The 10 Must-Read Books of My Lifetime
In honor of The New York Times’ ‘The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century’ article, here are my top ten favorite books of all time.
The New York Times list is full of stories about grief, family, strife, arrogance…many of which I have actually never read. The list definitely has pushed some new additions onto my TBR or emphasized titles that have been sitting isolated on the shelf for some time. However, I am a girl who transcends lit fic and serious nonfiction–my list also is not set within the parameters of the 21st century. Here are my favorite ten books of all time–I’m sure it is a unique list but hopefully you’ll get some recommendations.
Book synopses are not my own. This list is with the full understanding that there are over 200 books on my ‘want to read’ list, and that this one is not perfect nor set in stone. It is just a reflection on what has shaped me and I have loved up until this point in my life.
10. The Secret History, Donna Tartt, 1992
Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last—inexorably—into evil.
Donna Tartt was never not going to make this list just like she made New York Times’ with The Goldfinch. Our literary queen of course has a place on any list of my favorites.
9. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë, 1847
At the center of this novel is the passionate love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff - recounted with such emotional intensity that a plain tale of the Yorkshire moors acquires the depth and simplicity of ancient tragedy.
Wuthering Heights is haunting. People used to shun Emily Brontë for publishing this novel because it is dark. It is unbelievably good though.
8. Emma, Jane Austen, 1815
Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen's most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.
Emma is Pride and Prejudice’s funny little sister. If only Jane Austen had lived to see her name twice in a Substack article written by a 22-year old unemployed girl with 10 subscribers. She would be so proud.
7. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, 1868
Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.
Little Women has provided women strength for generations. When I first encountered the story, I was so enamored by Jo and Laurie and I’m not sure I understood it fully. Now I find myself proudly admitting that I am an Amy. Yes, Jo March gave so many women the inspiration to be independent and follow their passions, but Meg also reminded us that just because our dreams seem a little smaller or might fit the status quo, doesn’t mean they aren’t just as important. I believe Little Women holds a message that contemporary feminists often forget–there is nothing wrong with wanting to be a wife or a mother, it doesn’t make you a ‘bad feminist’. It is within your ability to choose that life for yourself which grants you and other women the independence to decide their own fates whatever that might mean. Little Women, for me, transcends time and still has so many important things to say, especially to young women trying to find their place in the world.
6. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath, 1963
We follow Esther Greenwood's personal life from her summer job in New York with Ladies' Daymagazine, back through her days at New England's largest school for women, and forward through her attempted suicide, her bad treatment at one asylum and her good treatment at another, to her final re-entry into the world like a used tyre: "patched, retreaded, and approved for the road" ... Esther Greenwood's account of her year in the bell jar is as clear and readable as it is witty and disturbing.
I am just a girl, of course I read Sylvia Plath poems and think about her everyday. The Bell Jar is transformative for young women everywhere and has had a huge impact on me and my reading habits.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde, 1890
In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.
This book is a classic for a reason. It’s dark, there’s yearning, and its end message is haunting. When I closed this book I probably stared into space for like an hour. It is incredible and relatively short if you’re looking for a great read to change your life.
4. Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, 2001-2011
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
I wasn’t sure if Harry Potter was fitting of this list, however it felt wrong not to mention. This series, as it is for many people, is the reason why I love reading and has developed me into the person I am today. Thoughts and feelings of J.K. Rowling aside, I grew up with these characters. A young me once sat in the movie theater of “The Deathly Hallows, part 1” and cried over Dobby.
3. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 1813
Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.
Is this a cliche choice? Probably, but I’d be lying to myself if it wasn’t on here. Pride and Prejudice is the rule that I base every other romance upon. It has bewitched me mind, body, and soul, and I love it.
2. If We Were Villains, M.L. Rio, 2017
Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
I have written an entire tv-series pitch for this book–my love for it is certainly not discreet. It has many elements of Donna Tartt that I love but the forbidden romance aspect only makes it all the more heartbreaking. This book also made me cry…hysterically…in public. It is beautiful, smart, and M.L. Rio deserves all the love and appreciation for the masterpiece she created.
1. Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi, 2011-2020
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war—and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Fantasy/sci-fi is arguably my most beloved genre–I have many honorable mentions worthy of this list, however for me, Shatter Me has something that many other fantasy novels lack. Its depth and poetic writing are unique compared to many romantasy novels of recent years. I believe being in the YA category actually aids it, versus falling into the tropes and pitfalls that many recent adult fantasy novels are facing–the feeling that they must have a level of ‘spice’ as many Booktokers would call it. Now I have no desire to put that down, everyone should read what makes them happy, I certainly have read my fair share of spicy romance. However, Shatter Me focuses heavily on its plot, worldbuilding, and developing characters as individuals that the romance aspect feels all the more authentic. This book made me cry, it’s as simple as that. It is my favorite series of all time.
Already ordered The Secret History. Thanks for the rec.
So many incredible books on this list! "The Secret History" and "If We Were Villains" are two of my favourite books ever 🤎