From funny fiction and serious science fiction to knitting manuals and alternative art, the books on this list have steered the course of an individual's life, and garnered fanatic attention from a few or few million readers for their quirky and obscure content.

From novels to memoirs and history books, enjoy our list of recommended books set in Paris, France.

Want to read more books written by women? Here are 100 talented female authors to get you started or keep you going - from Virginia Woolf to Donna Tartt and 98 more.

Food memoirs can be divided into three categories - finding and/or growing food, cooking meals and eating - but these often merge. Browse our list of recommended food writing and get a taste of life in the kitchen.

From Jane Austen's Persuasion to Doctor Zhivago, love stories are integral to literature and countless great and doomed romances can be found in classic novels. This book list goes beyond simple romance - these are epic love stories.

Shopping for mystery books? We've got 30 authors for you to consider. Thrillers, suspense, crime novels, detective fiction - whatever you call them, mystery books make for some of the most exciting literature out there.

Brimming with new names and modern poems inspired by today's ever changing cultural and political landscapes, this list of 50 essential poetry books is a departure from the classics.

Discover 50 essential science fiction books from Jules Verne to China Miéville and Neal Stephenson.

A good author should always suffer for his or her art. The best travel writers suffer more than most while on the road, or that beaten path, so that's why their books are so memorable. Enjoy our list of the best travel books.