15 Best Novels To Read In 2023 (Beginners & Students)

Reading novels and books can do wonders for you. You must have heard the phrase, “Books are your best friend!” Well, that’s true. You must have heard that reading books can be very helpful and make you more creative and help you to become a better person as well. And there are lots of successful people who say that reading books is a part of their daily lives. With all of this, you must have decided to start reading books, right? But the problem is you don’t know which books/novels you should read.
The thing is there are like millions of books and novels present out these which you should read. And if you are new to reading novels, you can easily find yourself in file a when it comes to choosing the best novels to read. But don’t worry, we are here to help you out.
In this article, we have picked up some of the best novels to read and you will definitely find them interesting as well. So let’s move ahead and take a look at the list of best novels to read!

Best novels to read

1. Little Women – By Louisa May Alloy

novels to read

Little Women is considered a classic by the community of readers and that’s why it’s on our list of best novels to read. It features rich writing with some good characters and a warm plot. The book takes you to the American family of the 19th century.
The story follows the characters of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth (also known as March Girls). The story focuses on their journey from being girls to becoming a woman in the era of civil war in America.
Here the women learn about poverty, illness, and death and how these things affect our daily lifestyle. But they also learn to live, laugh, and love in these times. This one is a perfectly balanced written novel and surely a classic which is too good to be missed!

2. Beloved – By Tony Morrison

best novels to read

Beloved was published in 1987 and it’s also considered as one of the best novels to read. The book talks about the ugly face of slavery and how people have suffered from it. The book focuses on the character of Sethe, who is an escaped slave. She has fled to Ohio and is struggling to deal with the trauma of being a slave.
The book also features the guilt of the lead character after she killed her own child, whom she named Beloved, in order to keep her from living a life of a slave. The novel talks about the psychological experience of a slave and how they are unable to leave that life behind even after freedom. The book highlights the importance of family, community, and healing. It’s surely a good read and you would definitely like it.

3. Pride and Prejudice – By Jane Austen

top novels to read

Jane Austen is a popular name and this one is one of the best works of her. The novels feature the character of Elizabeth Bennet who finds the difference between the actual goods and the superficial goodness. The book features importance the manners and it’s an honest depiction, education, marriage, and money.
The relation between Mrs. Banner and her husband is very interesting to see. The book is full of wittiness and humor and it’s the kind of book that makes us laugh and gives us something to think about at the same time. Overall the novel is considered as one of the best works of the author as well as one of the best-written novels so do read it sometime.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird – By Harper Lee

best novel

Harper Lee is considered one of the most influential authors of all time and he has written some of the best novels on his career till now. To Kill A Mockingbird is considered a book that was ahead of its time. It was published in the 1960s and it features some of the burning issues such as race, inequality, and segregation.
The author narrates the story through the eyes of a young girl named Jean Louise Finch. There are many other characters that change the perception of the lead character and help her to understand things in a better way. The character of Atticus Finch is also a role model who is determined to right all the wrongs.
This award-winning novel has surely changed the perception of people of that time, so it’s a must-read.

5. The Outsiders – By S.E Hilton

best novels

The Outsiders was written by Hilton when she was only 16 years old. Hilton wrote the book as she was tired of reading romantic novels and she wanted that people should focus on the harsh realities instead of fantasizing about romance.
This book features the struggles of being a teenager in 20th century America. She wrote mostly about herself and got inspired by her own life as well as other teenagers. The story is told by the perception of orphan Ponyboy Kurtis. The story features the rough lifestyle of the teenagers who lives on the streets of Oklahoma town. The narrates the struggles of survival, peer pressure, and violence.
It’s a perfect book to read as the book surely reminds us that growing up is never easy and there is a lot that we have to experience yet. It’s a beautiful book and you will have a good time reading it.

6. The Reader – By Bernhard Schlink

read novels

The Reader is another classical novel which is set in the late 20th century Germany. When you think about this time only one thing comes to our mind, the Nazis and the Holocaust. But this book is much more than that. Here the author narrates the strange intergenerational relationship between 35-year-old Hannah Schmitt and 15-year-old Michael Berg. Michael is an illiterate tram operated while Hannah is a former prison guard. They both exchange their knowledge with each other and learns more about the nuances between good and evil as well as the consequences of one’s choices. The book is a full surprise and so many emotions are present in the book which takes us by surprise.

