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guide to growing a small business without sacrificing your lifestyle. Written by a former civil servant turned entrepreneur, the book challenges hustle culture and instead champions the idea of an "ambitious lifestyle business" - one that provides freedom and financial stability,…

5 book lists we think you will like!