The English Learner’s Book Room
Silent Honor / 600L
Vanished / 620L
Palomino / 740L
Fine Things / 740L
Kaleidoscope / 820L
Sisters / 870L
Heartbeat / 870L
Bungalow Two / 930L
Amazing Grace / 960L
H.R.H. / 990L
Mirror Image / 1040L
Coming Out / 1080L
No Greater Love / 1080L
Toxic Bachelors / 1170L
The Promise
Golden Moments
Season of Passion
Summer’s End
The Ring
Palomino
To Love Again
Remembrance
Loving
Once in a Lifetime
Crossings
A Perfect Stranger
Thurston House
Changes
Full Circle
Family Album
Secrets
Wanderlust
Zoya
Star
Daddy
Danielle Steele
Danielle Steele is well-known for her dramatic novels, She has sold more than 530 million copies of her books (as of 2005). Twenty-two of them have been adapted for television.
(The books that do not have lexile numbers are listed from earliest to latest.)
What can I read?
That’s a common question from my students. I have created The English Learner’s Book Room to help answer that question. On the Online Reading & Listening for English-learners page, I created a list of online sources for reading and listening. Now, in The English Learner’s Book Room, I have created a list of books - popular American fiction - that you can buy, borrow, or check out from a library. For more suggestions about reading, be sure to read Read to Improve Your English!
Here’s why I selected these books:
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•They have been written by a variety of popular contemporary authors.
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•If you want to buy copies, you will probably be able to find paperback (which are less expensive) or used copies
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•There are more than 10 books by each of the authors, except Tom Clancy. This makes it possible for you to practice narrow reading, reading books by the same author or on the same subject. Narrow reading helps you improve your English more quickly.
Most of these books are probably available as electronic books, for listening, through the iTunes Store or other sources.
I want to try it!
The best way to decide if a book is right (correct) for you is to try it. The “I want to try it” links will take you to an excerpt (a section, or part) - usually the first chapter - from the book. If it looks interesting and it’s easy to understand, read it!
If you have questions or comments, please send an e-mail to warren@successfulenglish.com.
Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy is one of the America’s best-selling thriller writers. Three of his novels have been made into highly successful films: The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger.
John Grisham
John Grisham was an attorney until he wrote his popular first novel, The Firm. Several of his modern legal dramas have been made into movies.
Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy is a wonderful Irish storyteller. Many of her novels are set in Ireland and tell fascinating stories about life in Ireland between World War II and today. One of her novels, Circle of Friends, was made into a movie in 1995.
Mary Higgins Clark
Mary Higgins Clark is an American author of suspense novels. She is often called the Queen of Suspense.
Robert Ludlum
American writer Robert Ludlum wrote thriller novels which have been translated into 32 different languages. Several of them have been made into popular movies.
(The books that do not have lexile numbers are listed from earliest to latest.)
Sidney Sheldon
Sheldon is best known today for his exciting blockbuster (very good or successful) suspense novels, Almost all of them have been international bestsellers. Most of them have become major movies or TV miniseries.
(The books that do not have lexile numbers are listed from earliest to latest.)
Stephen King
Stephen King is the popular author of many bestselling horror and fantasy novels. Several of them have been made into movies.
The Teeth of the Tiger - I want to try it!
Red Rabbit - I want to try it!
The Bear and the Dragon - I want to try it!
Every Man a Tiger - I want to try it!
Rainbow Six - I want to try it!
Executive Orders
Debt of Honor - I want to try it!
Without Remorse
The Sum of All Fears
Clear and Present Danger - I want to try it!
The Cardinal of the Kremlin - I want to try it!
Patriot Games - I want to try it!
Red Storm Rising
The Hunt for Red October - I want to try it!
