1. Around the World in 80 Days

by Jules Verne

It’s October 2^nd, 1872, and wealthy English gentleman Phileas Fogg has just made an astounding bet in the Reform Club: he can—and will—travel around the world in just 80 days.

Thus begins his race against the clock, an adventure on which he’ll make use of anything he can find to ensure arriving at his next destination.

Around the World in Eighty Days is a must-read for fans of travel books, offering a thrilling journey filled with culture, excitement, and exploration.

2. The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

Edmond Dantès’s life falls apart when he is wrongfully accused of treason, leading to his imprisonment.

But upon learning and acquiring a fantastic secret treasure, Edmond reinvents himself as the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo—a man hungry for justice and thirsty for revenge.

3. Dune

by Frank Herbert

House Atreides is the noble family ruling the planet Arrakis—an inhospitable and deserted wasteland.

However, Arrakis is the only place capable of producing melange, an extremely valuable drug that is the key to space travel. Ambition and betrayal spell the doom of House Atreides, with only the young heir, Paul Atreides, left behind to continue an extraordinary journey.

Dune is also available in a stunning special edition, perfect for collectors and fans who want to experience this epic science fiction masterpiece in a beautifully crafted format.

4. The English Patient

by Michael Ondaatje

An Italian villa at the end of World War II is the epicenter that entangles the lives of four broken people: the maimed thief Caravaggio, The Indian Sikh sapper Kip, the troubled Canadian nurse Hana, and the eponymous English patient—a badly burned soldier whose identity is a mystery even for himself.

5. Angels & Demons

by Dan Brown

A scientist is found dead, an ambigram spelling ILLUMINATI branded on his chest, and a can of antimatter missing from his lab.

Worried about the resurgence of the secret brotherhood, symbologist Robert Langdom teams up with Italian scientist Vittoria Vetra to stop the antimatter bomb set to explode on Vatican City, starting a frantic search through codes, crypts, cathedrals, and hidden passages.

6. Moby-Dick

by Herman Melville

Aboard the Pequod, sailor Ishmael encounters the mysterious Captain Ahab, a compelling man driven to deranged vengeance after the loss of his leg in an encounter with Moby Dick—an overwhelming great white whale that is as powerful and indomitable as the sea itself.

Moby-Dick is widely regarded as one of the hardest books to read, with its intricate prose, philosophical themes, and detailed descriptions. While challenging, it remains a profound and rewarding classic for dedicated readers.

7. The Lies of Locke Lamora

by Scott Lynch

In the island city of Camorr—a fantasy equivalent of medieval Venice—Locke Lamora struggles on the streets as an orphan.

However, he survives against all odds by turning to a life of thievery and trickery. As the leader of the Gentleman Bastards, he has become an infamous con artist—and amassed a few enemies.

8. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

by Cheryl Strayed

At 22 years old, Cheryl Strayed lost her mother to cancer, leading to the separation of her family, her eventual divorce, and even the consumption of heroin. Deciding to grow past her grief, at 26, she set out on a self-discovery journey: hiking over a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Tail.

9. A Court of Thorns and Roses

by Sarah J. Maas

Killing a wolf has unintended consequences for huntress Feyre, as she has enraged the Fae. Tamlin, the High Lord of the Spring Court, demands retribution for her crime by spiriting her away to the treacherous Land of the Fae.

Struggling with the anger and passion of her feelings, she soon discovers the deadly danger lurking in this world.

For fans of this captivating series, check out our A Court of Thorns and Roses book series overview and reading order to explore the books in detail and discover the best way to read them!

10. Life of Pi

by Yann Martel

Piscine Molitor Patel, better known as Pi, is a Tamil man who lived an exceptional youth once. As his family decides to migrate from India to Canada, the animal cargo ship they travel in sinks.

This leads to Pi Patel’s 227 days of survival in the Pacific Ocean, alone in a boat—except for the company of Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger.

11. The Road

by Cormac McCarthy

A father and his son walk alone in a post-apocalyptic America, where civilization collapsed, and food is scarce.

They are only equipped with a single pistol, their clothes, a small cart of food, and their love for each other. They walk hoping that the coast is safer, but their future is uncertain, and the road ahead is lawless and dangerous.

12. Neverwhere

by Neil Gaiman

Upon coming across a weak and hurt young girl, businessman Richard Mayhew stops to help her recover—an act of kindness that changes his comfortable life forever. Now he has discovered Neverwhere, a place where monsters, angels, saints, murderers, and knights thrive; the London Below.

This urban fantasy book takes readers on a journey through a dark and magical hidden world beneath London.

13. The Martian

by Andy Weir

Mark Watney is an American astronaut arriving alongside his crew for a planned month-long stay on Mars. However, when a terrible accident ruins their plans, he is left for dead by his crew.

Now stranded and hopeless, he knows he cannot be rescued soon, and his supplies won’t last long—and thus, he uses his skills to ensure his survival. But will it be enough?

14. Outlander

by Diana Gabaldon

Claire Randall is a combat nurse returning home after the war finished in 1945. However, her reunion with her husband is short-lived—after walking through an ancient stone, she finds herself in 1743 Scotland. Now stranded in a land and time away from her own, she faces dangers unlike any other, with her heart torn between the past and the present.

Outlander is the first in a series of books that blends historical fiction, romance, and time travel, captivating readers with its rich storytelling and unforgettable characters.

15. House of Earth and Blood

by Sarah J. Maas

Bryce Quinlan lost everything when a demon murdered her closest friends, and now, she’s dead-set on discovering the culprit and enacting her revenge.

Hunt Athalar is a fallen angel; a slave turned assassin. Hunt offers his skills to Bryce, helping her find the demon and moving closer to his freedom—but what they see in Crescent City may not be what they expect.

16. The Ministry of Time

by Kaliane Bradley

An ordinary civil servant gets the offer of a lifetime when she is invited to join a new project: a ministry dedicated to time travel shenanigans. As such, she is offered the role of “bridge,” monitoring expats across history and taking residency in her timeline. She is in charge of working with Commander Graham Gore, who disappeared in 1847 on a doomed Artic expedition—and is now her roommate.