Firebirds… in our day and age it gets really difficult to find other ways to entertain ourselves besides the go-to Netflix or TikTok. However, the world has not always been this way. The earliest form of media were books. Books were a way for people to express themselves and learn information that they didn’t know before. Books promoted new ideas in religion and politics that led to advancements in society. These new ideas even led to revolutions and inspired writers to create even more amazing pieces that have motivated and moved millions of people around the world. Now, while it’s difficult to narrow it down to only 5, I present to you the 5 most influential books of all time. 

#5 The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Published in 2013, The Midnight Library is a fantasy novel telling of a library that sits between life and death, where everyone who stumbles upon it faces the possibility of changing their lives for a new one, changing their careers, and undoing old relationships. The main character, Nora Seeds travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes life worth living in the first place. 

#4 Normal People by Sally Rooney

In this novel, Sally Rooney carries her bright emotional insight and impeccably spare prose to a tale that examines the intricacies of class, the power of young love, and the complex entanglements of people and companionship. She tells the story of two souls, Connell and Marianne, who meet in school and create an indelible connection that grows between them. Unfortunately though, they are eventually separated but through a series of events, are able to find each other again. 

#3 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

With immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice remains one of the most famous novels in the English language and Jane Austen remains one of the most popular authors in history. The amorous clash between the stubborn Elizabeth and her proud suitor, Mr. Darcy, is a brilliant act of refined bickering. Jane Austen’s radiant humor sparkles as her characters rock a sensitive dance in formation of flirting and intrigue, making this book the most first-rated humor of comportment in Regency England. 

#2 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping Young Adult novel about one girl’s struggle for justice. It tells the story of 16-year-old Starr Carter, who goes between the poor neighborhood where she lives, and the rich prep school that she attends. The balance she has between these worlds is thrown away when she witnesses the death of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. 

#1 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

First published in 1960, is the memorable novel of adolescence in a dull Southern township and the situation of shame that shocked it. To Kill A Mockingbird takes bookworms to the backgrounds of human nature to explore purity and happening, compassion and brutality, love and antipathy, and some comedy as well. This novel’s characters leave a legacy that surpasses the boundaries of literature.