8 Books to Read on the Subway

The birds in the aviary scare 12-year-old Clara, who lives in the mansion of a magician's widow. One day, a mynah bird speaks to her, and dark secrets about the family begin to come undone. The Aviary was described by one Amazon user as "suspenseful, mysterious, [and with] charming characters."

Fifteen-year-old Bee's best friend is her mother, Bernadette, a notorious and opinionated architect. And then Bernadette disappears right around the time Bee and her family are set to take a trip to Antarctica after exhibiting increasingly erratic behavior. Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a clever and comedic page-turner.

The survival book Salt to the Sea centers on World War II in East Prussia, where thousands are battling for their freedom. Three refugees — Joana, Emilia, and Florian — cross paths on one fateful ship, the Wilhelm Gustloff. You'll be swept up in this smart, affecting YA tale.

Red Sparrow is a spy thriller centering on Dominika Egorova, a trained seductress in the post-Soviet intelligence bureaucracy, and Nathaniel Nash, a CIA officer who controls the agency's insight of Russian intelligence. Their forbidden romance and corrupted games ultimately lead to a gut-wrenching climax.

Described by one Amazon user as a "fairytale for grown-ups," the brilliant fantasy novel Stardust follows the story of Tristran, who promises to find a fallen star for his beloved. His voyage leads him to a magical world that lies just beyond England.

Broken up in journal entries spanning over the course of the year, Life as We Knew It is an exhilarating apocalyptic read. After an asteroid propels the moon closer to Earth, disaster breaks out, and the Summer turns dark. Will high school sophomore Miranda and her family lose hope?

In The Passenger, fugitive Tanya flees after her husband falls down the stairs and dies suddenly. With ever-changing identities, Tanya bounces from city to city as she runs from her haunting past. One Goodreads reviewer says she "devoured this book."

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry depicts the tale of a lonely bookstore owner who's a little down on his luck. Suddenly, a perplexing package arrives at the bookstore . . . and it possesses the power to change everything for one A.J. Fikry.