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Best Books of All Time: 30 Books Worth Reading, With Our Short Reviews

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The best books of all time are a matter of taste, so this is our editorial list of 30. If you want one place to start, try Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for a classic, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe for 20th century fiction, or The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank for nonfiction.

Classic novels before 1900

Six novels from 1605 to 1871. Three were written in Spanish or Russian and are read in translation, and four first appeared in more than one part, so each note says which.

  1. Don Quixote

    Miguel de Cervantes, 1605

    An older country gentleman reads so many chivalry romances that he sets out as a knight-errant, with Sancho Panza as his squire. It was written in Spanish and is read in translation, and it came out in two parts: Part One in 1605 and Part Two in 1615, so the year here is that of the first part. It has lasted because it is funny and kind about a man who sees the world differently from everyone around him, and it can be read as a string of episodes. Good for patient readers who like comedy and long books.

  2. Pride and Prejudice

    Jane Austen, 1813

    Elizabeth Bennet is quick-witted and unwilling to marry for convenience, yet she keeps meeting the proud Mr. Darcy in a world where marriage is a matter of money and standing. The prose is dry, the dialogue is sharp, and the social comedy still feels fresh. The two leads argue like real people, which is why the romance still works. A good first classic for readers who like wit with their romance.

  3. Jane Eyre

    Charlotte Bronte, 1847

    Jane grows up an orphan, becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall and meets its master, Mr. Rochester. It is told in the first person, as the subtitle An Autobiography says, so Jane's voice carries everything. That voice is direct, proud and unwilling to be pushed around, and it is what keeps the book gripping. Pick it up if you like gothic atmosphere and a strong narrator.

  4. Crime and Punishment

    Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1866

    Raskolnikov, a poor former student in St. Petersburg, commits a crime, and the novel stays close to his mind as he tries to live with it. Dostoevsky wrote it in Russian, so you read a translation. It first ran in monthly installments in 1866 and came out as one volume in 1867, so the year here is that of the first installments. It works as a tense psychological story as much as a moral argument, and suits readers who want an intense, character-led novel.

  5. War and Peace

    Leo Tolstoy, 1869

    Several families live through Russia's wars with Napoleon, and the story moves between drawing rooms, family life and the battlefield. It was written in Russian and is read in translation. The year here is 1869, the date of the complete book, and parts of the story had begun to appear in installments in 1865. Choose it if you like very long novels and are ready to commit to one.

  6. Middlemarch

    George Eliot, 1871

    Set in a fictional English Midlands town between 1829 and 1832, it follows several linked lives, including Dorothea Brooke's search for a purposeful life and Dr. Lydgate's medical ambitions. It was first published in parts across 1871 and 1872, and the year here is the start. It has lasted because Eliot is wise and fair about the mistakes ordinary people make. Good for readers who like a big, patient novel about a whole community.

20th century fiction

Six novels from 1925 to 1987, from four continents. One, One Hundred Years of Solitude, was written in Spanish and is read in translation.

  1. The Great Gatsby

    F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925

    Narrator Nick Carraway settles on Long Island and is drawn into the world of his rich neighbor Jay Gatsby, who throws lavish parties while pursuing Daisy Buchanan, a former love now married to Tom. It is a short novel and tightly built. It fits a whole picture of the Jazz Age and of longing into a few chapters. A fine pick if you want a short classic, or want to try it again after school.

  2. Nineteen Eighty-Four

    George Orwell, 1949

    Winston Smith lives in a London run by a ruling Party that watches everyone and rewrites the past, and the book follows him as he tries to keep a private thought of his own. The setup is spare and the prose is plain. Its ideas about surveillance, language and truth still give readers words for what they see around them. Good for readers who like ideas-driven fiction and a book to argue about.

  3. Things Fall Apart

    Chinua Achebe, 1958

    Okonkwo is a respected man in the Igbo village of Umuofia, and the novel shows his community's customs and tensions as outside colonial influence begins to arrive. It is short and written in clear, direct prose. Telling the story from inside an African community is a large part of its pull. Good for readers new to African literature in English, and for book clubs.

  4. To Kill a Mockingbird

    Harper Lee, 1960

    Scout Finch tells the story of growing up in a small Alabama town in the 1930s with her brother Jem and their father Atticus, a lawyer. Through a child's eyes, the book looks at fairness, prejudice and what it means to act decently. The narrator is funny and observant as well as serious. Reach for it when you want a warm, readable novel that still takes on hard subjects.

  5. One Hundred Years of Solitude

    Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1967

    The novel follows the Buendia family across generations in the town of Macondo, mixing everyday life with events that defy ordinary logic. It was written in Spanish as Cien anos de soledad and is read in English in translation. It reads like a family legend told by a very good storyteller. Good for readers who like inventive, dreamlike fiction and do not mind keeping track of a large family.

  6. Beloved

    Toni Morrison, 1987

    Sethe, a woman who escaped slavery, lives in Ohio with her daughter Denver after the Civil War, in a house unsettled by what has happened to them. It is a ghost story and a story about memory, and it does not look away from the cruelty of slavery. Morrison's language is both beautiful and hard, and that is the point. Best for experienced readers who can take difficult subject matter and want a book with weight.

