Your whole life has included must read reading lists from the early days of school through your book-related browsing on social media. It’s one thing to get your homework done and achieve high scores on English class tests. Do you need that type of pressure for your favorite leisure activity: reading?

Well, for many of us, a must read reading list isn’t about pressure at all. It’s about not missing out on the latest popular books or the most highly regarded classic literature. It’s about expanding our horizons and taking part in the world’s diverse culture throughout time. Some people opt for things like The 1000 Books You Must Read Before You Die while others browse GoodReads to find the next must read options.

What Are Must Read Reading Lists?

Anytime the word ‘must’ comes into play, it’s either about someone making a passionate recommendation or some type of authoritative commandment. There are no book lords or reading police that make you read anything in particular. (After you’re done with school, anyway. Before then, those are called teachers.) No one is going to come get you if you can’t make it through Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness after three tries. (I tried… I really did.)

These reading lists therefore fall into the passionate recommendation side of things. Either literary experts or ordinary people choose books they think everyone should read. Why?

Why Read Recommended  Books?

Three reasons:

  • 1 — The books are classics that truly earn their place through literary greatness.
  • 2 — The books will expand your horizons, introduce new understanding and thoughts, and make you a more well-rounded individual.
  • 3 — The books are just plain awesome, fun, entertaining, or meme-tastic (i.e., culturally significant)

What Is a Classic Book?

Classics withstand the test of time and remain relevant to the world at large. They have enduring themes, relatable characters, and timeless insights into the human condition. They’re also well-written for their time period. No, they may not follow the writing ‘rules’ of today’s books, but they do hold true art within their pages. These are the books frequently on those high school or college reading lists your teacher assigns to you.

How Do Must Read Reading Lists Expand Your Horizons?

Everyone is limited to their own unique worldview unless they do something to challenge and expand it. Books do this in amazing ways… not just in the stories they tell, but the style of the writing and the feel of the characters, too.

Seeing things from different perspectives is so important in today’s world. A must read reading list can exercise your empathy muscles, increase knowledge and understanding, and open your heart.

What Makes a Book ‘Must Read’ Culturally Significant

There are simply some books that have infiltrated modern culture in a way that would make you feel a bit like a newb (do people still use that term?) if you didn’t know then. 1984 and Big Brother might be the most popular. The reminder that Dr. Frankenstein was the monster… not Frankenstein’s monster. Many of the ‘must know’ elements are now covered by movies, but reading the original book still makes more sense.

How To Follow a Must Read List

However you want! Some people print out a list of 100 classics. Others use digital library apps. Some stack books in a TBR (to be read) pile next to their bed. You do you.

If reading some of these classics or books with high critical acclaim feels like a chore, read something light and fun in between. Or just stop. Like I said above, there are no reading police to come knocking down your door and interrogate you about why you haven’t read A Tale of Two Cities or Moby Dick yet.

Above all, reading should be rewarding. It’s fine if you put ‘fun’ on top of any other type of reward. If you decide to follow a must read reading list, feel free to tweak it as you go along. In the end, you choose what you want to fill your heart and mind with.