Best Classic Book Recommendations

What is a classic book? In our opinion, it’s any work that proves a good story will endure. Classic books tend to populate high school reading lists, lists of books everyone should read, and more. 

There are books that are considered classics within specific genres, such as classic science fiction books, classic gothic horror novels and classic romance novels. There are classics that distill the voices of certain times and places, such as books from Lost Generation writers or from the Harlem Renaissance

Classic books also have the tendency to become cultural touchstones—everyone knows what it means to tilt at windmills; to chase a white whale; to ask “to be or not to be” (and if you don’t; it’s high time you cross these classic books off your TBR). They’ve also been turned into iconic films, sparked some of the most hated characters known to man, and invented fantastic places we can only dream of visiting

While many books that we consider classics were written long ago, the best ones are truly timeless, telling tales that resonate with people around the world and across generations. If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, it's time to see for yourself.

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Heathcliff, It’s Me: The Best Brontë Movie Adaptations

Who's your favorite Heathcliff and Rochester?

Beyond On the Road: The Other Jack Kerouac Books

There's more to the author than the defining work of the Beat generation.

Gloria Steinem on Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower

A celebration of Octavia Butler's groundbreaking science-fiction novel.

Tainted Love: 4 Macabre Literary Love Stories

Love means never having to say you're sorry for exhuming your dead wife's corpse.

Valentine’s Day Antidote: Villette by Charlotte Brontë

Fight reductive HEA (Happily Ever After) with Charlotte Brontë's last, best, novel.

Meet Upton Sinclair’s Forgotten Hero, Lanny Budd

This classic out-of-print series is available on an e-reader near you.

Jane Austen’s 12 Most Delightful Insults

We love your sass, Jane. Don't ever change!

Live Your Own Life: 10 Inspiring Facts About Margaret Mitchell

The Gone with the Wind author was a woman ahead of her time.

The Re-Read: J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye

Revisting this classic novel, one writer discovers the truth about Holden Caulfield, and herself.

Ted Hughes: An Introduction

Dr. Jeremy Noel-Tod on five must-read books by Ted Hughes.

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple: Feminist Icon

In "Miss Marple vs. The Mansplainers," Alice Bolin salutes Agatha Christie's feminist detective hero.

11 Cozy Mysteries for Armchair Detectives

Curl up with crime-solving stories from mystery’s most beloved authors.

9 Mystery Authors Like Agatha Christie

We have a hunch you'll enjoy these eccentric characters, crafty plots, and clever red herrings.