Ranking the best novels and non-fiction books of every genre.

Bibliophilia

Popular Opinion

This list of bad books not to read is ranked by literature fans worldwide. Anyone can vote on this list of the worst books, which makes it a trustworthy resource for finding out which books just don't live up to their hype. You can even add your own list of bad books to these rankings, and save other people from the pain of having to read them. From the over-hyped to the just plain overexposed, these overrated books prove that you can't judge a book by its cover...or its reputation.What are the worst books that people think are great? <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-overrated-movies-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">The most overrated</a> books on this list have received&nbsp;a lot of praise, so don't feel bad voting for them! What are the most overrated novels? Vote on them here.

The Most Overrated Books of All Time

Book

Most Overrated Books | List of Overrated Novels

Ranker Community

Ranking, deconstructing, and thinking about movies based on books, TV shows based on comics, plays based on cartoons, musicals based on toys, etc.

Great Adaptations

Adaptations

There&#39;s something about the written word that feels super satisfying when adapted to the screen and this list of the best TV shows based on books ranks television adaptations of novels from best to worst based on your votes. Even as more and more people are complaining about sequels and reboots and re-imaginings at the movies, it&#39;s the <a href="/list/best-years-for-tv-shows/loganrapp?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">golden age of television</a>, with <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-and-movies-you-didn-t-know-were-based-on-books/brent-sprecher" target="_blank">awesome shows inspired by books everywhere you look</a>. The small screen has the benefit of being much more long-form, and therefore a great place to showcase something based on a book or series of books. With television adaptations of books you have the ability to learn love and live with characters for the long haul, just as with a novel or series of novels.&nbsp;

Naturally, as TV has been around for quite some time, there have been great book adaptations throughout the years. There have also been plenty of books adapted for TV in the form of miniseries or TV movies, but that&#39;s another list and you won&#39;t find them here (otherwise Band of Brothers would most certainly have made the cut). Instead, we are just focusing on traditional TV programs that are based on or inspired by books from genres like <a href="/list/best-fantasy-shows-based-on-books/ranker-tv" target="_blank">fantasy</a> and <a href="/list/best-sci-fi-shows-based-on-books/ranker-tv" target="_blank">sci-fi</a> to mysteries, historical classics, and more.

Fun fact: Game of Thrones isn&#39;t the only good TV show based on a book streaming on the airwaves!&nbsp; Be it current and recent shows like Nancy Drew or The Magicians, critically acclaimed shows that have ended such as Boardwalk Empire and Orange Is the New Black, a show that started out amazing while it was based on its book series... then derailed (Dexter), or a classic TV show you might not have realized was based on a book at all (M*A*S*H*), this list has them all. What it doesn&#39;t have are <a href="/list/best-comic-book-superhero-shows/ranker-tv" target="_blank">comic book adaptations and superhero TV shows</a>. This list is all about novels, book series, and short stories. Even teen and <a href="/list/young-adult-fiction-series/ranker-books?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">YA book series</a> - like the two times the Melinda Metz Roswell High book series has been adapted - count, as do <a href="/list/tv-shows-adapted-from-both-movies-books/ranker-tv" target="_blank">shows that are based on books and movies,</a> or that continue telling a book&#39;s story past the movie adaptation. Some shows, like Shadow and Bone, combine multiple books from the same universe into one TV series.

These are the best shows based on books to ever air on television! Vote up the best of these shows below - whether because they nailed the adaptation or because they were top-notch, quality programming in their own right.

The Best TV Series Based on Books

TV Program

The Best TV Shows Based on Books, Ranked By Fans

Ranker TV

Need a good read? Take a look at this&nbsp;list of the best must-read books of all time, suitable for every one of all ages, creeds and color. Featuring the newest YA novels reviewed by <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-book-review-youtube-channels/youtuber" target="_blank">popular literary channels on YouTube</a>, these are the novels, autobiographies, and short books that you should consider when you ask yourself, &quot;What book should I read next?&quot; If you somehow made it through school without reading the classic - or you're still in school - be sure to check them out to expand your literary horizons.An eclectic mix that does not cater solely to the sensibilities of the literati, culturati, illuminati or even paparazzi. With some hidden gems in here, it's a great list to consider when looking for something to read next. &nbsp;&quot;Tell me what you read and I'll tell you who you are&quot; is true enough, but I'd know you better if you told me what you reread' - Fran&ccedil;ois Mauriac. Give fellow voters the best tips you can on the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-books-of-all-time-_fiction_?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">top books of all time</a> that they must read by voting on your personal favorites and downvoting those you didn't enjoy.&nbsp;

Don Quixote

The Top Must-Read Books of All Time

Best Reads: The Top Must-Read Books of All Time

Lists about the King of Horror and ranking his greatest works.

