Reading guides, projects and books by topic
Highstreett has 75 reading guides, 1 reading project shared by a reader and 201 book pages, filed by topic below.
Lists marked Highstreett published are our guides. Reader published lists were made and shared by Highstreett readers, not by us.
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- Book search
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- Most recommended books
The titles the book search has recommended to the most readers.
- Reading projects
Save a guide as a project, or build your own ordered list and track it.
- Reading recommendations
Every Highstreett reading guide, with what each one is for.
Browse
Books and reading lists by topic
Fiction
Novels and stories, from literary fiction and translated novels to crime, fantasy and romance.
- Literary fiction · 21 lists · 51 books
- Historical fiction · 9 lists · 11 books
- Crime and thrillers · 10 lists · 23 books
- Fantasy and science fiction · 12 lists · 3 books
- Romance · 12 lists · 0 books
- Translated fiction · 6 lists · 1 book
Non-fiction
History, philosophy and ideas: books about how the world came to be the way it is.
- History · 19 lists · 95 books
- Indian history · 4 lists · 51 books
- War and military history · 5 lists · 1 book
- Ancient history · 2 lists · 10 books
- British history · 4 lists · 4 books
- Economic history · 3 lists · 16 books
- Philosophy and ideas · 6 lists · 2 books
Guides and projects
Every reading guide and reading project
Filter by topic or by who published the list. Any guide can be saved as your own reading project and worked through in order.
76 lists
- Highstreett published12 books
12 books in your first term
Philosophy and ideas
- Highstreett published
Around the world in 20 books
A reading project of 20 books from 20 countries, each by a writer from that country and every one returned by a Highstreett book search: from France to Chile by way of Cairo, Lagos, Bangalore and Osaka, with the translator and a UK edition for each.
Translated fiction
- Highstreett published
Best books about Ancient Egypt
Fifteen books on ancient Egypt beyond pharaohs and tombs: ordinary lives, women, Nubia, Egyptology’s colonial history, Egyptian voices and novels, editions read 14 October 2026.
Ancient history
- Highstreett published
Best books about Napoleon
Six books about Napoleon, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: the big one-volume life, his campaigns, the long war with Britain, a conscript's diary, the women around him and a novel of his exile.
War and military history
- Highstreett published5 books
Best books about Stoicism
Philosophy and ideas
- Highstreett published
Best books about the American Revolution
Six books on the American Revolution, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: the year of 1776, the hidden history, the British side, the loyalists who lost, Washington, and a Bernard Cornwell novel.
History
- Highstreett published
Best books about the British Empire
Six books about the British Empire, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: a history of the whole system, the case for it, an enslaved man's own account, the 1857 rising in India, an Indian nationalist's history, and the empire at home.
Indian history · British history
- Highstreett published10 books
Best books about the Cold War
War and military history
- Highstreett published12 books
Best books about the East India Company
Indian history
- Highstreett published
Best books about the financial crisis
Six books about the 2008 financial crisis, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: the traders who bet against it, the weekend Lehman fell, how the bonds were built, the whole cause in one book, and what came after.
Economic history
- Highstreett published16 books
Best books about the First World War
War and military history
- Highstreett published
Best books about the history of London
Six books on the history of London, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: the whole city in one volume, Tudor merchants, the Great Fire of 1666, the cholera of 1854, five Victorian women and the Blitz.
British history
- Highstreett published
Best books about the history of New York
Six books on the history of New York City, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: the Dutch colony, the one big history, the tenements, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Harlem Renaissance and the man who rebuilt the city.
History
- Highstreett published
Best books about the Industrial Revolution
Six books about the Industrial Revolution, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: why it began in Britain, the inventors and the steam engine, the people who worked in the mills, a first-hand account of Manchester, and a novel of a mill town.
British history · Economic history
- Highstreett published12 books
Best books about the Mughal Empire
Indian history
- Highstreett published6 books
Best books about the Partition of India
Indian history
- Highstreett published6 books
Best books about the Roman Republic
Ancient history · Philosophy and ideas
- Highstreett published
Best books about the Russian Revolution
Sixteen Russian Revolution books from the voices and places the usual lists skip: workers’ and soldiers’ letters, women, civil war memoirs, the émigrés, novels in translation, Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia, with UK editions read on 13 October 2026.
