Our mystery heroes like Patterson, Evanovich, Grisham and Baldacci impressed us with their 2015 titles. Anthony Doerr with All the Light We Cannot See and Nicholas Sparks with See Me crushed it. Young adult fiction continued to bring out of this world reading to the masses. Six fiction titles stood out at Bookmans Grant with the most customer requests. Not only did you want to read these six books, we read them ourselves. When a crew of readers immerse themselves in the same book, writers, editors and publishers did something right. We encourage you to pick up one of these titles from Bookmans Grant’s Most Requested Fiction of 2015 list.

Bookmans Grant's Most Requested Fiction of 2015

The Martian by Andy Weir
One of the most realistic depictions of a Mars catastrophe, this book had us on the edge of our seats the whole read. The book can be a bit technical as it describes how the main character, Mark Watney, uses the few materials he has at hand to survive the harsh winds, atmospheric pressure and lack of oxygen and food in hopes to survive Mars and get back home to Earth. Watney’s humorous demeanor has us laughing one on page while the dire circumstances of his situation leaves us almost without hope on another. A thoroughly original story, there’s no Mars read like this one.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Another story that kept us flipping pages until the end, The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller that will keep you up late at night racing to find out what happens. If you’re not typically a fan of mysteries, let this be your one and only. Rachel commutes to London on the same train day after day seeing the same things and making the same stops. She invents stories about the people she sees and even begins to name them as she allows their stories to distract her from the continual pattern of life. Then she sees something that disrupts her view and brings her fantastical stories to an abrupt stop. The characters in this story keep readers guessing as we are wrapped up in a tornado of confusion and tension.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
This is a perfect tale for history buffs, especially those with a deep fascination with WWII and stories of survival. The lesser told experience of the home front, The Nightingale focuses on the women of the war–the wives, sisters and daughters left behind to keep things running. Vianne Mauriac is the perfect citizen, wife and sister until the Nazis invade France and her world turns upside down. With a husband who goes to fight and a sister who joins the rebellion, the emotion is this novel runs so high readers carry a physical weight on our chests. The Nightingale is an utterly compelling story of the power of women, war and love.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
The best of Stephen King comes in this book of short stories. With the New Year ahead of us and the old almost past, there’s no better time to read this collection as most of the stories revolve around morality, death and the beyond. The story Dune is especially compelling. An older gentleman revisits the dunes of an island his family has owned for ages. Growing up hearing Blackbeard’s treasures might be buried there, he spends countless hours scouring the beaches. One day when he finds names written in the sand, names of people who seem to die within a month. One unfortunate day he finds a name he recognizes. What must he do then?

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz
Our girl is back! Even better, we read more about her long lost sister who didn’t get full recognition in the first three books. The writing isn’t Larson but the characters continue to have the same appeal and the suspense is much like the originals. If you read Girl with a Dragon Tattoo and the following two, you’ll continue to love the plot as it includes everything we love about the others. If you have been hesitant to pick this continuation up, hesitate no more!

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
Another heart warmer by Albom, this one tells the tale of a boy sent to America after battling the harsh realities of orphaned life. He has one possession–a guitar with six magical strings. The profound power of music is evident even when it has no magical elements, but when Frankie realizes the strings to his guitar can affect people beyond the ordinary, he sets out on the life-long adventure of a pop star celebrity. We won’t give too much away, but we’d love to know what you would do with this power? Frankie is relatable and likable. His story brings a smile to readers’ faces as the book comes to a close. This is a must read for anyone with extreme empathy and a love for music.

Naturally authors and titles we loved in 2015 didn’t make this list, but this is your list based on customer requests. We think you did an excellent job. We know you have more suggestions for the best fiction of 2015, so please tell us in the comments. More importantly, if one of these titles sparked something in you, call us! We’d love to put a copy on hold for you and then bombard you with questions when you’ve finished reading it. There’s nothing like spreading the joy of a great book. We look forward to 2016 and the countless hours we will spend behind the pages of a great story.

* Bookmans is your store to explore. If you are looking for a particular book, please give us a call and we will check our shelves for you. Otherwise, we hope you will come and browse.