The Dark World of Stephen King

Horror Books

He&#39;s one of the most recognizable names in fiction and easily one of the most prolific American authors. With so many great works, this list of books by Stephen King, voted on by the Ranker community, attempts to rank his top novels and <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-books-of-all-time-_fiction_?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best books ever</a>. This list of King&#39;s writings is the definitive ranking of his body of work. King&#39;s stories range from thick novels to short stories and collections, and include some of the most popular horror novels of our time. Many Stephen King books and stories have been adapted into <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-based-on-stephen-king-books/lons">popular horror movies</a> as well, including The Shining, Misery, Carrie, and The Shawshank Redemption.&nbsp;

What are Stephen King&#39;s best books? This list is focused only on Stephen King&#39;s published work, not the resulting movies or TV shows. Enjoy this list of Stephen King books ranked, and vote for the novels you think are the best Stephen King books of all time. Then, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-stephen-king-audiobooks/ranker-books" target="_blank">see if they&#39;re available on audiobook</a>.

Ranking Stephen King books isn&#39;t easy, with so many to choose from, so help us out and vote! His works cover many genres, primarily horror, fantasy, supernatural fiction, and dark fantasy. He has written memorable series such as The Dark Tower series, as well as stand-alone horror novels, like The Stand. King has also branched out from horror writing during his career, such as with the time-travel novel, 11/22/63, about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The best Stephen King novels on this list have combined to sell over 350 million copies, and King himself has received numerous writing and literature awards throughout his career. So vote for the best among his many top works below, or rerank the list if you don&#39;t agree with the order.

Bag of Bones

The All-Time Greatest Works Of Stephen King

Best Stephen King Books | List of Stephen King Novels Ranked by Fans

poll

The best autobiographies ever written include memoirs by famous historical figures, authors, politicians, celebrities, and more. This list includes a wide variety of books that are considered autobiographical, including <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-2010s-autobiograpies-memoirs/ranker-books" target="_blank">more recent memoirs</a>. Which one is the best? That&#39;s for you to decide, with votes of course. Some of the books listed here have proven to be <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/books-that-changed-my-life" target="_blank">life-changing reads</a>. If you are an avid reader of autobiographies, you&#39;ll likely recognize a vast majority of the books listed here. If one of your favorites is missing, by all means, please do add it to the list. Those of us who love reading a beautifully written autobiography will be grateful!

When talking about the best-written autobiographies ever, any list would be woefully incomplete without Anne Frank: &#39;The Diary of a Young Girl,&#39; as well as &#39;The Autobiography of Malcolm X&#39; and Frank McCourt&#39;s heartbreaking (and humorous) memoir &#39;Angela&#39;s Ashes.&#39; These books are not only notable autobiographies, they are certainly among the best <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/non-fiction-ebooks/barbara-gaston" target="_blank">non-fiction eBooks</a> ever.

Not all of the best autobiographies ever written are dark and serious. Some manage to mix an ample amount of humor in. Tina Fey&#39;s brilliant &#39;Bossypants&#39; and Steve Martin&#39;s &#39;Born Standing Up: A Comic&#39;s Life&#39; are excellent examples of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/must-read-books-by-stand-up-comedians/therealdunndeal" target="_blank">must read books by stand up comedians</a>. FYI: You don&#39;t necessarily have to spend a small fortune to purchase these best autobiographies ever written. Some of them are available as <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-free-ebooks/barbara-gaston" target="_blank">free ebooks</a>, or even <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-biography-audiobooks/ranker-books" target="_blank">as audiobooks</a> so be sure to check before you shell out a ton of money. If you&#39;re a reading fanatic, you might also like this list of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/autobiographical-novel-books-novels-and-stories/reference" target="_blank">famous autobiographical novel books</a>, as well as this list of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/20-must-read-books" target="_blank">top must-read books of all time</a>.

