Good Books to Mention in an Interview

Inevitably, if you’ve been through multiple rounds of interviews, you may just be asked to list your favorite book or a book that you recently completed reading.

While a seemingly innocuous question, an interviewer may be looking to see what types of books you like to consume and whether you are able to answer the questions quickly and with confidence.

Below, we are going to discuss some good books to mention in an interview to not only look smarter, but to also appear more knowledgeable, literate, and studious.

While reading books has lost fashion in recent years, particularly with the advent of the internet, there are still many benefits to reading physical books.

This includes strengthening the brain, mental stimulation, and stress reduction.

Disclaimer

Below, we are going to take a look at some good books to mention in an interview which can be purchased on Amazon.

Please note, the product links below include links from an Amazon Associates account.

This means that we at The Corporate Connoisseur receive a small commission on any purchases made from those links.

This is at no additional cost to you and helps to keep our site free, honest, and without bias or prejudice.

How to Choose Some Good Books to Mention in an Interview

When it comes to mentioning some good books to mention in an interview, you’ll want to take a few key points into consideration.

While these points are not set in stone, they will help you to provide the interviewer with a solid, safe answer.

Firstly, you should neither overestimate nor underestimate your interviewer.

That means, don’t believe that they won’t understand the books you mention, but similarly, don’t overestimate how much they may have read and what they understand.

Secondly, try to stick to popular fiction or non-fiction books.

This will help to ensure that the interviewer has, at a minimum, heard of these books and has likely read them.

This will help you to continue the conversation and discuss the nuances of the book.

Third, and lastly, be sure to have actually read the books you mention.

You don’t want to appear foolish or as a liar by referencing books and texts which you may not have read.

So, be sure to actually read these books before mentioning them.

1984 by George Orwell

1984 by George Orwell is one of the preliminary pieces of fiction written in the twentieth century.

Orwell’s cautionary tale of a man trapped beneath the unyielding gaze of an authoritarian state provides a glimpse of dystopia which serves as a cautionary tale to all who read it.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Another great dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury follows the protagonist Guy Montag.

He is a fireman, whose job is to destroy illegal commodities, the printed book.

This is alongside the houses in which they are hidden.

A deep, powerful prose on the erasure of knowledge, Fahrenheit 451 is a must-read.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Considered to be her magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, is her fourth and final novel.

Atlas Shrugged combines elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance and contains Rand’s most extensive statements on objectivism.

The book, yet another dystopian novel, depicts private businesses in the United States suffering under increasingly burdensome laws and regulations.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The New York Times reviewed One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and proclaimed it to be “the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race.

” A gripping novel which follows the rise and fall, birth and death of a mythical town through the history of the Buendia family.

This novel will take you on a journey and explore the intricacies of life, death, and all its meaning.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

A prolific writer for The New Yorker, J.D. Salinger takes readers on an exploration in The Catcher in the Rye.

The narrator of the story, a boy not yet a man, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days.

A complex interweaving of characters and dynamics, The Catcher in the Rye is a story of adulthood and the struggles we all face.

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

Before he became president, Barack Obama wrote Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.

A poignant piece, Obama discusses his journey into adulthood, his search for community and place, and his ultimate quest for understanding his roots and being.

A book worth savoring, Obama provides a peeled-back look into his journey and life.

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant is his personal perspective of his life and career in the National Basketball Association.

After his retirement from basketball, Bryant wrote and shared his knowledge and understanding of the game and takes readers on an unprecedented journey to his Mamba namesake.

A must-read from the recently passed all-star.

Association.  After his retirement from basketball, Bryant wrote and shared his knowledge and understanding of the game and takes readers on an unprecedented journey to his Mamba namesake.  A must-read from the recently passed all-star.

Conclusion

When it comes to good books to mention in an interview, you’ll want to ensure that the books you mention are not only timely and relevant, but also well-known enough so that the interviewer can recognize it.

The purpose of the interviewer’s question is not only to get a better understanding of your likes and reading genre preferences, but also to continue the conversation and interview.

We’ve provided a list of some of the best books to mention in an interview and definitely believe that these books will help you to answer an interviewer’s question.

However, be sure to have read these books before mentioning them and be sure to have a deep understanding of the nuances of the book so that the conversation can continue.

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