Modern fiction since 2000

Five novels from 2003 to 2017, set in Afghanistan, Nigeria, Tudor England, Italy and Korea and Japan. One, My Brilliant Friend, is a translation from Italian.

  1. The Kite Runner

    Khaled Hosseini, 2003

    A wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant grow up as friends in Afghanistan, and the story later moves abroad. It was Hosseini's first novel. It is an emotional, easy-to-follow story about loyalty and guilt, which explains its hold on readers. A good match if you like a family drama.

  2. Half of a Yellow Sun

    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2006

    Set in Nigeria in the 1960s, the novel follows several characters whose lives are changed by the Biafran war. Adichie stays close to a few points of view, so the war is seen through ordinary households rather than battle plans. It works because it is both a history lesson and a human story. Good for readers of historical fiction who like human-scale stories.

  3. Wolf Hall

    Hilary Mantel, 2009

    Thomas Cromwell, a blacksmith's son, rises through the court of Henry VIII. It is the first of three books about Cromwell. Mantel writes in the present tense and stays close to him, which makes a well-known period feel immediate. Pick it if you like Tudor history and slow, rich prose.

  4. My Brilliant Friend

    Elena Ferrante, 2011

    Two girls grow up in a poor neighborhood of Naples in the 1950s, and the narrator, Elena, tells the story of her friendship with the fierce, clever Lila. It was written in Italian as L'amica geniale and is read in English in translation. It is the first of four books. Choose it if you like long friendships and a series to settle into.

  5. Pachinko

    Min Jin Lee, 2017

    The novel follows a Korean family across several generations, from 1910 in Korea to 20th century Japan, centered at first on a young woman, Sunja, whose life changes after she becomes pregnant. It is a family saga about belonging and prejudice, told in plain, steady prose. The characters are easy to care about, which makes it easy to get into. Good for readers who like family sagas and stories of migration.

Nonfiction worth reading

Six books from 1946 to 1988: a wartime diary, two memoirs, an autobiography, a book about nature and a book about the universe. Two were written in other languages and are read in translation. Several deal with hard experiences, so check the content before you give one as a gift.

  1. Man's Search for Meaning

    Viktor Frankl, 1946

    Frankl, a psychologist, writes about his time in Nazi concentration camps and what he came to believe about finding a reason to go on. It was first published in German in 1946 as Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager and is read in English in translation. It is short, plain and serious, which is why people keep returning to it. Good for readers who want a brief, reflective book and can take a heavy subject.

  2. The Diary of a Young Girl

    Anne Frank, 1947

    Anne Frank wrote this diary while her family was in hiding in Amsterdam during the Second World War, and it covers letters dated from 12 June 1942 to 1 August 1944. It was published in Dutch in 1947 as Het Achterhuis and is read in English in translation. It has lasted because Anne's voice is lively, honest and sharply observant. A strong read for teenagers and adults alike.

  3. Silent Spring

    Rachel Carson, 1962

    Carson sets out the damage chemical pesticides can do to wildlife and the wider environment. It is still read as an early, clear case for protecting the natural world, and her writing makes the science easy to follow. It suits readers curious about nature and anyone who likes careful, readable science writing.

  4. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    Malcolm X, 1965

    Malcolm X tells his life story in his own voice, as told to the writer Alex Haley. The book moves from his childhood to his later years as a public figure. It has lasted because it is direct about how a person's beliefs can change over a lifetime. Worth reading for anyone drawn to biography and American history.

  5. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

    Maya Angelou, 1969

    This is Angelou's memoir of her childhood and growing up, including years in Stamps, Arkansas. It deals with painful experiences honestly, and the writing has a storyteller's warmth. The voice is so clear and so human that the book reads almost like a novel. A natural pick for memoir readers.

  6. A Brief History of Time

    Stephen Hawking, 1988

    Hawking explains ideas such as the big bang and black holes for general readers, as the subtitle From the Big Bang to Black Holes promises. It is short, and it asks big questions in plain language. Some passages are worth a slow second read. It suits curious readers who want physics without a science degree.

Fantasy, science fiction and mystery classics

Seven books from 1818 to 1984 that shaped their genres. One, The Name of the Rose, is a translation from Italian.

  1. Frankenstein

    Mary Shelley, 1818

    A young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, builds a living creature and is horrified by what he has made. The novel asks who is responsible for the things we create, and that question has not gone away. A fine pick for readers who like gothic fiction and want to see where much of modern science fiction began.

  2. The Hobbit

    J. R. R. Tolkien, 1937

    Bilbo Baggins, a comfortable hobbit, is pulled into a quest with a group of dwarves and the wizard Gandalf. The storytelling is light, clear and funny. It has lasted because it makes an easy first fantasy novel. Read it aloud, or try it as a way into fantasy without a huge commitment.

  3. And Then There Were None

    Agatha Christie, 1939

    Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island off the Devon coast, where each is accused of a past crime. Then they begin to die in a way that mirrors a nursery rhyme. The puzzle is tight and the pace never slows. Mystery fans, and anyone who likes a book they can finish in a weekend, will enjoy it.

