50 Books to Read Before You Die - hosted by lalu

What book do YOU think is missing on this list?
Of course this list is by no means perfect - the lack of female and BIPOC authors is only the most obvious flaw. This is the place to recommend a book that you think everyone should read before they die.
All books added
Cien años de soledad by Gabriel García Márquez

Cien años de soledad

Gabriel García Márquez

399 pages • first pub 1967 (editions)

fiction classics literary magical realism challenging reflective slow-paced
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini

372 pages • first pub 2007 (editions)

fiction contemporary historical literary dark emotional sad medium-paced
The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

The Complete Maus

Maus #1-2

Art Spiegelman

296 pages • first pub 1986 (editions)

nonfiction graphic novel history dark emotional sad medium-paced
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho

192 pages • first pub 1988 (editions)

fiction classics fantasy literary adventurous inspiring reflective medium-paced
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Clint Smith

336 pages • first pub 2021 (editions)

nonfiction history politics race challenging informative reflective medium-paced
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

Beautiful Country

Qian Julie Wang

305 pages • first pub 2021 (editions)

nonfiction memoir emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro

320 pages • first pub 2021 (editions)

fiction dystopian literary science fiction emotional reflective slow-paced
The Odyssey by Homer

The Odyssey

Homer

348 pages • first pub -800 (editions)

fiction classics poetry adventurous slow-paced
Middlemarch by George Eliot

Middlemarch

George Eliot

880 pages • first pub 1871 (editions)

fiction classics historical literary challenging emotional reflective slow-paced
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

The Things They Carried

Tim O'Brien

246 pages • first pub 1990 (editions)

fiction historical short stories emotional reflective sad medium-paced