Classics

A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic.

A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses.

Although the
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1984
Animal Farm
The Great Gatsby
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
Pride and Prejudice
The Alchemist
The Diary of a Young Girl
Fahrenheit 451
The Little Prince
Wuthering Heights
Lord of the Flies
The Catcher in the Rye
The Kite Runner
The Metamorphosis
The Picture of Dorian Gray
  • THE DETROIT LESSON by William  Lucas
    THE DETROIT LESSON: American Rust, Labor Union Dominance, and the Collapse of an American City (American Realities And Conflicts Series Book 1)
    by

    Release date: Jan 14, 2026
    Here are new thoughts and perspectives on America's future, and we look forward to your discussions and feedback. ...more
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    Format: Kindle book

    Giveaway ends in: a

    Availability: 100 copies available, 422 people requesting

    Giveaway dates: Mar 17 - Apr 16, 2026

    Countries available: U.S.

  • The Tattoo and Other Stories by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
    The Tattoo and Other Stories
    by

    Release date: Oct 06, 2026
    This dazzling collection of short fiction by literary master Junichiro Tanizaki features three stories that appear in English for the first time!
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    Format: Print book

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    Availability: 5 copies available, 2021 people requesting

    Giveaway dates: Apr 11 - Apr 23, 2026

    Countries available: U.S.

  • Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea by Emily Wilson
    Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature

    Release date: Sep 01, 2026
    "I adored reading these joyful, illuminating, and engrossing journeys through ancient literature." ―Madeline Miller ...more
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    Format: Print book

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    Availability: 15 copies available, 1831 people requesting

    Giveaway dates: Apr 12 - Apr 24, 2026

    Countries available: U.S.

  • Pride and Prejudice
    The Great Gatsby
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    Jane Eyre
    1984
    Wuthering Heights
    Animal Farm
    The Picture of Dorian Gray
    Frankenstein: The 1818 Text
    Little Women (Little Women, #1)
    The Catcher in the Rye
    Lord of the Flies
    Of Mice and Men
    Emma
    Sense and Sensibility
    The Girl on the Train by Paula HawkinsThe Fault in Our Stars by John GreenGone Girl by Gillian FlynnThe Martian by Andy WeirWe Were Liars by E. Lockhart
    What we've read so far in...2015
    9,743 books — 2,097 voters

    A Story of Yesterday by Sergio CoboTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeSheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master by K.  RitzThe Help by Kathryn StockettThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    All-Time Awesome Books
    12,604 books — 8,310 voters
    The Twilight Saga by Stephenie MeyerFifty Shades of Grey by E.L. JamesThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerEat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth GilbertTwilight by Stephenie Meyer
    I Don't Understand All That Fuss
    996 books — 2,606 voters

    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeePride and Prejudice by Jane Austen1984 by George OrwellJane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    Must Read Classics
    1,869 books — 4,695 voters
    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeViciously Yours by Jamie Applegate Hunter1984 by George OrwellAnimal Farm by George OrwellThe Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
    Books Every Human Being Should Read
    3,052 books — 2,092 voters


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    Charlotte Brontë
    No mockery in this world ever sounds to me so hollow as that of being told to cultivate happiness. What does such advice mean? Happiness is not a potato, to be planted in mould, and tilled with manure. Happiness is a glory shining far down upon us out of Heaven. She is a divine dew which the soul, on certain of its summer mornings, feels dropping upon it from the amaranth bloom and golden fruitage of Paradise.
    Charlotte Brontë, Villette

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