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

poll

What are the best Dr. Seuss books? Every book written by the brilliant Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) is a wonderful book. Seuss penned, and illustrated, many of the greatest children's books of all time. They are excellent <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-books-to-read-to-your-kids" target="_blank">books to read to your kids</a>, too. Everyone, it seems, has at least one favorite. What is yours? Vote for the Dr. Seuss books you like the most, and feel free to re-rank this list in any order you choose.At what age do kids begin reading Dr. Seuss books? Many parents start reading Seuss books to their children before the kiddos even know how to read. The books are whimsical, lyrical and a truly wonderful way to introduce kids to the magic of reading, after all. Dr. Seuss's nursery collection books are some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-board-books/dad-of-the-year" target="_blank">best board books for babies and toddlers</a>.As kids learn to read, they'll likely love tackling some &quot;grown up&quot; hardcover Dr. Seuss books. They might already be familiar with the stories, and they'll love the familiarity. Dr. Seuss's greatest books, including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and certainly Horton Hears a Who! are all worth revisiting, time and time again. When is the best time for a child to read Dr. Seuss? Any time. Green Eggs and Ham, for example, is without question an <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-books-for-first-graders/dad-of-the-year" target="_blank">excellent book for first graders</a>, but some younger children might be ready to read it much earlier.It's really hard to pick favorites when it comes to Dr. Seuss books, but let's give it a try: Vote for the best, vote down any books you don't like and yes, add any that might be missing, too. After you're done voting, head on over and check out the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-board-games-for-kids-7-12/dad-of-the-year" target="_blank">best board games for kids aged 7-12</a>!

The Butter Battle Book

The Best Dr. Seuss Books

Book

List of the 60+ Best Dr. Seuss Books of All Time

Stan Holton

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

Bibliophilia

Popular Opinion

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

Ranker Community

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

Ranker Books

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

Fun fact: Game of Thrones isn&#39;t the only good TV show based on a book streaming on the airwaves! Though 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 the miniseries or TV movie, 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 genre 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.

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 it&#39;s 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.

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. Maybe the best overall shows rise to the top.

The Best TV Shows Based on Books

TV Program

TV Series Based on Books, Ranked From Best to Worst

Ranker TV

Ranking the best YA series and coming-of-age novels. 

Literature for Little Adults

Here is a list of the best movies based on young adult literature written by some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-young-adult-authors/book-keeper">best young adult writers</a>. These films were all inspired by or adapted directly from novels written for a young adult or teenage audience. Many of these books are widely regarded as &quot;classic children&#39;s literature&quot; that has been popular and even assigned to students in schools for decades. Others - such as recent hit films like The Hunger Games&nbsp;and the Harry Potter series - are based on newer works that have become important cultural phenomena in the past few decades. Some of the most popular, beloved, and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-highest-grossing-movies-of-all-time/polkadotking">highest grossing movies</a> of recent Hollywood filmmaking, in particular, originated in stories from young adult books.

The massive success of The Hunger Games&nbsp;- which scored one of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/biggest-opening-weekends-for-superhero-movies/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">highest opening weekend</a> totals in US box office history - has inspired other studios and filmmakers to look to young adult literature for ideas, and a number of other YA books are already set to be adapted in the coming years. (For example, Orson Scott Card&#39;s sci-fi thriller Ender&#39;s Game&nbsp;has long been considered for a big-budget film version.) Many of these YA books, like Harry Potter, take place in <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-of-the-fantasy-worlds">magical and fantasy worlds</a>, making the stories even more compelling on a big screen. A few young adult book adaptations came out to considerably less fanfare, such as the first release from the ongoing Percy Jackson&nbsp;series - The Lightning Thief&nbsp;- but these are widely seen as exceptions rather than the rule.

This list compiles the best films ever made based on books for young adults. Be sure to vote for your favorites and move them up the list. Check back for new movies based on YA novels as they are released.

