City of Thieves

A perfect split between absolutely grim and beautifully uplifting– my face was glued to this story as I yearned for it to unfold. Benioff did an amazing job with the pacing, the characters, and the perfect level of detail.

While this certainly falls under the category of historical fiction, I think it would appeal to both fans and enemies of the genre. At its core, it's just a great story with suspense, drama, and comedy. And I'm sure it even counts as learning about of the Siege of Leningrad, although you won't find any of the historical detail boring.

For those on the fence, I would highly recommend just giving it a try. City of Thieves just has a way of pulling you in and the characters are so genuine that I found myself hearing their laughter, feeling their hunger, and thinking of my own way out of their unique situations. You won't be able to predict where the story goes at any point.

I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of Benioff's work!