50+ Books Everybody Lies About Having Read According to Ranker (Jul2025 Update)

"Everyone is a big fat liar, especially when it comes to discussing impressive books to read. Not only are there too many life-affirming books out in the world to read in one lifetime, but there are also a bunch of books that become a part of the social zeitgeist, and if you don't read them you'll be left out of the cultural conversation. The books people lie about reading tend to be considered classic; some books people claim to have read would make better doorstops than they would entertainment, but you should still act as if you've devoured every page. If you don't lie about some of these books, what are you going to have to talk about? Because if you do come across someone who has actually read all of these books they're not going to be able to keep the plot points separated in their heads long enough to call you on your BS. Keep reading to see all the books people pretend to have read – and then maybe actually read one of them." - ranker.com