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I came across this article that lists books that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.



How many have you read?
Would you say that book is important enough that everyone should read it?
Can you think of any other books that should have been added to this list?

I have read

1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. Harry Potter and the Philsopher’s Stone
3. The Lord of The rings by J.R.R Tolkien
4. The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
5. The Diary of A young girl by Anne Frank (sections of it through my history study)
6. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
8. Animal Farm by George Orwell
9. The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C.S Lewis
10. Of mice and men by John Steinbeck
11. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
12. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll


It’s tough to say how many I think belong to this list, however it feels to me that this list is a bit out of date. With the rise of Black Lives Matter in 2020, I feel it is important that everyone should read some books by black authors, I hope to make more effort to do this myself. The list could also use some LGBTQ+ literature as well as disability and mental health literature given the awareness given to these subjects over the years. I feel like I need to go away and come back to see what I would add but for now I would add Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig or We Should All Be Feminists and The Hate U Give, that’s one I have been meaning to reading for a while. I might nominate in the next fiction group read.

Jade wrote: "I have read

1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. Harry Potter and the Philsopher’s Stone
3. The Lord of The rings by J.R.R Tolkien
4. The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
5. The Diary of A young girl by ..."

You make some excellent points here Jade, so much has changed and a lot of awareness has been brought to our attention, especially over the past year in regards to the Black Lives Matter and the global protests. I am not sure what they would have been like where you are Jade, but where I live, they were quite heavily attended by so many different people, I feel bad for saying this, but if we weren’t in the middle of the pandemic and if I didn’t have extremely vulnerable people in my household, I would have been there myself. I only did a quick sweep of the list but it’s late, so I will take a proper look at the list tomorrow. I will, however add a third question after reading your comment Jade.

I have read 22 of this list. All the fantasy category is remaining like Narnia, Lord of the Rings...

1. To Kill a Mockingbird
2. 1984
3. Harry Potter
4. The Great Gatsby
5. The Diary of a Young Girl
6. The Book Thief
7. Fahrenheit 451
8. The Catcher in the Rye
9. Lord of the Flies
10. The Kite Runner
11. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
12. The Color Purple
13. Alice in Wonderland
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
15. Slaughterhouse-Five

The rest is on my TBR. All important books for one reason or another but I agree with Jade, the list is not up to date. The great classics + Harry Potter, which will be considered a classic in its own time.

What to add? I agree with the topics Jade raised. Additionally more primary sources of all times and places where oppression was part of everyday life for the majority of people. And not just the victims side which is important of course, but go and read what the aggressors feel they have to say, what excuses or reasoning they have.

I’m reading Eine deutsche Frau im Inneren Deutsch-Ostafrikas: Elf Jahre nach Tagebuchblättern erzählt and it’s a bout the former German colonies in what is now Tanzania. The author seems to be a really nice woman and you start rooting for her to succeed in a place where every bug seems to be eager to kill you. And then� she accepts little girls as presents�

Those must-read books are there to teach you something and the thoughts of those who feel they are doing the right thing or find excuses for what is going on are a next level wake-up call. Human behavior is universal I’m afraid, no matter the time or place.

I’m a history buff can you tell? :D

Kat wrote: "1. To Kill a Mockingbird
2. 1984
3. Harry Potter
4. The Great Gatsby
5. The Diary of a Young Girl
6. The Book Thief
7. Fahrenheit 451
8. The Catcher in the Rye
9. Lord of the Flies
10. The Kite Run..."

I definitely am a bit of a history buff and I think Jade is studying History at university, so it’s interesting that we are looking into this in quite similar ways.

I have read 23 of these novels. Some of my all time favorite books are on this list!
Gone With the Wind
Of Mice and Men
Grapes of Wrath
The Kite Runner
Charlotte's Web

I agree with Jade. There are many great reads from the last few years that should be on this list to make it more diverse.

I've read them all and I have to say I liked them all, some more ad some less.
As for all lists I think there's some title not so important, and some really missing. One for all Moby-Dick or, the Whale.

And I'd change the title: 30 ENGLISH and USA Books Everyone Should Read At Least Once In Their Lives. There's no French title, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian. Before Charlotte's Web or The Book Thief I'd say Crime and Punishment, War and Peace, Don Quixote, Swann's Way, Old Goriot, Les Misérables, Germinal, Elective Affinities, Effie Briest, not to mention my Dante - this year the VII centenary of his death - The Divine Comedy

LauraT wrote: "I've read them all and I have to say I liked them all, some more ad some less.
As for all lists I think there's some title not so important, and some really missing. One for all [book:Moby-Dick or,..."

Excellent point! Maybe such a list should contain at least (!) one book per country, their "most important" classic (difficult to choose just one for sure, but still...).

"World Classics" should probably be re-namend in "Western World Classics".

LauraT wrote: "I've read them all and I have to say I liked them all, some more ad some less.
..."

Laura and I are again kindred spirits!

Regarding Jade's comment that "With the rise of Black Lives Matter in 2020, I feel it is important that everyone should read some books by black authors":

I agree that the list is dominated by English-speaking white male authors, but there are several books on the list that address the concept of racism, starting with the very first book on the list - To Kill a Mockingbird.

Right again Leslie!!!!

I have read:
1984 by George Orwell
The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
The Diary of A young girl by Anne Frank (sections of it through my history study)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
.........................................................................The Harry Potter books are the ones I detest to the very marrow...what a bunch of OVERRATED garbage can people read ???! Must be because I don't fancy anything epic or fantasy !!:). I would have substituted HP with any novel by Bradbury and/or Chricton.

I have read all 30. I liked all of them, some more than others. I am sure each person assembling a list of 30 will have different books on the list. 30 is such a tiny number compared to the massive number of books in the world!

Joy D wrote: "I have read all 30. I liked all of them, some more than others. I am sure each person assembling a list of 30 will have different books on the list. 30 is such a tiny number compared to the massive..."

Definitly

Ah a list after my own heart so of course I approve. I’ve read 27 / 30. Never got round to Gone with the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath or The Catcher in the Rye. Though there’s time ...

I think the list contains books that have typically been highly influential on teens and have lead many to a deep love of reading and/ or writing and each stand alone in this respect.