History
- Highstreett published
Best books about the Second World War
Sixteen Second World War books about the war as ordinary people lived it, at home and under occupation in Germany, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, the Soviet Union, China, Japan and India, with UK editions read on 13 October 2026.
War and military history
- Highstreett published6 books
Best books about the Tudors
Historical fiction · British history
- Highstreett published
Best graphic novels 2026
Sixteen graphic novels first published in 2026, or first in English this year: literary comics, memoir, nonfiction, translated European comics, manga and YA, with UK editions and Foyles prices read on 14 October 2026.
Fiction
- Highstreett published7 books
Best historical fiction books 2026
Historical fiction
- Highstreett published10 books
Best literary fiction books 2026: ten novels, with the edition dates checked
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published8 books
Best romantasy books
Fantasy and science fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published12 books
Best science fiction books 2026
Fantasy and science fiction
- Highstreett published12 books
Best translated fiction books 2026
Literary fiction · Translated fiction
- Highstreett published
Best YA books
Six of the best YA books, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: The Hunger Games and Six of Crows for adventure, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and We Were Liars for mystery, Aristotle and Dante for romance, and Speak for growing up.
Fiction
- Highstreett published12 books
Books like A Court of Thorns and Roses
Fantasy and science fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published6 books
Books like A Little Life
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like Atmosphere
Historical fiction · Fantasy and science fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published13 books
Books like Atomic Habits
Philosophy and ideas
- Highstreett published6 books
Books like Beach Read
Romance
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Translated fiction
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Butter
Literary fiction · Crime and thrillers · Translated fiction
- Highstreett published11 books
Books like Circe and The Song of Achilles
Historical fiction · Fantasy and science fiction
- Highstreett published8 books
Books like Convenience Store Woman
Literary fiction · Translated fiction
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like Daisy Jones & The Six
Historical fiction
- Highstreett published8 books
Books like Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
Translated fiction
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like Demon Copperhead
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published22 books
Books like Fourth Wing
Fantasy and science fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Heated Rivalry
Romance
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Intermezzo
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published6 books
Books like Just for the Summer
Romance
- Highstreett published17 books
Books like Lessons in Chemistry
Literary fiction · Historical fiction
- Highstreett published7 books
Books like Normal People
Literary fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published6 books
Books like Onyx Storm
Fantasy and science fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Piranesi
Literary fiction · Fantasy and science fiction
- Highstreett published16 books
Books like Project Hail Mary
Fantasy and science fiction
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Remarkably Bright Creatures
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Small Things Like These
Literary fiction · Historical fiction
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like Sunrise on the Reaping
Fantasy and science fiction
- Highstreett published8 books
Books like The God of the Woods
Literary fiction · Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published10 books
Books like The Housemaid
Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like The Midnight Library
Fiction
- Highstreett published13 books
Books like The Name of the Wind
Fantasy and science fiction
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like The Nightingale
Historical fiction · War and military history
- Highstreett published11 books
Books like The Secret History
Literary fiction · Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published6 books
Books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Historical fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published13 books
Books like The Thursday Murder Club
Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published9 books
Books like Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published6 books
Books like Verity
Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published
Books like Why Nations Fail
Six books for readers of Why Nations Fail, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: Acemoglu and Robinson's sequel, the deep history of the state, the geography and culture arguments it rejects, and two histories of how rich countries got rich.
Economic history
- Highstreett published5 books
Books like Yellowface
Literary fiction · Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published
Classics for beginners: where to start
Six classic novels for adults who have never read the classics, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: two short ones to start with, a gripping horror story, a funny one, an American classic and a long Victorian novel.
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published10 books
Cosy crime: where to start
Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published
Dark academia books: the reading list
Six dark academia books, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: The Secret History, where it starts, then a Shakespeare conservatory, an elite school, a British campus, an Oxford game and a Princeton manuscript.
