Publishing insiders and literary experts have named the one book they believe everyone should read at least once in their lifetime, with picks ranging from a philosophy guide described as "a prepper manual for darker times" to a YA series set in a dystopian version of London and a beloved children's classic that clocks in at under 50 pages.
Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Joanna Reynolds, CEO of The Folio Society, championed Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, which has been republished as part of the Folio Society's special edition collection. The book, published in 2001, is now widely studied in schools across the country and was adapted for television in 2020.
Joanna said: "I pushed for Folio to publish this book. We live in south London and it had an enormous impact on my children and me when we read it. It made you sit back and see the world completely differently."
On Goodreads, the novel is described as "a thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society," and boasts a 4.16 star rating from more than 85,000 reviews. A reviewer added: "This may have been the first YA 'dystopia' I ever read. The genre has gone through many changes since then but this book continues to stick in my mind as one which cemented my love for it. It's an old tale of forbidden romance but avoids being cheesy. It's a tale of heartache and tragedy but steers clear of melodrama. One thing is certain: Sephy and Callum's story will stay with me for a long time."
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Kate Wilson, CEO and co-founder of independent children's publisher Nosy Crow, turned to children's literature for her recommendation, championing Maurice Sendak's much-loved classic Where The Wild Things Are. First published in 1963, the book has sold millions of copies worldwide, winning the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1964.
Recommending the book, Kate said: "I'd say the book every child and parent should read is Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It's a celebration of the way that children are wild and untameable and utterly themselves."
"And that, however wild and untameable and utterly themselves they are, and however much they drive their parents mad, their parents will always love them and look after them: when the child comes home after their adventures, their supper is waiting for them, 'and it was still hot.'"
The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton
Mark Thornton, senior partnership manager at Bookshop.org, made the case for a philosophy book he believes was ahead of its time. He said: "My one book is The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton. It was first published in the year 2000, and there is something of the turn-of-the-Millennium optimism about it, but in hindsight it was a prepper manual for darker times ahead."
"The philosophy boom started here as far as I am concerned, but this little miracle of a book remains a perfectly formed, eminently readable introduction to a range of philosophies. It serves as a gateway to philosophy and a workable handbook in its own right."
"At a time when stoicism, the darling of the tech elite (which - conveniently for them - tells you to 'suck it up') dominates the philosophy bestsellers, de Botton's special genius is to present different philosophies as a set of tools to approach the modern challenges of the world - challenges as familiar to Montaigne and Socrates as to us."
On Goodreads, a reviewer added: "Now, you may laugh, but I thought this was one of the best philosophy-related books I've ever read. I recognize that it's pretty basic, a little silly, etc., but for some reason it did it for me. It's short and sweet and it humanizes otherwise esoteric knowledge."
