This book has been voted by readers as one of the best, but it’s not one you might instantly think of for holding this title. In a list on Goodreads, The Hunger Games takes top spot as the “best book ever” with 41,899 votes. The book, by Suzanne Collins, was first published in 2008 and was later adapted into a hit blockbuster film.
Set in a dystopian future, the story follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl who volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games, a brutal televised competition where one boy and one girl from each district of Panem must fight to the death. One reader said: “Forgot what an absolute masterpiece this book is.”
Taking second place on the list is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book in the series.
It’s no surprise to find one of the Harry Potter books finding a place in the top five.
In this novel, Harry enters his fifth year at Hogwarts and he discovers that many in the wizarding community do not know the truth about his encounter with Lord Voldemort.
In third place is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It follows the witty and intelligent Elizabeth Bennet as she navigates the social scene of the English countryside and her developing relationship with the wealthy and proud Mr. Darcy.
One reader said: “Austen was a brilliant writer. This story is timeless. Simply beautiful.”
At spot number four is the classic To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
This novel is a well-known story which explores the story of Scout Finch’s in 1930s Alabama as her father, Atticus, defends Tom Robinson, a Black man wrongly accused of rape.
The story explores themes of racial prejudice, justice, and morality through Scout and her brother Jem’s eyes.
In fifth place is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which is set during World War 2.
The story revolves around Liesel Meminger, a young girl sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann.
As Liesel copes with the challenges of her new life, she develops a deep love for books and begins stealing them, sharing them with others during the tumultuous years of the war.