In the style of the phenomenally successful 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Diethis is a bold, bright and incisive guide to the books and writers that have had real impact -whether in the form of critical acclaim or as cult classics. This wide-ranging selection by a superb international team of writers and critics contains classics as well as those books that are hot in contemporary fiction. This must-have book is the perfect reference for everyone who loves to read.