The Best Classic Books from Our Top 250

ThriftBooks published the list of Our Top 250 Books on June 11, 2026 and I've been staring at it in fascination ever since. A list this large is so fun to explore. Titles will surprise you with their spot, surprise you for not being on it (you can explore the methodology here), and some are simply delightful to see beside one another. There is so much to explore that we had to find some way to parse it up.

Why not start with the ultimate classic, classic books! In ranked order, the Classics that made Our Top 250.

#1 Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Originally published: 1946

There is something poetic in that of 19 million titles, when averaged out the book that we found to essentially be the most consistently sought after over time is a title that examines humanity's most perpetual search. Psychologist Viktor Frankl recounts his time in the Nazi concentration camps, finding insights into our ability to find meaning despite great adversity.

#3 Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Originally published: 1949

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." When even those who haven't read it can quote it, you have written something impactful. With themes and topics like surveillance, censorship, poverty, inequality, futurology, nationalism, it is no surprise this novel continues to resonate decade after decade. Orwell's mastery of satire earned him the distinction of making the top 10 of our Top 250 Books twice.

#5 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Originally published: 1813

A satirical romance that looks with a sharp humor at the unquestionable and irrevocable importance of being married in the Regency, Pride and Prejudice sparked many a first love with Mr. Darcy. Its cultural impact continues to grow two centuries past its publication, with readers often most enthralled by the vivid and complex characters.

And for the adaptation fans…Firth or Macfadyen?

#9 Animal Farm by George Orwell

Originally published: 1945

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Short Novel and the Prometheus "Hall of Fame" Award

Orwell's second book in the list is a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that shows a chillingly familiar evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible when a farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals.

#10 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Originally published: 1953

Winner of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, the Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal, the Prometheus "Hall of Fame" Award, and a Retro Hugo Award

In another fascinatingly poetic ranking, Bradbury takes the tenth spot with his vision of a dystopian future that celebrates the power of the written word and the knowledge within. It follows Guy Montag, a fireman, as he works his day job burning the most illegal commodity in his world—books—and starts to read between the lines.

#11 Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Originally published: 1952

Winner of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, Massachusetts Children's Book Award, and was a John Newbery Honor Book

The first book ThriftBooks ever sold, we're delighted to see its placement in Our Top 250 Books. After nearly 25 years of business, and over 75 years since it was published, this classic about some pig and the spider that shows him friendship is still finding the hearts of new readers.

#18 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Written 161–180 CE

These timeless insights into what it takes to lead a meaningful life, written by a Roman emperor while at war, are still profoundly affecting readers nearly two millennia after they were written, and it is not even certain that he intended anyone but himself to read them at all.

#23 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Originally published: 1937

Few entries on the list have as large a fandom as Middle-earth, Tolkien's expansive world that nearly matches some ancient mythology in depth and scope. Unlikely hero Bilbo, grandfather to Lord of the Rings hero Frodo, stars in The Hobbit, joining a group of dwarves, at the urging of the great wizard Gandalf, who seek to reclaim stolen gold from a dragon.

#25 The Odyssey by Homer

Estimated to have been composed 8th century BCE

Unsurprising this ancient Greek epic poem made the list, as it is generally considered essential to the Western canon. The Odyssey endures because its themes have stayed relevant: violence and the aftermath of war; wealth, poverty, and power; marriage and family; travelers, hospitality; the yearning for home.

#26 East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Originally published: 1952

Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

#33 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Originally published: 1868 vol. 1

Ultimately a coming of age tale, this is the story of four girls and their mother, living in genteel poverty during the Civil War and missing their father. It showcased how different women’s hopes and dreams could be while celebrating them all in a time they often could not choose their fates.

#45 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Originally published: 1911

Meet Mary Lennox, a spoiled, unliked, and tragically orphaned child. She goes to live with her uncle in his magnificent manor and discovers a dilapidated garden. As it grows, so does she in this tale of coming of age and learning lessons.

#48 The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Originally published: 1943

Written by an aviator, this children's tale starts with a crashed pilot. The story of how he meets a space traveler has endured as a profound philosophical tale about loneliness and loss, and love and friendship. The image of The Little Prince was added to the insignia of some French Air Force squadrons for the first time in 1958, honoring Saint-Exupéry's history with them.

#56 The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Originally published: 1922

"There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid," the story begins. Nursery magic, both strange and wonderful, comes in when things are less splendid in this heartwarming, though at times bittersweet, tale of transformation and love.

#57 Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Originally published: 1932

This dystopian warning shows an unequal, technologically-advanced future built on social conditioning, where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order.

#61 The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Originally published: 1970

Morrison's first novel is about a young black girl who longs to be like the blond, blue-eyed children that America loves. While Morrison was praised for her handling of difficult themes, the book's acclaim would take a while to grow, making the New York Times Best Seller list for the first time in June of 2000.

#84 Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Originally published: 1969

Author Kurt Vonnegut is quoted as saying this novel is a "semi-autobiographic science fiction-infused anti-war novel" and thank goodness he did, it is one that would be hard to describe. The book follows the life of Billy, a barber's son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee.

#88 Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Originally published: 1926

Winner of Novel Knockout: Character Clash

One of the cuddliest main characters to make the classics list (#56 is his competition), Winnie began life in Milne's poem Teddy Bear. The book introduced the Hundred Acre Wood and all of his friends to the world, enchanting us ever since.

#91 The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Originally published: 1936

While all of the other bulls snort, leap, and butt their heads, Ferdinand is content to just sit and smell the flowers under his favorite cork tree. This children's picture book has been loved and returned to because of the story's simple poignance.

#95 Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Originally published: 1932

Pioneer life isn't easy for the Ingalls family, since they must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But they make the best of every tough situation. So begins the first in a beloved, real-life-inspired series which reminisces on a simpler yet harder life.

