There is little time to read books which is why we tend to be picky with what we read. Some people seek out must-read books that are highly rated. That is why we decided to list the 40 must read books that everyone should read at least once in their lives.
These lists are always fun to make because of the discussion they lead towards. While these are our must-read books, the truth is that everyone has a unique taste. Their list will look a bit different. With that said, this list includes novels that we believe are must reads as well as novels that show up on most lists, even if it isn’t your specific list.
The 40 Must Read Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once in Their Lives
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- Gulliver’s Travel by Jonathan Swift
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K Dick
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
- The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
- Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
To Kill a Mockingbird
Like many readers, I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school and couldn’t put the novel down even if I wanted to. The story is told by the viewpoint of Jean Louise Finch and tells the story of Atticus Finch defending Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman in Maycomb, Alabama. This novel is considered one of the best novels of all time and still sells ten of thousands of copies every year.
The Lord of the Rings
If you enjoy adventure novels, then you have to read The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Not only is it an amazing series but it is the formula that many fantasy authors have used to write their novels. If you have read a bunch of fantasy novels, then you have most likely come across troupes that were popularized by Tolkien. Few authors have had as much of an impact on a genre then Tolkien.
The Book Thief
One of my all time favorite novels is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It tells a chilling story about a family that hides a Jewish man in Germany during World War II. The writing is incredible but what I love the most is using death as a narrator. If you haven’t read this timeless classic, then you are missing out.
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye is an interesting pick because it is a novel that readers either love or hate. There is no in between. After revisiting this novel, I do believe it deserves the recognition it has gotten over the decades. There is a lot to take away and the novel is even more relevant in this day and age.
The Kite Runner
A novel that has stayed with me ever since I read it is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini It is a powerful novel about two unlikely friends that takes place in Afghanistan, where the regime is collapsing. Hosseini tackles heavy subjects as love, betrayal, family, identity, and redemption. Find out yourself why this novel is one of the best selling historical fiction novels of all time.
Conclusion
These are the 40 must read books that everyone should read at least once in their lives. There are always going to be some books that are going to be left off the list. No list is perfect. What books should we have included on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
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I don’t understand why Ahaqir never mentions the author late Gibran Khalil Gibran book, “The Prophet” translated into 22 languages, the most read book worldwide !!
Why is it none of these lists include BIPOC authors? There are so many beautiful stories told world-wide that are being left out. The ones on this list are easily found in the US’s K-12 education system and honestly perpetuate the colonial narratives that continue to haunt and oppress historically marginalized groups to this day. I grew up being told that Asians had broken English and couldn’t write and that my English was bad. Once I read Murakami and Ruth Ozeki and other Asian authors, however, I realized just how wrong those people were. Diversity and representation matters, and these articles should be more aptly titled “what Americans read in middle and high school.”
No Hemingway?
THAT’S a travesty!
I will read the books that I want without anyone telling me which one, my choice..
Taught English full time for 35 years in a high school and as a part-time instructor in a community college. So, I am familiar with these books. But I still looked for Morrison’s Sula, Hansberry’s Raisin play, Walker’s Jubilee, Wilkerson’s Caste & her Warmth of Other Suns. No Amy Tan & no Maxine Hong Kingston. Can’t remember if I saw any Mark Twain and yes, Kahlil Gibran was glaringly absent along with Sally Hemings & Cinque by Barbara Chase-Riboud
I guess you diden’t know, Hemingway!
Hemingway, considered the greatest writer of the 20th century not on your list?
I didn’t realize Alice Walker and Toni Morrison weren’t BIPOC. I agree that the list should have more diverse representation, including but not limited to more BIPOC authors.
Khalid Hosseini and Alice Walker are bipoc.
Khalid Hossein?
@Anonymous Sir, you say this about the American K-12 education system. In your country, you were probably taught & believed the same set of values that you espouse here. That’s what you may call the ‘”Kettle Black”. In another sense “:it takes one to know one”.
Racist comment of the day – wouldn’t be a list without some dumba$$ comment about Woke BS.
Reality. These books are no longer read in most urban HS. Sadly. They have been book banned – probably by the spouse of the Racist who made the comment
Please tell me Age of Innocence is here somewhere!!
What about Pearl
Buck’s The Good Earth, A.S. Byatt’s Possession, Harriet Doerr’s Consider This Senora, Marquez’s A Hundred Years of Solitude, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings? Why so many works of fiction and most of them are written by men?!
Let’s focus on what’s in the books and not between the author’s legs, shall we?
The list should have included Lonesome Dove.
I loved Lonesome Dove
🙏🌲🙏 நல்லன எல்லாம் தரும் அபிராமி கடைக் கண்களே 🕉️ லலிதா/
I think , The Bible , the Torah, and the Qur’an, should be from the first 40 books the read at least one in your life.
Brave New World, Lady Chatterly’s Lover
Joseph Conrad, Nostromo
A Prayer for Owen Meany
I loved this great tale by John Irving. The ending brought tears to my eyes.
I think “life knocks” should be among
The Bible has been the most influential book for good for all time.
There is no question that the Bible has been influential. As to whether that influence has always been “for good” is subject to debate. It has been used to justify all manner of injustice, including slavery.
Call of the wild Jack London changed my life
Call of the wild by Jack London changed my life
Great list. I think Les Miserables by Victor Hugo would be a great addition. It’s my favorite and left a large impact on me when we studied it in high school.
Atlas Shrugged
Many many thanks for the Newsletter booksof brilliance.com I am very happy about the recommendations the list of books will positively read it. Usually I try to grasp the knowledge and develop understanding through main headings so that is why it saves a lot of time when cannot understand when reading a book then I go through in detail.
Best Regards
Khurram
Many many thanks for the Newsletter I am very very happy that everyday learn new things and apply it in daily life. I like the recommendations booksofbrilliance.com will positively read it.
Many thanks
Best Regards
Khurram
Don Quijote is always included in top books to read.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris
The first book to be printed, the book with the most translations and versions, the book most sold….The Bible.
Can’t imagine any list of great books without Doctor Zhivago – proves how little research was actually done in this selection process.
Atlas Shrugged was a great influence in my life. Maybe you should change to say “100 Books Everyone Should Read.”
The Bible. Enough said
Well, no book should be left out of the 40 list.
Essentially a copy and paste of US high school literature book list.
I think this is a pretty good list as I have read most of them 😁. Only a couple that I could have done without reading. But different taste. I would have replaced one of them with Michener’s Space.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a must. I agree with Atlas Shrugged and add the Fountain Head. Wake up the Woke!
Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse
Grateful to see The Color Purple included.
How about books that are not written in English language.
A must read – A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
My book isn’t on here because…? JK. JK.
This is an excellent list with many of my favorites.