The Best Film Adaptations Of Young Adult Novels

Film

The Best Movies Based On Young Adult Books, Ranked

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

Entertainment

Here is a list of the best movies based off books, voted on by cine-bibliophiles everywhere. Many movies are based off of books but whenever a new <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-endings-better-than-the-book/elle-tharp" target="_blank">movie based on a book</a> comes out there is an endless amount of whining about how Hollywood isn&#39;t original and why can&#39;t they write their own stories? That&#39;s simple, it&#39;s because these amazing stories are already written and Hollywood has the means to bring them to life, and sometimes they do it better than even your imagination thought possible&nbsp; (then again, sometimes they simply <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/books-that-deserve-better-movie-adaptations/charley-ruddell" target="_blank">can&#39;t do the original book justice</a> or were <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-shows-adapted-from-both-movies-books/ranker-tv" target="_blank">later also adapted into TV shows</a> to continue the story or do it better). It&#39;s no surprise that popular movies are often inspired by classic literatures and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-inspired-by-paintings/megan-summers" target="_blank">works of art</a>, but which one is the best?

This list looks at the films based on the books - novels, literature, or nonfiction - that made you want to reread the book, started endless <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-that-changed-the-ending-of-the-book/tracey-graham" target="_blank">&quot;which was better the movie or the book&quot;</a> debates, made you squeal with delight that you pictured it that way in your head, and just blew your frickin&#39;&nbsp;mind.

What are the best movies based on books? Vote on the top movies based on books and share this with your friends to get their opinions, too!

Want to vote on more lists about book adaptations? Check out this list of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-film-franchises-based-on-books/ranker-film" target="_blank">film franchises based on books</a>, and our roundup of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/authors-who-loved-movie-adaptations-of-their-books/jim-rowley" target="_blank">movie adaptations that the book authors loved</a>.

The Green Mile

The Best Movies Based On Books

Best Movies Based on Books | List of Top Cinematic Adaptations of Novels

Living

The absolute best children&#39;s book series ever written, ranked by the community and book fans everywhere. This list has the most popular kid&#39;s book series and includes release date information, authors, and photos. It can be difficult to encourage kids to read, but the book series on this list will keep them engaged. What are the absolute best children&rsquo;s book series of all time?

These kids&#39; book series feature magical universes filled with interesting characters, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-narnia-characters/ranker-books">such as The Chronicles of Narnia</a>, and other novels and series that will keep your kids reading all year long. Some kids enjoy the interactive nature of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-choose-your-own-adventure-books/ranker-books">the Choose Your Own Adventure series</a>, while others simply like to follow their favorite characters as they grow and learn, as with the Harry Potter books.

This list features the most successful book series for kids that were ever written, penned by various authors, and includes both <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-2010s-childrens-books/ranker-books" target="_blank">modern children&#39;s books</a> series and classic favorites such as The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dr. Seuss, Pendragon, Fancy Nancy, The Boxcar Children, Lemony Snicket&rsquo;s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and The Magic Tree House books. Vote up the best book series for kids below, or add a series that keeps your kids reading, if it isn&#39;t already below, and take a look at these <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/books-that-changed-my-life">books that will change your life</a>.&nbsp;

<a href="https://cratejoy.evyy.net/c/1217251/277724/4453?subid1=1756982&amp;subid2=littlebookishwardrobe&amp;subid3=comlink&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cratejoy.com%2Fsubscription-box%2Flittle-bookish-wardrobe%2F"><img alt="Little Bookish Wardrobe" src="https://d3lri94xwt3wfr.cloudfront.net/8a9c87563a2d409f8bb0c1cbabcdc567_600_70.jpeg" style="width: 150px; height: 100px;" /></a>&nbsp;Inspire imagination in your child with a subscription box from <a href="https://cratejoy.evyy.net/c/1217251/277724/4453?subid1=1756982&amp;subid2=littlebookishwardrobe&amp;subid3=comlink&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cratejoy.com%2Fsubscription-box%2Flittle-bookish-wardrobe%2F" target="_blank">Little Bookish Wardrobe</a> containing a book, dress-up&nbsp;costume pieces matching&nbsp;the book&#39;s theme,&nbsp;arts &amp; crafts&nbsp;and more.