The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

The Best Autobiographies Ever Written

Best Autobiographies Ever Written | Top Autobiography List

Buster McDermott

Next on your reading list: something from this list of the best Pulitzer Prize-winning novels. These are essentially the greatest books of fiction in the history of literature. Are you looking to buy a collection of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-books-of-all-time-_fiction_?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best novels of all time</a>? According to the most prestigious prize out there, this list contains every single book deserving of such a title. Men and women can read these Pulitzer Prize winners to bed every night. Some of them are even appropriate for young adults or even younger, such as Harper Lee's famed To Kill A Mockingbird.Speaking of Mockingbird, you will notice something interesting as you peruse this list of the best Pulitzer Prize-winning novels of all time. So many of these winners for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction have been turned, or are currently being turned into, major motion pictures. It is clear that movie producers in Hollywood know when there is a good story that could garner critical claim with an adapted screenplay.This list of all novels that won the Pulitzer Prize includes beloved classes like The Color Purple, The Old Man and the Sea, and Lonesome Dove. Other newer titles on the list, like Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier &amp; Clay and Jerry Eugenides's Middlesex are prime examples of modern literature that you should add to your book collection - if you haven't already. This Pulitzer Prize fiction list is guaranteed to keep your turning pages all day long.

The Reivers (1963)

The Best Pulitzer Prize Winning Novels

Best Pulitzer Prize Winning Novels | List of Books That Won the Pulitzer

Ranker Books

List of some of the best American novels from classic writers, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, to more modern names, like Stephen King, with room for the list to grow. There is an option to add your favorite American novels to the list if yours is not already on there. The list asks the question, &quot;What is the best American novel?&quot; with novels from William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, Philip Roth and Nathaniel Hawthorne, plus many more that have written great American novels since then. More modern American novels are included, such as The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Stand by Stephen King, which may be more familiar. American novels can represent the spirit of the age in the United States during the time it was written or the time it was set in. The American novel is written by those who are knowledgeable about the state, culture and even the perspective of those during that time. Some of these best American novels may have also been on the reading curriculum in school, like Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien or To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Be sure to vote not just on your favorite authors, but on your favorite novel of all time, as some authors may be listed twice for other novels that are considered the best.

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

The Greatest American Novels

Best American Novels | List of Top Works of Fiction by American Authors

What did we think the future would look like? How has it really turned out? What's next for humanity and the universe? What have we done? Lists to keep you up at night, quaking in your moon boots.

The Future Has Arrived

Dystopias have become a fascinating genre over the last century as disillusioned writers witnessed and reacted against imperialism, two world wars, including the Nazi and Stalin regime and the treacherous Holocaust. These writers played with the darkest sides of humanity, unearthed by war and technology and used satiric irony to present a destructive vision of the future. Dystopian novels are characterized by a lack of individual freedom, heroes that know something is wrong and contain many WTF moments that make you rethink the current status quo and become aware of the constructed nature of our values and standards.This dystopian novel list is nowhere near a complete list of all dystopian books, but on it are some of the greatest dystopian works of literature of all time (though most is from the 20th and 21st centuries). If you&#39;re a fan of H.G. Wells or George Orwell but are looking for more recent content, the best dystopian books list is the place to be.

If you want dystopia without the reading, check out the greatest dystopian and near-future movies or get some synopses on the 13 <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-13-best-dystopian-novels/ivana-wynn?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best dystopian novels</a>.

Never Let Me Go

The Greatest Dystopian Novels

Best Dystopian Novels | List of Great Near-Future Books

Walter Graves

Looking closer at the Lord of the Rings trilogy books and movies, The Hobbit, and everything else in J. R. R. Tolkien's beloved universe.

Welcome to Middle-earth

Tolkien Universe

The best characters from The <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/small-mistakes-in-lord-of-the-rings/tpetersccc?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Lord of the Rings</a> universe including all book and movies as well as The Hobbit&nbsp;film trilogy. These are all the best Lord of the Rings&nbsp;main characters (and minor ones as well), here for you to vote on and add to. Some of the best characters in literature and cinema have come from the adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien&#39;s books, and now you can vote on them.

The best LOTR characters are a mix of heroic warriors, tragic heroes, and classic villains all brought together in the struggle that ensues as good seeks to triumph over evil. Whether you&#39;re a fan of the J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings&nbsp;books, or a new fan of Peter Jackson&#39;s Lord of the Rings trilogy or the newer The Hobbit films, this is the place to voice your opinion on who you think the greatest Lord of the Rings characters are -- be they human, dwarf, elf, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-hobbits/eric-vega" target="_blank">or hobbit. Especially hobbit.</a>

Make sure to vote up your favorite Lord of the Rings characters, and add any of the greatest LOTR characters that we might have missed. From your favorite famous character from Lord of the Rings, to the more minor, but still great characters (some of which have awesome names), vote up&nbsp;all the best on this LOTR character list.

