“When I finished it, my wife asked me what was wrong and why I was crying. I just went to sit in the backyard to appreciate flowers and birds and butterflies.”

As a Senior Editor at BuzzFeed, I cover lifestyle topics including books, work and money, health, and home.

"I sobbed through the last 20 pages or so of The Song of Achilles."

"It hit so close to home for me that I couldn’t read the whole thing, and though the writing is beautiful, I still can’t read it. Maybe someday."

"The first book was my favorite of this series. A lot of heavy crying near the end of that one."

"That last line. I was fine til then, but that killed me."

"I am not a crier, and I UGLY cried for 30 minutes. I think about this book often."

"I was the fastest reader in class when we read this. The teacher had us read the last chapter or so silently, so I got to sit there sniffling solo for a few minutes. Then, I could hear the gasps and tears when each classmate got there."

"Don’t even talk to me about that book. I was ugly crying, sobbing, hyperventilating, reading that book. I knew what was going to happen the whole time and still sobbed my whole heart out."

"Backman quickly became a favorite for me. I recently reread this one, and my husband kept asking why I was laughing out loud. Well, old men are funny, and Backman is a great writer! It does also make me cry, but the bar isn't very high."

"DO NOT FINISH THIS IN PUBLIC!!! I was finishing this on a plane and had to stop multiple times to compose myself and stifle my sobs."

"I just reread this in the last month. I KNOW how it ends. Still cried."

"In high school, we read it as a class, and we were taking turns reading it out loud. We read the last chapter together, and my teacher picked me to narrate Lennie’s lines. I ended up crying so hysterically that I couldn’t get the words out, and my teacher had to take over for me."

"I still remember crying rivers over the book, and it’s been ages, and I’m a prolific reader. Normally, I like to reread books that made me emotional and are unforgettable. Haven’t quite found the courage to pick it up again."

"This book had me crying so much I had to take a break because I couldn’t see through my tears to read, and I was quite young when I read it (mid-20s, I think). For me, it was about the character. I’m sure I’d cry even harder if I read it now (if that’s possible)."

"I read it 10 years ago, and it still sticks with me."

"I read it all in one Saturday when all my roommates went home for the weekend and cried all by my lonesome."

"I felt the impact of a particular sentence on a visceral level and still remember that line over a decade later."

"Anne of Green Gables has me surprisingly emotional re-reading it as an adult."

"I recently listened to this one on Audible, and it was such a different experience than it had been when I was a child. I was especially drawn to Marilla’s story."

"Can confirm, The River Is Waiting absolutely had me sobbing! Not only because of the story itself, but it also did a really good job at relating to things in my own life regarding suffering and forgiveness. I was up til 2 a.m. 'cuz I couldn’t stop. Then I spent another 30 minutes crying before I could sleep, lol. Totally worth it though!"

"I have a very fond memory of reading this on a beach in Spain and absolutely losing it, sobbing on the last chapter. Finished it, wiped my tears, and looked up to find a group of teenage boys staring at me, absolutely flabbergasted."

"Me too. Such a fantastic book and a truly harrowing story. I kept wanting to stop reading and couldn’t bring myself to. When I finished it, my wife asked me what was wrong and why I was crying. I just went to sit in the backyard to appreciate flowers and birds and butterflies."