List Challenges
Movies Books Travel Food Other
Trending
New
Popular
Sign In
 Make a List Browse Lists Search Lists Leaders Help / Contact Newsletter

A Bucket List of Books (1,500 Novels, Biographies, Essays, Memoirs, Plays, Science, Science Fiction and Sports Books). Updated to 2021 - Page 18

Most lists of "essential books" are flawed in some manner. They are either too short ("top 50 books for men", or too old (no books from the last 50 years). Other book lists fail to include essays, plays, rock and roll memoirs, science books, and science fiction. Other lists fall short in providing a true world view. I tried to get a solid sampling from every genre and from most countries. This list was created by taking the best of 15 lists. I then added several years of recommended books from the The Week, and foreign language recommended books. I then added my favorites to the list if they were not already there. Enjoy!
Read More
1,758 users · 55,520 views
 
from listchallenges.com · made by acpac2004
avg. score: 134 of 1500 (9%)
required scores: 1, 53, 97, 146, 202 
type to search

How many have you read?

Page 18 of 38
Jar City (Arnaldur Indriðason)
Jar City
681
Arnaldur Indriðason
Jayber Crow: A Novel (Wendell Berry)
Jayber Crow: A Novel
682
Wendell Berry
Jazz (Toni Morrison)
Jazz
683
Toni Morrison
The Jewel in the Crown (Paul Scott)
The Jewel in the Crown
684
Paul Scott
The Jewel of Seven Stars (Bram Stoker)
The Jewel of Seven Stars
685
Bram Stoker
Joe Dimaggio: The Hero's Life (Richard Ben Cramer)
Joe Dimaggio: The Hero's Life
686
Richard Ben Cramer
Joe Turner's Come and Gone (August Wilson)
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
687
August Wilson
John Adams (David McCullough)
John Adams
688
David McCullough
Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
689
Johnny Cash: The Life (Robert Hilburn)
Johnny Cash: The Life
690
Robert Hilburn
Johnny Got His Gun (Dalton Trumbo)
Johnny Got His Gun
691
Dalton Trumbo
The Journalist and the Murderer (Janet Malcolm)
The Journalist and the Murderer
692
Janet Malcolm
Journey to the End of the Night (Louis-Ferdinand Céline)
Journey to the End of the Night
693
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
Joy in the Morning (P. G. Wodehouse)
Joy in the Morning
694
P. G. Wodehouse
The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan)
The Joy Luck Club
695
Amy Tan
Jude the Obscure (Thomas Hardy)
Jude the Obscure
696
Thomas Hardy
Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare)
Julius Caesar
697
William Shakespeare
The Jungle (Upton Sinclair)
The Jungle
698
Upton Sinclair
Just Kids (Patti Smith)
Just Kids
699
Patti Smith
Justine (Lawrence Durrell)
Justine
700
Lawrence Durrell
Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami)
Kafka on the Shore
701
Haruki Murakami
Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker (Stanley Crouch)
Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker
702
Stanley Crouch
Keats's Poetry and Prose (John Keats)
Keats's Poetry and Prose
703
John Keats
The Keepers of the House (Shirley Ann Grau)
The Keepers of the House
704
Shirley Ann Grau
Kidnapped (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Kidnapped
705
Robert Louis Stevenson
The Killer Angels (Michael Shaara)
The Killer Angels
706
Michael Shaara
Killers of the Flower Moon (Grann)
Killers of the Flower Moon
707
Grann
The Killing Zone
The Killing Zone
708
Kim (Rudyard Kipling)
Kim
709
Rudyard Kipling
Kindred (Octavia E. Butler)
Kindred
710
Octavia E. Butler
King Lear (William Shakespeare)
King Lear
711
William Shakespeare
King of the World (David Remnick)
King of the World
712
David Remnick
King Stakh's Wild Hunt (Uladzimir Karatkevich)
King Stakh's Wild Hunt
713
Uladzimir Karatkevich
The Kingdom of God Is Within You (Leo Tolstoy)
The Kingdom of God Is Within You
714
Leo Tolstoy
The Kingmaker's Daughter (Philippa Gregory)
The Kingmaker's Daughter
715
Philippa Gregory
Kiss of the Spider Woman (Manuel Puig)
Kiss of the Spider Woman
716
Manuel Puig
The Kitchen God's Wife (Amy Tan)
The Kitchen God's Wife
717
Amy Tan
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
The Kite Runner
718
Khaled Hosseini
The Known World (Edward P. Jones)
The Known World
719
Edward P. Jones
The Kon-Tiki Expedition (Thor Heyerdahl)
The Kon-Tiki Expedition
720
Thor Heyerdahl
Page 18 of 38
Click books you've read
Lists Similar to 'A Bucket List of Books (1,500 Novels, Biographies, Essays, Memoirs, Plays, Science, Science Fiction and Sports Books). Updated to 2021'
The Ultimate Bucket List of Books (1,800 Essential Novels, Biographies, Essays, Plays, Science and Sports Books)
The Ultimate Bucket List of Books (1,800 Essential Novels, Biographies, Essays, Plays, Science and Sports Books)
