There are so, SO many great books to choose from. Even if you have a specific genre you prefer, picking a book to read next can be overwhelming. The worst bit? So many good books to read but so little time to relish them all. As with many fun activities you want to do in life, so with books, you must prioritize which ones to read first.
If you are an avid reader, you should have a list of books to read before you die. And hopefully, that list is long enough because, buddy, you probably haven’t yet lived the best of it! And if you are just starting your list or willing to add a few more reads, we advise you to look at the most frequent suggestions of books everyone should read at least once. There’s a reason why these written works are granted the title of best books of all time. Some of the best books ever have the capacity to change how one sees the world, and if a book written before you were even born can do that—we deem it a worthy pick on the list. Some time ago, a member of the AskReddit community asked fellow bookworms, “What’s a book everyone should read at least once in their lives?” And Redditors left dozens of suggestions for great books to read that will stick with you for a long time after turning the last page.
We’ve selected some of the most upvoted picks from the thread and compiled them into a list of books that everyone should read at least once. Do you agree with the most popular selections? If so, upvote the ones you have read and would recommend reading to others. Also, are there any other books everyone should read at least once in a lifetime missing from this list? Let us know in the comments!
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#61 War And Peace By Leo Tolstoy

"War and Peace.
I love that book. There are no villains. Just people with good and bad in them - like all of us.
I think sometimes that almost everyone I have ever met has been like one of the characters in War and Peace."
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5points
#62 Crime And Punishment By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

brosencephalon07 said:
"Crime and Punishment. Dostoyevsky."
"Crime and Punishment. Dostoyevsky."
the_tico_life replied:
"Agreed. Dostoyevsky had an incredible insight into the human soul, and C&P in particular will stick with you for a long time."
"Agreed. Dostoyevsky had an incredible insight into the human soul, and C&P in particular will stick with you for a long time."
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5points
#63 Midnight's Children By Salman Rushdie

NovaDreamSequence said:
"Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie."
"Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie."
arppacket replied:
"Definitely belongs on a must-read list. I still fondly remember reading through it on a long train journey back when I was in high school."
"Definitely belongs on a must-read list. I still fondly remember reading through it on a long train journey back when I was in high school."
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4points
#64 Skinny Legs And All By Tom Robbins

newleafkratom said:
"Skinny Legs and All - Tom Robbins."
"Skinny Legs and All - Tom Robbins."
Commenter replied:
"I prefer Jitterbug Perfume. But love Tom Robbins."
"I prefer Jitterbug Perfume. But love Tom Robbins."
newleafkratom replied:
"I used to. But then I re read both and prefer the politics and absurdity of Skinny Legs. Though Jitterbug is still better than most literature on the planet!"
"I used to. But then I re read both and prefer the politics and absurdity of Skinny Legs. Though Jitterbug is still better than most literature on the planet!"
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4points
#65 A Fable By William Faulkner

"Faulkner - The Fable. It was a difficult read for me, because Faulkner, but I still think about the book and the language usage."
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4points
#66 Lolita By Vladimir Nabokov

ctrip19 said:
"Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov."
"Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov."
GirlNumber20 replied:
"This should be on the list. I read it years ago and am still in awe of how equally beautiful and horrific it is."
"This should be on the list. I read it years ago and am still in awe of how equally beautiful and horrific it is."
unkwntech replied:
"For as much as most of us are repulsed by the subject matter, Nabokov's writing style and the style of this book really merit it being on a list as bold as 'Books you should read at least once in your life.'"
"For as much as most of us are repulsed by the subject matter, Nabokov's writing style and the style of this book really merit it being on a list as bold as 'Books you should read at least once in your life.'"
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3points
#67 Blood Meridian: Or The Evening Redness In The West Bycormac Mccarthy

"I'm going to say that Blood Meridian should be on here, one of the most graphic and gripping tales of the depths of human savagery I've ever read, def Cormac McCarthy's best work IMO.
Some of the things they do in that book... The judge in particular, one of the most enigmatic yet monstrous characters ever created.
McCarthy's style of writing also is so perfect for it, the lack of true dialogue helps to create this chaotic world where the characters can lose themselves."
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3points
#68 Anna Karenina By Leo Tolstoy

Arroganteggplant said:
"Anna Karenina or War and Peace by Tolstoy."
"Anna Karenina or War and Peace by Tolstoy."
The_Guber replied:
"I think few books portray human interaction as accurately and broadly as Anna Karenina. Especially in regards to the way lover relationships are viewed by society and how that affects the relationships.
"I think few books portray human interaction as accurately and broadly as Anna Karenina. Especially in regards to the way lover relationships are viewed by society and how that affects the relationships.
On top of that this book gives a lot of spiritual insight from several different points of view."
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3points
#69 Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison

JaisBit said:
"Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison."
"Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison."
Sietemadrid replied:
"Great book. You never know what's going to happen next."
"Great book. You never know what's going to happen next."
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3points
#70 How To Win Friends & Influence People By Dale Carnegie

zackcough said:
"'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' Non-fiction, but a phenomenal read that literally everyone could benefit from reading."
"'How to Win Friends and Influence People.' Non-fiction, but a phenomenal read that literally everyone could benefit from reading."
RegionalChaos replied:
"This and Steven Covey's 7 Habits ought to be required reading for freshmen in high school."
"This and Steven Covey's 7 Habits ought to be required reading for freshmen in high school."
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3points


