good books

If you want to stay in his good books, just don't be lazy or dishonest.

"[…] [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.

1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “Fieldhead”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, pages 299–300

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

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

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

1876, Anthony Trollope, chapter 2, in The Prime Minister

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.

1996 November 14, Joe Lapointe, “Rangers Go Quiet Into a Bad Night”, in New York Times, retrieved 01 Jan 2013