
The 25th of May is best known as Towel Day, Douglas Adams’ and his unconventional novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) appreciation day. Inspired by ordinarily titled Hitch-hiker's Guide to Europe by Ken Welsh (1972), the concept first was presented to the public as a radio programme and then adapted into (originally) a five volume book. It sold a mind-blowing number of 250,000 copies within only three months and won top rank on the Sunday Times Best Seller list (1979) and was 24 on Waterstone's Books/Channel Four's list of the 'One Hundred Greatest Books of the Century' (1996). Its major success was also reflected in being ranked number four on BBC's "Big Read", which was an attempt to find the "Nation's Best-loved book".
Millions of fans all over the world find their ways today to pay tribute to Adams’ life and work by doing things such as: carrying around a bath towel for a day, answering all questions: ‘42’, creating galleries of 42 must-see for hitchhikers photos/places and more! When it comes to us, IWG: Books team, we thought we would join the celebration by compiling a Book-et List made of 42 books one should read in their lifetime. Note, books will be presented in an ‘almost’ random order.

Recommended by Gemma Williams
2. The Fifteen Streets by Catherine Cookson… because it is easy to forget the poverty that we have suffered in our past.
Recommended by Olivia Grey
3. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne … because the magic of friendship and adventure has never been so perfectly encapsulated for child readers.
Recommended by Hayley Charlesworth
4. Heidi by Johanna Spyri … because it is an unimaginably heart-warming story and one needs a soul-softener to be applied once in a while.
Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
5. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger… because it holds the undisputed title of the most controversial, most widely discussed and most overly analysed novel of all time and some say it is the perfect balance of simple narrative and meaningful themes.
Recommended by Graeme Stirling
6. The Decision by Penny Vincenzi… because not only is the writing superb, but it gives the perspective of a little girl who is stuck between two warring parents.
Recommended by Gemma Williams
7. Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson… because it is a clever book which takes an already scary medical condition and applies it to a scary situation. It really makes the reader think.
Recommended by Olivia Grey
8. Othello by William Shakespeare… because it is a powerful drama using exotic colouring of many geographical destinations. It drags an attention to popular nowadays issues: differences of race, of age, of cultural background and so on.
Recommended by Hayley Charlesworth
9. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway… because it is a simple tale, his very first novel, and it defines the incredibly minimalist, masculine style that spat in the face of the Great Works and that thousands upon thousands of authors – from hipster beatnik types to contemporary crime thriller writers – are still trying to imitate.
Recommended by Graeme Stirling
10. The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosiński… because the further from the centre of tragic events, the less credibly modern authors present and describe the Holocaust. This story of a young boy, "considered a Gypsy or Jewish stray” shows the Holocaust’s true face and devastating nature and it is not beautiful, but forces one to think.
Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
11. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell… because, despite the protagonist being overly anxious, it is a feel good book that will you leave you smiling, plus the cover feels velvety and who doesn't like that?
Recommended by Gemma Williams

Recommended by Olivia Grey
13. 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup… because the truth about slavery has never been so devastatingly, stunningly recorded.
Recommended by Hayley Charlesworth
14. Post Office by Charles Bukowski… because this sparse novel is legendary on many levels. It was the first book published by a then imaginary small press that is now the stuff of folklore. Bukowski was 49, haggard from a life of abuse, poverty and severe alcoholism, having just walked out of the near lifelong postal service job that inspired the book after being offered a minimal living wage to write full time. In the end he lived out his days as a successful author and showed staunch support for independent publishing imprints.
Recommended by Graeme Stirling
15. The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren… because this children's fantasy tale will bring the best out of you. As it revolves around boys’ death, or more like – their adventures in life after death, it gives hope. It also beautifully pictures deep sense of brotherhood where one is ready to die for another. Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
16. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Myer… because it's so unique and addictive!
Recommended by Gemma Williams
17. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan… because Percy’s story is rich in both detail and imagination. It also doesn’t hurt to introduce mythology and history into your reading list, regardless of the intended audience.
Recommended by Olivia Grey
18. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde… because Wilde's wit surpasses any other writer, living or dead, and satire is important.
Recommended by Hayley Charlesworth
19. A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd… because the author holds a unique ability to feverishly write the whole thing in less than a month and still come up with a hilarious, impressively original novel with an interesting tale behind it.
20. Lords of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien… because every generation should get to know this rich story of one’s quest and immerse into teh complex world created by Tolkien. I mean, how many authors write worlds, their histories and even languages and makes references to them throughout the book?
Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
21. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy… because there is an interesting twist to this fantasy / crime series which makes it a compelling read, and let's not forget the badass characters.
Recommended by Gemma Williams
22. The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks… because, apart from being a heart-wrenching book in itself, it has an amazing backstory. Find it on Sparks’ website, and then I challenge you not to want to read his book!
Recommended by Olivia Grey