And if you&#39;re a fan of Tolkien&#39;s style of writing, make sure to check out the rest of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-fantasy-authors?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best fantasy writers</a>.

Gollum

The 50+ Best 'Lord Of The Rings' Characters

Film character

Best 'Lord of the Rings' Characters | LOTR Character List

Lists for fans who have already read every book, seen every movie, and then read / watched them all several more times each.

Going Deep in Harry Potter

Fantasy

It&rsquo;s been decades since the world was introduced to Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, the author who created his magical world. Since the conclusion of the book series, Rowling has had time to ponder that world and offer some new insights about her Harry Potter characters and storylines. What tidbits and cold hard truths has J.K. Rowling revealed since the final book was released? What&#39;s going on over at Pottermore? What should you know about Potter and all his pals that wasn&#39;t in the books?

Rowling has revealed a range of Potter details for fans to devour. On her website, Pottermore, Rowling continues to share Potter trivia, post-series information, and character backstories with a tidal wave of dissection at every single reveal. If you haven&#39;t checked it out, Pottermore is an amazing resource.&nbsp;

And while ending the Harry Potter series was sad, it was also a bit of a relief for Rowling. &quot;It was this amazing cathartic moment... the end of 17 years&#39; work,&quot; Rowling said. But with Pottermore, a 2016 Harry Potter play, and constant, rabid response to the world she created, Rowling will never abandon Harry. &ldquo;He will always be a presence in my life, really.&quot;&nbsp;

Rowling has said she may eventually reveal more details in a Harry Potter encyclopedia, but even then, it will never be enough to satisfy the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/hardcore-hip-hop-bands-and-musicians/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword" target="_blank">most fervent</a>&nbsp;fans. &quot;I&#39;m dealing with a level of obsession in some of my fans that will not rest until they know the middle names of Harry&#39;s great-great-grandparents,&quot; she said.&nbsp;But the author is just fine with the outpouring of devotion for all things Harry Potter. &quot;I love it,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#39;m all for that.&quot;

J.K. Rowling's Post-Books Reveals About Harry Potter

General

JK Rowling Pottermore Revelations | New Harry Potter Info

Lisa Waugh

History, lore, and things you never knew about everything in J. R. R. Tolkien's beloved universe.

Inside Middle-earth

Tolkien&#39;s Middle Earth is one of the richest fantasy worlds ever conceived; so rich that few are familiar with the entire mythos. The Silmarillion&nbsp;describes the history before The Lord of the Rings, and acts as an encyclopedic record of how the world of <a href="http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Arda" target="_blank">Arda </a>came to be.

As it turns out, there are a lot of&nbsp;things that happened before The Hobbit. Tolkien&#39;s most well-known tales &mdash; those that have been brought to the screen &mdash; stick to covering events from the <a href="http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Third_Age" target="_blank">Third Age</a>, and only allude to the millennia of lore that lead up to the destruction of the One Ring.

Some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-characters-from-the-lord-of-the-rings-universe" target="_blank">greatest characters</a> Tolkien created aren&#39;t that well known. The general lack of knowledge regarding the extended LoTR&nbsp;universe&nbsp;has spawned some incorrect <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/lord-of-the-rings-fan-theories/nathan-gibson" target="_blank">fan theories</a>, and has left a lot of room for confusion among casual fans, even&nbsp;those who have&nbsp;read The Lord of the Rings.