Literary fiction
- Highstreett published
Poetry for beginners: where to start
Six poetry books for adults who don't usually read poetry, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: one big anthology, two funny collections, two poets of plain everyday life and one Yorkshire debut.
- Highstreett published
Reading project: 10 books to read before you graduate
Ten books to read before you leave university, chosen from two Highstreett book searches: how you think, what work and money really cost, starting out, and novels about love and friendship in your twenties.
- Highstreett published107 books
Short books
Literary fiction · Philosophy and ideas
- Highstreett published7 books
The best fantasy books of 2026
Fantasy and science fiction · Romance
- Highstreett published10 books
The best horror books of 2026
Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published10 books
The best romance books of 2026
Romance
- Highstreett published4 books
The best thriller books of 2026
Crime and thrillers
- Highstreett published6 books
The Booker shortlist by Christmas
Literary fiction
- Reader published83 books
Western political philosophy in order
Western political thought in the order it was written, from Plato's Republic to Neema Parvini's Applied Elite Theory: 83 books that argue with one another, with my ratings and notes as I go.
By Alex
Philosophy and ideas
Book pages
Books recommended on Highstreett, by topic
Each book page shows what the book is, how often the book search has recommended it and where to buy it.
History
All 95 books in history- The Corporation That Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern MultinationalNick RobinsEconomic history
- The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an EmpireWilliam DalrympleIndian history
- The Great Mutiny: India 1857Christopher HibbertIndian history
- The Business of Empire: The East India Company and Imperial Britain, 1756-1833H. V. BowenBritish imperial history
- The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian RajDavid GilmourIndian history
- The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India CompanyJohn KeayIndian history
Literary fiction
All 51 books in literary fiction- The Buddha of SuburbiaHanif KureishiLiterary fiction
- The Remains of the DayKazuo IshiguroLiterary fiction
- The LeopardGiuseppe Tomasi di LampedusaLiterary fiction
- The Go-BetweenL. P. HartleyLiterary fiction
- London Fields: A NovelMartin AmisLiterary fiction
- The Evenings: A Winter's TaleGerard ReveLiterary fiction
Indian history
All 51 books in Indian history- The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an EmpireWilliam DalrympleIndian history
- The Great Mutiny: India 1857Christopher HibbertIndian history
- The Business of Empire: The East India Company and Imperial Britain, 1756-1833H. V. BowenBritish imperial history
- The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian RajDavid GilmourIndian history
- The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India CompanyJohn KeayIndian history
- The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857William DalrympleIndian history
Crime and thrillers
All 23 books in crime and thrillers- The Football Factory: A NovelJohn KingCrime fiction
- The Long Firm: A NovelJake ArnottCrime fiction
- The Ice Princess: A Patrik Hedström MysteryCamilla LäckbergCrime fiction
- The Laughing Policeman: A Martin Beck Police MysteryMaj Sjöwall and Per WahlööCrime fiction
- The Inspector and Silence: An Inspector Van Veeteren MysteryHåkan NesserCrime fiction
- The Chestnut Man: A NovelSøren SveistrupCrime fiction
Economic history
All 16 books in economic history- The Corporation That Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern MultinationalNick RobinsEconomic history
- The East India Company: The World's Most Powerful CorporationTirthankar RoyEconomic history
- The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So PoorDavid S. LandesEconomic history
- The East India Company: A HistoryPhilip LawsonEconomic history
- Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and PovertyDaron Acemoglu and James A. RobinsonEconomic history
- The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000Paul KennedyEconomic history
Historical fiction
All 11 books in historical fiction- The Siege of KrishnapurJ.G. FarrellHistorical fiction
- The Name of the RoseUmberto EcoHistorical mystery
- Ice-Candy-ManBapsi SidhwaHistorical fictionIce-Candy-ManBapsi Sidhwa
- I, Claudius: From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Emperor of the Romans, Born 10 B.C., Murdered and Deified A.D. 54Robert GravesHistorical fiction
- The Long SongAndrea LevyHistorical fiction
- Alias GraceMargaret AtwoodHistorical fiction
