You know the ones I'm talking about. These are the books that got assigned in 10th grade AP English whose spine you never cracked, your mom's favorite book when she was a 20 something that she's constantly begging you to read, the books that you will not hesitate to lie and say you've actually read (because really it's just no longer acceptable to admit you've never read The Great Gatsby). Whatever the reason, you still haven't read them. And it's likely been embarrassing a time or two. While you probably don't have the time to read the complete works of William Shakespeare or War and Peace (I'd like to meet a person who does have the time to read this book) there are some books that you really should have under your belt before you step into the real world. Here are 25 that I promise will make idle office banter a lot easier:
1. The Great Gatsby
2. The Catcher in The Rye
3. Great Expectations
4. Ulysses
5. Heart of Darkness
6. Moby Dick
7. The Scarlet Letter
8. A Tale of Two Cities
9. To Kill a Mockingbird
10. Lord of the Flies
11. Pride and Prejudice
12. 1984
13. Animal Farm
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
15. Slaughterhouse Five
16. King Lear
17. A Separate Peace
18. Crime and Punishment
19. Atlas Shrugged
20. Of Mice and Men
21. Uncle Tom's Cabim
22. Brave New World
23. As I Lay Dying
24. The Bell Jar
25. Catch-22
1. The Great Gatsby
2. The Catcher in The Rye
3. Great Expectations
4. Ulysses
5. Heart of Darkness
6. Moby Dick
7. The Scarlet Letter
8. A Tale of Two Cities
9. To Kill a Mockingbird
10. Lord of the Flies
11. Pride and Prejudice
12. 1984
13. Animal Farm
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
15. Slaughterhouse Five
16. King Lear
17. A Separate Peace
18. Crime and Punishment
19. Atlas Shrugged
20. Of Mice and Men
21. Uncle Tom's Cabim
22. Brave New World
23. As I Lay Dying
24. The Bell Jar
25. Catch-22