Rachel Joyce’s Books Ranked

Rachel Joyce is one of my favorite authors. Her books are not for the faint hearted however, and while she is one of the authors I most recommend, I absolutely do not recommend reading any of her books when you are at a low point as their sadness can be not only contagious, but also consuming. All that aside you won’t find an author to better get in your brain. Here is my definitive ranking of her American works, (I believe she has more released overseas, but these are the only ones I have been able to get my hands on here). We have all of Rachel Joyce’s books ranked so you can see where to begin.

1./6. Perfect

I actually waffle back and forth between thinking this is her greatest work and her worst. This book has affected me more than most. Because it is so hauntingly beautiful, most days I think it is her best. On days when the book comes to mind and I am not in the best mood it falls all the way to the bottom. I have a strong love/hate relationship with this book. Read it, you will soon know why.

Find our review for Perfect here: Perfect by Rachel Joyce – Wish You Would Have

Find our Quick Peak for Perfect here: Perfect – Quick Peak – Wish You Would Have

2./1. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Most days this book, when not favored by Perfect, is my favorite of hers. The story is so well thought out. I love walking as a big form of stress relief. This book is about walking and how the tiny choices we make over the course of a life shape ours is so cathartic.

3. The Love Song of Queenie Hennessey

If you loved reading about Harold Fry this book is a must read. The book follows his journey, and their journey together from Queenie’s perspective. It adds so much more meaning and insight into their relationship and lives. It is really is just the perfect sequel. This book would rank higher, but because it relies heavily on the Unlikely Pilgrimage it opens up the Godfather/Godfather 2 paradigm so for simplicity I have placed it here beneath the original.

4. The Music Shop

As avid music fan myself, I appreciate how this book evoked the emotional ties to music and how it can be a salve or trigger for heartbreak. I did find some of the situations lacked plausibility as compared to her other works, but it was such an enjoyable read even low on the list it is a great recommendation.

5. Miss Benson’s Beetle

I wanted so badly to love this book as much as all her others. I do think it is a beautifully written book, and I appreciate the unexpected love story. It is very reminiscent of The Signature of All Things, and unfortunately I happen to like Signature better, however, if I had never read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, this work would be even more appreciated. Some characters were a bit grating, and others lacked Joyce’s traditional well rounded character development. Still all things considered the writing is still far superior to that of many comparable authors.

No matter which one you pick up, or in which order, I think you will find such heart and soul in each of them, you really can’t go wrong.

Let us know how we did, do you agree with how Rachel Joyce’s books ranked? Please respond in the comments, we love hearing from you!