Discover some of the greatest books ever written! From timeless classics to modern must-reads, this list of books to read before you die will change your life.
Why You Need a Reading Bucket List
Books have the power to transport us to different worlds, expand our minds, and change our perspectives.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a lifelong book lover or just getting into reading, having a bucket list of books everyone should read ensures that you experience the best literature the world has to offer.
From heart-wrenching classics to thrilling modern masterpieces, this list of 100 books to read before you die is essential for every reader.
Classics: Timeless Books Everyone Should Read
Some stories transcend time, offering wisdom, adventure, and unforgettable characters. These top books to read are foundational pieces of literature that have shaped the world.
- Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
- 1984 – George Orwell
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Moby-Dick – Herman Melville
- War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
- Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
- The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
- Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
Modern Masterpieces: Books You Should Read from Recent Decades
Literature keeps evolving, and these modern classics have already earned their spot among the 100 books to read before you die.
- The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
- A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
- The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
- The Road – Cormac McCarthy
- Life of Pi – Yann Martel
- Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts
- The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt
- The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
- Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
Science Fiction & Fantasy: Books to Read That Will Blow Your Mind
If you love exploring the impossible, these books you should read from the sci-fi and fantasy genres will take you on unforgettable adventures.
- The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
- Dune – Frank Herbert
- Foundation – Isaac Asimov
- Neuromancer – William Gibson
- The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. Le Guin
- A Song of Ice and Fire series – George R.R. Martin
- The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss
- American Gods – Neil Gaiman
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
Thrillers & Mysteries: Page-Turning Books to Read
Nothing beats the thrill of an edge-of-your-seat story. These books to read before you die will keep you hooked until the very last page.
- Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
- Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty
- The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides
- The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
- And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
- The Woman in the Window – A.J. Finn
- In the Woods – Tana French
- The Reversal – Michael Connelly
- Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn
Love a great Movie? Try our Movie Bucket List Here
Memoirs & Biographies: Books Everyone Should Read for Inspiration
Real-life stories can be just as powerful as fiction. These books to read offer fascinating insights into incredible lives.
- The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank
- Educated – Tara Westover
- Becoming – Michelle Obama
- Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
- When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi
- Born a Crime – Trevor Noah
- I Am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
- The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls
- Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer
- Wild – Cheryl Strayed
Romance Books You Can’t Miss
- The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks
- Me Before You – Jojo Moyes
- The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion
- It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover
- Outlander – Diana Gabaldon
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman
- The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang
- The Hating Game – Sally Thorne
- The Wedding Date – Jasmine Guillory
- Red, White & Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston
Historical Fiction Everyone Should Read
- The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah
- The Alice Network – Kate Quinn
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris
- All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
- The Paris Library – Janet Skeslien Charles
- The Book of Lost Names – Kristin Harmel
- The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
- Before We Were Strangers – Renée Carlino
- The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton
Books That Challenge Perspectives
- The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
- Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Just Mercy – Bryan Stevenson
- The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
- American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins
- The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
- Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
- The Color Purple – Alice Walker
- The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
- The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros
Self-Help & Personal Growth Books
- Atomic Habits – James Clear
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson
- You Are a Badass – Jen Sincero
- The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Marie Kondo
- The 5 Love Languages – Gary Chapman
- How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
- Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
- Can’t Hurt Me – David Goggins
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – Carol S. Dweck
Poetry & Short Story Collections
- Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur
- The Sun and Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur
- Devotions – Mary Oliver
- The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran
- Leaves of Grass – Walt Whitman
- A Thousand Mornings – Mary Oliver
- Where the Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstein
- The Complete Stories – Flannery O’Connor
- Interpreter of Maladies – Jhumpa Lahiri
- Dubliners – James Joyce
How Many Have You Read?
Reading is one of the most powerful ways to grow, explore new perspectives, and escape reality.
Remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re tackling 100 books to read before you die or setting your sights on 100 books to read before you die, the most important thing is to enjoy the journey.
Which of these books everyone should read have you finished?
Which ones will you add to your list?
PIN FOR LATER!
