65 books everyone should read before they die

If there’s one thing most people can relate to on a primordial level, it’s the awkwardness and awfulness that is sometimes (if not always) the middle school years. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a captivating first book in his now world-famous series, author Jeff Kinney shares the story of Greg Heffley and his sidekick Rowley. As the two learn to navigate these treacherous times, hijinks and friendships ensue in this tested coming-of-age tale that many will enjoy, no matter their current decade of life.

A science fiction novel for the ages, Frank Herbert’s Dune tells the adventures of the boy Paul Atreides—who will become known as Muad’Dib—as he and his family strive to bring humankind’s greatest dream to life while living on the desert planet Arrakis. Written in 1965, much of Dune’s story may be more relevant to 21st-century readers than it was to its first readers.

Guy Montag’s existence in Fahrenheit 451 might hit a little close to home: He’s a fireman in a futuristic dystopian world whose job is to find and destroy the illegal commodities of a world whose sole focus is television—the books. Indeed, Montag believes the printed word is dangerous—until a mysterious neighbour, Clarisse, shows up and opens his eyes to the wonder of books and stories. Unfortunately, Montag’s world is upended, forcing him to flee while he sorts out truth from lies in a spellbinding story.

Even if you’ve never consumed a hallucinogenic drug in your life, you’ll likely feel a deep relationship to the wild ride many drug users describe after you read Hunter S. Thompson’s rollicking Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Thompson’s book is the recounting of a wild, long weekend in Las Vegas where he and his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, are sent to cover a biker’s race in the deserts of Nevada. The drug-addled duo never get the story—not much of a spoiler—but what did come of the journey is a tour de force of a bygone era.

Gillian Flynn’s thriller novel Gone Girl is a captivating tale of twists, lies, and mystery. When Nick Dunne’s wife, Amy, disappears on their anniversary, the spotlight turns to their marriage. Nick’s dispassionate recounting of their relationship and Amy’s diary entries shed light on a couple that seemed pleasant, if not strained, from the outside. However, Flynn upends the narrative quickly with revelations that will leave you reeling.

Short and simple, but not at all forgettable, Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon is classic of children’s literature and a must-have for every parent and grandparent. As the little bunny bids everything in his sweet house and world a good night, you and your littlest readers can bid goodnight to one another, too.

When Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations, he gave life to some of literature’s most colourful and enduring characters: Pip, Miss Havisham, and Uncle Pumblechook, to name a few. His penultimate novel, Great Expectations details the life and stories of an orphan named Pip, growing up in Kent and London in the early to mid-1800s. It’s a classic and a must-read quite simply because it’s been described as one of Dickens’ best works, an appraisal to which Dickens himself agreed.

This is a history book, but it’s so much more than a telling of what happened when and why. In Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond lays out the foundation for understanding human history. It’s more than a recounting of battles and settlements, it’s an outline of the agriculture, technology, writing, government, and religion that shaped the world as we know it. Diamond blunts right up against many fallacies and dismantles pernicious theories that have haunted development and society for centuries. You will walk away from this tome a changed person.

Welcome to the wizarding world of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. In J.K. Rowling’s first instalment, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, you will be introduced to many of the story’s most important—and entrancing—characters. But before you get settled into the fun of spells and potions, the action starts right away as Harry finds himself troubled by the feeling his destiny is still intertwined with his past.

On November 15, 1959, the small town of Holcomb, Kansas was turned on end by the savage murder of four members of the Clutter family. The police had no suspects and almost no evidence. Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood recounts in chilling detail the deaths of the family and the investigation that ultimately led to the arrest of two recently-paroled ex-convicts. Capote’s work may be a story stuck in time, but its nonfiction narrative reveals a lot about violence and evil that’s resonant even today.