10 Books I Need to Read Before I Die
This week was the birthday of a family member we lost a couple of years ago.
Thinking about them got me thinking about what I want to achieve before it’s my time to go.
I’m not planning on leaving any time soon, but it was interesting to apply this logic to the books I want to read.
Today, I want to go through the 10 books I need to read before I die. These aren’t just famous books, but the ones which mean something to me.
Walt Disney: The Biography - Neal Gabler
Walt Disney is one of the all-time great creators, and as someone who has always loved Disney, this feels like a must-read.
I was put off reading biographies when I was younger; I was daunted by how large they were, and tried a couple when I was too young. But this changed when I read Walter Isaacson’s collection of biographies, particularly on Steve Jobs & Leonardo da Vinci, and I fell in love with the genre.
It feels like reading about the ultimate story of creative risk-taking is something that I have to read.
Cider With Rosie - Laurie Lee
This book came to me as part of a monthly subscription that I was gifted one Christmas. You’d get a classic in the post each month, and Cider With Rosie stood out, because it was the only classic I hadn’t heard of.
This is a poetic reflection of growing up in the English countryside, and as someone who lives in the country, this feels like a good fit.
It feels like a book that slows life down and has the power to remind you what matters.
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Earlier this year, I read The Wager by David Grann, and it reignited a passion for nautical adventure stories.
Treasure Island is truly one of the originals in this genre.
I want to see for myself why this story has lasted the test of time.
Hard Times - Charles Dickens
I picked Hard Times over Oliver Twist or Great Expectations, in part because I feel like this is the Dickens story that gets overlooked.
Hard Times dives into how industrial life shapes people, and I want to see how this story matches up to Dickens' more well-known stories.
Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
Amazingly, I have never read a period romance, and when considering my picks, this felt like the right place to start.
Pride & Prejudice is famed for being witty, intelligent, and a cornerstone of English literature.
1984 – George Orwell
1984 tends to be the book that people are shocked when, as a book lover, I tell people I haven’t read.
The number of times I have been recommended this, yet somehow I’ve just never gotten around to reading it. Like some of the other books on this list, it feels like you know about it because of how much it’s absorbed into culture.
I am determined to change that as soon as possible.
The Iliad & The Odyssey – Homer
Seen as the foundation of Western storytelling, two tales about war, heroism and adventure.
As a kid, The Iliad & The Odyssey were two of my favourite stories, but they’re both books I never actually read. The stories were told by adults and formed a key part of playtime, through imagination.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, due out in 2026, has given me the nudge to read these classics before seeing his version.
The Devils – Fyodor Dostoevsky
A friend gave this to me last year, and it’s haunted my bookshelf ever since.
Dostoevsky dives into politics, moral conflict and what drives people right to the edge.
Sometimes the best way is to just dive straight in.
The Lean Startup – Eric Ries
My last two picks are considered modern business classics, which is something that appeals to my entrepreneurial side.
The Lean Startup is on this list because, as I was taking my Business postgraduate degree, this was a book which most professors would recommend. I bought the book for myself, then other priorities took over.
As someone building my own path and business, I need to see what made those professors so excited about this book.
The Innovator’s Dilemma – Clayton Christensen
This choice is something which Steve Jobs viewed as essential reading, looking at how even successful companies can fail by ignoring innovation.
With the growth of AI and watching major companies grapple with the challenge of innovation and risk, this feels just as relevant today.
As someone who is obsessed with creative thinking and long-term growth, it feels like a great final book for my list.
💭Closing Thoughts
Picking ten books to read before you die is funny on a number of levels. You know that there are so many books you’re choosing to leave out, whilst trying to balance a mix of imagination, creativity, curiosity, and personal reasons.
I’d love to hear which books make your list, so please reach out to share your thoughts.
You can check out the video all about this topic on my YouTube channel below:
If you’re passionate about self-improvement, reading or want to discuss the subject of bucket list books, I’d love to hear from you. So please drop me a message.
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