Recs if you like House Made of Dawn...

I've seen so many people say they don't read classics as they aren't diverse, and I wanted to give some suggestions that are.

This is a list of classics written by authors who are not Straight, Cis, White, and Men as the title suggests. I am also aiming to include a variety of cultures and regions in this list. If your looking for something more focused (e.g. diverse US classics) check out the lists I posted in the comments.

Suggestions are more than welcome!

Emphasis on non-fiction, history, and resistance narratives from and about indigenous and native tribes of North and South America.

Classic books by U.S. BIPOC/fem/LGBTQIA Authors. Inspired by my post in US classic lit quest, I wanted a place to share all the wonderful recommendations by the PB community from the forum! 'Classic' refers to enduring, high-quality works that have stood the test of time, featuring universal themes, memorable characters, and artistic merit that remain relevant and insightful about the human condition across generations, often studied for their cultural significance and literary excellence.

Books for those who want to be well-read without the debt (created by someone with said debt)

Note: I will be deleting my PB account within the next two weeks, and I believe this list will be erased. Feel free to screenshot it if you see anything that interests you! ☺️ 3/17/2026

For when reading a classic feels too daunting. Classics under 200 pages!

If we are going to do Qwordy's the Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do 3.0 - we should probably get some Pagebound badges along the way! I'm specifically going to be adding books from Quests and readalongs that I think matches at least one of these cover prompts: craft, food, motion, biomes/landscapes, animals, weather.

a list of classics with a focus on global and marginalised authors.

An ongoing list of books that I've read which combine the urban environment and Indigeneity into one concept or identity.

(Most) Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winners since 1918!

As seen on Lithub

Inspired by some comments I saw regarding classics being too straight white male oriented. There are lots of classics that aren't, but unfortunately don't always get as much recognition. Hoping this list might help those interested expand their range of classics. Non-exhaustive and taking suggestions!

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins curated a list of their books they say "define the nation". This is that list of books!

general anthropology books! i haven’t read a good chunk of these, but they’ve been recommended for the list!!

Books to open your heart and mind to the experiences and realities of others; of the ones society has othered.

Native American/Indigenous classic literature from across Turtle Island🐢🪶

#LANDBACK

so far I’ve tried to stick to works published pre-2020 for the purposes of this list

shoutout to r/IndianCountry for recs

disclaimer: I am not Indigenous myself, just someone who went looking for a list like this and found a gap. I have found the books for this list on Indigenous-run sites and online spaces, including related lists on pb.

Always open to recommendations!

Stories that have (imo) gone under the radar

Note: I will be deleting my PB account within the next two weeks, and I believe this list will be erased. Feel free to screenshot it if you see anything that interests you! ☺️ 3/17/2026