

If you're bored of reading the same old books over and over, you've landed in the right place. Allow us to inject your reading list with a dose of cool with our list of the coolest books of all time. You could say they're the type of books that should come with a pair of sunglasses.
UPDATE: Ready for another injection of cool? We've added a couple of more recent reads to our list, ones that became part of the cultural zeitgeist in the years in which they were released. These are Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends and cult fave My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.
Films you can quote for cheap giggles down the pub; records (vinyl, natch) earn you kudos among a select coterie of like-minded obsessives; but nothing – absolutely nothing – says understated cool (always the coolest cool) like a well-thumbed copy of A Confederacy of Dunces.
Of course, the definition of "cool" is different for everyone. But we're thinking unexpected adventures, irreverent writing, stories that go against the grain and characters that refuse to play by the book. Want in on the action? Get yourself down to your local bookstore immediately and get acquainted with our selection of more than 52 books that fit the bill. Gallons of cool guaranteed.
The coolest books of all time
- These are the greatest villains of literature
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As Content Director of Shortlist, Marc likes nothing more than to compile endless lists of an evening by candlelight. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.