1,180
1800
10 Science Fiction Books to Read If You Hate Science Fiction
10 Science Fiction Books to Read If You Hate Science Fiction
356
10
Science Fiction for People Who Don't Like Science Fiction
Science Fiction for People Who Don't Like Science Fiction
1,928
50
The Ultimate List of Science Fiction Books and Novels
The Ultimate List of Science Fiction Books and Novels
330
20
15 Best Sports and Games Science Fiction Books
15 Best Sports and Games Science Fiction Books
89
15
A Bucket of Books (414 Novels, Books, Plays, Sports Stories and Science Fiction Classics to Read in Your Lifetime)
A Bucket of Books (414 Novels, Books, Plays, Sports Stories and Science Fiction Classics to Read in Your Lifetime)
3,303
414
Book Recommendations Based on Memoirs, Biographies, and Essays I've Read
Book Recommendations Based on Memoirs, Biographies, and Essays I've Read
213
412
Witness the Lives of Real People Through Memoirs, Biographies, and Personal Essays
Witness the Lives of Real People Through Memoirs, Biographies, and Personal Essays
152
120
BookBub's 51 of the Best Science Fiction Books and Novels of All Time
BookBub's 51 of the Best Science Fiction Books and Novels of All Time
1,421
51
Fantasy and Science Fiction First Books and Stand Alone Novels
Fantasy and Science Fiction First Books and Stand Alone Novels
404
350
NPR Science Friday's Best Science Books
NPR Science Friday's Best Science Books
399
90
The Favoritest of SFF Books (Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction)
The Favoritest of SFF Books (Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction)
892
253
All Science Fiction Fans Should Have These Books on Their Reading List
All Science Fiction Fans Should Have These Books on Their Reading List
383
125
Katie's Funny Contemporary Novels (No Memoirs or Essays)
Katie's Funny Contemporary Novels (No Memoirs or Essays)
1,128
45
Classics, Science, Essays, Ghosts, Smut, Humor, Romance, Etc.
Classics, Science, Essays, Ghosts, Smut, Humor, Romance, Etc.
470
636
50 Science Fiction Novels That Everyone Should Read
50 Science Fiction Novels That Everyone Should Read
3,873
50
75 Essential Classic Science Fiction Novels
75 Essential Classic Science Fiction Novels
3,178
75
Science Fiction and Fantasy (Part 5 of 'The Guardian's 1000 Novels Everyone Should Read')
Science Fiction and Fantasy (Part 5 of 'The Guardian's 1000 Novels Everyone Should Read')
2,784
149
52 of the Greatest Science Fiction & Fantasy Debut Novels Ever Written
52 of the Greatest Science Fiction & Fantasy Debut Novels Ever Written
1,819
52
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels (Bloomsbury Guides)
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels (Bloomsbury Guides)
1,517
100
Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels, 1949-1984 (From Guide of David Pringle)
Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels, 1949-1984 (From Guide of David Pringle)
1,364
100
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
1,258
100
Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels, 1985-2010
Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels, 1985-2010
1,201
101
40 Places in Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels
40 Places in Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels
851
40
Pringle's 100 Best Science Fiction Novels
Pringle's 100 Best Science Fiction Novels
810
100
SF Masterworks Series of Classic Science Fiction Novels
SF Masterworks Series of Classic Science Fiction Novels
790
155
Thisrecording.com's 100 Greatest Science Fiction/Fantasy Novels of All Time
Thisrecording.com's 100 Greatest Science Fiction/Fantasy Novels of All Time
677
100
Stacker's 100 of the Best Science Fiction Novels of All Time
Stacker's 100 of the Best Science Fiction Novels of All Time
494
100
100 Science Fiction Novels
100 Science Fiction Novels
430
100
100 Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels
100 Queer Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels
426
100
All Similar Lists
Newsletter · Help/Contact · Privacy · Copyright Claim   © 2025 App Spring, Inc. · This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.
Seen It - Movies & TV 
Android & iOS
Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. You can view movies and shows in one place and filter by streaming provider, genre, release year, runtime, and rating (Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, and/or Metacritic). Also, you can track what you've seen, want to see, like, or dislike, as well as track individual seasons or episodes of shows. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Learn more at SEENIT.FUN