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50 best books of all times

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Embarking on the quest for the '50 best books of all time' is a journey as vast and varied as the human experience itself. While definitive lists are as elusive as a single truth, this curated selection represents a profound expedition through the li...
 
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The simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, and deal with them, your heart always guides you more wisely than your head. There’s nowhere else in the world where that’s quite so true. This book is perfect ...
Shantaram: A Novel by Gregory David Roberts, Paperback
 
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"If you’re one of the few who haven’t experienced the genius of Agatha Christie, this novel is a stellar starting point." — DAVID BALDACCI, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author An exclusive authorized edition of the most famous and beloved stories from the Queen of Mystery. Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, s...
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Paperback
 
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The Master and Margarita was written in the Soviet Union during Stalin’s regime and was censored a lot when it was first published. The book combines supernatural elements, satirical dark comedy and Christianity. QUOTE:   “And keep in mind that Jesus existed.”  “You see professor,” Berlioz answered with a strained smile, “we respect your great erudition, but we ourselves maintain a different view on this question.”  “There is no need for points of view,” replied the strange professor. “He simply existed, that is all.” ― Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita: 50th-Anniversary Edition (Penguin ...
 
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The book projects American society immediately after World War II into a technologically advanced future where the amplification of humanity's potentials to create and destroy have miraculous and devastating consequences. Events in the chronicle include the apocalyptic destruction of Martian and human civilizations... militarism, science, technology and war-time prosperity that could result in a global nuclear war
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, Paperback
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The War of the Worlds is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897,[2] and serialised in Pearson's Magazine in the UK and Cosmopolitan magazine in the US in 1897. The full novel was first published in...
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, Paperback
 
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Nineteen Eighty-Four (also published as 1984) is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically, it centres on the consequences of totalitarianismmass surveillance, and repressive regimentation of people and behaviours within society.
1984 by George Orwell, Paperback
 
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There are many novels which claim that they are the greatest love story of all time. It is only in the case of this novel that that statement can be applied and be true. The main message that Fitzgerald sends to us isn't that dreaming will lead to de...
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Paperback
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A collection of the most famous cases faced by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's peerless creation, now in a beautiful hardcover edition designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith

This collection of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes includes many of the famous cases - and great strokes of brilliance - that made the legendary detective one of fiction's most popular creations. With his devoted amanuensis Dr Watson, Holmes emerges from his smoke-filled room in Baker Street to grapp...
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, Hardcover
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The Bible is the most sold book of all time, with an estimated 5 to 7 billion copies distributed. It has been translated into over 700 languages and continues to be popular worldwide. The Bible's influence extends across cultures and history, shaping both Western and global traditions.
The Book of Bibles. 40th Ed.|Hardcover
 
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This epic high-fantasy novel centers around a modest hobbit who is entrusted with the task of destroying a powerful ring that could enable the dark lord to conquer the world. Accompanied by a diverse group of companions, the hobbit embarks on a peril...
Lord of the Rings - Collector's & Omnibus Editions, J. R. R. Tolkien
 
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The novel, originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615 is considered a founding work of Western literature. It's often said to be the first modern novel. The novel has been labelled by many well-known authors as the "best novel of all time"[d] and the "best and most central work in world literature". Don Quixote is also one of the most-translated books in the world[6] and one of the best-selling novels of all time.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Paperback
 
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An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Stenciled Edges) (Harry Potter, Book 1)
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (also known as Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 English children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatures. It is seen as an example of the literary nonsense genre.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Other Stories ...
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Frankl survived Auschwitz, but he also happened to be a celebrated psychiatrist. This book argues for a therapeutic model based on a human sense of meaning, with much of it argued from Frankl’s experiences with the Nazis.
Man's Search for Meaning (B&N Exclusive Edition)
 
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The best book on happiness I’ve ever come across. Gilbert’s take is that the problem isn’t that we can’t find happiness, it’s that we often don’t even know what happiness is.
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert, Paperback
 
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Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is p...

"To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.
To Kill a Mockingbird (Pulitzer Prize Winner) by Harper Lee, Paperback
 
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The Catcher in the Rye is an all-time classic in coming-of-age literature- an elegy to teenage alienation, capturing the deeply human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind.

J.D. Salinger's (1919–2010) classic novel of teenage angst and rebellion was first published in 1951. The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923. It was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the court for its lib...
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, Paperback
 
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At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. A...
Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Paperback
 
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“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus t...

