70 Books Everyone Should Read At Least Once, As Shared By People In This Online Thread

"Hitchhiker's guide is a book I read at least once a year, more if I'm having a particularly rough patch in life. Arthur Dents biscuit story gets me every time and hearing the late, great Douglas Adams tell it, as it apparently happened to him, is ice cream for the soul."

unchartedfour said:
"To Kill a Mockingbird."

Mission_Eagle_7611 replied:
"I put off reading Go Set A Watchman because I couldn’t bear the thought of my favourite character being pushed off his pedestal. Finished the book with on a flight absolutely sobbing because of exactly that."

Awkward_Dog replied:
"I re-read this once a year. I swear I see new details every time. I suspect Atticus played a substantial role in my becoming a legal academic researching on human rights."

epikninja123 said:
"Animal Farm by George Orwell."

xfjqvyks replied:
"If it wasn't for the comical levels of irony, I'd be really pissed that so many Americans think 1984 alludes to what's going on today more than Animal Farm. It's crazy."

Shadowguynick replied:
"Animal Farm is more of a retelling of the story of the foundation of the Soviet Union. 1984 serves better as a general government control story."

Commenter replied:
"I disagree. 1984 alludes to the human condition (and language use) on so many levels. Animal farm is just a more specific metaphor about a certain type of socialism."

plato_thyself said:
"Fahrenheit 451 should be on this list."

FlyingChange replied:
"I agree 100%. What's really eerie about Bradbury are the details that he throws at you and then just lets float on by. Like, bits about how advertising boards are stretched out so that you have to look at them or the parts about how the children are more interested in electronic baubles than books and human interaction."

Nowhereman50 said:
"The Hobbit. It's just such a nice book."

BiceRankyman replied:
"If you haven't read this yet and start, a word of advice... if it starts to drag, hold out for Gandalf to come back. Everything always picks up when Gandalf comes back."

"It's All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is an important book I feel. Truly showed the first World War as it was from the perspective of a German soldier."

thunder_by_blunder said:
"And then there were none by Agatha Christie.

A quick and mind stimulating read that will keep you engaged throughout."

Th4tGamerChick replied:
"Agatha Christie has written some incredible novels. She’s overall a fantastic writer."

Plastic_Pinocchio said:
"The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a story I'll never forget. You can read it in a couple of hours."

ceryssienna replied:
"I read this about 2 months ago and it is an unforgettable story! It's something I never would've read myself but ended up doing so as I had nothing to read but I'm glad that that's what I chose!"

MEUP14 said:
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I know this book isn't like the other great novels listed, but it definitely brings me back to when I was a kid and my parents read it to me."

MDTashley replied:
"This book tells the story of every attempt I have at dieting. By Saturday, I eat like absolute sh*t, then have 1 green leaf on Sunday to make it right again."

"I highly recommend 'Night' by Eli Wiesel. I read it in high school and it got me into reading. The ways that Wiesel describes the horrific scenes are so powerful."

sewmuchmarish said:
"A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson."

thebohomama replied:
"Bill Bryson is such an engaging writer. I can't get enough of his travel books."

1ShadowStar1 said:
"Flowers for Algernon is truly a great book. I borrowed it from the library and enjoyed it so much I bought it and I'm not one to reread books. So many great life lessons in it."

heresybob replied:
"Ugh, makes me cry horribly."

raptor_mkii said:
"The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde! His plays are great too if you're looking for less serious and lighter reads."

Foreigner4ever replied:
"I had to read this in high school and had the same experience with it as with pretty much every other 'classic' they made us read. Hated it when reading it, but after it’s over I appreciated it and still think of it years later."

tropiqz said:
"Lord of the Flies - William Golding."

entroyfan2 replied:
"When I came to the USA I started 9th grade. My English was not good, had a thick accent, and culture shock. My peers used to make fun of me a lot so I threw my self into books. My first English through read was the Lord of the flies. It was a mind f*ck."

Tim_Buk2 replied:
"I hated this book - it was part of the school study list when I was 13 and still part of the school study list in the UK 30 years later when my kids did it.

It probably kick-started my misanthropy."

Grogslog said:
"American Gods by Neil Gaiman."

knighttim replied:
"Not bad, but personally I enjoyed Neverwhere more."

ionhazmat said:
"Man's search for meaning - Viktor Frankl."

