Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
17 Summary: Escape along with Huck, a boy adventurer, as he befriends Jim, a runaway slave, and together they raft the Mississippi, leaving thieves, murderers, and prejudice behind.

Atonement by Ian McEwan
17 Summary: Have you ever done something you really regretted? You'll feel for Briony, a 13-year-old whose mistake -- accusing her sister's love interest of sexually assaulting their cousin -- wreaks havoc for decades.

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
17 Summary: Imagine if a witch moved in with you! A New Mexican boy is changed forever when Ultima arrives, bringing along a mix of herbs, potions, and unconventional wisdom to transform his life.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
17 Summary: Sibling rivalry at its worst. After their father's murder, two Russian brothers become prime suspects. It's long, but you'll be hooked if you read the "Rebellion" chapter first.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
17 Summary: If you ever had a thing for someone you couldn't have, you'll feel for Ethan, a New England farmer desperately in love with Mattie, his wife's cousin. But will his devotion do them both in?

Flannery O'Conner: The Complete Stories
17 Summary: Thirty-one short stories by one of the best Southern writers. Such spooky things happen in these strange tales, it's enough to make even Stephen King flinch.

The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
17 Summary: Charles is engaged, but spots a mysterious woman looking out to sea and is smitten. Where will this lead? You pick! The author wrote two endings.

The Heart of Matter by Graham Greene
17 Summary: For Major Scobie, a police officer in Sierra Leone, honor is everythign until he tells one lie -- that leads to others. You'll feel for him as he watches his life unravel.

I, Claudius by Robert Graves
17 Summary: Experience the glory of the Roman Empire. Born in 10 B.C., Claudius, weak, scrawny, and written off as an idiot, became an emperor -- surviving would-be assassins, war, and imperial gossip.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
17 Summary: Jane, an orphan, is determined to rise above poverty and her lowly station in stuffy Victorian society. In her first job, as a governess, she succeeds in finding independence -- and love.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
17 Summary: In 1940s Louisiana, a young black man is unjustly sentenced to die in the electric chair. In the short time that remains, a sympathetic teacher tries to restore the man's self-worth.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
17 Summary: A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning and sees -- a little prince! Little does he know this tiny hero will teach him (and you) life's most important lesson.

My Antonia by Willa Carter
17 Summary: Meet a girl with real courage. Antonia survives her father's suicide and takes on arduous work alongside the men in the fields to create a life for herself on the Nebraska frontier.

Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough
17 Summary: A National BOok Award winner, this is a biography about Teddy Roosevelt, a sickly, asthmatic child who became a bold adventurer -- and our country's 26th president.

Music for Chameleons by Truman Capote
17 Summary: Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to the local cleaning lady becomes the subject of Capote's wit in these short stories based on the celebrity author's real-life encounters.

The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
17 Summary: Winner of the 1973 Pulitzer Prize. Laurel, an only child, rushes to her father's side when he's ill. After his death, she's left to define who she is now that he's no longer around.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
17 Summary: A 19th-century classic, with one of the best romantic hook-ups in literary history, starring witty Elizabeth Bennet and the elusive tall, dark, and haughty Mr. Darcy.

The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
17 Summary: After seeing his friend killed in World War I, Larry returns to America, disillusioned with his old life and the fiancee he left behind. NExt stop: Paris -- for what he thinks will be a simpler life.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
17 Summary: The world's most dangerous book club. These Iranian girls risked prison to read forbidden Western literature, including a book (Pride and Prejudice) on this list.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
17 Summary: Creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers lords over the Manderley mansion, home to Maxim de Winter, his young second wife, and the ghost of the first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. It's romance with a gothic twist!

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
17 Summary: 14-year-old Lily's memories of her mom's death are hazy. When she asks people about it, people say only, "You didn't mean to." But what do they mean? Lily needs to know.

Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
17 Summary: Take a trip back to 1933. Set aboard a passenger ship en route to Germany, this insightful novel is rife with class wars and romantic intrigue -- even as it darkly foreshadows the rise of Nazism.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
17 Summary: If you're on a journey to find your inner self, take Siddhartha along. Born to privelege, this Indian boy abandons it all on a quest for wisdom that leads him down paths of decadence -- and enlightenment.

Sophie's Choice by WIlliam Styron
17 Summary: Imagine feeling shame so intense you couldn't stand to share it with anyone. That's Sophie's plight. Uncovering her secret will keep you riveted up to the book's shocking conclusion.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
17 Summary: It's considered one of the best novels ever written. A lot unfolds in these (1,400-plus!) pages, but the love affair between Natasha and Prince Andrei alone is reason enough to read it.