When Animal Farm was first published, Stalinist Russia was seen as its target. Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell’s masterpiece...
Animal Farm by George Orwell, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
 
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Widely considered The Great American Novel, and often remembered for its epic film version, Gone with the Wind explores the depth of human passions with an intensity as bold as its setting in the red hills of Georgia. A superb piece of storytelling, it vividly depicts the drama of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

This is the tale of Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled, manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, who arrives at young womanhood just in time to see the Civil War forever change her way of life. A sweeping story of tangled passion and courage, i... Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell brings to life the unforgettable characters that have captured readers for over seventy years.
Gone with the Wind (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
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Hailsham seems like a pleasant English boarding school, far from the influences of the city. Its students are well tended and supported, trained in art and literature, and become just the sort of people the world wants them to be. But, curiously, the...
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Paperback
 
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A famed opera singer performs for a Japanese executive’s birthday at a luxe private home in South America; it’s that kind of party. But when a group of young guerrillas swoops in and takes everyone in the house hostage, Patchett’s exquisitely calibrated novel — inspired by a real incident — becomes a piano wire of tension, vibrating on high.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
 
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From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of the Booker Prize–winning novel The Remains of the Day comes an inspired sequence of stories as affecting as it is beautiful.  
 
With the clarity and precision that have become his trademarks, Kazuo Ishiguro interlocks five short pieces of fiction to create a world that resonates with emotion, heartbreak, and humor. Here is a fragile, once famous singer, turning his back on th...
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall - Barnes & Noble
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Set in Dublin, the novel follows a day in the life of Leopold Bloom, an advertising salesman, as he navigates the city. The narrative, heavily influenced by Homer's Odyssey, explores themes of identity, heroism, and the complexities of everyday life....
Ulysses by James Joyce, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
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This novel is a multi-generational saga that focuses on the Buendía family, who founded the fictional town of Macondo. It explores themes of love, loss, family, and the cyclical nature of history. The story is filled with magical realism, blending th...
One Hundred Years of Solitude|Paperback - Barnes & Noble
 
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The novel is a detailed narrative of a vengeful sea captain's obsessive quest to hunt down a giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg. The captain's relentless pursuit, despite the warnings and concerns of his crew, leads them on a dangerous jour...
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
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Set in early 19th-century England, this classic novel revolves around the lives of the Bennet family, particularly the five unmarried daughters. The narrative explores themes of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage within the societ...
Pride and Prejudice (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)
 
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Madame Bovary is a tragic novel about a young woman, Emma Bovary, who is married to a dull, but kind-hearted doctor. Dissatisfied with her life, she embarks on a series of extramarital affairs and indulges in a luxurious lifestyle in an attempt to es...
Madame Bovary|Hardcover - Gustave Flaubert - Barnes & Noble
 
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It has been referred to as the greatest love story of all time, or perhaps the most tragic. Romeo and Juliet serves to satisfy both anyway, which for a 1595 play has obviously stuck around for a very long time, which points to how good a book can tur...
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Paperback
 
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The Prince and the Pauper (1881) is a classic tale that explores the societal framework of the sixteenth-century English society. The story unravels the unexpected journey of two identical boys – Prince Edward, the royal heir, and Tom Canty, a destitute pauper, as they swap t...
Prince and the Pauper (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
 
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To the Lighthouse (1927) places you squarely in the heart of the Ramsay family’s summer home, providing intimate insights into their complex dynamics. It weaves an intricate web of familial relationships, artistic inspiration, and philosophical musings, while contempl...
To the Lighthouse (Signature Classics) by Virginia Woolf, Paperback
 
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Phaedo (written around 360 BC), discusses the immortality of the soul, life after death, and true philosophy. It showcases Socratic dialogues, where Socrates, on his deathbed, debates these subjects with his disciples.
Phaedo by Plato
 
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The Trial ( 1925 ) tells the distressing story of Josef K. who wakes up one morning to find he’s under arrest for an unnamed offense. As cryptic legal proceedings unfold around him, K. struggles to make sense of his predicament or convince others of his innoce...  disturbing parable that raises philosophical questions about personal dignity and free will when pitted against entrenched bureaucracies.
The Trial: A New Translation Based on the Restored Text by Franz Kafka ...
 