  4. Dune

    Frank Herbert, 1965

    Young Paul Atreides and his noble family take control of Arrakis, a desert planet that is the only source of a precious substance called spice. The book mixes politics, religion and ecology in a fully imagined world. That detailed worldbuilding is what draws readers back. It suits those who like dense, slow-building epics.

  5. The Left Hand of Darkness

    Ursula K. Le Guin, 1969

    An envoy named Genly Ai is sent to the icy world of Gethen, where he must understand a society that differs from his own in basic ways, including how its people experience sex and gender. Le Guin uses science fiction to question our own assumptions, and the ideas are still fresh. It suits readers who like thoughtful, character-driven science fiction.

  6. The Name of the Rose

    Umberto Eco, 1980

    A friar, William of Baskerville, arrives at a medieval abbey where monks are dying and sets out to find out why. It was written in Italian as Il nome della rosa and is read in English in translation. It is both a murder mystery and a book about books. A good match for readers who like history, puzzles and a learned narrator.

  7. Neuromancer

    William Gibson, 1984

    Case, once a skilled computer hacker, is hired for one more job after being cut off from cyberspace. The style is dense and fast, with a hard-boiled edge. Its networked world still reads as strikingly modern. Try it if you like cyberpunk and do not mind a book that asks you to keep up.

How we chose these books

"Best" here means our editorial pick for lasting value. We do not rank by sales, and this is not a poll. The reviews are our own opinions, written by us, and you may disagree with them. The books are ordered by year of first publication within each section, not by rank. The list leaves out poetry, plays and children's books, and it leans toward novels written in or translated into English, so treat it as one editor's starting point.

We looked for books that are still easy to find, still read, worth a first-time reader's hours, and that together cover a mix of eras, forms, countries and voices. Think of it as a starting set of books everyone should read once, drawn from the greatest books of all time as we see them. Lists of the top books of all time and the best books ever disagree wildly, so we say what we looked for rather than pretend to a final ranking. If you are building a list of must read books or books to read before you die, this is a place to begin, not a full reading plan.

Every book was checked for its title, author and first publication year against a library, publisher, bookseller or archive page, linked at the bottom of this page. For books first written in another language, the year is the year of the original, and the review says it is a translation. Where a book first came out in parts or installments, the review says so and names the year we used.

Looking for more reading ideas? Browse the full Books hub. For seasonal reading, see our list of the best Christmas books. If you write too, our guides on how to write a book and how to publish a book cover the steps from first draft to finished book.

How this list is updated

We review this list once a year and show the date at the top. We do not accept payment to include a book, and we do not use affiliate links. Titles and authors are named for information only.

Questions readers ask

What are the best books of all time?

There is no single answer, and we do not claim one. This page is our editorial list of 30 books across classic novels, 20th century fiction, modern fiction, nonfiction and genre favorites, each with a short review of our own. If you want one quick pick, the answer box at the top of the page suggests three places to start. Other lists of the best books ever will differ, and that is fine.

What are the best books of all time to read first?

Pick by taste. For a classic with a lively voice, start with Pride and Prejudice. For a short 20th century novel, try Things Fall Apart or The Great Gatsby. For nonfiction, The Diary of a Young Girl is a good first read. If you like fantasy, The Hobbit is an easy way in.

Is there a best books of all time list for fiction?

Yes, and fiction fills most of this page. The classics, 20th century and modern sections hold 17 novels, and the last section adds seven fantasy, science fiction and mystery picks. If you are looking for the best novels of all time to begin with, Jane Eyre, The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird show how different novels can be.

What are the best nonfiction books of all time?

Our nonfiction section has six books: a wartime diary, two memoirs, an autobiography, a book about nature and a book about the universe. They are Man's Search for Meaning, The Diary of a Young Girl, Silent Spring, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and A Brief History of Time.

What are the best books of all time for women, and for men?

Good books are not made for one gender, so we have not split the list that way. Women wrote 15 of the 30 picks, including Austen, Morrison, Carson and Le Guin, and the list covers war, family, science, crime and adventure. Choose by subject and mood, not by who a book is supposedly for.

What are the greatest books of all time and the top 10 books of all time?

Greatest is a matter of opinion, and we did not run a vote or count sales. If you want a starter set of ten from this page, try Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Crime and Punishment, The Great Gatsby, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Things Fall Apart, To Kill a Mockingbird, Beloved, The Diary of a Young Girl and The Hobbit. They are starting points, not a ranking.

Is this a top 100 books of all time list?

No. This is a shorter, curated list of 30, not a top 100 books of all time list, and we do not claim to have ranked one hundred. If you are after one hundred books to read before you die, treat this page as a starting set and browse our Books hub for more reading ideas.

What books should everyone read before they die?

Reading is not a checklist, and nobody needs to finish a set number of books. Start where your interest is. We chose books that are still easy to find, still read, worth a first-time reader's hours, and varied in era, form, country and voice. Treat the must read books here as a menu, not a duty.

How we checked these books

Every title, author and year was checked against the publisher, retailer or library page below on. The notes on each book are our own.