Choosing your next book isn’t a choice to be made lighthandedly. After all, you’re about to invest a significant amount of time immersing yourself into a different reality, and that reality, preferably, should be one that you truly enjoy. While some books find you accidentally, almost like fate putting it into your hands; others might catch your eye with their fancifully designed cover (though you should never judge a book by its cover, of course). There are also a myriad of lists made by honorable experts on the reads that are of significant value – either literary ones or entertainment – and should cater to an avid reader’s needs. However, there’s one more proof that a book might be worthy of your efforts – a general consensus. How is it discerned? Well, quite easily, as the number of copies sold do speak for themselves. That’s why we’ve made a list entirely comprised of the best-selling books ever.
Reading them, undoubtedly, would be the best way of getting to know them, but there’s another way to dig deeper into the world of books, and it’s by talking with an expert. This time, we had a couple of questions for a renowned book editor in the Lithuanian language, Audronė Kairienė, who has been working in this sphere for almost half a century. Since she knows most of these books by the heart through having edited their translations, Audronė’s answers will give you exciting intel on the world of bestsellers. Check out the interview below, and don’t forget to tell us which of these books you’ve enjoyed the most.
#1 The Little Prince
The Little Prince is a novella written by French aristocrat, writer, and military aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It follows the story of a little prince who visits planets in space, where he meets various interesting strangers. Although it is perceived as a children’s book, the topics it discusses are more than relatable to adults, too – loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. The Little Prince also makes in-depth observations about life and human nature. Although it is completely graspable for kids, it has an even bigger impact on older readers. This book also holds a record for the most translated books ever published – you can find it in 301 languages and dialects.
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#2 The Lord Of The Rings
The Lord Of The Rings is an epic high-fantasy novel by an English author and a scholar J.R.R.Tolkien. There’s probably no need to introduce this trilogy any further, as Tolkien’s work has made such a huge impact in the literary world and our culture. The Lord Of The Rings has also inspired numerous derivative works and adaptations for cinema, theater, and radio. The story itself is a very complex one, but it’s so very well written that you’ll be immersed in it from the very beginning. Besides being a thoroughly entertaining read, it also talks about the struggle between good and evil, death and immortality, fate and freedom, and so much more.
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#3 A Tale Of Two Cities
A Tale Of Two Cities is a historical novel written by Charles Dickens in 1859 and is set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It tells the story of a French Doctor Manette, who, after being imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years is released to live in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met before. Besides being one of the best-selling novels of all time, A Tale Of Two Cities is also a thrilling read. Here, the protagonists are always risking their lives or are a step away from imprisonment, which makes it into a great adventure story as well as a great example of literary genius.
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#4 Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland
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#5 The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There And Back Again, is a children’s fantasy novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien – a predecessor to his much larger body of work The Lord Of The Rings. In The Hobbit, we get to meet our beloved crusader Bilbo Baggins who’s aimed at a treasure guarded by Smaug, the dragon. Although the story starts on a lighthearted note, it later demands significant personal growth from the hobbit as he nears the end of his quest. Interestingly enough, the warfare motifs in the book are based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s own experiences during World War I, while the fantasy aspects are heavily influenced by Germanic folklore and mythology.
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#6 And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None is a novel written by the queen of mystery herself, Agatha Christie, first published in 1939 (though with a bit different name that has since changed). There’s no way we are willing to spoil the fun of reading it by even mentioning the book’s plot, but since it’s Christie’s work, you know it’s going to be a tough and very entertaining mystery to unravel. Besides being a masterfully written book, And Then There Were None is the world’s best-selling mystery with over 100 million copies sold. Do you have one of them on your bookshelf?
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#7 The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe is a children’s fantasy novel written by C.S. Lewis and published in 1950. It is the first book in the series called The Chronicles Of Narnia and the most known work of C.S. Lewis. Here we get to follow the adventures of four kids as they discover a secret portal to Narnia – a land of talking animals and mythical creatures – and find themselves in a position to save the land from the evil White Witch. It’s thrilling, and it’s gripping, and that has secured The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe plenty of films, audio, and theater adaptations. Also, undying popularity.
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#8 Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone is a fantasy novel written by J.K. Rowling and first published in 1997. The book was the debut of Rowling as a writer, but due to its tremendous success, the Harry Potter series expanded to seven books over time. This first book introduces us to the series’ main characters – Harry, Ron, and Hermione – and lends a thorough explanation of the Wizarding World we’re about to get completely immersed in. However, a massive horde of fans wasn’t the only thing that Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone garnered as some religious groups condemned it to be witchcraft propaganda, with few countries abolishing the books completely.
