There are few institutions that have successfully integrated into the book culture successfully. But Barnes & Noble has won over many readers and has become a trusty source along the way. That is why we will be looking at Barnes & Noble’s 37 best books that you must read!
The debate of what books are must reads is an old one that changes with every new classic. But for the most part, many of the books on such lists tend to remain the same. These lists help readers find great books as well as new readers. You can see the full list below.
Barnes & Noble’s 37 Best Books That You Must Read
- Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Atonement by Ian McEwan
- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
- Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
- Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor
- The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
- The Hustler by Walter Tevis
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (George Smiley Series) by John le Carré
- Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl’s Moving Castle Series #1) by Diana Wynne Jones
- Beloved (Pulitzer Prize Winner) by Toni Morrison
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
- The Bell Jar (P.S. Series) by Sylvia Plath
- Life of Pi: A Novel by Yann Martel
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- 1984 by George Orwell
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- Watchmen by Alan Moore
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker’s Guide Series #1) by Douglas Adams
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Talented Mr. Ripley
As a big fan of The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, I loved seeing on this list. It is a novel that follows the descent into madness of Ripley. And what lengths he will go to keep up the ruse. Highsmith’s Highsmith’s characters and her plot make her one of my favorite authors in the thriller genre.
Highsmith is a unique character who explores the true nature of a person and what people are capable of. There hasn’t been another author like her and most likely ever won’t be. Her protagonists will terrify you for their wavering morality and self preservation.
Protagonist Tom Ripley is up to his old tricks again, scamming people to survive. His luck has been bad and he is fed up with his life. And he fears that the police are going to arrest his for his scams.
But Tom’s luck turns around when he is approached by a shipping magnate named Herbert Greenleaf. He wants Ripley to convince his son to return home from Italy.
Ripley thus finds himself heading to Italy with Greenleaf funding his trip. But Greenleaf’s son Dickie isn’t fond of Tom and suspects Tom. It is now up to Tom to continue this scam and live the life he always wanted. But his lies are bound to catch up to him.
Beloved
A powerful novel that everyone should read is Beloved by Toni Morrison. It is a story of a former Kentucky slave that is haunted by her past life. The novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is considered one of the best works of fiction and there is no other novel like it.
Holes
A childhood favorite novel of mine that I am glad made the list is Holes by Louis Sachar. The novel went on to win the 1998 US National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and the 1999 Newbery Medal. Even almost three decades later, the novel is still jut as good if not better
Stanley Yalnets is wrongfully sent to a juvenile detention camp called Camp Green Lake for stealing a pair of shoes. Just like everything else bad that has happened to the Yalnets family,
Stanley blames the bad luck on his great-great-grandfather. He was cursed for not keeping his end of the deal a long time ago. Now, Stanley has to dig holes in the desert with other juveniles for the foreseeable future.
Digging holes is supposed to straighten out the kids that were sent to Camp Green Lake. But Stanley soon realizes that the warden, Ms. Walker, is searching for something. With the help of new friends, Stanley plans to find whatever the warden is digging for and help him escape the camp once and for all.
1984
Honestly, I am kind of exhausted by how many times I see 1984 by on various lists. Yes, 1984 by George Orwell is a must read and a great novel. But it can’t be on every single list on the internet. But that’s probably just me seeing it one too many times.
The novel takes place during the Soviet Union in the era of Stalinism and Nazi Germany. But when Americans realized that their government was secretly spying on them, this novel soared in popularity.
As digital media has taken over the world, many people have seen their privacy invaded. Orwell’s novel was a grim prediction that has come to become a reality. The trust in governments has been eroded and has led to many people turning to this novel for its accuracy.
The Book Thief
One of my all time favorite novels is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This classic novels tells one of the best stories about World War II, love, and unwavering strength. It is novel that belongs in every person’s home.
The novel takes place in Nazi Germany starting in 1939. Liesel Meminger is a foster child that is adopted by Hans and Rosa Hubermann. One day, Hans help hide a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg in the basement of their home. Liesel and Max form a bond as the war goes on.
Once a thriving town, Now Molching is a ghost town. The Hubermann are treated horrible because of Hann’s hatred of the Nazi party. His distaste of the party catches up with the family and they are punished as a result.
