20 Must-Read Fiction Books for Beginners
A good beginner book should make you want to keep reading rather than make reading feel like homework. Twenty places to start.

If you don't read much fiction, walking into a bookstore can be overwhelming.
There are thousands of novels. Hundreds of classics. And at least one person who seems to have read all of them.
You don't need to start there.
A good beginner book should make you want to keep reading rather than make reading feel like homework.
Here are twenty places to start.
Easy and accessible

1.
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
Explore this book →2.
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig
Explore this book →
3.
The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Explore this book →Convenience Store Woman
Sayaka Murata
4.
Convenience Store Woman
Sayaka Murata
5.
The House in the Cerulean Sea
TJ Klune
Explore this book →Page-turners
6.
The Martian
Andy Weir
Explore this book →7.
Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir
Explore this book →The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
8.
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
9.
The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown
Explore this book →10.
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman
Explore this book →Classics that are approachable

11.
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Explore this book →Animal Farm
George Orwell
12.
Animal Farm
George Orwell
13.
The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolkien
Explore this book →Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
14.
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck

15.
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
Explore this book →Emotional and character-driven

16.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Explore this book →17.
A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman
Explore this book →18.
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
Explore this book →Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
19.
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
20.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Explore this book →Start with what sounds fun
There is no correct first novel.
If you love mystery, start with mystery. If you love fantasy, start with fantasy. If you want something short, choose something short.
The fastest way to become a reader is to actually enjoy reading.
Not sure where to begin?
Take the Next Read Club quiz and find a book that matches you →Related articles

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