Commenter replied:
"When I was 17, I was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward for the first time. My boss, from a fast food joint called Harvey's (it's Canadian, great food, 20 years later I still run into her outside of the restaurant!) got my call saying I'd need a couple weeks off, and I trusted her enough to tell her where I was.

Half hour later she shows up with 2 books, that being 1 of them. I read it that night. I still have it. It is a great book, it really helped. I read it a few times over my 3 week stay, and I had brought a lot of books and we had a library. It was just good, and inspiring.

She also gave everyone gift cards to the restaurant. She was great. She visited a few times. Thank you, Anne."

hisamsmith said:
"The Giver- that book made my 9-10 year old mind really think about what was important in society. It was the first time the idea of 'good' things having a negative consequence was presented to me. I think what makes it work is that we are learning how this whole society really works along side a character who has lived in it his whole life. As the facade of the utopian society begins to fall away to show devastating consequences of the 'perfect life and society' the reader not only feels their shock but the main character’s shock. This was a book I read in school 4 times- once in 5th grade and once in 10th for English and then in both high school and college sociology classes. This book written for 9-13 year olds made for great discussions."

tommyleepasta replied:
"Fun fact, The Giver was written by a woman who was from a military family going to department of defense schools, but she was on these bases during the Cold War. The theme of the book itself is very anti-communist because of her early life environment."

TheBrassDancer said:
"Going to suggest Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck. A real eye-opener about how grim the Great Depression was."

Mackteague replied:
"I would have loved this book if I didn't have to analyse it to hell in school."

NostalgiaRocks said:
"Catch 22 is one of those books that's been recommended to me for easily 7+ years and that I have been meaning to read, but the idea of not actively reading it with somebody so we can discuss it as we experience it together frustrates me. I should find a little book club or something to read that with, because I want it to be fresh in people's minds when we talk about it."

RutCry replied:
"Do it. Read this book. Drop what you are doing and go get it now. The fact that you are reading this list at all is enough evidence that you will be hooked within the first few paragraphs. You will regret turning the last page because the journey through it will have come to an end. Read. This. Book!"

MasterbeaterPi said:
"Cosmos by Carl Sagan. I know it's an adaption of a television show but it is the history of science."

kadyrovs_cat replied:
"Read this about two years ago and still remember the lessons it taught me to this day. Absolutely fantastic read and incredibly educational. Highly recommend to everyone."

newleafkratom said:
"The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer."

crunrun replied:
"I read this for a Medieval Literature class in college and it really changed some of my assumptions about older literature. I was not expecting s*x and fart jokes of the same caliber as George Carlin. The Middle English takes some getting used to, but once you grasp it you can find some of the best tongue-in-cheek humor out there. Some of this sh*t had me in stitches which really surprised me."

"I just read it a few weeks ago and it blew me away. He's such a masterful writer. It was an amazing read and I'll probably do it again in a decade."

PrimateOnAPlanet said: "Not exactly a long novel, but I feel like everyone should read 'The Little Prince.'" pulsetract replied: "We had to read this in French class in elementary school (French immersion). I never realized it's depth until I was much older." hungryczito replied: "In Poland we have to read it twice during our education - once in primary school, when we are around 8 y old, and in secondary school (early high school), around 15 y old. It really is a different book both times."

washheightsboy3 said:
"I'd recommend The Jungle by Upton Sinclair."

zdh989 replied:
"I remember trying to read this when I was like 12 because I thought it was about...you know...a jungle. Couldn't make it through 5 pages. Then I picked it up again before me and my wife went on a cruise to read at leisure on the decks because I am a huge meat eater and was a chef at the time. Halfway through the book, I couldn't put it down. I became so invested in Jurgis. The book is about so much more than the meat packing industry in Chicago at that time, which is really what I thought it was all about. Anyway, I say all that to say, I agree."

I_paintball said:
"The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

Such a great book."

skundrik replied:
"Oh my god yes. I love this book for being the s*x, drugs and rock and roll of the classics world. It is lengthy but has revenge, treasure, plots and schemes and drugs. There is nothing stuffy about this classic."

boop-oop-a-doop said:
"Frankenstein. It’s a classic for a reason & no movie adaptation has ever really done it justice."

buddaaaa replied:
"I read it my sophomore year of high school along with another set of books in small groups where we each had to read one of the three books given and lead discussions for our teammates and do other stuff I don’t remember. Anyway, I got 'stuck' with Frankenstein (I believe I was absent the day we chose). Completely lucked out, that book kicks a**."

