If you’re taking part in the A to Z Reading Challenge, some letters are easy (“S” could keep you reading for years), while others—like U—require a little more hunting. Luckily, there’s no shortage of excellent reads starting with “U,” covering everything from pulse-pounding thrillers to heartfelt literary fiction.
Below is a carefully curated list of standout books that start with the letter U, complete with genre details so you can pick your perfect match.
1. An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena – Mystery/Thriller
A snowstorm traps guests in a remote inn, and when someone turns up dead, the weekend getaway turns deadly. A classic locked-room mystery with modern twists.
An Unwanted Guest: A Novel
A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away
2. Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey – Suspense/Thriller
Inspired by true events, this dark small-town thriller follows a young girl navigating disturbing secrets and danger lurking too close to home.
Unspeakable Things
A heart-pounding novel of suspense about a small Minnesota community where nothing is as quiet―or as safe―as it seems.
3. The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline – Domestic Suspense/Drama
Secrets and lies threaten to upend lives in this tense, emotional family drama steeped in suspense.
The Unraveling of Julia
An international bestselling author crafts a gothic “thriller with dashes of romance and excellent twists!” (Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author) in which a young widow inherits a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor and finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy—twisty, transportive, and haunting, this is suspense with a passport.
4. Unmissing by Minka Kent – Psychological Thriller
A woman believed dead suddenly returns, shattering her husband’s new life and unraveling a web of lies.
Unmissing: A Thriller
A return from the past knocks a family dangerously off-balance in a novel of spiraling suspense by Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Minka Kent.
5. Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett – Literary Fiction/Magical Realism
A quirky and poignant tale of a woman caring for her dying father, blending humor, grief, and a touch of magic.
Unlikely Animals: A Novel
A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strangest of circumstances in this one-of-a-kind novel of life, death, and whatever comes after from the acclaimed author of Rabbit Cake.
6. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune – Fantasy/Magical Realism
A heartfelt, whimsical afterlife tale about a man given one last chance to truly live.
Under the Whispering Door
Welcome to Charon’s Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.
7. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer – True Crime/Nonfiction
A gripping exploration of faith, fundamentalism, and a shocking murder in a religious community.
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities.
8. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri – Short Stories/Literary Fiction
A stunning collection exploring family, love, and cultural identity across generations.
Unaccustomed Earth (Vintage Contemporaries)
These eight stories take us from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand, as they explore the secrets at the heart of family life.
9. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand – YA Paranormal Romance
A part-angel teenager struggles to understand her destiny in this first installment of a beloved YA series.
Unearthly (Unearthly, 1)
When Clara Gardner learns she’s part angel, her entire life changes.
10. Until the End of Time by Danielle Steel – Romance/Family Saga
A sweeping love story about soulmates separated by time but bound by fate.
Until the End of Time: A Novel
Two couples, four decades apart. One believes that if lovers die, they find each other again in another life. Or perhaps they wind up as stars side by side in the sky, together forever. Who knows how it really ends? Danielle Steel presents the poignant story of two parallel destinies, and the kind of love we all hope will be everlasting.
11. Unbound by Tarana Burke – Memoir/Social Justice
The founder of the Me Too movement shares her powerful personal story of survival, healing, and activism.
Unbound
From the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the “me too” movement, Tarana Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her own journey to saying those two simple yet infinitely powerful words―me too―and how she brought empathy back to an entire generation in one of the largest cultural events in American history.
12. Under the Skin by Michel Faber – Science Fiction/Psychological Thriller
A haunting, surreal story about a mysterious woman driving the Scottish Highlands, laced with unsettling secrets.
Under the Skin: A Novel
Under the Skin takes us on a heart-thumping ride through dangerous territory—our own moral instincts and the boundaries of compassion.
13. Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman – Memoir
A riveting account of escaping a strict Hasidic Jewish community and forging a new life of independence.
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots
Remarkable and fascinating, this “sensitive and memorable coming-of-age story” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is one you won’t be able to put down.
14. Underworld by Don DeLillo – Literary Fiction/Historical
A sprawling, ambitious novel weaving together decades of American history, art, and culture.
Underworld: A Novel
It opens with a legendary baseball game played between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants in 1951.
Final Thoughts
Whether your tastes lean toward high-stakes mysteries, moving memoirs, or literary explorations, these “U” books will make checking off this letter in the A to Z Reading Challenge a breeze. You might even find yourself adding a few extra to your TBR stack—because with “U,” the unexpected is half the fun.