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Bleak House (1853) is a stinging critique of the delays and complexities within the British legal system, wrapped in a richly woven tapestry of colorful characters, unforgettable drama, and Dickens’ characteristic wit. For law studebts and fans of history, class...
Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Paperback
 
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History of the Peloponnesian War (late fourth century B.C.E.) tells the story of a devastating 27-year conflict between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta that changed the ancient world. Beyond recording battles and strategies, this work reveals timeless patterns in how nati...
The History of the Peloponnesian War: Revised Edition
 
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The Cherry Orchard (1904) is a poignant reflection on the fading influence of nobility at the dawn of a new age of industry and materialism. The play centers on an aristocratic family returning to its ancestral estate, shortly before the property’s sale. Despite propos...
The Cherry Orchard - Anton Chekhov
 
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A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) explores the maturation of Stephen Dedalus, an introspective and artistically inclined young man grappling with personal and national identity, religion, and aesthetic philosophy. It frames the universally relatable struggle of growing up and ...
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, Paperback
 
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Le Rouge et le Noir (meaning The Red and the Black) is a psychological novel in two volumes by Stendhal, published in 1830. It chronicles the attempts of a provincial young man to rise socially beyond his modest upbringing through a combination of talent, hard work, deception, and hypocrisy. He ultimately allows his passions to betray him.
The Red and the Black by Stendhal, Paperback
 
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The Les Misérables revolves around the themes of inequality and social class issues. Set in France, the five-volume novel explores the struggles of people in the lower class and how they grapple with unfair treatment. It also highlights ethical dilemmas and redemption.
Les Miserables: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
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The Last of the Mohicans (1826) chronicles the thrilling journey of two daughters of a British Colonel, lost in Native American territory during the French and Indian War. It explores themes of racial and cultural conflict, intertwined with poignant romance.
The Last of the Mohicans (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) revolves around a poor boy, Charlie, who, despite his dire circumstances, maintains his moral compass in a world riddled with materialism as he embarks on a magical adventure inside an opulent chocolate factory.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake, Paperback
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Moll Flanders is an exploration of a woman's relentless quest for survival and prosperity in 17th-century England, weaving through her numerous marriages and criminal endeavors.
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe, G. A. Starr, Linda Bree, Paperback
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Fahrenheit 451 (1953) tells the tale of a near future with fireproof homes, where firemen are now tasked with the job of burning books. It’s a dystopian future, where pleasure is catered to and intellectualism has been all but extinguished. But after a chance encou...
Fahrenheit 451: A Novel by Ray Bradbury, Paperback
 
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David Copperfield (1850) follows the life of David Copperfield, from his troubled childhood and turbulent adolescence to his growth into a successful writer. It vividly portrays his struggles, relationships, and the colorful characters he encounters, and reflects the ...
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Paperback
 
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The Call of the Wild is a classic novel by Jack London that tells the story of Buck, a domestic dog who is stolen from his home and sold into the brutal life of an Alaskan sled dog. As Buck adapts to the harsh wilderness and learns to trust his instincts, he undergoes a ...
The Call of the Wild by Jack London, Hardcover
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A Christmas Carol is a timeless classic that tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Through these visits, Scrooge is forced to confront his own selfishness and lack of compassion...
A Christmas Carol: Special Edition - Charles Dickens
 
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic children's novel written by L. Frank Baum. It tells the story of a young girl named Dorothy who, along with her dog Toto, is swept away from her home in Kansas to the magical land of Oz. On her journey to meet the Wizard of Oz and find h...
The Wizard of Oz (Barnes & Noble Children's Collectible Editions)
 
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is an iconic coming-of-age novel by Betty Smith. Set in early 20th century Brooklyn, it follows the life of young Francie Nolan as she navigates poverty, family dynamics, and her own dreams for the future. With beautifully crafted characters and a po...
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Paperback
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No-No Boy by John Okada is a powerful novel that delves into the complexities of identity, loyalty, and the aftermath of World War II. Set in the aftermath of Japanese-American internment, the book follows the story of a young man who refuses to fight for the ...
No-No Boy by John Okada, Paperback
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Watership Down by David Parkins and Richard Adams is a beloved classic that tells the story of a group of rabbits who embark on a perilous journey to find a new home. Filled with adventure, friendship, and the struggle for survival, this timeless tale captivates re...
Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams, Paperback
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