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#9 Dream Of The Red Chamber
Dream Of The Red Chamber or The Story Of The Stone is a classical Chinese novel written by Cao Xueqin sometime in the middle of the 18th century. And there’s nothing simple about this book – neither the story of its conception, nor the plot, the topics, nor the characters. It is such a complex and in-depth view into the 18th-century lifestyles, aesthetics, world view, and social relations that it has spawned a branch of literary studies dedicated to the novel called ‘Redology.’ Although it shows the lives of two aristocratic and wealthy branches of the Jia clan in a very realistic and naturalistic way, it also talks about much deeper things such as religious and philosophical questions.
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#10 She: A History Of Adventure
She: A History Of Adventure is a novel by H. Rider Haggard, published in 1887. The story in this follows one Horace Holly and his ward Leo Vincey’s journey to a lost kingdom in Africa. There, the duo encounter a primitive nation and their all-ruling queen Ayesha. The author’s vivid imagination, first-hand experience of living in Africa, and thrilling adventures of the protagonists made this book an instant hit among Victorian reader audiences. In fact, this book was so extraordinarily popular that it has never gone out of print to this day. Besides being a vital part of romance style revival, She: A History Of Adventure is also a historical piece showing us the world view of the Victorians and demonstrates an excellent example of Imperialist literature.
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#11 The Adventures Of Pinocchio
The Adventures Of Pinocchio or just Pinocchio is a novel for children written by Carlo Collodi, first published as a single book in 1883. The Adventures Of Pinocchio is a story about an animated puppet, his ‘father,’ a poor woodworker, boys turning into donkeys, and a myriad of other fairytale devices. Such as a growing nose with each lie and a tuna fish that’s as ‘large as a two-year-old horse.’ This didactic story is a universal metaphor for the human condition that has had a great impact on our culture. Besides constantly taking its place among the best-selling kids’ books since the day it was published, Pinocchio has also been adapted into movies, theatrical performances, and various radio plays.
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#12 The Catcher In The Rye
The Catcher In The Rye is a novel written by J. D. Sallinger and published as a full book in 1951. Although The Catcher In The Rye was intended for adults, it proved to be massively successful among adolescent readers. The younger audiences resonated with the main topics of the book deeply – it talks about angst, alienation, and critiques social superficiality. The topics are forever in the minds of teenagers, no matter the decade or the generation. The novel’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield, has even become a literary and real-life icon of teenage rebellion. About one million copies of The Catcher In The Rye are still sold as of today, making it one of the best-selling books ever.
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#13 Anne Of Green Gables
Anne Of Green Gables is a novel written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and first published in 1908. The book recounts the adventures of an 11-year-old Anne Shirley, an orphan girl who’s mistakenly sent to a middle-aged pair that had originally intended to adopt a boy. Now, Anne is the only helper on their farm, and that’s just the beginning of her story. The story further tells us of Anne’s trials and tribulations with her new parents, at school, and within the town. A real classic among children’s books, Anne Of Green Gables has since been adapted into several TV series, films, musicals, and plays.
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#14 Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web is a children’s book by E. B. White, published in 1952. The novel tells us a story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a spider called Charlotte. Once the danger of slaughter arises for Wilbur, Charlotte writes various messages to the farmer, encouraging him to let Wilbur live. As a good children’s novel should be, not everything is rosy in this story, but a happy ending nevertheless awaits. Charlotte’s Web talks about such touchy subjects as death, change, and innocence, doing a very good job with introducing these concepts to kids. The book got its fair share of film, theater, and stage adaptations – just as it should.
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#15 Heidi’s Years Of Wandering And Learning
Heidi’s Years Of Wandering And Learning is a children’s fiction book written by Johanna Spyri and first published in 1881 in Switzerland. It tells about the events in the life of a five-year-old girl who’s living under her paternal grandfather’s care somewhere in the Swiss Alps. Johanna Spyri’s writing style shows her love for children and childhood in a very tangible way, so much so that the love seeps from the pages, unknowingly infecting you too. Heidi’s Years Of Wandering And Learning isn’t the only book by this author as there are five sequels following Heidi’s growth and her changing worldview. And although the book is sometimes criticized because of its religious conservatism, it nevertheless is one of the most-sold books worldwide. Even after more than a hundred years since its release!
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#16 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows is a fantasy novel written by J. K. Rowling, published in 2007. It is the final book in the Harry Potter series, concluding in an epic fight between Harry and Lord Voldemort. The Deathly Hallows became the best-selling book of all the Harry Potter series and the proud holder of a Guinness Record for most novels sold within 24 hours of release – almost 11 million in all! Deathly Hallows, same as the books before it, also got a movie adaptation; although, this time, it was released in two parts.
