Books can be your best companion when you want to want some alone time. Most people carry a book when they are traveling. Long journeys can be quite boring, and the best way to pass time is to have a good book to read. Books help pass time, and there is always something that can be learned from them. It is essential to read books. They are silent companions who expect nothing in return. Their pages are full of treasures and wisdom, which nourish an individual on the whole. Even with our busy life schedule, some people still read books because it gives them mental peace and a sense of satisfaction. Mentioned below is a long list of amazing books which are a delight to read. Top 10 Books to Read Before You Die They have withstood the passage of time and still remain timeless. Below are the names of ten books that have been universally acclaimed, and should be read by everyone. The following books are famous, globally recognized, and have been brilliantly written. The Holy Bible It rightly deserves the #1 spot, being the most influential book ever written. Every page of this book has a history that tells about the creation, fall, and redemption of mankind. See the story of creation and fall of man in Genesis, Welcome the son of God, Jesus Christ in Gospels. The Bible contains stories of hope, history, and heroism. Dead Souls Don't think of it as a horror book, it's not; but it will make you wonder, and feel scared at the same time. Dead Souls is considered as one of the wittiest books of the 19th century. It is written by Nikolai Gogol, a famous Russian writer. He is not known globally but has been a major influence on Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. His only novel, Dead Souls, is the story of a young man who travels to Russia buying souls (of peasants who have died, but are still registered as living people in the census records). He purchases them from land owners, to extract loans from government. It's an intelligent take on the rich and self-obsessed society, which has gossiping housewives, cruel landowners, and corrupt officials. The book is also considered as Russia's first official novel. Gone With the Wind Gone with the Wind was published in the year 1936. On its release day, 50,000 copies were sold and the count reached to two million in a year. This book always features in the long listing of books made into movies list. Even though it's 1,037 pages long, it is considered as a classic, mostly read by everyone who believes in love. Margaret Mitchell prided herself with this great piece. The book is a great account of dramatic events during the civil war. Harry Potter Series The name says it all. Written by J.K. Rowling, this fantasy book is a favorite with kids, as well as adults. Visit the magical world of Hogwarts with Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione, and witness Harry's confrontation with Lord Voldemort, Draco Malfoy, and professor Snape. The dangerous journey into the Chamber of Secrets, to the Triwizard Tournament, to the comeback of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named; each chapter is more exciting and fun than its predecessor. The Count of Monte Cristo Dumas, the writer of the Count of Monte Cristo, knows people. This quality of his, helps him to create some of his most deep characters ever. Every page of Monte Cristo, is packed with adventure, passion, and drama. This book pours out vengeance, betrayal, and injustice. The Count of Monte Cristo is a 1,000 page book, that will keep you hooked in its world for a long time. The Lord of the Rings The Lord of the Rings is regarded as the most-loved fantasy book of 20th century by critics and fans. It single-handedly inspired more than a dozen novels, which had elves and dwarfs on a mission to conquer evil and help good win. It was actually intended to be a single volume, but its division into a trilogy created the format for fantasy literature. Dracula Bram Stoker created a character that is still fresh in everyone's mind. We've seen Dracula in movies, cartoons, musicals, and computer games, and it still gives many of us the creeps. It is much more than the story of a blood sucking man. It's an interesting study of Victorian mortality and sexuality. Dracula is a great horror story in itself, so forget Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and all the countless imitators who try to be a vampire. Because, once you read this book, there's nothing else that you are going to love. The Da Vinci Code One of the most controversial books written by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code bags 8th spot on this list. Curator of Louvre has been murdered. Near his body, the cops discover a baffling cipher. Professor Robert Langdon is called, and is stunned to see the trail of clues set by Leonardo Da Vinci. These clues are visible to all, yet no one can see them as it is hidden beautifully by the great painter. The Da Vinci Code calls upon some of the unsolved mysteries of the church which are enough to shake the foundations of Christianity. War and Peace Considered as the daddy of all classic novels, War and Peace is one of the best books of all time. The plot of the book is set in the early 19th century, where a group of Russian aristocrats face Napoleon's army. While many scenes in the book are bloody, the book excels when the chapters of human conflict arises. A masterpiece from Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace puts forward a very interesting question - how does one keep one's morals intact when faced with a flawed and evil world? Catcher in the Rye An enduring story of Holden Caufield's journey from innocence to maturity, Catcher in the Rye is written by J.D. Salinger and is considered a classic. Released in 1951, it became a best seller and a cult favorite for people who asked questions. Over the years, it has also faced a lot of attention and criticism for its open use of profanity, and its open conversations about sex and its views about the adult world. 100 Must Read Books Here is a list of the 100 best ones. Pick your favorite one and start reading.

1. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
2. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
3. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
4. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
5. Where I'm Calling From by Raymond Carver
6. The Trial by Franz Kafka
7. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
8. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
10. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
11. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
12. 1984 by George Orwell
13. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
14. Working by Studs Terkel
15. Rabbit, Run by John Updike
16. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
17. Herzog by Saul Bellow
18. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
19. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
20. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulk
21. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
22. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
23. Post Office by Charles Bukowski
24. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
25. Persuasion by Jane Austen
26. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
27. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
28. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
29. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
30. The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
31. The Godfather by Mario Puzo
32. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
33. The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
34. Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner
35. Lizard Music by D. Manus Pinkwater
36. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
37. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
38. The Stranger by Albert Camus
39. Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
40. The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett
41. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
42. 100 Great Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Isaac Asimov
43. Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson
44. The Real Frank Zappa Book by Frank Zappa
45. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
46. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
47. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
48. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
49. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
50. The Nick Adams Stories by Ernest Hemingway
51. The Annotated Alice by Lewis Caroll (notes by Martin Gardner)
52. Call it Sleep by Henry Roth
53. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
54. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
55. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
56. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
57. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
58. The Shining by Stephen King
59. Animal Farm by George Orwell
60. The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum
61. The Tenants by Bernard Malamud
62. Papillon by Henri Charriere
63. The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde
64. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
65. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
66. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
67. The Quiet American by Graham Greene
68. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
69. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
70. Women by Charles Bukowski
71. Edie: An American Biography by Jean Stein
72. Blubber by Judy Blume
73. The Book of Lists by David Wallenchinsky
74. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
75. To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
76. The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever
77. The Bronx Zoo by Sparky Lyle and Peter Golenbock
78. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
79. Oh Human Bondage By W. Somerset Maughm
80. The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
81. Zen and the Art of Mortocycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
82. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
83. Side Effects by Woody Allen
84. A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony
85. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor
86. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
87. The Great Brain at the Academy by John D. Fitzgerald
88. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
89. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
90. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
91. Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles
92. Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre
93. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
94. The Movie-goer by Walker Percy
95. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
96. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
97. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
98. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
99. The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Casteneda
100. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Read these books, and you will discover something new and important about yourself and this world.