Essential Reading: Books Worth Experiencing at Least One Time in Your Lifetime

In the vast world of literature, discovering new and profound works can be an enlightening experience. Here are some approaches to help you expand your must-read books in a lifetime.

Firstly, incorporate life-changing and diverse titles into your list. Books like Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, 1984 by George Orwell, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, offer profound insights into understanding life, history, and humanity.

Secondly, balance classics with modern influential books. Curated reading guides that mix timeless classics with contemporary works, such as All About Love by Bell Hooks, ensure exposure to various perspectives across different eras.

Thirdly, explore different genres and cultural perspectives. Don't limit yourself to a single genre; include biographies, historical fiction, religious and philosophical texts, and books exploring diverse world traditions.

Fourthly, leverage recommendations from dedicated readers. Prolific readers like Dan Pelzer have vast lists spanning from classic literature to world history and spirituality, highlighting the value of varied genres and the importance of adapting reading preferences over time.

Lastly, use updated and curated lists. Regularly seek out updated lists and reading guides from credible sources to ensure your list remains both comprehensive and current.

Now, let's delve into some must-read books that challenge, educate, and inspire across multiple dimensions of human thought and culture.

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian science fiction novel set in a near future where a totalitarian regime governs society, and Handmaids, the few women still able to bear children, are indoctrinated to serve the Commanders for reproduction.
"The Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy is a cult crime novel inspired by the true crime story of Elizabeth Short's murder in 1947.
"The Ladies' Delight" by Émile Zola is the 11th volume of the "Rougon-Macquart" series, set in Paris undergoing Haussmannian reconstruction, where local shopkeepers struggle against grand stores.
"The Thirteenth Hour" by Emmanuelle Bayamack-Tam features the character Farah, an intersex teenager, who lives within a religious community her father founded, "The Church of the Thirteenth Hour".
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is a novel set in the 1960s about a young woman, Skeeter, who writes a book giving voice to African-American employees in her neighborhood, sparking a series of events.

For those interested in exploring different genres, consider the following:

"Tales of the City" by Armistead Maupin is a literary saga about the vibrant 1970s and the LGBT community of San Francisco.
"Dangerous Liaisons" by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos is an epistolary novel about the perverse alliance of the Marquise de Merteuil and her friend, the Vicomte de Valmont, who play with high society.
"All About Love" by Bell Hooks aims to shed light on the taboos and shyness of our society when it comes to talking about love, deciphering the inability to love correctly in a patriarchal society.
Hans Christian Andersen wrote 173 fairy tales, including "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Snow Queen", "The Little Match Girl", and "The Princess and the Pea".
"1984" by George Orwell is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian world controlled by Big Brother, where individual freedom is crushed, and truth is manipulated by propaganda.
"Memoirs of Hadrian" by Marguerite Yourcenar is a philosophical-historical novel told in the form of a letter from Emperor Hadrian to his adoptive grandson, Marcus Aurelius.
"Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert is a novel about Emma, a young wife trying to escape the boredom of married life in the provinces, who engages in adulterous relationships.
"Dune" by Frank Herbert is a science fiction novel about Paul Atreides, a young heir to a noble family, who becomes the leader of the Fremen, the indigenous people of the planet Arrakis.
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde is a novel about Dorian, a handsome and intelligent young man whose portrait ages in his place, while he remains eternally youthful.
"Cloudsplitter" by Russell Banks is a novel about John Brown, a historical figure, told from the perspective of his son, Owen Brown.
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley is a dystopian novel set in a future where humans are manufactured in laboratories, divided into predefined castes, and conditioned to accept a world without history, without family, but eternally happy thanks to a mild drug called soma.
"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë is a novel in the first person, presented as the autobiography of the heroine, Jane Eyre, who falls in love with her employer but discovers he has a first wife.
"The Cause of Women" by Gisele Halimi is a book recounting the author's struggle for women's rights, notably on the issue of abortion.
"The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle is a mystery novel featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigating the strange death of Sir Charles Baskerville and protecting the last descendant of the family, Sir Henry.
"The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera is a novel about love, set in Prague, 1968, following the lives of Tomas, a surgeon, Tereza, his wife, Sabina, his mistress, and Franz, a Geneva-based intellectual.
"Around the World in 80 Days" by Jules Verne is an adventure novel about a gentleman, Phileas Fogg, who bets half his fortune that he can complete a world tour in 80 days.
"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka describes the life of a man who wakes up transformed into a cockroach, blending economic and social themes, as well as questions about disenfranchisement, family solidarity, solitude, and death.
"The Princess of Clèves" by Madame de Lafayette is a novel exploring the complex emotions and societal norms of 16th-century French court life.
"The Red and the Black" by Stendhal is a novel chronicling the journey of Julien Sorel in two parts, from his native province to his career in Paris as a secretary.

Happy reading!

In the midst of intriguing in-flight entertainment, you might find adaptations of books such as "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, "1984" by George Orwell, or "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, offering profound insights into understanding life, history, and humanity.
To complement your leisure reading, consider adding literary classics like "All About Love" by Bell Hooks, "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert, or "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde to your library of books for entertainment during your downtime.