Famous Last Words
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (1925)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This manga follows high school student Light Yagami, who discovers a mysterious journal that grants him unimaginable power—with fatal consequences
Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba (writer) and Takeshi Obata (illustrator)
This YA/NA high fantasy series contains 7 books and 5 novellas; it follows assassin Celaena Sardothien as she battles a dark, magical foe—while uncovering buried secrets about her past
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I'm a hater at heart; this trope is boring and has no tension. If you know and like each other already, no need for me to read
Ex: People We Meet on Vacation and Lady Midnight
Best Friends to Lovers
This ancient Greek epic follows the titular character's journey to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War—facing divine, monstrous foes from Scylla to Charybdis
The Odyssey by Homer
“And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” (1843)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
This manga series follows protagonist Izuku Midoriya on his quest to become the #1 hero
My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi (writer + illustrator)
This 13-book series follows the Baudelaire siblings who, after their parents' mysterious death, must escape their murderous Count Olaf
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler)
Just because your eyes meet, doesn't mean you're destined for each other. Please actually get to know each other first before grandeur declarations of affection—thanks
Ex: Romeo and Juliet and From Blood and Ash
Insta-Love OR Love at First Sight
This ancient Chinese military treatise contains 13 chapters—each devoted to a different military skill and strategy
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
“I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before.” (1885)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
This epic manga series follows best friends Gon and Killua on their many adventures—as they attempt to master the power of Nen
Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi (writer + illustrator)
This incomplete epic fantasy series—which was adapted into a critcally-acclaimed HBO series—follows warring clans and kingdoms as they battle for the ultimate throne
A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
500 pages and you still can't pick one ... it shouldn't be that hard—I legit even know who you're going to pick, it's pretty obvious
Ex: The Infernal Devices and Twilight
Love Triangle
Epic Anglo-Saxon literature following the titular hero as he battles three monsters: Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon; inspired by Germanic and Anglo-Saxon oral tradition
Beowulf
“Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye and sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him—and it was still hot.” (1963)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
This horror manga series is set in the fictional town of Kurouzu-cho, where main character Kirie Goshima and boyfriend Shuichi Saito start experiencing bizarre, supernatural events—and things start spiraling out of control
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
This 7-book series (containing 2 novellas) follows the "gunslinger" and his journey to the ominous, titular monolith
The Dark Tower by Stephen King
A 50-year-old and an 18-year-old is a no-no ... BUT a 5000-year-old (who looks 18) and an 18-year-old is a-ok. Where's the logic?
Ex: A Court of Thorns and Roses and Hush, Hush
Immortal Romance
An unfinished collection of stories following a wide cast of characters—from The Friar to the Squire to the Wife of Bath—in this European masterpiece written in Middle English
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
"He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance." (1818)
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
This historical manga series, based off of legendary Viking and Nordic figures, follows protagonist Thorfinn on his journey to avenge his father's death
Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura (writer + illustrator)
This long 14-volume epic fantasy series follows the eponymous creation (aptly forged by The Creator) and it's impact on the battle against the Dark One; recently adapted into an Amazon Prime show
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
She's unique; she's different; she's ...
Ex: The Selection and A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Not Like Other Girls (Pick Me)
The world's oldest epic (preserved on clay tablets dating back 4000 years), this poem follows the eponymous hero, king of Uruk, as he seeks the secret of immortality—assisted by his companian Enkidu
The Epic of Gilgamesh