Conair24601 replied:
"I read Frankenstein last year and was absolutely stunned by it. As you say, no movie comes even close to the book. It's gothic and cozy to read but just so impactful and ahead of It's time. How Shelley wrote it at 17 is beyond me."

boogieafterhours said:
"The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini."

melike_moonchild replied:
"This is the book I was thinking about too, A thousand splendid suns is imo even better than The Kite Runner."

Ace_of_the_skies replied:
"LOVE Khaled Hosseini. Read a few of his other books as well, so good."

"Absolutely. This is probably my favourite book of all time, both from a story and writing standpoint. A very close second is All Quiet on the Western Front though."

newleafkratom said:
"The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck."

Commenter replied:
"I read this book in middle school. I remembered I barely understand English back then but it made me cry."

chadtewks said:
"The Phantom Tollbooth."

kiltedturtle replied:
"I love 'Point of View' where they are in mid-air and as they grow older their feet touch the ground. That means their point of view never changed as they get older. Unlike silly Milo who as he grows 'up' his point of view is constantly changing.

In the last few years I've used that snippet with people that seem to grow down, instead of growing up as they get older. I've had a few that actually get the point."

wort_hog replied:
"Maybe one of my favorite literary moments…

Milo: 'Many of the things I’m supposed to know seem so useless that I can’t see the purpose of learning them at all.'

Princess of Sweet Rhyme: '...what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.'"

Elctro-Blak said:
"The Stranger by Albert Camus."

thirdaccountmaybe replied:
"I was gonna say the myth of Sisyphus."

tirkman replied:
"I remember absolutely hating the stranger and existentialism in general in high school. Maybe now that I’m older I’ll view the book differently."

JananayBanana said:
"Slaughterhouse five."

zodwa_wa_bantu replied:
"Couldn't finish it. Sent through an Existentialist crisis, doubting my reality and myself and whatnot. Great book though."

BiceRankyman replied:
"Read it three times. Still in the existential life crisis. So it goes."

"I love Watership Down. It's so moving and exciting at the same time. I especially like the fact that the author was never set out to be an author. He simply began making up stories about rabbits and telling them to his daughters who then convinced him to write it all down."

moxin84 said:
"'Where The Red Fern Grows' - Wilson Rawls."

PervisMCR replied:
"Read that in 4th grade. The poor hounds."

"When I was going through basic training as a US Marine officer at Quantico an instructor in tactics strongly recommended Shogun, so I picked it up, but didn't have time to start it during training. My newly wed wife saw it and started reading it. She became so engrossed that she would ask if I minded her bringing it into restaurants to read during our dinner. Tired of eating and watching her read, I bought a second copy and totally understood where she was coming from. It has the wonderful quality of being nearly 1200 pages that I didn't want to end."

BRONXSBURNING said:
"The Catcher in the Rye is such a powerful and great book, I'd recommend it 100%!"

jaleel131 replied:
"Honestly, I've never been so impacted by a book before. I read it when I was 17 and severely depressed and it found me at the right time. 'I don't know exactly what I mean by that, but I mean it.'"

nefarioustortellini said:
"Holes."

swallowtails replied:
"Great book. I feel like Louis Sachar (sp?) is an underrated author. I remember reading his book 'There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom' and just loving that. It's a look into a boy's life... One who is a failing student with no friends, is sort of a bully. It's so good! I definitely recommend picking it up."

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn changed my life."

KnowsGooderThanYou said:
"The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell."

m1nt_ replied:
"I'm reading this now, and despite only being about halfway through it, I've already reconsidered my approach to stories and their value. It's fantastic, and I would definitely recommend either The Power of Myth or his other book The Hero with a Thousand Faces."

Neuroxian said:
"The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami."

MotherBeef replied:
"Personally I would suggest Colourless or Norwegian wood. But really, any Murakami.

