3.93 avg rating — 5,906,012 ratings

"One of the greatest novels of all time. Every sentence is a gem. The American Dream, shattered before readers' eyes. "

4.29 avg rating — 4,792,881 ratings

"The art of writing the unwritten, the unspoken, the unseen is Jane Austen's signature. This style of writing has influenced how every book after it has been written, and no matter how old it gets, remains terribly emotionally complex and intriguing. "

4.15 avg rating — 2,416,896 ratings

"I'm a feminist, so I simply have to have one strong modern feminist text. This book touches on many sociological and political issues with a focus on gender, rather than race, which as also important, but can be nice to step away from for a moment. Also, the story is undeniably interesting. "

4.03 avg rating — 993,136 ratings

"Another example of the complete destruction of the American Dream. A gorgeously descriptive book chronicling the American Odyssey: one family's journey out of the Hell that was the Dust Bowl. "

4.03 avg rating — 1,049,218 ratings

"Shakespeare. He made up words that are in the OED, for goodness sake. Massively influential, incredibly complex, challenging to unpack, Hamlet is perhaps the finest example of his work. "