Recommended by Hayley Charlesworth
or! ... because reading it will make you feel as though you’re actually there, under a heavy fog of uncertainty and sixties paranoia, and it showcases Le Carré’s skill as a creator of characters, an explorer of human nature, and above all a master of uneasy ambience.
Also recommended by Graeme Stirling
24. Night of the Wolf by Alice Borchardt… because historical fiction couldn’t be mixed in any better proportion with fantasy, and erotica indeed is fantasy’s best companion. The author was Anne Rice’s sister and such talent – it must be family thing.Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
25. A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George Martin… because most people watch the show anyway and the books are a fun read (except book four, but book five makes the struggle through that one worth it!) There's also a large sense of achievement upon completing this series.
Recommended by Gemma Williams
26. The Mistress’s Revenge by Tamar Cohen… because if you ever want to be reminded of the frailty of the heartbroken, and how it can impact everything around them this is exactly the book you should grab.
Recommended by Olivia Grey
27. Takes of Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan… because it is an inventive and beautiful art, a book about how the fantastic keeps erupting into the most mundane daily lives.
Recommended by Hayley Charlesworth
28. From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming… because it is a quintessential Bond novel, though it bears no relation to the films and differs even from the other books. This literary Bond, heavily laden by his fetishistic lifestyle habits and perpetually hungover, couldn’t catch Blofeld in his motorised wheelchair, let alone a bomb making parkour expert.
Recommended by Graeme Stirling
29. The Legend of the Ice People by Margit Sandemo… because I really, really meant it when I said I would use every opportunity arising to acknowledge this series. Norwegian folklore, historical background and witchcraft will keep the reader engaged throughout all 47 volumes. Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
30. Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind… because the battle scenes in particular are vivid and imaginative and will stick with you for a long time.
Recommended by Gemma Williams
31. Straight Talking by Jane Green …because sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying (for me myself, anyhow!) to settle down and read a good piece of ‘chick-lit’.
Recommended by Olivia Grey
32. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro… because it is too devastating to be missed. One should never turn a blind eye on the story of innocence, knowledge, and loss.
Recommended by Hayley Charlesworth

Recommended by Graeme Stirling
34. Soul Flame by Barbara Wood… because never a book has put a spell on me as strong as this one did. Yet another fantasy – historical fiction, it touches something deep within.
Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
35. The Full Moon O Sagashite manga series by Arina Tanemura… because there are a lot of cute moments in this and a lot of heartbreaking scenes. The illustrations will blow you away.
Recommended by Gemma Williams
36. White Fang by Jack London… because it’s the most beautiful story of a wolf-dog hybrid ever written and gives an amazing insight into a wild animal’s life driven by primal instincts.
Recommended by Agnieszka Ramian
37. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon… because here at IWG we support, promote and admire young, yet successful and determined authors.
Recommended by I'm With Geek
38. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat… because it has been credited for dramatically changing the public image of the wolf to a more positive one and we want to pay our tributes again.
Recommended by I'm With Geek
39. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez… because his legacy should thrive and his work should keep amazing generations to come.
Recommended by I'm With Geek
40. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend… because we want her words still be read for many more years to come, after we said goodbye to this great British author.
Recommended by I'm With Geek
41. Demonata Series by Darren Shan… because when it comes to horror, he’s a Master!
Recommended by I'm With Geek
42. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams… because 42 !
Recommended by I'm With Geek
So, what's your next read is going to be?