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#17 The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-thriller novel written by Dan Brown. This worldwide bestseller tells the story of a ‘symbologist’ Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveau as they get more and more involved in a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei. The main cause for their disagreement is whether there’s a possibility that Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ had a baby together. Though the book, despite having derived ideas from previous works of other authors, is a work of fiction, it nonetheless was denounced by several Catholic denominations as an attack on the Church. Interested? Give this thriller a chance; it is one heck of an entertaining read.
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#18 The Alchemist
The Alchemist is a novel written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho that was first published in 1988. It’s an allegorical story following a young Andalusian shepherd’s journey to the Egyptian pyramids after having a recurring dream of treasures hidden there. Ultimately, it is a story about the road to yourself, and all the adventures and misfortunes that he endures reflects on the human condition. It also has been cited as one of the most noteworthy self-help books, which is rather unusual for a novel. Written in Portuguese, this book soon got translations into plenty of languages, thus spurring its fate to become a worldwide bestseller.
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#19 The Name Of The Rose
The Name Of The Rose is a debut novel of Italian author Umberto Eco, published in 1980. It’s a historical murder mystery set in Medieval Italy and an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, religion, medieval studies, and literary theory. And, although it all seems very heavy-loaded, Umberto Eco delivers in such a way that it is easily readable by any kind of literary enthusiast. The book’s title, which seemingly has nothing to do with the story’s narrative at all, also gained a substantial amount of attention. And, citing the words of Eco, he just wanted to find a very neutral name. Mystery solved!
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#20 Black Beauty
Black Beauty is a novel written in 1877 by Anna Sewell. Although we know this book as a children’s classic, it was originally intended for adults to teach them respectful behavior towards animals. It is, indeed, a story that comes straight out of the horse’s mouth and right into our hearts, telling us the story of Black Beauty – from his carefree foalhood to his elderly age. Immediately after publishing, the book became a bestseller – just a few months before the author’s death. Besides being an iconic kid’s book, it is also known to be the first-ever fictional animal autobiography.
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#21 The Common Sense Book Of Baby And Child Care
The Common Sense Book Of Baby And Child Care is a book published in 1946 written by an American pediatrician Benjamin Spock. This manual was revolutionary material for the post-World War II generations, as never before had anyone told parents to trust themselves and their instincts. Before Spock’s book, child-rearing was all about strict schedules and religiously holding to preset and presumed milestones, which, as we now know, varies from child to child greatly. Also, Spock was the first pediatrician to put how tiring raising kids truly is in the written word. Probably because of that, his warm tone, and great advice, this book became one of the bestsellers of the 20th century.
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#22 The Tale Of Peter Rabbit
The Tale Of Peter Rabbit is a 1901 children’s book by Beatrix Potter. It follows a mischievous and disobedient young rabbit by the name of Peter and his foolish adventures in Mister McGregor’s garden. Now Peter Rabbit has various merchandise pieces – from dishes to videos – but it was Potter herself who patented the first Peter Rabbit doll and board game. A quite unusual treat in the year 1903, proving Potter to be a savvy businesswoman. The Tale Of Peter Rabbit is an absolute classic in children’s literature and one of the best-selling books ever.
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#23 Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull was written by Richard Bach and first published as a book in 1970. The story follows a seagull Jonathan, who’s bored to death with the daily squabble for food, and, instead, wishes to learn flying. He’s soon made into an outcast by his flock, but Jonathan’s improving skills make it all worthy. And though the protagonist is a bird, the story itself is a fable talking to the reader about meaningless materialism, conformity, and limitations of life; a homily to self-perfection.
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#24 The Hite Report
The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study Of Female Sexuality was written in 1976 by sex educator and feminist Shere Hite. Although Hite wasn’t a pioneer in the topic of sexuality – those were Masters, Johnson, and Kinsey – her works were by far the most concentrated. Her 1976 book was based on a 3,000-woman study, to which she mailed a questionnaire and based her report on their answers. So, it’s not fiction or an embellished story but a truthful study revealing the depths of female sexuality to the masses.
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#25 War And Peace
War And Peace is regarded as the finest literary accomplishment of the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. War And Peace was first published as a book, with all its 1,225 pages, in 1869. Before that, the material was released serially. It’s a work that’s thick with examinations on human nature while also searching for answers to philosophical questions. Besides that, War And Peace paints a thorough picture of Russians as a nationality, and of their life in the early 19th century.
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#26 Don Quixote
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#27 Steps To Christ
Steps To Christ is a book written by Ellen G. White, a pioneer and a prophetess of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, first published in 1892. Steps to Christ has since been translated into about 150 languages worldwide and is perhaps the most popular book by this author. Steps To Christ is considered a definition of the Seventh-Day Adventists’ beliefs and touches on the topics of repentance, confession, faith, acceptance, growing into Christ, and prayer. In short, by reading this book, you might come to know Jesus Christ at a personal level.
