I asked authors to name 1 book everyone should read before they die (Image: Getty)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n Reading is one of the most productive and enjoyable ways you can pass the time. It has so many benefits, from expanding your knowledge<\/a> to lowering stress levels and strengthening your brain’s function<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n With this in mind, I asked authors to name the one book they think everyone should read before they die. There was a wide-ranging mix which included fiction and non-fiction<\/a>. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, you can also\u00a0click here<\/a>\u00a0to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter,\u00a0The Bookish Drop<\/a>, on Substack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Read more:<\/strong> \u2018Greatest gangster series of all time\u2019 is \u2018better than The Godfather\u2019 <\/a><\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong> Can a neighbour paint my fence on their side – 7 experts have the same verdict <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Joshua Lisec<\/a>, a New York Times bestselling co-author who has ghostwritten 100 books since 2011, said: \u201cThe best fiction reads like non-fiction, and the best non-fiction reads like fiction. And one of the reasons why How to Win Friends and Influence People<\/a> is a perennial bestseller is because it reads like both.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is allegedly a memoir of its creator, Dale Carnegie, and much of his persona and background are fictionalised, including his name. It was a business fable before business fables were a thing. When you impress important people, you can open doors that would otherwise remain locked to you forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n For non-fiction, Lisec suggested Reframe Your Brain by Scott Adams, saying: \u201cThis is the best, densest life success guide for the most people in the most areas of life \u2014 the most value per word of any book.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Writer Dale Carnegie (right) appears on the premiere of the quiz program, Riddle Me This (Image: Getty)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n Stacy Ennis<\/a>, an author with an average rating of 4.18 on Goodreads and a long-time nonfiction book, chose The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exup\u00e9ry<\/a>. She said: \u201cIt exemplifies powerful story-telling, including narrative arc, sensory details, and excellent dialogue. The writing is simple and clear, emotional, and deeply impactful, whether you\u2019re age 10 or 110.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a classic, having been read and loved internationally for decades. And it\u2019s quotable\u2014full of beautifully crafted lines that inspire readers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n She also recommended a more \u201cwriting-centric\u201d book: Stephen King\u2019s On Writing<\/a>, saying: \u201cWhat a book. A must-read for every writer, fiction or non.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mark Weinstein, author of the award-winning book Restoring Our Sanity Online<\/a>, which was called “a must-read” by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, said The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey<\/a> is \u201ctimeless because it\u2019s about building character first, and then success naturally follows\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n He added: \u201cDr Covey was generous enough to endorse my own books, which was a real honour. His principles of integrity, win-win thinking, and seeking first to understand, are just as vital in business as they are in everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Neal Asher<\/a>, author of the Polity series<\/a>, who has tens of thousands of reviews on Goodreads, named Theft of Fire: Orbital Space #1 <\/a>as his pick, saying it will \u201cre-kindle readers’ love for sci-fi. It’s a thumping good read, with an excellent and breathless pace. I didn’t want to stop reading to pick up my phone; I wanted to lie on my sofa and keep on reading, which hasn’t happened for a year or more. I polished it off in two evenings.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This was the only book named by more than one author. Jacquelyn Gilmore, whose book, The Elf Witch<\/a>, \u00a0has a 3.83 rating on Goodreads and is an Amazon best-seller, says: \u201cIn my opinion, the book everyone should read, no matter their typical interests or writing topics, is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt operates on multiple levels \u2014 psychological, philosophical, moral, and social \u2014 while delivering a gripping narrative that still feels intensely modern, even today.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone should read Crime and Punishment because it isn\u2019t just a classic, it\u2019s an unforgettable journey into the human mind, morality, and redemption. Dostoevsky doesn\u2019t simply tell a story; he forces you to feel it. The book will challenge your beliefs, keep you in suspense, and leave you changed. It isn\u2019t just about a crime or a punishment \u2014 it\u2019s about what it means to be human when faced with unbearable choices.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A stage production of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Image: Getty)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n Crime and Punishment <\/a>was also recommended by\u00a0Jan Yager<\/a>, an author of 66 books, including several published by major commercial houses like Simon & Schuster. She said it was \u201ca novel that explores the psychology behind a murderer that also is one of the prototypes for the modern mystery whodunit? novel\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n She adds: \u201cDostoevsky also explores the way that guilt torments the protagonist, Raskolnikov, as it also examines such issues as redemption and social isolation. Although published in the 19th century, Crime and Punishment stands the test of time.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Young](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/young-woman-in-glasses-for-poor-eyesight-reading-book-with-mug-of-hot-drink-and-next-to-6421797.jpg?r=1758018084679\" "\\"Young")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Writer](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/writer-dale-carnegie-appears-with-moderator-and-cbs-newscaster-douglas-edwards-on-the-premiere-6421840.jpg?r=1758018091546\" "\\"Writer")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n2. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exup\u00e9ry<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
4. Theft of Fire: Orbital Space #1 by Devon Eriksen<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"Sven-Eric](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/Crime-and-Punishment-by-Fyodor-Dostoyevsky-6421862.jpg?r=1758018091568\" "\\"Sven-Eric")
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