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 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.
Frankenstein
When talking about must read sci-fi novels, then Frankenstein is a must. Not only because it is the first but because it is a great novel. Even two centuries later, readers still flock to this novel as Mary Shelley makes us wonder who is right; Frankenstein or his monster?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Another one of my all-time favorite novels and series on the list has to be The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The writing is brilliant and the humor is timeless. The fate of planet Earth is at stake yet Adams has the reader laughing throughout the book. This novel changed the way I saw sci-fi novels and became a lifelong fan after reading the series.
Pride and Prejudice
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is on this list. While it wouldn’t be my pick as the best classic novel ever written, it is still pretty high on my list. I enjoyed this novel a lot more than I expected and as someone that doesn’t read much romance books, that says a lot.
Elizabeth Bennett is one of five daughters and the novel follows her and Mr. Darcy, who moves near the Bennetts. Elizabeth’s older sister Jane falls in love with Bingley who is a close friends with Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth interact at a party and while Mr. Darcy falls for Elizabeth, she insults him after he is rude to her. Jane and Bingley seem like they are made for each other but suddenly, things go awry. Elizabeth guesses that somebody doesn’t want them to get married.
A turn of events scares the Bennett family and Elizabeth turns to Mr. Darcy to help. Will Jane and Bingley get married? And how does Elizabeth feel about Mr. Darcy? Jane Austen spins a tale like no other that has remained relevant centuries later and is considered one of the best historical fiction books ever written.
Conclusion
That wraps up Barnes & Noble’s 37 best books that you must read list. The list includes many timeless classics as well as newer novels worth reading. It has some great and obvious picks and you can see why they made Barnes & Noble’s list.
How many books on this list have you read or plan to read? What other novels would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!
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Did John le Carré have more Achilles heels than he had toes? David Cornwell was a formidable yet enchanting character and may have been arguably the best writer ever in the espionage genre but was he the perfect spy? Probably not and he even agreed with that … in his posthumously published letters. For more on him as an imperfect spy do see TheBurlingtonFiles website and read an intriguing news article dated 31 October 2022.
Some mavericks in MI6 called Pemberton’s People were disappointed David Cornwell was outwitted by Monty’s cousin. Do have a look at The Burlington Files series starting with Beyond Enkription as long as you don’t expect John le Carré’s delicate diction and sophisticated syntax.
Beyond Enkription is an intriguing raw and noir fact-based spy novel and it’s a must read for espionage cognoscenti but what would it have been like if David Cornwell had collaborated with Bill Fairclough? Even though they didn’t collaborate, Beyond Enkription is still described as ”up there with My Silent War by Kim Philby and No Other Choice by George Blake”.
I may be crazy, but try as I might I can only count 36 books on your list – not 37. Oooh, and that’s the one I wanted to read! What about “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls?
I only count 36, as well!
So true one of my favorites as welln❤️
My name is Franklin Broady Jr and I love going to Barnes and Nobles to see if they have the best books, because I love to read
Doing my spare time.
What about the handmade tales. It is one of my favorites and I think it’s won multiple awards
37 must read books for pretentious arseholes.
No wonder you are anonymous
Call of the wild by Jack London
You really are ridiculous…which is why you do not disclose your name, to avoid the many letters of castigation. But not wishing to stay in a negative vein, I wish you a Good Day.
Frankly, I’d have put Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children immediately after Marquez. Or Alasdair Gray’s Lanark. Or Kazuo Ishiguro’s Buried Giant. As for Dostoievski’s Idiot, Lev Tolstoi’s War and Peace, Gurnah’s By the Sea, Ulitskaya’s Imago, CS Lewis’s Cosmic Trilogy or Llosa’s Feast of the Goat, well, I guess the definition of brilliance rings differently in my neck of woods, ie Eastern Europe.
Your list IS better than the first list EXCEPT FOR RUSHDIE!!!!
Iam.70 and have read approximately 12 000 books so far in my life… perils of having a mother who taught high school English and History. Like you, my list of books is global, but there have been.so many really GREAT books, pop culture, mass market and trash….
I am currently working through modern Japanese literature that features cats…because I have 14 cats on my 230 year old 235 acre family farm.
