Three of the Best Popular Books for English Learning

When you want to read a book in English, it can be hard to know where to start.

Why not start with the same books native English speakers are reading?

You might think that best sellers (popular books) are too difficult for an English learner to read. But actually, popular books are perfect for learning English, since they’re often written in simple English.

1. “Mr. Mercedes” by Stephen King

What this book is about: This book is the first in a trilogy, or a set of three books. In it, a retired cop tries to stop a man from killing thousands of people. Will he be able to stop the terrible event in time?

The English in this book: Stephen King is one of the best-known authors in the horror (scary story) genre today. His language is a little more advanced, and his characters are very realistic, which makes this a good book for seeing how people talk.

2. “The Martian” by Andy Weir

What this book is about: An astronaut becomes the first man to walk on the planet Mars, but then things go horribly wrong. Presumed (thought to be) dead and completely cut off from the rest of the universe, the astronaut has to use his skills and intelligence to find a way back home.

The English in this book: This book is full of space words and terms! There is very little dialogue since the main character is alone on Mars, but you can learn a lot of words about Mars, astronauts and other space topics.

3. “Evil Under the Sun” by Agatha Christie

What this book is about: Agatha Christie’s books are older than many of the other books in this list, but they’re some of the best examples of classic mystery books. In this one, the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates the death of a woman during a holiday. It seems trouble just follows Poirot wherever he goes!

The English in this book: Since this is an older book, some language is old and hard to read. The way people speak in the book might not be how people speak in real life anymore, either. If you’re interested in beautiful, less-known words like picturesque (beautiful, like a picture) or protuberance (something that sticks out from something else), you’ll find them here!