8 of 19
The Road
287 pages; Vintage Books
Why We Love It: McCarthy's masterpiece about a post-apocalyptic world is both terrifying and tender. While he doesn't flinch at showing us our most destructive impulses, he also gives us reason to hope.

The Sequel: The novel ends perfectly—and yes, we know we shouldn't ask for more. But we can't help it. We still want to know what happens next to the boy with his adopted new family in his shattered world.
— Dawn Raffel