Exploring literary works can deeply enhance a college education. With so many genres to choose from, students can find stories and topics that spark their curiosity. Thanks to ebook readers, carrying even the heaviest books is a breeze—just toss them in your bag and read on the go, whether it’s during a commute, between classes, or before bed. Developing a love for reading doesn’t just benefit you in college; it’s a lifelong gift. From timeless classics to modern bestsellers, fiction to nonfiction, great books offer enjoyment and growth for everyone, anytime.
Ancient
- The Iliad by Homer: The Iliad is an epic Greek poem that takes place during the Trojan War. The story takes place during the last year of the war.
- Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon epic poem written by an anonymous poet. It is about the Geatish hero Beowulf who battles the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother and a dragon.
- The Odyssey by Homer: An epic that tells the story of Odysseus following the fall of Troy. The story centers around his journey home.
- Oresteia by Aeschylus: An ancient trilogy of Greek tragedies. They are about the conclusion of the curse upon the House of Atreus.
- The Republic by Plato: A work about rights and justice. It uses the Socratic Method as a means of involving the reader and keeping them engaged.
Classics
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: The Story of an ex-student by the name of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov who plans to kill a pawnbroker.
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes: A story that was originally published during the Spanish Golden Age. It tells the story of Alonso Quijano who attempts to revive chivalry as a result of books that he has read.
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: The well-known story about a scientist who created an artificial human being that was considered a monster.
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera: A novel that takes place in Czechoslovakia in the late 60s and early 70s. It tells the story of a surgeon, his wife, his lover, and university professor.
Fiction
- Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut: A satire about the experiences of a soldier named Billy Pilgrim during World War II.
- Beloved by Toni Morrison: The story of a home and family haunted by a daughter that was killed to spare her from slavery.
- Native Son by Richard Wright: A best-selling novel about a poor African-American young man who gets caught up in downward spiral that leads to murder and ultimately the death penalty.
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: The coming-of-age story of an orphan girl who grows up to confront the issues of religion, social class, gender roles, and morality.
Biography History and Social Theory
- The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau: A series of principles that state people can only be governed if they consent to be.
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass: The autobiography of Frederick Douglass, a famous abolitionist.
- The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine: A spirited defense of the French Revolution.
- The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: A treatise on class struggle which defined the tenets of Communism.
- Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington: An autobiography and a call for African-Americans to seek self-reliance.
- The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin: Benjamin Franklin's story of his own life, written for his son William.
Philosophy and Religion
- The Bible: A collection of religious books that form the basis of Judaism and Christianity.
- The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama: A philosophical book that proposes that happiness is more the result of one's state of mind than anything else.
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand: A novel that formed part of the basis of the Objectivist philosophy.
- The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: A collection of William James' views regarding natural theology.
- The Golden Bough by James George Frazer: A book that tries to explain the relationship between religion and mythology, and its transition toward the age of scientific discovery and thought.
- Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre: A book that attempts to prove the existence of free will.
Drama and Poetry
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare: A Shakespearean tragedy about Hamlet, a prince of Denmark. As one of Shakespeare's longest plays, Hamlet tells the story of the prince's revenge on his uncle for killing his father, King Hamlet.
- The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams: A play that closely follows the life of Tennessee Williams and is thought to be autobiographical.
- Faust by Johann von Goethe: Faust is seen as one of Germany's greatest literary works. It is a tragedy that has two parts.
- Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht: An anti-war themed play that is considered one of greatest of the 20th century.
- The Misanthrope by Moliere: A comedy that was written in the 17th century that makes fun of the French aristocracy and points out human flaws.
Science and Mathematics
- Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: Scientific literature about evolutionary biology. It was the first to discuss natural selection.
- A River Out of Eden by Richard Dawkins: A book based on the theory that all modern species have a common ancestor.
- Principia Mathematica by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russe: A landmark book proving the relationship between math and logic.
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu: A book of military strategies by the Chinese general Sun Tzu.
- Civilization on its Discontents by Sigmund Freud: A work that examines the meaning of civilization. The book covers many theories.
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell: A book that seeks to explain the nature of social epidemics.