The Partner / 790L
The Brethren / 810L
The Chamber / 810L
The Rainmaker / 830L
Bleachers / 840L
The Summons / 900L
The Runaway Jury / 930L
Tara Road / 670L
Scarlet Feather / 720L
The Glass Lake / 760L
Circle of Friends / 780L
Evening Class / 780L
Firefly Summer / 800L
The Lilac Bus / 800L
Echoes / 820L
The Return Journey / 820L
Silver Wedding / 830L
The Copper Beach / 860L
This Year It Will Be Different and Other Stories / 920L
London Transports / 930L
A Cry in the Night / 630L
A Stranger is Watching / 680L
The Cradle Will Fall / 700L
Loves Music, Loves to Dance / 740L
Stillwatch / 740L
Weep No More, My Lady / 750L
All Around the Town / 770L
I’ll Be Seeing You / 790L
Remember Me / 790L
Where are the Children? / 790L
While My Pretty One Sleeps / 820L
Silent Night / 840L
We’ll Meet Again / 840L
Before I Say Good-Bye / 870L
The Lottery Winner / 870L
Pretend You Don’t See Her / 880L
Decked / 890L
Let Me Call You Sweetheart / 900L
Moonlight Becomes You / 910L
My Gal Sunday / 920L
You Belong to Me / 920L
All Through the Night / 960L
The Long Walk 690L
The Running Man / 700L
The Gunslinger / 750L
Night Shift / 760L
The Dead Zone / 790L
Wolves of the Calla / 800L
Thinner / 820L
The Shining / 820L
Cujo / 830L
Four Past Midnight / 840L
Christine / 840L
Skeleton Crew / 840L Song of Susannah / 840L
The Drawing of the Three / 850L
Carrie / 850L
Misery / 860L
Salem’s Lot / 860L
The Tommyknockers / 860L
Hearts in Atlantis / 870L
A While My Pretty One Sleeps / 820L
Dreamcatcher; A Novel / 880L
Desperation / 880L
The Talisman / 880L
Wizard and Glass / 890L
Firestarter / 890L
Bag of Bones / 890L
Different Seasons / 890L
The Stand / 900L
The Wastelands / 900L
Needful Things / 910L
The Green Mile / 910L
The Dark Tower / 930L
Pet Cemetery / 970L
The Eyes of the Dragon / 990L
Insomnia / 1020L
Cycle of the Werewolf / 1020L
Rose Madder / 1040L
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon / 1040L
Dolores Claiborne / 1150L
Tell Me Your Dreams / 760L
Bloodline / 860L
Rage of Angels / 890L
Are You Afraid of the Dark? / 890L
The Sky is Falling / 910L
The Other Side of Midnight / 1060L
The Naked Face
A Stranger in the Mirror
Master of the Game
If Tomorrow Comes
Windmills of the Gods
The Sands of Time Memories of Midnight
The Doomsday Conspiracy
The Stars Shine Down
Nothing Lasts Forever
Morning, Noon and Night
The Best Laid Plans
The Hades Factor / 800L
The Janson Directive / 800L
The Prometheus Deception / 830L
The Bourne Legacy (Van Lustbader / 910L
The Bourne Identity / 970L
The Bourne Supremecy / 970L
The Matarese Countdown / 980L
The Bourne Betrayal (Van Lustbader) / 1000L
The Sigma Protocal / 1100L
The Tristan Betrayal / 1130L
The Scarletti Inheritance
The Osterman Weekend
The Matlock Paper
Trevayne
The Cry of the Halidon
The Rhine man Exchange
The Road to Gandolfo
The Gemini Contenders
The Chancellor Manuscript
The Holcroft Covenant
The Materese Circle
The Parsifal Mosaic
The Aquitaine Progression
The Icarus Agenda
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Road to Omaha
The Scorpio Illusion
The Apocalypse Watch
Message from Nam
Jewels
Mixed blessings
Accident
The Gift
Wings
Lightning
Five Days in Paris
The Ranch
Special Delivery
The Ghost
The Long Road Home
The Klone and I
His Bright Light
Bittersweet
Granny Dan
Irresistible Forces
The Wedding
The House on Hope Street
Journey
Lone Eagle
Leap of Faith
The Kiss
The Cottage
Sunset in St. Tropez
Answered Prayers
Dating Game
Johnny Angel
Safe Harbour
Ransom
Second Chance
Echoes
Impossible
Miracle
The House
The Pelican Brief / 660L
The Firm / 680L
The Client / 730L
A Time to Kill / 770L
The Testament / 770L
A Painted House / 780L
The Street Lawyer / 790L
