Whether you’re an avid reader devouring several books each week or someone who just prefers to read every now and again or while on holiday, everyone is different. Genre is another personal preference, with some sticking to the same genres while others dabble in everything from romance and thrillers to non-fiction and fantasy.
But, whatever your reading preferences, there are some books that everyone should try, according to Goodreads users. This Listopia ranking was compiled using tens of thousands of votes. Topping the list is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a 1960 Southern Gothic novel follows young Scout Finch, her brother Jem and father Atticus, a lawyer who agrees to defend a Black man wrongly accused of a crime.
To Kill a Mockingbird was instantly successful after its release and went on to be widely taught in schools. It was Lee’s only published book until Go Set a Watchman, an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, was published in 2015.
Coming in second is another beloved classic: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This 1813 novel tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, who must overcome their initial prejudices and pride to find love.
In third is The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, a real life account of a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis during the Second World War. Written in diary format, it charts the time Anne and her family lived in a secret annex in Amsterdam and is a deeply personal insight into the horrors of the Holocaust.
First published in 1947, two years after Anne’s death in a concentration camp, The Diary of a Young Girl later became a classic of war literature and is often described as essential reading.
In fourth is 1984 by George Orwell, a dystopian novel about a man living under the totalitarian rule of the Party and its omnipresent leader, Big Borhter.
10 books everyone should read once, according to Goodreads users
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
- The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Just missing out on the top 10 are The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
You can find the full list on Goodreads. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, you can also click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack.
