Born Free

Its remarkable interaction between the author and a lion cub named Elsa enchanted generations. More

J.R.R. Tolkien and the Trilogy

Sir Stanley Unwin, chairman of British publishers George Allen & Unwin (later acquired by HarperCollins), originally rejected the 9,250-page manuscript of The Lord of the Rings, the sequel to J. R. R. Tolkien’s moderately successful (at the time) The Hobbit, as it was too long, and the author would make a deal with the publisher only if they also agreed to take another of his unfinished books. More

The Boy in the Dress

The sharp and funny first novel for children from bestselling publishing phenomenon David Walliams. More

The Known World

The Pulitzer Prize–winning novel that examines the troubling complexities of slavery. More

Heaven Is for Real

The life-changing story of a boy who experiences Heaven, with 11 million copies sold. More

Hilary Mantel

I read out of hope and avid curiosity, and in an attempt to live in other times, and inhabit bodies that are not my own. More

Michael Chabon

The first writer that I really fell in love with was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in particular his Sherlock Holmes stories, and the first story that I ever wrote was a Sherlock Holmes story. More

Flashman

When this novel was first published, many critics mistakenly accepted it as a genuine historical memoir. More

A Game of Thrones

First volume in the internationally bestselling series that has sold upward of 70 million copies. More

Master and Commander

First book in O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series, widely regarded as the greatest series of historical novels ever written. More