They broke boundaries and challenged conceptions. We asked you for your must-read classics; from iconic bestsellers to lesser-known gems, these are your essential recommends.

There's a fine line between a good book and a great book – and a satisfying conclusion is definitely one of the hallmarks of the latter. Yet these iconic novels almost had very different final chapters.

From Zadie Smith to Irvine Welsh, get in the mood for Christmas with these memorable yuletide moments.

It helped create our idea of a modern Christmas, and became his best-known story. But the reasons why Dickens' wrote A Christmas Carol are complicated – and feel more relevant today than ever.

It might not be snowing yet, and you may have to work until the 24th, but you can still get into the festive spirit with our selection of favourite Christmas reads.

Kurt Vonnegut, Edgar Allan Poe and Gertrude Stein hated them. Should you too?

From A Christmas Carol to the iconic The Snowman, here are some of the greatest festive tales to share this Christmas.

Confronted with news of a life-altering illness before she was 30, Alice Purkiss feared she'd run out of time to finish all the books she wanted to read. Here she shares what she learned about the power of reading on her road to recovery.

On the 150th anniversary of his death, we explore The Old Curiosity Shop, the “freewheeling, preposterous, fiendish, hilarious” masterpiece that best reflects Dickens' tireless work ethic.

As a new adaptation of David Copperfield hits cinemas, we look at what the English author had to say about his craft in letters, articles and books.

Why did Agatha Christie disappear for 11 days? Who really wrote Beowulf? From otherworldly manuscripts to political assassinations and murder most foul, Matt Blake investigates some of the strangest real-life mysteries to have befallen the literary world.

Charles Dickens is regarded by many as one of the greatest novelists to ever have lived. Now synonymous with the Victorian era, Dickens created some of the best-known fictional characters of all time and his books have been adapted and his stories retold countless times. Here are some of his best quotes.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a classic tale. So, get comfy and listen to our special festive reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens…

Charles Dickens arguably wrote some of the most incredible characters and fascinating plots. We asked books journalist Anna James to pick her favourites to help you navigate through his work.

Charles Dickens created some of the most memorable characters in literature, from Scrooge to Miss Havisham. But which is your ideal Dickens? Take our quiz to find out

From visions of snowy London streets to telling ghost stories around the fireside, Stephen Jarvis, author of Death and Mr Pickwick, explores what Christmas was like for Charles Dickens and how it came to influence festive traditions today.