The Indian in the Cupboard

The Best Children's Book Series

Best Childrens Book Series | List of Book Series for Kids

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

The opening lines of a novel can prove crucial, and many authors spend an inordinate amount of time considering how their books will begin. From Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities&nbsp;to Melville's Moby Dick, often the opening sentence or two of a book will become the most frequently quoted and iconic passage from the entire novel. This list has the best novels with great first lines, bound to make the best impression on readers.&nbsp;These books of fiction are well known for their opening lines. The authors know that books don't just need a great story, there also needs to be something that draws in the reader. The opening line is that hook and the books on this list all have intriguing, interesting, and unique opening sentences.This is a list of the greatest novels with the best introductory text, including world literature (with an emphasis on English literature), from throughout history, with <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/memorable-oscar-moments/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the most memorable</a> and significant beginnings. Vote up the most memorable first lines from fiction below.Source: American Book Review&nbsp;

The Catcher in the Rye

Famous Novels With The Catchiest First Lines

Opening Lines | List of Books with Great First Lines

Info Lists

Lists about the true stories that inspired books, films, TV, and other stories you think you know. 

What Really Happened

Debunking

Russian-American novelist <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/a-list-of-famous-vladimir-nabokov-quotes/reference" target="_blank">Vladimir Nabokov</a> wrote the novel Lolita&nbsp;in 1955 that drew inspiration from the true-crime&nbsp;Sally Horner kidnapping, but&nbsp;<a href="http://Crosslinks! https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-juana-maria/setareh-janda" target="_blank">the real-life story that inspired</a> it&nbsp;is more disturbing than the book itself.&nbsp;Lolita is narrated by a middle-aged man named Humbert Humbert, who fixates on a 12-year-old girl named Dolores Haze (Lolita) and forces her into a&nbsp;sexual relationship.&nbsp;In the novel, Dolores eventually escapes from Humbert, who has an emotional breakdown. When they eventually see each other again, Dolores is pregnant but suffering financially. Despite her difficult circumstances, she has overcome her past and made a life for herself. There's a glimpse of a better future. Florence &quot;Sally&quot; Horner was abducted in 1948 by a man who repeatedly&nbsp;sexually assaulted her for two years.&nbsp;She was finally rescued only to be victim-blamed by the media, and died tragically two years later at age 15.&nbsp;Sally Horner, unfortunately,&nbsp;wasn't given the time to move on from the trauma she experienced as an adolescent.&nbsp;Both <a href="http://modernnotion.com/terrifying-abduction-sally-horner-inspiration-nabakovs-lolita/" target="_blank">Sally's story and Lolita</a>&nbsp;have a lot in common. They took place in nearly the exact same year, and both girls were nearly the same age, with single&nbsp;mothers. Even so, scholars didn't make the connection between the book and the history until more than 50 years following publication. It's always chilling when uncomfortable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-the-real-laura-ingalls-wilder/amandasedlakhevener" target="_blank">fiction turns out to be based in truth</a>, and with subject matter like&nbsp;Lolita,&nbsp;the truth is&nbsp;even darker.

The Real Story That Inspired &quot;Lolita&quot; Is Somehow More Disturbing Than The Actual Book

General

The Real Story That Inspired Lolita Is Somehow More Disturbing Than The Actual Book

Noelle Talmon

As Emily Dickinson famously said, &quot;There is no Frigate like a Book / To take us Lands away,&quot; but sometimes you get halfway there and are all &quot;Frigate, WTF, where are we even going?&quot; There are some books that you will just never finish, no matter how many times you try. Maybe the authors of these hardest books to read are laughing at all of us right now, or maybe they didn't even mean to make the book so tough, but here we all are, slogging through these book swamps, trying to figure out what the hell James Joyce is even on about with Ulysses.Hard books to read run the gamut. Some are just too long, like War and Peace. Others are just perplexing and no one will ever know what's really going on in them, even that kid in your Honors College literature class who thinks he is so cool. Still others of the most difficult books ever written aren't even really that complicated, they just happen to be as boring as listening to anyone, anywhere, at anytime, talking about traffic.What books have you put down after just one chapter? What books sit proudly on your shelves, 90% unread because life is more than sticking it out with a book that is just too much? Sure, a lot of these books you are never going to actually read are classics, written by famous authors and some of the most influential <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-writers-of-all-time/ranker-books?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">writers of all time</a>, but let's get real, Jonathan Franzen, there aren't enough hours in the day to wade through The Corrections.Upvote the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/novels-based-on-comic-books/walter-graves?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">books and novels</a> below that you have sidelined for whatever reason and be sure to add any great books you have started, and then immediately been like, &quot;NOPE.&quot;

The Bible

Books You'll Never Finish Reading

Hardest Books to Read | List of Books You'll Never Finish

Amy Boal

Lists about the best (and worst) films, TV series, novels, characters, etc. in every sci-fi genre.

