M. J. Akbar
Why I read: To learn. More
Longitude
Story of an epic scientific quest, which won British Book of the Year in 1997. More
Judith Kerr
Why I write: Usually, so that I can do the illustrations. More
Tracy Chevalier
I read because I want to know what it’s like to look at the world through someone else’s eyes, and reading is a remarkably efficient and vigorous way of doing that. More
Middlemarch
Ranked number one in a 2015 BBC poll of the 100 greatest British novels. More
The Woman in White
One of the earliest works of detective fiction, this story caused a sensation with readers at the time. More
The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World
With more than one million copies sold worldwide, it’s the world’s largest commercially available world atlas in print. More
Collected Poems 1947–1997
Poetry from a chief figure of the Beats that helped catalyze a revolution in contemporary culture. More
Tess of the d’Urbervilles
Major nineteenth-century English novel that challenged the sexual morals of late Victorian England. More
2008: HarperCollins India publishes The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga…
HarperCollins India publishes The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, which wins the 2008 Man Booker Prize. More
Bread and Jam for Frances
Beloved story featured on at least two “top 100 picture books of all time” lists. More
Wuthering Heights
A Gothic classic and one of the world’s greatest tales of unrequited love. More
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Classic children’s story about imagination that has never been out of print. More
And Then There Were None
The bestselling crime novel of all time. More
Fahrenheit 451
Though set in a dystopian world without books, Bradbury’s most famous work has never gone out of print. More
Little Bear
The very first I Can Read! book has sold more than one million copies. More
The Corrections
Winner of the National Book Award in 2001 and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2002. More
The Fellowship of the Ring
First volume in The Lord of the Rings series, which has sold more than 100 million copies. More
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
The bestselling American novel of the nineteenth century; an epic tale of betrayal and honor. More
I, Robot
Asimov’s science fiction masterpiece that influenced a legion of future authors. More
A Christmas Carol
Dickens’s beloved classic of the meaning of Christmas that has inspired countless adaptations. More
The Alchemist
An inspirational phenomenon; one of the bestselling books in history. More
The Guns of Navarone
Classic World War II thriller from MacLean, acclaimed master of action and suspense. More
Papillon
A bestselling phenomenon and classic memoir of prison breaks and adventure. More
A Game of Thrones
First volume in the internationally bestselling series that has sold upward of 70 million copies. More
Seabiscuit
Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. More
V. Raghunathan
Mark Twain’s quote “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read” had a significant influence on me in my early years, which helped me take to reading seriously. More
