25 books that will blow your mind

Talia Avakian contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article.

"1984" by George Orwell

His book is where the idea of Big Brother originated, and his messages of a restrictive government remain as insightful today as they did when they were originally written more than 60 years ago.

Orwell presents readers with a vision of a haunting world that remains captivating from beginning to end.

"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

"Frankentein" tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a doctor who brings a creature to life, only to recoil at how hideous it is.

"The Trial" by Franz Kafka

tells the terrifying tale of Josef K., a bank officer who is arrested and finds himself having to defend charges that he struggles to get information on.

"Neuromancer" by William Gibson

"Neuromancer" was the first winner of the science-fiction "triple crown" — the Nebunal Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award.

In the book, the Matrix is a world within a world: the representation of every byte of data in cyberspace.

When the sharpest data-thief in the business is called to target the powerful artificial intelligence orbiting Earth, he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

With characters that are semiautobiographical, O'Brien creates a style that blurs fiction and nonfiction.

"Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Dubbed one of the world's greatest antiwar books, "Slaughterhouse Five" tells the story of the bombing of Dresden through the eyes of Billy Pilgrim, a man who is abducted by aliens.

The book weaves through the phases of Pilgrim's life, displaying his and Vonnegut's heartbreaking experiences as an American prisoner of war.

"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

"A Confederacy of Dunces" was published 11 years after Toole committed suicide.

Ignatius J. Reilly is a 30-year-old man living with his mother in New Orleans, who comes into contact with many French Quarter characters while searching for employment.

Though comical, there is a deep streak of melancholy that runs through Reilly's character, and Toole's ability to beautifully combine these two aspects won him the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1981.

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

"Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

A motivational account of how following one's dreams can lead to the discovery of great wonders, "The Alchemist" is an enchanting read filled with wisdom.

"Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

"Tuesdays with Morrie" is the touching story about Mitch Albom and his mentor, Morrie Schwartz.

Many of us might have lost track of our mentors, as Mitch did, with their insights slowly fading into memory. When Mitch gets a second chance to meet his mentor in the last few months of the man's life, he begins to visit him every Tuesday.

The two rekindle their relationship as they discuss life lessons, which he finds will make a world of a difference in his own life.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

Wilde's philosophical novel was originally published as a serial story in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, but as editors feared the story was improper, they deleted 500 words before its publication.

"A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess

"Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman

Kahneman used decades of psychology research to construct "Thinking Fast and Slow," which won a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

"The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco

"The Stranger" by Albert Camus

"The Stranger" explores what Camus termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd" through the story of a man who is drawn into a murder.

The haunting and challenging work delves into the complex concepts that resonate within existential philosophy, exploring themes of alienation, fear of anonymity, spiritual doubt, and the qualities that lie behind one's character.

"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell explores the world of "outliers" — the world's brightest, most successful, and most famous people — and questions what makes these high-achievers different from others.

Along the way, his answer becomes that we pay too little attention to successful people's upbringing. He explains everything from the fascinating secrets of some of software's billionaires to the qualities that made the Beatles so iconic.

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

In Orson Scott Card's militarized science-fiction universe, children are trained as soldiers in a series of games to prepare for future attacks from insect-like aliens.

One child in particular, Ender Wiggin, becomes the tactical genius of the group as the story unfolds.

Ender suffers greatly from the isolation, rivalry, pressure, and fear that are present in this artificial community of young soldiers.

"Catch 22" by Joseph Heller

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell

Fed up with their human masters, farm animals rise in rebellion and take over, but as time goes on, they realize things aren't going the way they expected.

"Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything" by Joshua Foer

"Moonwalking with Einstein" recounts Foer's yearlong journey to improve his memory. He draws on cutting-edge research, cultural histories, and tricks from mentalists.

"Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (Illustrator)

"Watchmen" is considered by many to be the greatest graphic novel in history.

The Hugo Award-winning story details the fall from grace of several superheroes.

"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keys

A timeless tearjerker, "Flowers for Algernon" examines the treatment of mentally disabled individuals and how one's past can influence the future.

25 books that will blow your mind

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