Classics

A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic.

A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses.

Although the
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1984
The Great Gatsby
Pride and Prejudice
The Diary of a Young Girl
Wuthering Heights
Fahrenheit 451
The Little Prince
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
The Catcher in the Rye
Lord of the Flies
The Kite Runner
The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
The Metamorphosis
Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
The Outsiders
  • The Analects by Confucius
    The Analects: A Contemporary Translation
    by

    Release date: Feb 17, 2026
    A bold, revisionist translation—in an innovative and inviting format—of one of the most influential texts in human history.


    The Analects of Confucius h
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    Format: Print book

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    Availability: 10 copies available, 1769 people requesting

    Giveaway dates: Jan 30 - Feb 11, 2026

    Countries available: U.S.

  • Justice with a Smile by Osamu Dazai
    Justice with a Smile
    by

    Release date: May 05, 2026
    We're giving away 6 free copies of Justice with a Smile - a powerful novel of self-discovery from legendary author Osamu Dazai! ...more
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    Format: Print book

    Giveaway ends in: a

    Availability: 6 copies available, 1687 people requesting

    Giveaway dates: Feb 01 - Mar 01, 2026

    Countries available: U.S.

  • Pride and Prejudice
    The Great Gatsby
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    Jane Eyre
    1984
    Wuthering Heights
    Animal Farm
    The Picture of Dorian Gray
    Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
    Little Women (Little Women, #1)
    The Catcher in the Rye
    Lord of the Flies
    Of Mice and Men
    Emma
    Sense and Sensibility
    The Girl on the Train by Paula HawkinsThe Fault in Our Stars by John GreenGone Girl by Gillian FlynnThe Martian by Andy WeirWe Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    What we've read so far in...2015
    9,720 books — 2,077 voters

    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeRomeo and Juliet by William ShakespeareThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldLord of the Flies by William GoldingAnimal Farm by George Orwell
    Required Reading in High School
    813 books — 1,288 voters
    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeA Story of Yesterday by Sergio CoboSheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master by K.  RitzThe Help by Kathryn StockettThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    All-Time Awesome Books
    12,220 books — 7,867 voters

    Crime and Punishment by Fyodor DostoevskyThe Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoevskyAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyThe Master and Margarita by Mikhail BulgakovWar and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
    Best Russian Literature
    513 books — 2,282 voters
    War and Peace by Leo TolstoyA Story of Yesterday by Sergio Cobo1984 by George OrwellTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
    I Should Probably Read This Sometime...
    11,726 books — 10,401 voters


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