What I love about his books is I feel everyone has a different favourite and I believe that's due to how much each book is able to capture a different theme and therefore relates to different people. The existential crisis and understanding of love/belonging that so many of his characters seem to go through is something that resonated so intensely with me during my 20s. It's what keeps Murakami at the top of my list, nothing else has ever made me question more, want to change and yet feel so content with the basics."

SasquatchButterpants said:
"I'd add The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald is a literary genius."

Commenter replied:
"I read that in high school, kind of enjoyed it. Now I'm blown away by the genius of the writing."

gambit_- said:
"The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan."

laflavor replied:
"This is criminally underrated in this thread. A book about evidence and how to think and why science works is essential."

"Dracula. One of the first horror novels to successfully use the readers own imagination and to really build suspense. Told through diaries and accounts from characters within the story rather than an omniscient narrator. I read it in one night."

blbrd30 said:
"I'm putting a vote in for Cat's Cradle. It's my fav."

screeching_janitor replied:
"This book make me hate Vonnegut. I try really hard to like him, but I can't."

zcen replied:
"I read and wrote a report on Cat's Cradle at the end of high school. I don't know if it would have pleased Vonnegut but my teacher handed the report back to me and the only thing she wrote on it was 'Did you even read this book?'"

_AskMyMom_ said:
"Johnny’s Got His Gun. It’s so intense, but it’s so good.

Metallica’s song One is based off this book. Guy has his arms and legs blown off, goes blind and deaf, and is left to live like that. I only read it once, but it’s forever engrained into my memory. It hits you like a freight train."

WeightyToastmaster replied:
"Yes! I was gonna comment with this book but wanted to see if anyone had already put it. It’s a great read and I have had to stop myself reading it several times because of how intense it gets. It really makes you think about life, war, and so many other things. It really messes with your mind. I believe all public officials should read the book as well."

schroedingersnewcat said:
"The Westing Game."

Commenter replied:
"Love love love this book! No one has ever heard of it when I mention it!"

DFRacing98 replied:
"Read this book in 5th grade, loved it. Constantly kept guessing."

roflspammer said:
"House of Leaves by Danielewski. Amazing, intricate, arousing at times and generally deep."

timeiscoming replied:
"This is a great answer, unfortunately, I'd imagine its greatest strengths (complexity and allegorical merits) are also the reasons why it's super inaccessible to casual fiction readers."

Colorado-Pineapples said:
"Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss."

EclecticDreck replied:
"It was the book that somehow planted a seed in my head that suggested I could write stuff. It wasn't that it made me think I could do better - far from it - just that maybe I could.

Then, I did write a book and am on a second.

I love the book and the man inspired me to write. That's enough to buy him another year for the third book, I think."

The_Guber replied:
"This book got me back into reading so +1 on this."

"The Things They Carried... The first time I ever cried while reading a book. What an emotional experience that book was."

SeaLemons2300 said:
"May sound weird but I really enjoyed 'The Last Unicorn' by Peter S Beagle."

Eternaltuesday replied:
"I just commented this book as well. It is absolutely magical, and really stands apart from other fantasy literature."

Ray_Catty said:
"'How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You.'

Yes it's a real book."

dr4gonr1der replied:
"That reminds me of another book: how to live with the neurotic cat.

Again, that’s it’s real name, and if you like how to tell if your cart is plotting to kill you, you’ll probably like that one also."

Ok-Bullfrog-3010 said:
"Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse."

Paddle14 replied:
"I feel it takes you on a very relatable journey from young to old. We are all the heroes of our own stories but really just in the search of what is the point of all this."

"I learned English at the age of 22. I love reading books that most English speaking people have read during their school days. It helps me understand the western culture, people's thinking and most importantly all the references in art. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress would be my suggestion."

BBPP20 said:
"Faust by Goethe."

morosophi replied:
"Goethe's Faust is ok, but it's too positive for my taste. For a more classic dark tale, I recommended Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus."

docvs replied:
"Yes, this is an absolute MUST for everyone at some point in their lives!"

charmingtaintman51 said:
"Germinal by Emile Zola."

TofuBurgerGoodFood replied:
"Absolutely beautiful book, really changed my mind on the power of literature to tell a powerful, human message."

Lurtle7 said:
"A Clockwork Orange."

Commenter replied:
"I am reading A Clockwork Orange right now for a book report. Literally need urban dictionary open all the time to decipher all the British slang.

But don't get me wrong its a f*cken great book so far."