While finding books without romance is a bit difficult, there are just stories that don’t need romantical elements to make them great. Some of the following books may include hints of romance (I wish I could remember everything about my past reads), but by no means does romance first come to mind when I consider these works.

City of Thieves by David Benioff– City of Thieves is a historical fiction novel set during World War II. I read City of Thieves last summer, and I consider it one of my favorite WWII books because of its unique plot. Taking place in Russia, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting, earning a spot in jail next to deserter Kolya. Instead of being executed, Kolya and Lev are given a task: find a dozen eggs for a Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake.

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab– One of my favorite books of 2017, I was sold on picking up This Savage Song because there is no romance in it. Yay girl-boy friendship! This Savage Song takes place in a city divided not only by a wall, but monsters. Kate, the darling of North, wishes to be as commanding and threatening as her father. August, on the other hand, wishes to be anything but the monster he is.

Radio Silence of Alice Oseman– Another one of my favorite reads of 2017, Radio Silence contains the slightest bit of romance (there’s discussion about past crushes and the development of some new ones, if I recall correctly), but romance is the last topic I think about when it comes to this book. When she’s not focusing on getting into one of England’s elite universities, Frances spends her time drawing fanart for her favorite Youtube podcast. When the creator of the podcast, not to mention her next door neighbor, Aled, asks her to do artwork for the show, Frances gets to finally experience true friendship.

One by Sarah Crossan– Sisters Grace and Tippi may share some things with one another that you may not share with your siblings, such as a body. Grace and Tippi are conjoined twins and while life hasn’t been exactly easy for the past sixteen years, they’ve got a pretty good hang of it for their situation. But when a major operation begins to come up, Tippi and Grace must face the most impossible choice of their lives.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr– A book that deserves all the hype it gets, All the Light We Cannot takes place in occupied France during World War II. Blind since she was six years old, Marie Laure’s father has a miniature of their neighborhood in Paris for his daughter, so she can navigate herself through the city. When the Nazis occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo, meeting the path of Werner. Werner is an expert with technology, causing him to rise up at his Hitler Youth academy and earn a spot fighting the Allied resistance. All the Light We Cannot See features such beautiful writing and charcters, in addition to teaching readers more about the WWII period.

Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.

Have you read any of these books? Share in the comments!