7. The Great Gatsby – By F. Scott Fitzgerald

best novels for students

You might have heard this name before or perhaps done an assignment on this book in your school because this one is a book that teaches students the art of reading literature critically. The book is based on the character of Nick Carraway, who has recently moved to New York City. He has found a friend in his rich neighbor Jay Gatsby who is a little mysterious.
The book highlights the ‘American Dream’ and what it actually is. The story is tragic as well as Hypnotic and also quite relevant all the time. This one is also counted as one of the best-written books as well as introducing us to the most iconic characters of Jay Gatsby!

8. The End of the Affair – By Graham Green

best novels for beginners

We have brought you another notable work, The End of the Affair. This features the adulterous relationship between Maurice Bendrix and Sarah Miles. The book is set in the times of World War II and how people have gone through so many emotions and how the war has affected their relationships.
The book beautifully describes the battle of love, hate, guilt, and redemption. Meanwhile, the characters are in complete turmoil and struggling to find the truth. There are many lessons we learn from the book and it teaches us the idea of love that may not last forever!

9. Jane Eyre – By Charlotte Bronte

best novels

Jane Eyre is another best novel to read in your lifetime. This one is also a must-read novel and you will have a good time reading it. The novel features the story of a young girl who has faced a traumatic childhood but she still has hope for herself.
She dreams to make something of herself and struggles for marking her name. And she also does that. Her journey is truly inspiring and there are a number of things that we learn from the book.
This story remains a perfect example of how a woman can choose her own path and what challenges she faces in her journey! The character of Jane is a role model and inspires us to stand up against the wrongs and still be good enough to forgive people and give them second chances.

10. Bridget Jone’s Diary – By Helen Fielding

best novels

Helen Fielding is known as one of the best authors of her time and a feminist! She has made her mark with her notable works that speak for the women across the globe. Her work resembles the struggle of every woman and she talks about issues such as financial independence and the struggle of body image among many other issues which we all have felt at some point in our life.
Even though she describes such sensitive issues, her humor, and the comic timing is something that we find amusing. Of course, without don’t fail us when it comes to critically analyzing these issues.

11. Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland – By Lewis Carroll

best of novels

Perhaps one of the most popular books in history, Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland surely deserves a place in our list of best novels to read.
You might be aware of the plot of the book or even already read this one, but in case you haven’t, this one is truly a magical book that we all should read once in our lifetime. The book takes us to the imaginary world and we experience the adventures through the eyes of Alice!
So do read the book to get lost in the magical world and experience the wonderful things which are far away from our imagination!

12. The Little Prince – By Antoine De Saint-Exupèry

novels to read

The Little Prince talks about the journey of a boy who falls to Earth from an Asteroid. The book features his travels throughout the earth and how he struggles to understand mankind.
He meets so many strange as well as delightful characters. All the characters are different from one another and they all vary in their perception and goals in their life. The book tells about the friendships, trust, and violence and how these things affect us.

13. The Fault in Our Stars – By John Green

novels to read best

This one is perhaps a well-known book and we all must have heard its name. There are so many movies inspired by the book and it’s also known as one of the most sold books.
The book talks about the tragic love story and how two people fall in love only to be apart. The relationship between the two characters of the book is beautiful and magical but their tragic separation makes us cry every time. This evergreen romantic novel is a must-read if you haven’t already read it!

14. The Song of Ice and Fire – By R.R Martin

novels best

If you are into the series then you must try the novels as well. We all know the famous television series Game of Thrones which is inspired by this book series.
Although it doesn’t need any introduction, for the people who haven’t watched the series, the book series talks about the battles, the supernatural, drama, and so many other things. Everyone is fighting for the thrones but the question is who deserves it? And who will get it in the end?

15. Harry Potter Series – By J.K Rowling

top best novels

Harry Potter is one of the most sold novels of all time and it’s a must-read book too. The movies received a generous response too. The book is based on an orphan boy Harry who lives under a staircase with his aunt and uncle. On his 13th birthday, he founds out he is a wizard. This changes his entire life and here starts the adventure life of Harry. The tale of friendship and magic taught us so much about our life too.

Conclusion

Here we come to an end for our article Best Novels to Read! It’s true that there is no single best novel and everyone will have their own best novel that they have read in their lives. But we have tried to include some of the novels that are critically acclaimed as well as received all the positive responses from the readers.
There are so many different genres and there are so many different novels that you can go for, so go ahead and try one of the books that you find interesting from our list. We hope you found the best novel to read from our list. So thank you for being with us and we are glad we could help!

Leave a Comment