I feel like in a society like we have now, that people don't take the time to really sit and read anymore. When was the last time you actually read for fun, or even wanted to pick up a book that wasn't assigned to you? I know Victorian Literature is far from a simple read, but I feel this is a genre every person should try to master because it really gets you thinking about life in ways you normally don't. Some of these I'm sure every book lover has read, but some are books I never read until very recently, and would highly recommend.

1. "Pride and Prejudice" - Jane Austen

The love of my life in a book. By the end of this book your going to want your own Mr. Darcy and it sucks when you realize that he high key probably doesn't exist. We can dream anyway.

2. "The Heart of Darkness" - Joseph Conrad

This is quite a dark book as the title puts it. It talks of Imperialism in the African Congo and the dark blot it has left on the past. If you want to be disturbed, give Conrad a read.

3. "The Awakening" - Kate Chopin

You'll have an awakening when you finish this novel, trust me. I read this my senior year of high school and it was easily the highlight of the year in terms of the books we read. It's also not a tedious read, so you won't be reading forever as some books may feel.

4. "Frankenstein" - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly

There is a lot more to this story than we normally learn about when we are little. This is a twisted novel that will keep you on your toes until the very last page. Oh, "Frankenstein" isn't the monster's name by the way.

5. "King Solomon's Mines" - H. Rider Haggard

This novel was the inspiration for The Heart of Darkness and takes you on a different adventure to mysterious mines in the search of a lost brother and diamonds. It's not just about diamonds, there is much more for readers to uncover.

6. "Tess of the d'Ubervilles" - Thomas Hardy

This text is about a sweet girl who has a horrible deed done to her, and the novel thusly follows her highs and lows until the very end. I've never heard of this until I read it in class and I highly recommend.

7. "Lady Audley's Secret" - Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Into a good old-fashioned mystery? This is the book for you. It keeps you guessing with its fast-paced language and lovable characters.

8. "Adam Bede" - George Eliot

Rich versus poor, flirt versus virtuous, need I say more? Adam Bede is about far more than just one person, it's full of different stories that all come to a head at the end.

9. "The Picture of Dorian Grey" - Oscar Wilde

I love staring at myself in the mirror, and so does Dorian Grey, but there is much more to this story than a guy obsessed with his image.

10. "North and South" - Elizabeth Gaskell

This work comments on the conditions of workers during the Industrial Revolution, as well as the highlighting the first strikes put on by these workers. Oh yeah, there's a love story too per usual.

11. "The Turn of the Screw" - Henry James

Ghost story? HELLO. This story is told by a narrator recounting a story they have heard about a governess who didn't realize the house she was walking into.