Throughout 2025, we asked our community and social media following to recommend fiction books that helped shape their view on values. Here is the list of fiction books that touched their hearts or opened their minds when it came to values.
This list wasn’t shaped by votes or rankings. Each book has been chosen on its own merits, so don’t read too much into the order — every title here is worth your time.
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne
- The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
- Ishmael – Daniel Quinn
- The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran
- The Café on the Edge of the World – John Strelecky
- Cry, the Beloved Country – Alan Paton
- Meet Me at the Museum – Anne Youngson
- The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse – Charlie Mackesy
- The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoevsky
- The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
- Gilead – Marilynne Robinson
- A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
- Les Misérables – Victor Hugo
- East of Eden – John Steinbeck
- The Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese
- Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
- How Beautiful We Were – Imbolo Mbue
For readers of all ages:
- War Horse – Michael Morpurgo
- The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Our list of children’s books can be viewed here. Our Non-Fiction list is also available here.
