14 Best Books To Read Ever On National Read A Book Day 2021

In between Zoom meetings and online classes, watching Netflix movies, YouTube and TikTok videos, or idly browsing through online shops, our lives have become more centered on what's available online. However, we also need to disconnect to better connect. Just detach from our everyday distractions and rediscover the joy of reading books. What are the best books you've read so far?

If you've been logging in too many hours online, then you know it's time to catch up on your reading. Coincidentally, it's National Read a Book Day this September 6, so you have a good excuse to look up the best books to read ever. In case you're at a loss on which titles to get, here's a list of the best books of all time that you can easily get through online book stores.

• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• On The Road by Jack Kerouac
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor
• Against White Feminism by Rafia Zakaria
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• The Ugly Truth by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang
• The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• The Plant-Based Athlete by Matt Frazier
• The Secret World of Weather by Tristan Gooley

1. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

From the wildly imaginative Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five is a fiction novel laced with history and a touch of sci-fi. The protagonist is the son of an American barber who survives a series of unfortunate events during World War II, including being captured by German forces and the Dresden fire bombing. After the war, he became a successful optometrist but is kidnapped on his wedding night, this time by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore.

2. On The Road by Jack Kerouac

Written in just three weeks in 1951, Kerouac submitted sheets of tracing paper taped together as a 120-foot scroll. It contained the first draft of On The Road. While the first released copies in 1957 were heavily edited, the original version is wilder, rougher and rawer.

3. 1984 by George Orwell

What was described as a negative utopia by Orwell was written in 1949 yet is still very relevant today. Set in 1984, the haunting narrative hooks you from start to finish with its dystopian setting. This novel has an eerie yet seemingly prophetic message. Get a copy of 1984 from Bookshop.org.

4. Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor

One of the best books of 2021, Filthy Animals is a series of intertwined stories of young creatives set in the American Midwest. From a young man balancing two lovers in an open relationship to teenage drama that results in violence and snippets of other lives in between, this National Bestseller showcases the vulnerability of humanity and mankind’s desire for love in a world that withholds it.

5. Against White Feminism by Rafia Zakaria

Attorney and political philosopher Rafia Zakaria presents feminism from the eyes of an American Muslim woman. The book is a reconstruction of feminism, veering away from the perceptions of upper-middle-class white women who are heralded as the experts in the movement. Against White Feminism centers on women of color as a counter manifesto to the cultural superiority of white feminism. Get this radical critique of feminism on sale in hardcover for $22.03 at Bookshop.org.

6. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Considered as Rand’s magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged succedes The Fountainhead and extensively shows Rand’s views on Objectivism. The story revolves around John Galt, a powerful yet mysterious figure. It is the story of the ideal man, one who is perfect and consistent in his actions and integrated into the actions of his comrades.

7. East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Referred to as “the first book” by Steinbeck, East of Eden is set in the rich agricultural land of Salinas Valley in California. It tells the story of two rival families -- the Trasks and the Hamiltons. Their story is similar to the fall of Adam and Eve and the bitter rivalry between Cain and Abel.

8. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Blending Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s signature magical realism with political reality, One Hundred Years of Solitude is often described as one of the most original books written in the 20th century. It is the story of seven generations of the Buendia family and Macondo -- the town they have built surrounded by trees and shrouded in mystery and magic.

9. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

A timeless Russian classic on love and destruction, Anna Karenina is a reflection of humanity and its tragedy, as well as a peek into Russian life. The protagonist, Anna Karenina seems to have it all -- wealth, beauty and status but she throws everything away for her lover which ends in tragedy.

10. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This tragic novel starts with the untimely and violent murder of landowner Fyodor Karamazov, which left his sons completely changed. The Brothers Karamazov is the story about three brothers and a bastard half-brother, the novel blurs the line between good and evil as they are tested until the truth comes out.

11. The Ugly Truth by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang

Offering great insights on this controversial read through Blinkist, it provides an in-depth look into Facebook’s rise to power as the social media powerhouse it is today. This critical investigation reveals the politics and personalities behind its stellar rise.

12. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

An important factor in the foundation of political and social thought, The Social Contract is Rousseau’s most influential piece. Here, he lays out the cornerstones for building a nation-state and governing it. Get this condensed 12-minute version only on Blinkist if you subscribe or try it for free.

13. The Plant-Based Athlete by Matt Frazier

This 13-minute read debunks the belief that your body needs meat, dairy and eggs to reach peak athletic performance. Through extensive research and a series of interviews with athletes who have shifted to a plant-based diet, it reveals that the latter actually results in better performance, faster recovery time and overall better health and well-being. Learn more about this book through Blinkist.

14. The Secret World of Weather by Tristan Gooley

Stop relying on daily and weekly weather forecasts and tune in to nature to read the clues to understand what it’s trying to tell you. Understand the language of your local climate and predict the weather based on cloud patterns, wind direction, plants and every other environmental factor through The Secret World of Weather on Blinkist.

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