#99 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Originally published: 1937

While his previous entry is the longest book he wrote, Steinbeck's other to make the Top 250 is a novella, nearly the shortest he ever wrote. It is the slim tale of two friends, one small and quick, one large and strong, yet with the mind of a child, as they try and survive the Great Depression.

#103 The Iliad by Homer

Estimated to have been composed 8th century BCE

This tale of humans and gods wrestling with towering emotions, and men fighting to the death amidst the devastation and destruction of the Trojan War is one of the oldest literary works still widely read today.

#109 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Originally published: 1847

Representing the famously literary Brontë siblings on our Top 250 is Charlotte with her masterclass in gothic fiction about a young woman whose search for independence leads her from governess to reckoning with deep, dark secrets.

#116 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Originally published: 1866

Dostoevsky takes you into the mental anguish and guilt-spiral of a young man who mentally wrestles with murder. Dostoevsky initially drafted much of the novel in a first person, memoir-style before a switch to the innovative third-person POV that makes the novel such a visceral and unique reading experience.

#121 Dracula by Bram Stoker

Originally published: 1897

One of the most celebrated horror stories in history is this, the tale of an undead monster who craves the blood of his victims and relishes his dominance over mankind. While he did draw on existing folklore for his vampire, Stoker invented many of the tropes associated with them today, like invitations, coffins with homeland earth, and a missing reflection.

#142 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Originally published: 1963

An acclaimed novel about a young woman falling into the grip of mental illness and societal pressures, The Bell Jar is considered Plath's masterwork and has had a lasting cultural impact. It was originally published under a masculine pseudonym, "Victoria Lucas."

#143 The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Originally published: 1941

In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis presents a series of fictional letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew Wormwood. Lewis dedicated the novel to longtime friend J.R.R. Tolkien, who played an important role in his religious conversion.

#145 Beloved by Toni Morrison

Originally published: 1987

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, finalist for the National Book Award

Morrison's second book on the Top 250 list is a powerful, unflinching look into the abyss of slavery. Set in post-Civil War Ohio, it is the story of Sethe, an escaped slave who has risked her life in order to wrench herself from a living death; who has lost a husband and buried a child; who has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad.

#151 The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Originally published: 2006

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction

Published in 2006, this post-apocalyptic novel about a father and son fighting to survive quickly earned its place as a modern classic. Its searing portrait of love, desperation, and endurance. It was adapted to film only three years later in 2009.

#153 Blood Meridian; or, the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy

Originally published: 1985

Blood Meridian is an epic tale of the violence and corruption that attended America's westward expansion, brilliantly subverting the conventions of the Western novel and the mythology of the "Wild West." This is the second of three titles by McCarthy on the Top 250. Look above for his first.

#156 The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe

Originally published: 1827–1849

In a limited list of only 250 works, Edgar Allan Poe sneaks in a compendium, simultaneously having one entry on the list and his entire life's work! Pretty sneaky Edgar. His stories and poems are unforgettable explorations of the darker side of life that still offer lessons and insight into human behavior today.

#160 Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

Originally published: 1942

Covering Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology compiled from a variety of sources, this favorite of teachers not only retells the myths, but gives commentary on changing cultures and their impact on the characterization of deities across the myths.

#175 D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d'Aulaire and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

Originally published: 1962

Back-to-back mythology classics shows us that as the ancients endure, so do their retellings. This 46-chapter illustrated guide to the most iconic myths for young readers has endured for its evocative, enthralling illustrations that help history come to life.

#176 Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Originally published: 1938

In Monte Carlo, our unnamed heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. It is only when they arrive at Manderley, her husband's cavernous estate on the Cornish coast, that she realizes how vast a shadow his late wife, Rebecca, will cast over their lives—introducing a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their love from beyond the grave. The Alfred Hitchcock-helmed 1940 adaptation won Best Picture.

#183 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Originally published: 1908

Mole, Rat, Badger, and the unforgettable Mr. Toad have adventures in an idyllic, pastoral English countryside in this classic children's book. Like the next entry in this classics list, it was originally a bedtime story for the author's children.

#188 Watership Down by Richard Adams

Originally published: 1972

Winner of the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and California Young Reader Medal

Like many other books on the Top 250, this one began as a story the author told to their children. Adams' children were so enthusiastic about it that he had to put the tale of rabbits escaping destruction in search of a new home down on paper.

#190 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Originally published: 1943

The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the twentieth century, Smith's portrait of a bygone Brooklyn is a story of survival, resilience, and the quiet moments that define a life. In addition to the honor of being one of our Top 250, this title was #5 in the Great American Read poll by PBS.

#192 The Stranger by Albert Camus

Originally published: 1942

Through this story of an ordinary man who unwittingly gets drawn into a senseless murder on a sundrenched Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd." Camus would go on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957, three years before his death.

#200 A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Originally published: 1929

This extended essay began as two lectures given by Woolf at Newnham and Girton, two women's colleges. Her essay explores women's autonomy through metaphor and thought experiments. Its title comes from one of the most enduring and famous lines within it, "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

#246 All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Originally published: 1992

Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction and the National Critics Circle Award

McCarthy's third novel to make our Top 250 is the first in his series The Border Trilogy. It follows John Grady Cole, who at sixteen finds himself alone and cut off from the only life he has ever imagined for himself. With two companions, he sets off on an idyllic, sometimes comical, odyssey to a place where dreams are paid for in blood.

#249 A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Originally published: 1885

This collection of 64 poems from the point of view of a child is by author Robert Louis Stevenson. While he might be best known for Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the endurance of this poetry collection to make the Top 250 when those did not shows how beloved childhood memories can be.

Read more by Amanda Cleveland