I have read literature from around the world in native language as well as in translation.
Wow, that is a formidable list you sent.. I am deeply impressed that you (presumably) have read all these volumes. I have to admit the only one I ‘ve read on your list is War and Peace .. feel compelled to make a list and “look into”. Thanks, from reader in Germany.
The list is very diverse as I’ve never seen before. Horror, Science Fiction side by side with those always-in from the “Great Literature”. I liked it.
Best to read Wild Sargossa Sea before reading Jane Eyre.
Jane Eyre sets the stage for Wide Sargasso Sea.
You mean “Sargasso Sea”, I think.
Since you are using B&N’s list couldn’t you at least do them the courtesy of linking to their web site instead of Amazon’s? Seriously.
How do I get a problem sorted out?
No Dickens? No Marilynne Robinson? No George Eliot? No James Baldwin?
Love how this is Barnes and Noble’s list, but when you click on the book it takes you to Amazon to buy it..
Another books promotion by Ahaqir…and by the way, what are his qualifications to recommend these books he listed ??
Would just like to make a comment. Have finished reading a book that was touted for last couple of years/so boring/disliked.. called “Normal People” by Sally Rooney.
Everyone should read the Bible to learn about the love God has for His children. He’s coming back soon…please receive the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus.
If you do not know Jesus, the Bible is hands down the most important book you can ever read!
If you enjoy reading fact based espionage thrillers, of which there are only a handful of decent ones, do try reading Bill Fairclough’s Beyond Enkription. It is an enthralling unadulterated fact based autobiographical spy thriller and a super read as long as you don’t expect John le Carré’s delicate diction, sophisticated syntax and placid plots.
What is interesting is that this book is so different to any other espionage thrillers fact or fiction that I have ever read. It is extraordinarily memorable and unsurprisingly apparently mandatory reading in some countries’ intelligence agencies’ induction programs. Why?
Maybe because the book has been heralded by those who should know as “being up there with My Silent War by Kim Philby and No Other Choice by George Blake”; maybe because Bill Fairclough (the author) deviously dissects unusual topics, for example, by using real situations relating to how much agents are kept in the dark by their spy-masters and (surprisingly) vice versa; and/or maybe because he has survived literally dozens of death defying experiences including 20 plus attempted murders.
The action in Beyond Enkription is set in 1974 about a real maverick British accountant who worked in Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) in London, Nassau, Miami and Port au Prince. Initially in 1974 he unwittingly worked for MI5 and MI6 based in London infiltrating an organised crime gang. Later he worked knowingly for the CIA in the Americas. In subsequent books yet to be published (when employed by Citicorp, Barclays, Reuters and others) he continued to work for several intelligence agencies. Fairclough has been justifiably likened to a posh version of Harry Palmer aka Michael Caine in the films based on Len Deighton’s spy novels.
Beyond Enkription is a must read for espionage cognoscenti. Whatever you do, you must read some of the latest news articles (since August 2021) in TheBurlingtonFiles website before taking the plunge and getting stuck into Beyond Enkription. You’ll soon be immersed in a whole new world which you won’t want to exit. Intriguingly, the articles were released seven or more years after the book was published. TheBurlingtonFiles website itself is well worth a visit and don’t miss the articles about FaireSansDire. The website is a bit like a virtual espionage museum and refreshingly advert free.
Returning to the intense and electrifying thriller Beyond Enkription, it has had mainly five star reviews so don’t be put off by Chapter 1 if you are squeamish. You can always skip through the squeamish bits and just get the gist of what is going on in the first chapter. Mind you, infiltrating international state sponsored people and body part smuggling mobs isn’t a job for the squeamish! Thereafter don’t skip any of the text or you’ll lose the plots. The book is ever increasingly cerebral albeit pacy and action packed. Indeed, the twists and turns in the interwoven plots kept me guessing beyond the epilogue even on my second reading.
The characters were wholesome, well-developed and beguiling to the extent that you’ll probably end up loving those you hated ab initio, particularly Sara Burlington. The attention to detail added extra layers of authenticity to the narrative and above all else you can’t escape the realism. Unlike reading most spy thrillers, you will soon realise it actually happened but don’t trust a soul.
I will have to add some of these to my list!