50 Essential Books Everyone Should Read At least Once

Here’s a curated list of the top 50 books, spanning various genres and eras, that have shaped literature and culture. From timeless classics to modern masterpieces, these works offer unique insights into the human condition, challenge societal norms, and captivate readers with unforgettable characters and compelling stories.

1. Starship Troopers, written by Robert A. Heinlein in 1959. The story follows Juan “Johnny” Rico through his military service in the Mobile Infantry. Rico progresses from recruit to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between humans and an alien species known as “Arachnids” or “Bugs”.
2. The Approaching Storm, written by Alan Dean Foster in 2002. The Republic teeters on the brink of collapse, with secessionist forces rising. On Ansion, a crucial planet, a powerful faction considers joining the movement. At Chancellor Palpatine’s request, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luminara Unduli, alongside their Padawans, must stabilize the planet while facing impossible odds and hidden enemies.
3. Relic (Pendergast Book 1), written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. As a grand exhibition nears its opening at the New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are brutally murdered by an entity seemingly beyond human. Amidst the museum's push to proceed with the event, researcher Margo Green and Agent Aloysius Pendergast race to uncover the killer before more lives are lost.
4. The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time Book 2), written by Robert Jordan in 1991. Rand al’Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara team with Shienaren soldiers to recover the Horn of Valere. Meanwhile, Egwene al’Vere, Nynaeve al’Meara, and Elayne Trakand study at the White Tower in Tar Valon.
5. The Last Wish (The Witcher Book 1), written by Andrzej Sapkowski in 1993. Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. And a cold-blooded killer. His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous looking is evil and not everything fair is good… and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.
6. Z for Zachariah, written by Robert C. O'Brien in 1974. Sixteen-year-old Ann Burden is alone in a post-nuclear war world, living in a remote valley with no sign of survivors. Her solitude is shattered when she sees smoke from a distant campfire, indicating someone else is alive. As she anxiously awaits this stranger, Ann fears that her new reality may be even more dangerous.
7. The Hobbit, written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937. home-loving Bilbo Baggins joins a band of dwarves on a perilous quest to reclaim their treasure from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo discovers hidden bravery and cleverness, ultimately playing a crucial role in their adventure and the treasure's recovery.
8. War of the Worlds, written by H.G. Wells in 1898. Recounts a devastating Martian invasion. Armed with advanced military technology far beyond human science, the Martians wreak havoc on Earth, leading to a desperate struggle for survival in the face of overwhelming extraterrestrial forces.
9. The Time Machine, written by H.G. Wells in 1985. The novel follows the adventures of a hypothetical Time Traveller who journeys into the future to find that humanity has evolved into two races: the peaceful Eloi — vegetarians who tire easily — and the carnivorous, predatory Morlocks.
10. Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen in 1813. Follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness.
11. Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Book 2), written by Suzanne Collins in 2009. Katniss Everdeen faces new challenges in the post-apocalyptic Panem. After the rebellion sparked by her previous victory, she and Peeta Mellark must return to the arena for a special edition of the Hunger Games, further fueling the uprising against the Capitol's tyranny.
12. Dead Eye (The Gray Man Book 4), written by Mark Greaney in 2013. Court Gentry must outwit his former fellow student from a secret assassination program in the past, who has essentially the same skills as him and has been directed to terminate him.
13. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower Book 1), written by Stephen King in 1982. The story centers Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, who has been chasing his adversary, "the man in black," for many years.
14. A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 3), written by George R.R. Martin in 1996. Follows the power struggles of Westeros as rival factions vie for the Iron Throne. As alliances shift, betrayals unfold, and war ravages the land, characters like Jon Snow, Daenerys, and Tyrion face personal challenges amidst political intrigue, while the looming threat of the White Walkers grows.
15. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Book 1), written by Stieg Larsson in 2005. A journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, is hired by a wealthy patriarch to solve the decades-old mystery of his niece's disappearance. He teams up with hacker Lisbeth Salander, uncovering dark family secrets, corruption, and violence. Their investigation exposes a web of deceit, revenge, and horrific crimes hidden for generations.
16. The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast Book 3), written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child in 2002.FBI agent Pendergast uncovers a series of gruesome murders linked to a 19th-century serial killer. As bodies pile up in present-day New York, Pendergast and archaeologist Nora Kelly race to stop a copycat killer while unraveling the dark mysteries behind a sinister old cabinet.
