Over the past eight weeks, leading up to Penguin’s 90th birthday, we've been reflecting on 90 years of Penguin publishing - celebrating the books that have shaped our lives and the world around us. Through a series of themed reading lists, covering everything from pop culture to love and relationships, politics to the environment, we’ve revisited the stories behind iconic books that have stood the test of time.
As we delved into our archives and raided our bookshelves, we invited editors, storytellers, musicians, podcasters and influencers to help us gather the books that have shocked us, comforted us, raised us, and set our imaginations alight. We also asked you, our readers, to vote for your favourite title from each list - and over 10,000 of you did, alongside Penguin staff, who also voted to help curate the ultimate Penguin reading list.
Below, we share the 16 books that made the final cut: an array of titles – new and old – that have shaped our lives and the world around us.
From the Books that inspired a pop culture phenomenon reading list
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From the Books that shocked society reading list
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From the Books that redefined love and relationships reading list
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From the Books that shaped our political understanding reading list
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From the Books that inspired a generation of young readers reading list
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From the Books that challenged our view of the environment reading list
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From the Books that saw us through hard times reading list
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From the Books that shaped our everyday lives reading list
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