Some books are beyond popular; they are cultural references for generations. I can personally vouch for about half of these — I don’t want to spoil the titles but I love #3, #5, and #7. 

Exact sales numbers are difficult to verify, but it’s undeniable that every book here has had a massive influence on global culture.

Here are the ten best-selling books of all time.

Miguel de Cervantes

After reading too many tales of chivalry, romance, and adventure, the eccentric Don Quixote de la Mancha sets out on a knightly quest, driven by a desire to defend the helpless and battle the wicked.

“Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.”

Published in 1605, Don Quixote is widely considered the first modern novel.

Charles Dickens

The complexity of the French Revolution is condensed into the scope of a family’s history, intertwining the lives of characters within the cities of London and Paris.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…”

A Tale of Two Cities was initially published in 31 weekly installments in 1859.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A pilot crashes his plane in the Sahara Desert and is left with a dwindling water supply. A young boy suddenly appears, claiming to be an extraterrestrial prince, and recounts what he has seen on his journey to Earth.

“It is only with the heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

The Little Prince is published into 300+ languages, one of the most translated works ever.

J.K. Rowling

On his eleventh birthday, Harry Potter learns he’s a wizard, escaping his mundane life to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alongside newfound friends, Harry unravels the mysteries of his past, and navigates the magical realm.

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

The sequels are just outside the top ten, making Harry Potter the best-selling series of all time.

Agatha Christie

Ten strangers invited to an isolated island find themselves accused of crimes by an unseen host. As they begin mysteriously dying one-by-one according to a sinister nursery rhyme, the survivors must unveil the assailant’s identity before it’s too late.

“Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine; One choked his little self, and then there were Nine.”

Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time.

Cao Xueqin

Set in 18th-century China, the novel weaves a complex tapestry of family and societal expectations, centering on the Jia family’s decline and the tragic romance between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu.

“Truth becomes fiction when the fiction’s true; Real becomes not-real when the unreal’s real.”

The Dream of the Red Chamber has nearly 40 major characters and over 400 secondary characters.

J. R. R. Tolkien

Hobbit Bilbo Baggins embarks on a journey with Gandalf the wizard and a group of dwarves to reclaim treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters trolls, goblins, elves, and the mysterious Gollum.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time.” ― “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Tolkien’s close friend, Narnia author C.S. Lewis was an early test-audience, listening to chapters as they were finished.

C.S. Lewis

The Pevensie siblings stumble through a wardrobe and into the enchanting land of Narnia, only to find it under the rule of the White Witch. Guided by Aslan the noble lion, they start a heroic quest to bring peace to Narnia.

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

Narnia reflects Christianity through symbolism and allegory (Aslan as Christ, White Witch as Satan, etc).

H. Rider Haggard

Horace Holly undertakes an expedition to Africa, discovering the hidden kingdom of Kor ruled by the immortal Ayesha. As Ayesha waits for the reincarnation of her love, the novel weaves a tale of adventure and the supernatural.

“All things live forever, though at times they sleep and are forgotten.”

Haggard was inspired to write by a seven-year stunt in South Africa during the late 1800s.

Dan Brown

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is thrust into a complex mystery surrounding a murder at the Louvre Museum. As he deciphers hidden messages, Langdon unveils a conspiracy entwining secret societies, ancient symbols, and the pursuit of the Holy Grail.

“Faith ― acceptance of which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove.”

The Da Vinci Code is controversial because of the intricate blend of fact and fiction, particularly when it comes to matters of religion.