17. It, written by Stephen King in 1986. follows seven childhood friends, the Losers' Club, who face a shape-shifting entity that terrorizes their town of Derry, Maine. The creature, often appearing as Pennywise the Clown, feeds on fear. Years later, the friends reunite as adults to confront the evil once again and end its reign.
18. Devour, written in Kurt Anderson in 2016. a primordial predator awakens beneath the Arctic ice, surfacing to attack a research ship off the Massachusetts coast. As it devours its prey, including a casino cruise ship with a secret cargo, fishing-boat captain Brian Hawkins must confront this monstrous terror in a deadly chase.
19. The Jakarta Pandemic (Alex Fletcher Book 1), written by Steven Konkoly in 2010. The H16N1 virus devastates cities worldwide, shattering society’s foundations. Alex Fletcher, an Iraq War vet, is prepared for isolation but unready for the chaos that follows. As society collapses and his neighborhood descends into violence, Alex faces threats far beyond the virus itself.
20. The Fungus, written by Harry Adam Knight in 1985. A pesky scientist who's trying to solve world hunger unwittingly creates an enzyme that's released into the atmosphere causing all the fungi it touches to mutate, which quickly spreads across Longdon and the surrounding countryside.
21. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, written by Max Brooks in 2006. Told through interviews, it chronicles humanity's fight for survival, from initial outbreaks to the war's aftermath. The novel explores social, political, and military responses, highlighting human resilience and the cost of survival.
22. 100 Days in Deadland (Deadland Saga Book 1), written by Rachel Aukes. In one day, Cash witnesses her world succumb to a pestilence that decimated the living, replacing them with ravenous monsters with an insatiable hunger for the living.  In the midst of all the chaos she joins up with an Army veteran named Clutch and the two fight to survive in the zombie apocalypse, both from the undead and the living.
23. Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society, written by Adeline Yen Mah in 2004. After escaping her abusive stepmother, Chinese Cinderella (CC) finds refuge at a martial-arts school and joins a secret dragon society. Guided by Grandma Wu, CC enters the world of espionage and joins the Chinese Resistance. Her bravery shines during a daring mission to rescue WWII American airmen. 
24. The Invisible Man, written by H.G. Wells in 1897. Griffin, a scientist who invents a way to change a body’s refractive index to that of air so that it neither absorbs nor reflects light. He carries out this procedure on himself and renders himself invisible but fails in his attempt to reverse it.
25. Icebound, written by David Axton in 1995. The story follows a group of international scientists stranded on an iceberg set with bombs rigged to blow while an assassin hides among the crew with an agenda of his own.
26. Mortal Prey (Lucas Davenport Book 13), written by John Sandford in 2002. Lucas Davenport is drafted by the DEA and FBI to help track down Clara Rinker, a proficient hitwoman who nearly killed Davenport previously and is own her own road to justice after the assassination of her husband and baby.
27. Breeds (Breeds Book 1), written by Keith C. Blackmore in 2014. In a near deserted coastal village, odd things are happening. Strangers are asking questions about the town’s recluse. A local hunter discovers naked footprints in the snow. The stray dog population has ceased to exist. And with winter’s most powerful weapon bearing down, things are about to become much, much worse.
28. The Eyes of Darkness, written by Dean Koontz in 1981. After suffering from her son’s death, Tina Evans might be ready to put her grief behind her and start over until a shocking message appears on the chalkboard in Danny’s NOT DEAD. Those two words send her on a terrifying journey where she uncovers a terrible secret.
29. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium Book 3), written by Stieg Larrson in 2009. Follows Lisbeth Salander as she recovers from a near-fatal injury while battling a corrupt Swedish government faction. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she seeks justice for past wrongs and clears her name, exposing a deep conspiracy in the process.
30. Ghost on Black Mountain, written by Ann Hite in 2011. Told in the stunning voices of five women whose lives are inextricably bound when a murder takes place in rural Depression-era North Carolina.
31. The Edge (An FBI Thriller Book 4), written by Catherine Coulter in 1999. While recovering from a car bombing by terrorist FBI agent Ford MacDougal searches for his sister after she disappears while recovering from a near death experience.
32. Storm Front (The Dresden Files Book 1), written by Jim Butcher in 2000. Follows Harry Dresden, a wizard-for-hire in Chicago, as he investigates a brutal double murder involving black magic. Battling dark forces, the police, and his own troubled past, Dresden must uncover the truth before becoming the next victim.
33. The Wayfarer Redemption (The Wayfarer Redemption Book 1), written by Sara Douglass in 1995. Achar is under attack by an evil lord from the North, Gorgreal-his ice demons strike from the sky and kill hundreds of brave warriors in the blink of an eye. One young woman, Faraday, betrothed of Duke Borneheld, learns that all she has been told about her people’s history is untrue. While fleeing to safety from the dangerous land, Faraday, embarks on a journey, which will change her life forever, in search of the true nature of her people.
34. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 2), written by George R.R. Martin in 1999. A Clash of Kings depicts the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in civil war, while the Night’s Watch mounts a reconnaissance to investigate the mysterious people known as wildlings. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen continues her plan to conquer the Seven Kingdoms.
    