Here are the most important&nbsp;things to know to&nbsp;understand The Lord of the Rings, the creation of the world known as Arda, and all the magical creatures that inhabit it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The History Of Lord Of The Rings For Casual Fans, So You Don't Have To Read 10,000 Pages

Zack Howe

As you slide comfortably into being an adult, one fact quickly becomes evident: everyone is a big fat liar, especially when it comes to discussing impressive books to read. Avid readers should definitely check out these <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-book-review-youtube-channels/youtuber" target="_blank">popular book reviewers on YouTube</a>.&nbsp;Not only are there too many life-affirming books out in the world to read in one lifetime, but there are also a bunch of books that become a part of the social zeitgeist, and if you don’t read them you’ll be left out of the cultural conversation. The books people lie about reading tend to be considered classics, but they’re also <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/books-youll-never-finish/amylindorff">massive tomes</a> that are responsible for destroying an entire forest. Some books people claim to have read would make better doorstops than they would entertainment, but you should still act as if you’ve devoured every page. If you don’t lie about some of these books, what are you going to have to talk about?There are so many intelligent&nbsp;and cool people out in the world, and every single one of them&nbsp;says they have read all of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-books-of-all-time-_fiction_">most important books</a>. You know how you lie about what you scored on your SATs? Well you should also do that with literature. This list of books you should say you've read makes it easy for you to fool your friends and strangers alike. Because if you do come across someone who has actually read all of these books they’re not going to be able to keep the plot points separated in their heads long enough to call you on your BS. Keep reading to see all the books people pretend to have read – and then maybe actually read one of them.&nbsp;

On the Road

You Know You've Never Read 'Of Mice And Men'

35+ Books Everybody Lies About Having Read

30+ Books Everyone Says They've Read But No One Actually Has

Jacob Shelton

Throughout&nbsp;The Lord of the Rings&nbsp;movies, there are several <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weapons-from-middle-earth/tamar-altebarmakian" target="_blank">powerful weapons</a>, but they aren&#39;t fully explained as they are in the books. The same is true of&nbsp;The Hobbit&nbsp;trilogy and pretty much every other adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien&#39;s&nbsp;amazing work. Because of this, there are plenty of details about weapons and their associated lore that the films don&#39;t delve into.

This list takes a look at some of the most important weapons found across Middle-earth and offers up some details that didn&#39;t make their way into the films. Take a look at the weapon lore down below, and if you see something you didn&#39;t know from the movies, be sure to give it an upvote before you go.

Weapon Lore Details The 'Lord of the Rings' Films Don't Tell You

Weapon Lore Details The 'Lord Of The Rings' Films Don't Tell You

Jonathan H. Kantor

Lists about novelists, poets, short story authors, journalists, essayists, and playwrights, from simple rankings to fun facts about the men and women behind the pens.

People Who Write

Lists of celebrated short fiction by author and region and curated collections you should add to your home library.

The Art of the Short Story

List of the best short story writers of all time. From Voltaire to George Saunders, a complete list of the greatest short story authors who have written works in English or whose works have been translated into English.&nbsp;Usually, short fiction features a small cast of characters and is focused on one incident or anecdote and one overall mood, such as <a href="https://commaful.com/tags/romantic/" target="_blank">romance</a>, <a href="https://commaful.com/tags/funny/" target="_blank">humor</a>, or <a href="https://commaful.com/tags/sad%20love/" target="_blank">sadness</a>. Complex stories with sweeping timelines and superfluous characters are not often written in the short story medium, because there is simply not enough time to develop more than one or two cohesive thoughts. The best short story writers think that writing short-fiction is a completely&nbsp;separate art form than writing a novel, but some would argue that <a href="https://commaful.com/writers/" target="_blank">writing short stories</a> is great practice for writing a full length work of fiction.&nbsp;Because of the constraints of page length, great short story writers have to use language that is descriptive and quickly sets the scene or develops their characters. Hemingway is notoriously good at short, pithy stories. One of his most famous is the world's shortest short story: “For Sale, Baby Shoes, Never Worn.” Very short stories are also known as flash-fiction.Like Hemingway, the best short story authors can paint a picture with their words in a short amount of time. If you like books but don't have time to read novels, reading short stories could be a great option for you. Many of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-novelists-of-all-time/ranker-books">the best novelists of all time</a>&nbsp; have also written good short stories. Often, this type of fiction is sold in short story collections or anthologies. Use this list to discover new authors of short-fiction and vote on your favorites.

Ernest Hemingway

The Best Short Story Writers of All Time

Writer

Best Short Story Writers | Greatest Authors of Short-Fiction

Nothing inspires growth and development quite like reading (and being read to). Here are lists of the top children's fiction and storybooks to line your child's bookshelf.

Books for Growing Minds

The best overall books for children, ranked by readers of all ages. Anyone can vote on this kids&#39; book list, which makes these rankings a trustworthy way to find out which books your kids will love. Is a title missing? You can also add your own books to this list, and see how your taste stacks up against everyone else&#39;s. No matter if your kids are 9 year old budding lit experts, 5 year-olds just beginning to read on their own, or pre-schoolers still having you read aloud -- these are the books you remember and hope your own kids will.

