good books

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good books pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) Favorable regard; personal approval; kindly treatment.
   • 1849, Charlotte Brontë, chapter 11, in Shirley:

     "[D]o you like him?'"

     "Not at all, just now: his name is entirely blotted from my good books."

     "What is the matter? What has he done?"

     "My uncle and he disagree on politics," interposed the low voice of Caroline.

   • 1870, Charles Reade, chapter 6, in Put Yourself in His Place:

     [U]nfortunately, I was out of her good books, and had orders not to speak to her.

   • 1876, Anthony Trollope, The Prime Minister, ch. 2:

     [H]e has a cold way of looking at me which makes me think I am not in his good books.

   • 1996 Nov. 14, Joe Lapointe, "Rangers Go Quiet Into a Bad Night," New York Times (retrieved 1 Jan 2013):

     Neil Smith, the president and general manager, said Momesso "was not in our good books" with no goals, no assists and frequent benchings for lethargic play.

   • 2002, Mil Millington, Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About: A Novel, →ISBN, (Google preview):

     "Tell them we've paid extra to apologize for the inconvenience, eh? You'll be in their good books right off."

• Usually found in the phrase "in [someone's] good books".

• good graces

• Good Book