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?"
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 DesignGiphyHopefully, 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 GIFGiphyValuable 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 GIFGiphyUnexpectedly 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
season 7 flanders bible GIFGets 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 SimpsonsGiphyWorth 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.