For children in pre-school or younger, check out this list of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-books-for-toddlers/ballerina-tatyana">best books for toddlers</a> or the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-childrens-books-2019/ranker-books" target="_blank">best new children&#39;s books</a>.

Goodnight Moon

The Best Overall Books for Kids

 Best Books for Kids | List of Top Children's Books

These are things that make America great. Get in the spirit and vote!

USA! USA!

America

Who are <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-americans-ever/jacariah?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the greatest American</a> authors of all time? In just two short centuries, the great U.S. of A. has produced an incredible number of writers that have influenced literature and art the world over. This list includes great American novelists, poets, the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-playwrights-ever/ranker-books" target="_blank">best playwrights</a>, and writers in the all genres of fiction and nonfiction alike. What American writers did you read in school and actually like? While most kids in this country are assigned works by top novelists like Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway, many don't truly love to read until their teen years, when they first find less traditional writers like J.D. Salinger or Kurt Vonnegut. Others are swept away by authors as varied as Stephen King, Harper Lee, or good ol' Dr. Seuss.Who are the greatest American authors? This list include writers in all mediums, both living and deceased. Maybe your all-time favorites include poets like Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost. If your tastes are more for the pictures, you may consider Mel Brooks, Quentin Tarantino, or even Wes Anderson among the top American screenwriters. Other authors on this list have created some of the most beloved and widely read series in history, including Louisa May Alcott and George R. R. Martin.The greatest American writers are some of the tops in their fields, producing some of the best novels, essays, films, short stories, stage plays, and poems of all time. While many have stood the test of time and are firmly represented in the literary canon, it remains to be seen whether more contemporary&nbsp;American authors of the 21st Century will be remembered in decades to come. Vote up your the absolute best, and please add any famous American authors that are missing.

The Greatest American Writers of All Time

Top American Authors | List of Best Writers and Novelists from the US

Book lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for top 10, best of, funny, or factual lists of any kind - see how everything ranks

Book lists on Ranker

Top Book Lists: Top 10 Books/Literature Lists and Articles

Books

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Elizabeth Bennet

Jo March

Matilda

The Lord of the Rings

The Harry Potter Series

A Song of Ice and Fire

Nineteen Eighty-Four

The Hobbit

Lists about the most memorable fictional characters in film, TV, and literature that will stick in our minds forever.

Characters We'll Never Forget

Some of the greatest characters in literature are women and girls, but which ones are the very best?&nbsp;From the evil to the undeniably perfect, the always strong to those who those who <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/fictional-characters-who-never-give-up/ranker-characters" target="_blank">never give up</a>, these are the greatest female characters from literature of all genres. This list includes the best female characters of all ages, like the youthful girls Matilda (Matilda) and Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) to the ever-so-adult Evelyn Couch (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe). We&#39;re even ranking <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/fictional-characters-who-are-immortal/ranker-characters" target="_blank">immortal female characters</a>, like Galadriel from Lord of the Rings and the goddess Athena you read about in Greek mythology.

Why do female literary characters stay with readers long after they&rsquo;ve finished reading the novels these characters are featured in? Often, it&rsquo;s due to the intimacy with which readers have come to know a character. Jane Eyre (and all of her desires and feelings), for example, becomes so real to readers that they feel as if they&rsquo;ve met and understood this amazing female character. So many people relate to fiery, independent Jo March that her marriage at the end of Little Women feels like a betrayal - something <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/jo-professor-bhaer-relationship-little-women/bailey-brown" target="_blank">the 2019 film adaptation addresses head-on</a>.

Other times, readers love female characters in literature because of the audacity of their actions. Scarlett O&rsquo;Hara (Gone with the Wind) was exceedingly bold for a woman of her time, while Madame Defarge (A Tale of Two Cities) is an exemplar of tireless villainy. Some of the most popular female literary characters manage to embody both wholesome and defiant, becoming reflections of the complex nature of women. From inspirational feminist heroes to strong women from fantasy series, the greatest fictional women from literature also make great role models.&nbsp;

For the wide range of personality traits we find in these <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-tv-characters-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">great female characters</a> (and the audacious actions they&rsquo;ve performed), these women have earned their titles as the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-movie-characters/ranker-characters?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best female characters</a> in literature. They may be young or old, charming or black-hearted, but they are all memorable. Whether you love them or love to hate them, all the famous fictional heroines are here in this list of the best female characters in literary history.&nbsp;

Jane Eyre

The Greatest Female Characters In Literature, Ranked

Fictional Character

The 100+ Best Female Literary Characters Of All Time

Lists about the wizarding world that captured the imaginations of children and adults alike and forever changed the way we view owls, brooms, and round eyeglasses.

