Books to read in English

646

17 March 2025

English-learners

Oleksandra Kulish

Book expert

Reading English develops language skills and critical thinking. It gives you access to a large amount of literature in your field of study. Modern books in English help you expand your vocabulary, improve your grammar, and get used to natural speech. Original texts often have a deeper meaning and atmosphere that translations do not always convey.

Why is reading in English the best investment in your knowledge?

Reading in English is truly one of the most effective investments in your personal development. Here's why:

Deep understanding of the language.
Reading allows you to see the language in its natural environment — in context. You gain a better understanding of grammatical structures, stylistics, idioms and slang that are rarely found in textbooks.
Development of linguistic intuition.
Constant immersion in the text forms an intuitive understanding of how correct English ‘sounds’. You begin to feel the language, not just learn its rules.
Enrichment of active vocabulary.
Through regular reading, words move from your passive vocabulary to your active vocabulary. You not only recognise new words, but also begin to use them in speech.
Broadening of horizons.
By reading books, articles or blogs in English, you gain access to a vast array of knowledge from around the world without the distortions of translation.
Improving pronunciation and accent.
Read aloud and you will train your articulation, intonation and natural rhythm of English. Audiobooks and parallel reading will help you improve your pronunciation.
Effortless learning.
When you read something that interests you, the process becomes engaging. You learn ‘unintentionally’ — through the plot, characters, and ideas. This is the most natural way to learn a language.

Reading in English creates an environment in which the language becomes alive, interesting, and effectively absorbed. It is an investment that will definitely pay dividends.

Books in English for beginners: Beginner and Elementary (A1, A2). What books are worth reading in English?

Our catalog contains adapted works for beginners. You can choose to study books by the following authors: Rod Smith, Jules Verne, Louisa May Alcott, Lynda Edwards, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Billy Gallagher, Anne Collins. Easy-to-read fairy tales and fiction about animals, insects, and fictional characters are suitable for children.

What you will find in these books:

Simplified text for easy understanding.
Tasks to consolidate what you have read.
Illustrations to help you better understand the content.

By reading texts by classics and contemporary authors, you will learn to recognize complex linguistic structures, better understand the context and cultural characteristics of different English-speaking countries. In our bookstore you will find books for A1 and A2 levels, suitable for those who want to improve their basic knowledge of the language.

Books in English for intermediate level (B1, B2). English books that are definitely worth reading

The Dinternal Education online store offers books in English that are worth reading for level B1. These books contain more complex grammatical structures and expanded vocabulary, which allows you to improve your text comprehension and contextual understanding.

What's special about them:

Extensive vocabulary and colloquial expressions.
Complex syntactic structures for learning grammar.
Tasks for developing analytical thinking and text comprehension.

You can choose literature by the following authors: Karen Holmes, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Robert Ludlum, John le Carré, Christopher Marlowe, Lynda Edwards, Nevil Shute, John Boyne, Naomi Alderman. These books are suitable for those who want to not only read in English but also understand the language better in different situations.

At B2 level, students already have a good command of the language. They can:

have conversations on everyday topics;
use the language in their profession;
understand unadapted material, for example, they can watch a movie without subtitles.

B2 level textbooks offer a variety of texts, exercises and audio materials to help you develop all aspects of the language. In order to make progress, it is important to organize your work with the book library properly. You can choose from fiction, interesting fairy tales, and movies in English.

Literature in English for the advanced level: Advanced (C1, C2)

English is spoken in different countries, and everyone's pronunciation is slightly different. At C1 and C2 levels, you need to understand the different variations. For this, watching TV shows with professional actors is no longer enough. You need to turn to other resources. Choose works to continue learning English. In our library you will find books to read in English: George Orwell, Victor Hugo, Stephen King, Wilkie Collins, Alex Garland, Charles Dickens. Adapted books in English by Pearson Education Ltd will help you get used to different writing styles and expand your vocabulary.

How to choose ‘your’ book to read in English

Here are some tips on how to choose a book to read in English so that the process is not only useful but also enjoyable:

Focus on your interests.

The best book is one you want to read again and again. Do you like detective stories? Science fiction? Memoirs? Comics? Read what interests you, not just what is ‘useful for the language.’ If you liked a book in your native language, try it in English. The content is familiar, but the language is new.

Choose books that are ‘one level above’ you.

A great rule of thumb is to choose a text that is slightly more challenging than your current level, but not so much that reading becomes a chore. If you don't understand more than 5 words per page, you may want to start with an easier book.

Read blurbs and reviews.

Before choosing a book, read a short description of the plot (blurb), the first few pages (you can find them on Amazon or Goodreads), and reviews from other readers (especially ESL learners). This will give you an idea of the language level, style, and whether you will enjoy the plot.

Checklist: 6 questions to ask yourself before choosing a book

Before buying a book, ask yourself a few questions:

Am I interested in this topic/genre?
Do I understand at least 80–90% of the text without a dictionary?
Does the book contain dialogues (they help in understanding spoken language)?
Is the text overloaded with complex vocabulary or descriptions?
Is this book available in audio or simplified format (if necessary)?
Do I feel like I want to finish reading it?

A novella, short story or adapted book is the perfect start if you are unsure about your choice.

The unique value of reading in the original

Value criterion	Explanation	Examples where this is particularly noticeable
Wordplay and puns	In translation, puns lose their meaning or sound different. Wordplay is often based on the ambiguity, sound or similarity of words.	Comedies such as Friends, Shakespeare's plays, books by Roald Dahl or Terry Pratchett
Rhythm and melody of language	The original text retains musicality, rhyme, alliteration and other stylistic devices that are difficult to convey accurately in translation.	Poetry (e.g. Emily Dickinson), song lyrics, plays, verse prose
Cultural nuances and idioms	Idioms, phrases and allusions are linked to cultural context. Translations often simplify or adapt them, losing depth.	Contemporary fiction, news, blogs, podcasts (The New Yorker, The Guardian)
Author's voice and style	An author's language is part of their personality. Translation often changes the tone, style or mood. The original allows you to ‘hear’ the author's true voice.	Works by Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, J. D. Salinger, Chuck Palahniuk
Technical and professional literature	Many terms do not have exact translations, or their translation is delayed. The original allows you to stay ‘in the loop’ in your field.	IT, marketing, psychology, medicine — textbooks, articles, documentation, professional blogs

Why you should buy useful books at Dinternal Education

Easy books in the original can be read not only by those with C1 or C2 levels, but also by beginners. You can also buy audiobooks in the Dinternal Education online store.

We offer a loyalty program for regular customers. The amount of your individual discount is determined by the sum of all purchased books during the entire period of purchases.

How to become a member of the program:

Register a personal account on the Dinternal Education website.
Make your first order from 750 UAH to get a 3% discount.
Buy more and increase the amount of your personal discount.

The discount is credited automatically when you place an order through your personal account and remains constant. You can pick up the ordered literature from a warehouse, Nova Poshta or Ukrposhta branch, Rozetka store, or pick it up at our pickup point in Kyiv, at 14 Metropolyt Andriy Sheptytskoho Street.