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#28 A Message To Garcia
A Message To Garcia is an essay by Elbert Hubbard, written in 1899. It shares valuable lessons on individual initiative and conscientiousness in work. The first time this essay was printed, it was in the filler-form for The Philistine magazine, but the message to lazy workers struck a chord with many corporate executives. Soon, the essay was printed in millions and given to the workers of many businesses as inspirational material. Now, you can readily find the text on the Internet or watch movie adaptations instead.
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#29 How The Steel Was Tempered
How The Steel Was Tempered or The Making Of A Hero is a socialist-realist novel by Nikolai Ostrovsky, published as a book in 1936. With 36.4 million copies sold, this book is a solid contender in our best-selling books list. It follows the story of one Pavel Korchagin, including his fight in World War I and the aftermath of his battles. While healing his wounds, both physical and psychological, he becomes as strong as steel; a hero. His story was adapted into several Soviet Union-made movies, to be used as propaganda material.
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#30 You Can Heal Your Life
You Can Heal Your Life is a self-help and new thought book written by Louise L. Hay and published in 1984. A couple of decades later, with more than 36 million copies sold, and translations into 30 languages, the book became the best-selling non-fiction book to this day. You Can Heal Your Life coaches the reader on taking their lives into their own hands, doing so with practical examples and advice. The book is sometimes criticized for its lack of medical basis but has nonetheless helped plenty of people in regaining control and turning over a fresh new page in their lives.
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#31 Angels & Demons
Angels & Demons is another bestseller by Dan Brown, published in 2000. This is the first time we are introduced to the character of Robert Langdon, who later is the protagonist of an even bigger bestseller, The Da Vinci Code. Angels & Demons shares many stylistic points of its sequels, such as conspiracies, the Catholic church, and a single-day time frame of the story. Notably, this book is full of inaccuracies of Rome’s locations, Italian language usage, and even theses by fictional scientists, but it is a fiction book and a best-selling one at that.
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#32 The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
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#33 Where The Wild Things Are
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#34 The Diary Of A Young Girl
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#35 To Kill A Mockingbird
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#36 The Outsiders
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#37 Dune
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#38 Nineteen Eighty-Four
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#39 Gone With The Wind
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#40 The Wind In The Willows
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#41 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
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#42 The Kite Runner
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#43 A Brief History Of Time
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#44 The Very Hungry Caterpillar
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#45 The Godfather
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#46 The Cat In The Hat
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#47 Watership Down
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#48 Things Fall Apart
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#49 The Exorcist
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#50 The Gruffalo
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#51 Catch-22
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#52 Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
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#53 One Hundred Years Of Solitude
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#54 Love You Forever
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#55 Goodnight Moon
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#56 The Poky Little Puppy
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#57 The Lovely Bones
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#58 Night
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#59 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
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#60 Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
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#61 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
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#62 Jaws
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#63 Sophie’s World
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#64 The Women’s Room
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#65 Guess How Much I Love You
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#66 The Pillars Of The Earth
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#67 How To Win Friends And Influence People
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#68 Perfume
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#69 Tuesdays With Morrie
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#70 The Plague
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#71 The Divine Comedy
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#72 Santa Evita
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#73 Valley Of The Dolls
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#74 Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way To Deal With Change In Your Work And In Your Life
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#75 Love Story
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#76 The Happy Hooker: Her Own Story
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#77 What To Expect When You’re Expecting
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#78 Shogun
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#79 Gretel Ehrlich
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#80 The Shadow Of The Wind
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#81 The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity
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#82 Norwegian Wood
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#83 The Naked Ape
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#84 The Bridges Of Madison County
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#85 The Prophet
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#86 Wild Swans
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#87 Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ
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#88 Kane And Abel
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#89 The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?
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#90 The Thorn Birds
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#91 Think And Grow Rich
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#92 The Revolt Of Mamie Stover
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#93 The Late, Great Planet Earth
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#94 Wolf Totem
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#95 Fear Of Flying
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#96 Follow Your Heart
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#97 Peyton Place
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#98 No Longer Human
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#99 Eye Of The Needle
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#100 Yu Dan’s Gain From The Analects
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#101 The Total Woman
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#102 Knowledge-Value Revolution
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#103 Current Economic Problems In China
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#104 Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
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#105 Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
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#106 The Ginger Man
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#107 What Color Is Your Parachute?
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#108 Lolita
#109 The Eagle Has Landed
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#110 The Celestine Prophecy
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#111 God’s Little Acre
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#112 In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?
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#113 The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People
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#114 The Secret
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