The Universe of Harry Potter

Harry Potter

The best <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/harry-potter-characters?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Harry Potter</a> books are those favorite books from J.K. Rowling that chronicle the story of the young wizard Harry Potter and his crew of friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It’s hard to pick a favorite among the seven books in the best-selling book series in history but that won’t stop us from ranking all the best Harry Potter books below.Starting with the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone&nbsp;(or Sorcerer's Stone, in the U.S.) released in 1997, the Harry Potter franchise has become more than a household name. It quickly became one of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-profitable-movies-of-all-time/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the most profitable</a> empires in history. Between the hundreds of millions of books sold to the immensely popular film series and all of the tie-in merchandise and even a theme park that followed, Harry Potter is quite the big deal international phenomenon.So how do we rank the best to worst Harry Potter books? That’s a really good question. Some may adore the final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, while others might be more in favor of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which sold nine million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.However you rank the top Harry Potter <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/top-ten-best-fantasy-novels-or-best-fantasy-series/dragolite?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">fantasy novels</a>, whether you’re a fan of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, or all of the above, rank them all right here!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

All Harry Potter Books, Ranked Best to Worst

Best Harry Potter Book | All Books Ranked

This is the ultimate list of the best novels of all time, which is based on influence, originality, popularity, and personal affections. You can make the case for many books to be on this list, but only a few can be considered the best novel ever written. For as long as books have been around, there has been debate amongst book enthusiasts over what truly is the best book ever. The one criteria on this list is that we are only taking fiction books into account. Anything should not be on here.Classics like Victor Hugo's Les Mis&eacute;rables, Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath are all on here and deservedly so as they've stood the test of the time and have become important pieces of literature. That's not to say that modern books are neglected, in fact, they're well represented as well. Recent classics like J. R. R. Tolkien's <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unscripted-lines-in-lord-of-the-rings/tpetersccc?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Lord of the Rings</a>, Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, Thomas Pynchon's Gravity Rainbow and Stephen King's The Waste Lands are on here.It's up to you to vote on or even add a book that isn't on this list. Otherwise, decide what the best book of all time is by voting up&nbsp;what you think is a worthy choice.

The Best Novels Ever Written

Best Books of All Time | List of Greatest Fiction Novels Ever Written

Lists about films, TV series, novels & series, anime, and other media that explore imaginary universes and the characters and forces that live inside them.

What's Your Fantasy?

Entertainment

A votable list of the all-time best fantasy book series, ranked by readers of fantasy fiction. Of fantasy books, readers can expect an intricately-created <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-best-of-the-fantasy-worlds">imaginary world</a> with its own culture, history and rules of engagement.&nbsp;The setting of most popular fantasy book series is internally consistent or self-coherent, where inspiration from mythology or folklore remains a consistent theme. 
 
Most <a href="/crowdranked-list/best-fantasy-authors">authors of the top fantasy books</a> use magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary plot element, theme, or setting. In the structure of a good fantasy book, the fantastical element of the story can be anywhere: the story may occur entirely in <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-of-the-fantasy-worlds?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">a fantasy world</a> (like J.R.R. Tolkien&#39;s Lord of the Rings series) or fantastic elements like magic can exist alongside an apparently real world setting (as in the seven Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling). Fantasy follows rules of its own making, but the great fantasy books are consistent with the rules that they lay out for themselves. In the best fantasy books, the reader suspends disbelief and loses himself in the imaginary world of the book.

Some of the fantasy book series included in this list are of the grand epic fantasy genre, some are more character-driven fantasy or coming of age tales, some may be simply fantasy that&#39;s part of a series. Vote up your favorites to determine the best fantasy series of all time. And if we missed any epic tales you love, be sure to add them to this list of the best fantasy book series. Then, check out the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-fantasy-books-2019/ranker-books" target="_blank">best new fantasy books</a> - many the start of series that may soon be new favorites.