Reading John Grisham books in order could be exactly what you need to reignite your love for reading. Grisham’s books captivate readers so much that they have been translated into close to 50 languages!
In addition, he is the author of 47 bestsellers.
Reading Grisham’s books will introduce you to quality:
- Writing
- Plots
- Character arcs
Just as spending time around individuals you want to emulate eventually rubs off, reading the writing of authors you respect influences your writing. He is a household name, so reading his books is a fantastic step to take your creative writing to new heights.
John Grisham Books In Order: What’s Covered
- Is There An Order To Read John Grisham Books?
- What Is John Grisham’s Latest Novel Called?
- How Many Books Has John Grisham Written?
- John Grisham Books In Order: About The Author
Is There An Order To Read John Grisham Books?
While you will want to read John Grisham’s books in order as far as his series are concerned, you may want to read in order of publication date as well. One helpful aspect of reading a specific author over time is learning from their growth in creative writing.
You may want to read Grisham’s first work, then his last, simply to compare the two. After you do so, consider working your way through his entire list. Start in 1989 with A Time To Kill and read your way up to his most recent book. If you want to learn how to write a thriller, or a work of suspense, Grisham’s list is for you.
John Grisham Books In Order
Read the following list for John Grisham books in order, according to publication date.
- 1989: A Time to Kill
- 1991: The Firm, 1991
- 1992: The Pelican Brief
- 1993: The Client
- 1994: The Chamber
- 1995: The Rainmaker
- 1996: The Runaway Jury
- 1997: The Partner
- 1998: The Street Lawyer
- 1999: The Testament
- 2000: The Brethren
- 2001: A Painted House, Skipping Christmas
- 2002: The Summons
- 2003: The King of Torts, Bleachers
- 2004: The Last Juror
- 2005: The Broker
- 2006: The Innocent Man
- 2007: Playing for Pizza
- 2008: The Appeal
- 2009: The Associate, Ford County
- 2010: Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, The Confession
- 2011: Theodore Boone: The Abduction, The Litigators
- 2012: Theodore Boone: The Accused, Calico Joe, The Racketeer
- 2013: Theodore Boone: The Activist, Sycamore Row
- 2014: Gray Mountain
- 2015: Theodore Boone: The Fugitive, Rogue Lawyer
- 2016: Partners, a Rogue Lawyer short story; Theodore Boone: The Scandal; The Whistler; The Tumor
- 2017: Camino Island, The Rooster Bar
- 2018: The Reckoning
- 2019: The Guardians; Theodore Boone: The Accomplice
- 2020: Camino Winds, A Time for Mercy
- 2021: Sooley, The Judge’s List
- 2022: The Boys from Biloxi, Sparring Partners
- 2023: The Exchange
- 2024: Fourteen Days
Whew, you made it through all of John Grisham’s books in order! Did you notice that some years he turned out more than one book? It’s also helpful to notice that even during his Theodore Boone series, he took time to stretch his creative capacities in other ways, such as with Gray Mountain.
Don’t let his extensive list of titles fool you though. John Grisham had a career as a lawyer until his second novel took off in 1990.
Grisham’s background in law uniquely equipped him to write legal thrillers and suspense novels.
As you work through John Grisham’s books, you will quickly notice that suspense and thriller dominate his works. Many authors tend to reside in a specific sub-genre or two. The old adage, write what you know, plays a key role in this. If you enjoy writing in this genre, reading Grisham and other great thriller novels will greatly help you.
What Is John Grisham’s Latest Novel Called?
In the fall of 2023 Doubleday (part of Penguin Random House) published The Exchange. For devoted fans, this novel is momentous. Not only is it yet another legal thriller to keep readers up at night, but it’s the sequel to Grishams’ second book, The Firm.
John Grisham’s publisher, Suzanne Herz, said the following:
“To have John Grisham’s 49th book return to the world of Mitch and Abby McDeere is truly a full-circle moment. Over thirty years ago John crafted a brilliant thriller. The Firm defined the legal thriller genre and has stood the test of time.”
Imagine writing the sequel to the novel that made you a full-time writer…three decades after the fact. This may just warrant devouring these two books back to back.
How Many Books Has John Grisham Written?
The Exchange was John Grisham’s 49th book, but his writing will also appear in a novel titled Fourteen Days. Scheduled to release in February of 2024, Fourteen Days begins one week into the COVID-19 lockdown.
This serialized novel boasts contributing authors such as:
- Margaret Atwood
- Pat Cummings
- R.L. Stine
Many other authors contributed to this novel. This 50th book with Grisham’s name on it breaks free of his thriller genre and the underlying tone is remarkable.
Described as a “dazzling, heartwarming, and ultimately surprising narrative, Fourteen Days reveals how beneath the horrible loss and suffering, some communities managed to become stronger.” If you’re as successful as John Grisham, breaking the genre mold is a creative liberty you can take, and he often does.
Remember that the quantity of books published does not trump the quality of books published.
While John Grisham’s number of published works is staggering, his number of bestsellers goes to show that quality is more important than quantity.
How does he accomplish this feat? Starting out, he rose as early as 5am to write. Grisham’s advice? “Nothing will happen until you are producing at least one page per day.”
Writers are writers because they write. If you aspire to follow the path John Grisham took, prepare to devote yourself to the writing craft every day.
John Grisham Books: About The Author
Learning a bit about the author whose characters you spend so much time with can be a fun, behind-the-scenes moment. Plus, the more you know about the authors you admire, the better you can prepare for your own author success.
Here are a few fun facts about John Grisham:
- A Time For Mercy is being developed as a limited series by HBO
- Grisham earned the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, twice
- He won the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction
- John Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries
- Many of Grisham’s fiction titles explore deep-seated problems in the criminal justice system
- Once a lawyer, Grisham now lives in Virginia on a farm
Perhaps one of the reasons Grisham’s books sell so well is because they tackle timely issues while keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Despite this, he balances his thriller writing out by living on a peaceful farm. Did any of these facts surprise you?
Take Your Next Author Step Today
In summary, reading John Grisham books in order can teach you many writing techniques, including:
- Discovering what is a character foil
- Learning various genre conventions
- Growing in how to analyze a character
To help you on your journey, we encourage you to check out the free resource below. This handbook has helped over a thousand fiction authors on their way to writing their novel!
