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2005 Books

From bestselling novels to critically acclaimed works, 2005 was filled with captivating stories that have stood the test of time. In this list, we highlight the most popular books of 2005, celebrating the titles that topped the charts and won the hearts of book lovers everywhere.

Memoirs of a Geisha
Written by: Arthur Golden
Outline: This is the story of a literary sensation and a runaway bestseller.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven
Written by: Mitch Albom
Outline: This paperback edition, with flaps, of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Eddie is a veteran of World War II who feels trapped in his life fixing rides at a beach amusement park.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Written by: Susanna Clarke
Outline: Two very different magicians appear to alter England's history at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Most people are aware that the Napoleonic Wars on land and water have raged in 1806, when the majority of the population was living.
The Book Thief
Written by: Markus Zusak
Outline: In 1939 Nazi Germany, Liesel's life is transformed when she discovers a book left behind at her brother's grave, sparking her love for reading and book-stealing from various sources, including Nazi book-burnings. As her foster family hides a Jew in …
Looking for Alaska
Written by: John Green
Outline: Seeking a more meaningful existence, a young man named Miles "Odge" Halter enrolls in a boarding school, where he becomes captivated by the enigmatic and troubled Alaska Young, who introduces him to the "Great Perhaps" and forever alters the course …
The Glass Castle
Written by: Jeannette Walls
Outline: This remarkable memoir offers a vivid and complex portrait of a deeply dysfunctional yet uniquely vibrant family, where the children learned to navigate their parents' erratic behavior and ultimately forge their own path to success, even as their parents remained …
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Written by: Steven D. Levitt
Outline: Freakonomics challenges conventional wisdom by using unconventional economic analysis to explore the hidden side of everyday life, from crime and parenting to real estate and politics. Through compelling storytelling and insightful observations, the book demonstrates that economics is the study …
Never Let Me Go
Written by: Kazuo Ishiguro
Outline: Hailsham, an English boarding school, appears idyllic, but its students are sheltered from the outside world and unaware of the school's true purpose. As Kathy and her friends leave the safety of Hailsham, they uncover the profound truth about the …
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Written by: Malcolm Gladwell
Outline: Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" revolutionizes our understanding of decision-making, revealing that the best decisions often arise from rapid, intuitive judgments rather than extensive deliberation. The book explores the science behind "thin-slicing," the ability to make accurate assessments based on limited information, …
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Written by: Kim Edwards
Outline: In 1964, a doctor is forced to deliver his own twins during a blizzard. Upon realizing his daughter has Down's Syndrome, he makes a split-second decision to have her taken away, unbeknownst to his wife, leading to a quarter-century-long story …
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Written by: Jonathan Safran Foer
Outline: Oskar, a nine-year-old boy, discovers a key belonging to his father, who died in 9/11, and embarks on a quest across New York's five boroughs to uncover the mystery behind the key, which leads him to explore the lives of …