good book

English

Noun

good book (plural good books)

1. Synonym of good books (“favorable regard; good graces”)
   • 1997, Spy, page 54:

     Hellish as it is for an employee to feel Galotti's wrath, being in his good book is no picnic, either.

   • 2010, Nalini Singh, Play of Passion, Penguin, →ISBN:

     “Going all he-man on her isn't exactly going to put you in her good book.” He blinked. “You have eyes in the back of your head now?” A beatific smile.

   • 2012, David Pawson, JESUS: The Seven Wonders of HIStory, Anchor Recordings Ltd.

     ... and then, because Jesus died for you and paid for your sin already, you can be acquitted, justified in God's sight, put in his good book.

   • 2014, Yingtien A. Shih, Bleating in Southern California: Confucius, Lao-Tzu, M. Twain, O. Wilde, Etc., Andy Shih, page 226:

     We've got to lick the big boss's boots so that we'll be in his good book. For survival we have to be Sunday saint and everyday sinner.

   • 2016, Pamela Yaye, Seduced by the Mogul, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 183:

     A smile brightened her face, and Dante knew he was back in her good book. “Are you taking me to the opera?” she asked. Now it was his turn to frown.

   • 2021, Capt. Zainal Abdin Yahaya (R) pck, Not a Failure... Just a Hiccup: From Bodyguard to Senior Vice-President, Partridge Publishing Singapore (→ISBN):

     These two criteria had given me a slight advantage over others, and maybe because of this, I was one of the staff listed in her good book.

2. Alternative letter-case form of Good Book (“the Christian Bible”)
   • 1835, Museum of Foreign Literature, Science and Art, page 45:

     And ever take Give not your soul to vain philosophy: / In his good book delight; there lies / The drooping Christian at the hour of death […]

   • 1837, The House of Lords, page 31:

     Now our Indian children can read the good book.
     167. In consequence of the introduction of the gospel, I suppose your tribe have relinquished […]

   • 2017, Andrew Blauner, The Good Book: Writers Reflect on Favorite Bible Passages, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

     We read the good book because it is a good book. We explore the stories because they are transfixing stories, dense and compelling.

   • 2019, Ward Ricker, Holy Hustle: A Bible Parody: Containing all 66 books of both the Old and the New Hustles, Ward Ricker, →ISBN, page 559:

     And don't worry about why god chose not to include that prediction about being a Nazarene anywhere in his good book. Just take his word for it ...

3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see good,‎ book.