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

Kim Kardashian
Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Kim Kardashian Roasted After Seemingly Awkward Photo Fail At Jeff Bezos' Wedding Goes Viral

Kim Kardashian may be the queen of the social media snap, but she's getting roasted online for her latest attempt at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding in Venice.

From the elaborate trappings and guest list to the weeks of angry protests by Venetians furious that a Trump-funding technofascist and his celebrity sycophants were taking over their city for days on end, the wedding was nothing short of a spectacle.

Keep ReadingShow less
Abby Phillip; Donald Trump
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images

CNN's Abby Phillip Shares Classy Clapback After Trump Lashes Out At Her On Social Media

During the first term of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, his relationship with the press was probably best described as volatile. He had his favorites—the ones that stroked his ego—and the ones he called "enemies of the people."

CNN has definitely been on Trump’s hit list for years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brandon Gill; Zohran Mamdani
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images

MAGA Rep. Ripped For Racist Reaction To Mamdani Eating Rice With His Hands In Campaign Video

Texas Republican Representative Brandon Gill is facing harsh criticism after he told New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to "go back to the Third World" after Mamdani shared a video of himself eating rice and lentils with his hands and talking about how his upbringing in Uganda and South Africa shaped his understanding of the Palestinian struggle.

At one point during his meal, Mamdani, who was raised in an Indian family, said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images

Homeland Security Slammed After Sharing Bonkers AI Image To Promote 'Alligator Alcatraz'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came under fire after it shared an AI-generated image of alligators wearing ICE hats to promote a proposed "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, a decision that prompted critics to call out the post's fascistic and cruel nature.

The image shows the alligators in caps marked “ICE” beside a barbed-wire fence and was captioned simply:

Keep ReadingShow less
The feet of two people snuggling under the covers
woman in white dress lying on white bed

Couples Who've Been Together For 20+ Years Explain How They Keep Their Sex Life Active

With each passing year, all couples tend to worry that their relationship might change over time.

That they'll stop being as spontaneous, affectionate or energetic as they were when they first began their courtship.

Keep ReadingShow less