Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain What Everyone Should Read At Least Once In Their Lifetime

People Explain What Everyone Should Read At Least Once In Their Lifetime
woman wearing pink shirt in front of bookshelf
Photo by Rabie Madaci on Unsplash

To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye.

Books are often found on the list of the greatest novels ever written.

But they are also commonly found on the list of books most people had to read in high school.

Which doesn't mean they aren't among the greatest pieces of literature.

But more often than not, people find the books that turn out to be their "favorites" not because they were assigned to them, but because they chose to read them for their own enjoyment.

Some people’s favorite reading material might not even be a novel or biography, but rather a juicy blog or message board.

A Recent Redditor was curious to hear what books, or other reading material, the Reddit community believed demanded to be read, leading them to ask:

'What should you read at least once in your entire life?"


An important lesson for everyone

"Don't let the pigeon drive the bus."- skmeibe

Anything, as long as it's one you'll enjoy

"Something fun."

"So many people only read the books they are assigned in school, or what random people in a reddit thread like this recommend, and walk away feeling unsatisfied, like reading is a chore."

"And sometimes it is a chore, but other times it's joyous, extraordinary, mind-blowing, or just plain fun."

"Tl;dr - read something that makes you happy, not just something you 'should' read."- bozec

An old, old old, classic

"The Epic of Gilgamesh."- Truebetold

Thought provoking and entertaining!

"The Master and Margarita."

"It's a very fun read, but also makes you think. Kind of like Discworld books."- AkechiJubeiMitsuhide

Black Cat GIF by Artitudes DesignGiphy

Hopefully, it will help you find just that!

"Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl."- post-death_wave_core

Any Sci-fi/Fantasy fans in the house?

"The discworld novels by Terry Pratchett."

"Christopher Moore's The Gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood Pal."- rokki82

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy."

"Despite the title, it's hilarious."

"A relatively short read (about 200 pages iirc), the science can be a bit hard to keep up with sometimes, but it's a fun time regardless."- KiiWii4972

The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy Space GIFGiphy

Valuable lessons on growing up.

"Hatchet."

"It is a good 'learning to read' book."

"Suspenseful, easy to understand and it was one of the first books that I wasn't happy the entire way through."

"One of the first books that I had to know how it ended."

"Yet, at the same time it touches upon topics that a year earlier may have been hard to grasp, such as the human instinct to survive when you've lost all hope."- Ramen_Beef_Baby

Who needs fiction, when you have real life?

"The local police report for a rural Appalachian community. "

"Never fails to disappoint."- Butwinsky

Something far too people neglect to read...

"You should read the f*cking manual."- Sirhc978

90S Help GIFGiphy

Unexpectedly Timely

"With all the books being banned by Republicans I think everyone needs to read, Fahrenheit 451"- VivaLasVegasGuy

A classic for all ages

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar."- SvenskaAlvar

Religious text, for inspiration, or out of curiosity

"The Bible."

"Either as holy testament or as fiction."

"I actually read it in a college class 'the Bible as Fiction' and it’s very interesting and dramatic."- Background-Eye-8883

"If you follow a religion, your religious text."- DrSealMan

season 7 flanders bible GIFGiphy

Gets you every time

"Charlotte’s Web."

"I was given a copy by a neighbor and fell in love."

"It was a rollercoaster of emotions for me, both good and bad."- The_Poptart_Cat

No one should be beholden to one genre

"A trashy romance."

"A 'classic' story, like Jane Eyre, or something Bronte, lol."

"A Shakespeare play, I suggest the comedies, because they're hilarious, and the tragedies, well, they're tragic, lol."

"A good mystery book."

"A YA fiction book, so you can see what the kids are into these days."

"A sad story that can make you cry just through the written word - it's very cleansing, maybe Tucker's Way or There There."

"Somebody's memoir or autobiography."- DishyPanHands

"All for one, and one for all!"

"Three musketeers."

"An adventure about friendship, betrayal, and coming out of age."

"Worth reading."

"Very beautiful tale."- lavendershift-ofc

Sure, you read it for the articles...

"Any 'Playboy' magazine...they have really good articles..."- rap31264

Worth refreshing every now and again

"The Constitution of the United States, especially the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments."- Unable_Fig_3130

Season 15 Television GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy

Worth tracking down

"This probably only me, but the Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan is a great series that I feel like more people should read."- Commander-Appa

There is nothing more transporting than a juicy piece of reading material.

Be it from the fiction section at the library, in your local paper, or on Reddit.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Elon Musk
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk Dragged After Programming Grok To Claim He's 'More Fit' Than LeBron James

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after X users discovered he'd programmed his AI chatbot Grok to praise his physique by saying he's "fitter than" basketball star LeBron James.

Musk is actually on record saying that he wouldn't exercise if he could, that he's not been consistent meeting with his personal trainer, and that he would "rather eat tasty food and live a shorter life." But to hear Grok tell it, Musk is more fit than one of the top basketball players on the planet—and smarter than some of humanity's greatest minds.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two female co-workers arm wrestle while two male co-workers look on in shock.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

People Break Down The Best Petty Drama Happening In Their Workplace

I work from home, and my co-worker is my dog, and it's a scene over here.

When I worked with others, there was rarely a respite from petty squabbles and the drama of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
Daniel Radcliffe
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Daniel Radcliffe Praised For His Incredibly Classy Comments About The 'Harry Potter' Reboot

Daniel Radcliffe has an impressive résumé that includes roles in movies, television shows, commercials, and on stage, but even with his extensive experience, most people know him as Harry Potter in the eight-part Harry Potter movie series, the first adaptation of JK Rowling's seven-novel saga.

So it makes sense that people hope he'll give his blessing when it's time to pass the torch.

Keep ReadingShow less

Overrated 'Life Hacks' That Actually Make Life Even Harder

We've all spent some time looking for ways to make our lives easier.

But sometimes the hacks we see that promise a way to do something more simply or quickly are actually more complicated than just doing it the way we've always done it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Rebecca Gayheart Poignantly Explains Why She Called Off Divorce From Eric Dane After His ALS Diagnosis

Model and Jawbreaker actor Rebecca Gayheart recently set the record straight about her relationship with Grey's Anatomy alum Eric Dane.

Gayheart, 54, and Dane, 52, married in 2004 and share two teenage daughters. In 2018, Gayheart filed for divorce, but dismissed her filing in March 2025. Less than a month later, Dane publicly announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.

Keep ReadingShow less