Looking for a reading experience like no other? Dive into our curated list of the 15 best-selling books that Reddit users absolutely swear by! These literary masterpieces have won the hearts of many across the globe, and yours might be next!
15. 100 Years Of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“I wanted to start it again as soon as it ended – such a magical wonderful epic.”
“If you stay with it, the ending absolutely wrecks you. It feels like you and the reality around you literally get sucked up into a vortex. A true masterpiece.”
“Yasssss, my favorite book of all time! I *might* have named my son after a prominent character, and then pretended it was in honor of a relative.”
14. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
This British classic novel remains one of the best books to remind others of the importance of being kind, especially during the festive season.
“I read it every year. It’s a brilliantly told story with still relevant social commentary that is more biting than most of the film adaptations.”
“Totally agree. Dickens writes about poverty and society in ways that continue to resonate.”
13. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Little Prince is a famous short novel by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. One of the messages behind this book is to be open-minded and curious about the world.
One person said: “I loved the book and even at 12 I understood it. Sadly, at some point in the ensuing 50 years I lost it somehow. Probably loaned it to someone who never returned it. I really, really regret having lost that book and its inscription, especially now that she’s gone.”
Another Redditor stated: “The book have different meaning at different stages of your life… it seems like a children book at 12, but at age 30 it changes meaning, and at 50 it is defining.”
12. Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls
This classic book by Wilson Rawls tells the tale of a young boy and his two hunting dogs. A notorious tear-jerker, it’s a coming-of-age tale that’ll captivate you from the get-go and break your heart by the final page. You may have read it as a child already, but people on Reddit strongly suggest you do so again.
As one person said, “I have read it twice. Once in third grade, and as a young adult. Balled my eyes out both times.” Another wrote: “Where the Red fern grows is an absolute classic. I read it twice as a kid and should probably give it another shot.”
11. Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein
Published in 1974 by Harper and Row, Where the Sidewalk Ends is a collection of children’s poems written by esteemed author, Shel Silverstein. People on Reddit raved about it.
One said: “As a child I read his books until they fell apart. I memorized many of the poems, and even recited Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out to my class for show and tell. I laughed and cried at his writings, and as a weird kid I totally felt understood.”
As an aside, other Redditors suggested you read two further titles from Silverstein: Falling Up and A Light In the Attic.
10. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
At number 10, we have this 1979 classic from Douglas Adams. Wikipedia reliably informs us it was actually a radio comedy broadcast at first, but it didn’t take long for the title and contents to get adapted to other formats.
The story revolves around the bemused and hapless protagonist, Arthur Dent, who finds himself exploring the universe after the earth gets destroyed. Comical and purposefully absurd, HGTTG may not be for everyone – but some people on Reddit love it. One person said, “I absolutely shaped my sense of humor when I was younger.” Another wrote simply, “Favorite book series. Highly recommend.”
9. 1984, by George Orwell
Orwell’s classic dystopian novel first hit the shelves in 1949. It’s a cautionary science-fiction tale that revolves around the dangers of totalitarianism – and it featured numerous times on Reddit’s book recommendations.
One person said, “I’ll turn 42 this year and didn’t actually read it until a few years ago. I just remember repeatedly saying, “Well, that sounds familiar!” as I read it, and that’s really concerning.”
8. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
According to Goodreads, this 1959 Keyes novel is about “a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse.” If that doesn’t sell it, the responses on Reddit might.
Ninja_badgers described it as an “Absolutely heart wrenching, incredible story.” Someone later jumped in to add, “Yes, this book changed the way I saw people with intellectual disabilities. I really feel that I became more compassionate because of this book.”
7. East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck was an American author who won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature. Published in 1952, he apparently described East of Eden as his magnum opus. People on Reddit didn’t use that exact terminology, but they did rate it just as highly.
One described it as “One of the greatest philosophical books ever written.” The line that stands out to the Redditor who first suggested it is, “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”
6. Night, by Elie Wiesel
Night is a widely acclaimed autobiographical account of Wiesel’s time in a Nazi concentration camp. Candid and harrowing, it’s hardly “light reading,” but it comes highly recommended at every turn. Someone on Reddit described it as “Among the most depressing books I’ve ever read. Highly recommend.” The New York Times said it’s “A slim volume of terrifying power.”
5. The Wave, by Todd Strasser
The Reddit user going by PandoraJeep suggested this one, saying it “Really illustrates how people living in Germany in the 20s and 30s got so swept into the Nazi party/supporting Hitler. Short read and very pointed.”
Written in 1981, the novel itself is based upon a true incident that happened in a Palo Alto high school history class in 1969. It’s about the impact of group pressure and the role it’s played in various historic movements.
4. All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
First published in 1928, “All Quiet on the Western Front” is a highly-acclaimed German novel about the horrors and tribulations of World War I. The book was so influential that the Nazis went on to ban and publicly burn copies of it. Despite being so tragic, it featured prominently on this Reddit Thread.
The Redditor who suggested it accompanied the recommendation by saying, “Actually, the saddest novel I’ve ever read, but probably the only one that describes the absurdity of war in such a suggestive way.”
3. Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl
You’ll struggle to find any list of book recommendations that doesn’t feature this 1946 classic from the psychiatrist and survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, Viktor Frankl. This Reddit thread was no exception!
An inspirational read about finding meaning in even the most hopeless of times, people left a mass of comments revealing the impact it had on their lives. One quote from the book stands out, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
2. The Demon Haunted World, by Carl Sagan
The most upvoted suggestion on the entire Reddit thread is this 1995 classic from American astrophysicist, Carl Sagan. The Redditor who recommended it included a quote from the book that seems eerily relevant:
“I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time — when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.”
1. A Guide to the Wildlife in Your Area
Rather than any specific title they believe you should read, one Reddit user suggests everyone should get their hands on a guide to the birds, animals, and insects found where they live.
This was a surprisingly popular idea, which quickly gained over 11k upvotes. Another person chimed in offering agreement, writing, “Don’t go straight for the dusty tomes; look at the books that get kids into stuff – animal books are top notch!”
Any Other Recommendations?
Do you have any other books you think people should read at least once? Any novels or non-fictions that changed your life? Drop a comment to let us know!
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Source: Reddit.