35. The Fire of Heaven (The Wheel of Time Book 5), written by Robert Jordan in 1993. Rand al’ Thor, the Dragon Reborn, knows that he must strike at the Enemy, but his forces are divided by treachery and by ambition. Even the Aes Sedai, ancient guardians of the Light, are riven by civil war. Betrayed by his allies, pursued by his enemies and beset by the madness that comes to the male wielders of the One Power, Rand rides out to meet the foe. 
36. The Lady of the Lake (The Witcher Book 7), written by Andrzej Sapkowski in 1999. After walking through the portal in the Tower of Swallows while narrowly escaping death, Ciri finds herself in a completely different world… and knows she must escape to finally rejoin the Witcher, Geralt, and his companions – and also to try to conquer her worst nightmare. 
    
37. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire Book 1), written by George R.R. Martin in 1996. Following the POV of several characters, the story centers on the growing conflict for control of Westeros, an exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen seeking to reclaim her father’s throne, and the growing threat of the supernatural Others from the north.
38. Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park Book 1), written by Michael Crichton in 1990. A pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park’s cloned dinosaurs to run loose.
39. Sphere, written by Michael Crichton in 1987. The story follows Norman Johnson, a psychologist engaged by the United States Navy, who joins a team of scientists assembled to examine a spacecraft of unknown origin discovered on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. 
40. Savages (Savages Book 2) by Don Winslow in 2010. Ben, Chon, and O are best friends who’ve made a fortune producing premium grade marijuana in Southern California.  When the Mexican Baja Cartel demands a cut by kidnapping O, Ben and Chon begin a series of negotiations and life risking actions to free her.
41. Ama, written by Daniel MacKillican in 2016. Death is not the end for Jason Drake. Because of the murder he committed in life, hell awaits him. But Jason is not concerned about his own soul, he wants a chance to save his daughter and give her back the life that was taken away too soon. A demon offers him this chance, if he plays her simple game.
42. The Amityville Horror, written by Jay Anson in 1977. Recounts the alleged haunting experienced by the Lutz family after moving into a house in Amityville, New York, where a mass murder occurred. Over 28 days, they endure disturbing supernatural phenomena, including strange noises, foul odors, and violent behavior, ultimately fleeing in terror.
43. I am Legend, written by Richard Matheson in 1954. ollows Robert Neville, the last human survivor in a world overrun by vampiric creatures after a global pandemic. He struggles to stay alive, battling isolation and despair while searching for a cure.
44. The Fault in Our Stars, written by John Green in 2014. Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
45. A Monster Calls, written by Patrick Ness in 2011. Set in present-day England, it features a boy who struggles to cope with the consequences of his mother’s illness. He is repeatedly visited in the middle of the night by a monster who tells stories.
46. Fear, written by R. Patrick Gates in 1988. A malevolent force has descended upon the small town of Quarry, Massachusetts, that is turning its citizens into crazed killers.  The fate of the town (and the world) falls upon a widow and a young boy with psychic powers.
47. Predator: If It Bleeds, written by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and various authors in 2017. An anthology of short stories that expand the Predator universe, featuring various human encounters with the deadly alien hunters. The tales span different time periods and settings, showcasing battles for survival, cunning strategies, and the enduring threat of the Predators across diverse environments and characters.
48. The Color Purple, written by Alice Walker in 1982. A powerful novel about Celie, an African American woman in the early 20th century, who endures abuse and oppression. Through letters to God and her sister, Celie finds strength, resilience, and self-worth, forming deep bonds with other women along the way.
49. By Your Side, written by Kasie West in 2017. Follows Autumn, who accidentally gets locked in a library for a weekend with Dax, a mysterious classmate. As they bond, Autumn confronts her anxiety and the pressures in her life. Their connection grows, but complications arise when her long-time crush reappears.
50. Hatchet (Brian's Saga Book 1), written by Gary Paulsen in 1986. Brian Robeson becomes lost in the wilderness after surviving a plane crash and must struggle to survive the harsh elements, wild animals, and dwindling supplies.

In conclusion, these top 50 books offer a diverse range of captivating stories, memorable characters, and profound insights. Whether you seek adventure, reflection, or sheer entertainment, this list has something for every reader. Dive into these literary gems and let them inspire, challenge, and transport you to new worlds. Thanks for checking out the post and in the comments let us know what your favorites are.