The Worlds of Science Fiction

This list ranks the best science fiction novels ever written, as voted on by sci-fi readers. Anyone can add their picks to this list of sci-fi books, making it an accurate, real-time ranking of the best sci-fi&nbsp;books of all time by the people who live and breathe Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, and Clarke.

Vote up the novels that you think best represent the greatest science fiction books ever written in order to determine the most popular science fiction books on the shelves. It doesn&#39;t much matter they&#39;re classic or modern, utopian or dystopian; if they&#39;re popular sci-fi books, this list is the place to rank them.

If you see a good book that&#39;s missing, add it whether it be a lesser-known classic or a new sci-fi book fellow readers need to try. Vote up your favorite literary slices of sci-fi. And for maximum impact, make your own list by reranking this one your own way, so that everyone can see whether your top rated sci-fi novels take place on Arrakis, Mars, or even Earth. Then, check out the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-science-fiction-books-2019/ranker-books" target="_blank">best new science fiction books</a>, many of which will become the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/sci-fi-books-you-have-to-read-to-have-nerd-cred/zack-howe" target="_blank">next generation&#39;s classics</a>.

Neuromancer

The Greatest Science Fiction Novels of All Time

Greatest Sci-Fi Novels | Best Science Fiction Books Ranked by Fans

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

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

Fantasy

Tolkien'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's most well-known tales — those that have been brought to the screen — 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&nbsp;" target="_blank">greatest characters</a> Tolkien created aren'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;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-book-readers-hate-about-lord-of-the-rings-movie/stephanroget&nbsp;" target="_blank">read The Lord of the Rings</a>.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

The original versions and real stories behind the fairy tales we've been whispering to sleepy children.

Once Upon a Time

Lists exploring the beloved 1939 musical fantasy film The Wizard of Oz.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Explainer

Everyone remembers 1939&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/wizard-of-oz-behind-the-scenes-stories/erin-mccann" target="_blank">The Wizard of Oz</a>, starring&nbsp;young Judy Garland; the classic&nbsp;tale that teaches you that there is no place like home, that the greatest weapon is water, and that we all have what we seek within ourselves. The popularity of the movie has, for decades,&nbsp;spawned all manner of spinoffs, merchandise, and even <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/land-of-oz-theme-park-facts/mariel-loveland" target="_blank">a creepy&nbsp;Wizard of Oz&nbsp;theme park</a>.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;kinds of lessons weaved throughout the movie&nbsp;are also present in the original <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/wizard-of-oz-facts/philgibbons" target="_blank">Wizard of Oz </a>books, on which the film is loosely based,&nbsp;but in the original stories&nbsp;there are so many limbs being lost in any given chapter that the heartfelt message gets a little buried. The original Wizard of Oz&nbsp;stories&nbsp;were told through&nbsp;a series of 14 episodic novels by L. Frank Baum, who wrote them in the early 1900s. They&nbsp;find Dorothy and her Yellow Brick Road Gang meeting strange foes and&nbsp;strange friends alike on their road to Oz, chapter by chapter, book by book. They&rsquo;re whimsical tales set in a magical land, but there are many characters and sequences that are downright dark, and there&#39;s a lot of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/hidden-symbols-in-wizard-of-oz/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">dark political symbolism</a> also embedded into the tales.&nbsp;

Reading The Wizard of Oz and its subsequent series&nbsp;will probably have you wondering how&nbsp;filmmakers of the 1930s even decided to adapt such sordid tales into a movie, and how said&nbsp;movie turned out to be so&nbsp;charming. But the books reveal&nbsp;fascinating insight into turn-of-the-century children&#39;s literature,&nbsp;and what a contrast the original stories are from the beloved&nbsp;film. You might never watch Judy Garland&#39;s version in the same way again &mdash; or you might vow never to stray from it.&nbsp;

The Original 'Wizard of Oz' Books Are Shockingly Violent Compared To The Judy Garland Classic

Talkin

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

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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

Matilda

Hermione Granger

The Lord of the Rings

The Harry Potter Series

A Song of Ice and Fire

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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

Characters We'll Never Forget

Female Characters

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.

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 Best Female Characters in Literature, Ranked by Readers

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

Parenting

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 Lord of the Rings, 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?

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 fantasy world (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.