From YA to adult, fiction to nonfiction, this list will help you navigate through John Green's fantastic books
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Here’s How to Read All of John Green’s Books in Order
Published on Feb. 26, 2025
On Sale
Looking for Alaska
Release date: 2005
Looking for Alaska takes place at a boarding school in Alabama where Miles, a socially awkward Floridian with a passion for famous last words, is the newest member of the student body. He finds a group of friends he really clicks with and develops a major crush on the mysterious Alaska Young. Green’s first book captures his love of language and his passion for writing smart, witty teenage characters.
The novel has been landing on banned book lists since it was first published—it made Pen America’s list of the 10 most banned books in the country in 2024, nearly two decades after it first hit shelves. Don’t let that dissuade you. Whether you’re reading John Green books in order or just picking from his best, this is a worthy introduction to the author’s oeuvre.
On Sale
An Abundance of Katherines
Release Date: 2006
The only of Green’s solo novels not to get the film or TV treatment, An Abundance of Katherines is, in my humble opinion, Green’s best book to date. Full of footnotes for fun facts and humorous asides, this young adult novel tells the story of Colin, a former child prodigy, as he embarks on a road trip to try to get over a bad breakup. A bad breakup that, it’s worth noting, marks the 19th time a girl named Katherine has dumped him.
Let It Snow
Release Date: 2008
Green collaborated on Let It Snow, a young adult holiday romance, with two other YA powerhouses, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. The novel, which was made into a Netflix film, has something for romance fans, those who are more interested in the com than the rom and, of course, readers who will check out any book that promises some holiday magic.
Looking for your next great book? Read four of today’s most compelling novels in the time it takes to read one with Fiction Favorites. And be sure to join the community!
On Sale
Paper Towns
Release Date: 2008
Possibly Green’s most misunderstood novel, Paper Towns is an examination of the manic pixie dream girl archetype. After spending a night of intrigue with the mysterious Margo, Q thinks he’s finally made a connection with his crush. So it only makes sense that when she goes missing, he’ll start looking for her. What results is a wild ride (literally) to a town that doesn’t exist. Between poignant moments and smart references, Green delivers a laugh-out-loud funny story. Go ahead and watch the 2015 film, but know that the book is much better (and worth reading first).
On Sale
Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Release Date: 2010
Green’s second collaboration is a duel-perspective novel co-authored with David Levithan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a funny book about two teens who happen to share the same name. As they try to figure out what matters most in their friendships and relationships, life keeps bringing them closer together. The book has one of the most inventive YA spinoffs of the past decade: Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story, the second entry in this YA book series, is written in the style of a script for a musical.
On Sale
The Fault in Our Stars
Release Date: 2012
The book that catapulted Green from fame in the young adult world to the kind of fame that saw him land on Time‘s list of the 100 most influential people, The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel Grace, a teenager battling terminal cancer. At her mom’s insistence, she joins a support group for other teens with cancer, where she meets the charming Augustus Waters. Their love story is as beautiful and sad as you’d expect. Go into this tearjerker of a book expecting to be moved … and reliant on your tissue box.
On Sale
Turtles All the Way Down
Release Date: 2017
After waiting five long years after the release of The Fault in Our Stars, Green fans were rewarded with one of the author’s most personal works. Turtles All the Way Down follows Aza as she attempts to solve the mystery of a missing billionaire, whose recovery would come with a hefty reward. The novel is also an exploration and reflection of what it’s like to live with mental illness, specifically OCD.
On Sale
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
Release Date: 2021
Based on the podcast of the same name, The Anthropocene Reviewed is Green’s first book for adults and first nonfiction title. This collection of over 40 essays will still appeal to fans of Green’s novels—his trademark wit and penchant for both irreverence and sincerity in a single sentence remain very present in this book. With topics ranging from air conditioning to the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, there’s something for everyone and countless opportunities to learn new things.
On Sale
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
Release Date: 2025
Green’s latest book continues to expand his nonfiction and adult bibliographies. Everything Is Tuberculosis is a deep dive into TB and the impact it continues to have on communities throughout the globe. Green has spoken about the inspiration for the book: meeting a young man named Henry (the same name as Green’s son) who suffers from TB in Sierra Leone. Realizing the disease was not an illness of the past but something that was still very present in millions of people’s lives inspired Green to pore over the research.
If you’ve embarked on a quest to read John Green books in order, this one should be ready for you when you’re done—it hits shelves on March 18.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more books, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece on John Green books in order, Molly Horan tapped her experience as an adjunct professor of literature at New York University Gallatin School and a book reviewer specializing in children’s literature and graphic novels to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Indianapolis Monthly: “John Green Makes TIME’s Most Influential People List”
- Vlogbrothers: “My New Book: Everything Is Tuberculosis”
