Explore B2 English books for upper-intermediate readers, from stories to longer novels. Compare subjects, lengths and editions to find a book that challenges you without making every paragraph a translation exercise.
29 books available
Arthur Conan Doyle
“Every mystery begins with a detail others fail to see.” The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle is a remarkable collection of classic detective stories featuring...
Read The Memoirs of Sherlock HolmesGeorge Orwell
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master, they imagine it is the beginning of a...
Read Animal FarmMark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of Mark Twain's most famous novels and a timeless classic of American literature. Set in the small town of St. Petersburg on the banks of...
Read The Adventures of Tom SawyerLouisa May Alcott
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is a timeless classic that tells the heartwarming story of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they grow up during the American...
Read Little WomenRobert Louis Stevenson
"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest—Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" When young Jim Hawkins discovers a mysterious map in an old sea chest, he has no idea that it leads to the...
Read Treasure IslandSuzanne Collins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a bestselling dystopian novel that takes readers into the dangerous world of Panem, a nation divided into twelve districts controlled by...
Read The Hunger GamesFrances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden is a beloved classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett that tells a heartwarming story of friendship, healing, and personal growth. The novel follows Mary Lennox, a...
Read The Secret GardenJack London
Stolen from his comfortable life in California, Buck is sold as a sled dog in the brutal, frozen Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. Forced to adapt to the "law of club and...
Read The Call of the WildJ. M. Barrie
When Peter Pan flies into the Darling family’s nursery and whisks Wendy, John, and Michael away to Neverland, they begin an adventure of a lifetime. Encountering the Lost Boys,...
Read Peter Pan and WendyJohanna Spyri
Heidi by Johanna Spyri is a beloved classic children's novel that tells the heartwarming story of a young orphan girl who finds happiness in the Swiss Alps. After losing her...
Read HeidiJerome K. Jerome
Three friends and a dog set out on a river holiday, where small mishaps become comic adventures. This edition contains both Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on the Bummel,...
Read Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on the BummelF. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic American novel that explores themes of love, ambition, wealth, identity, and the pursuit of the American Dream. Set during...
Read The Great GatsbyOscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a classic Gothic novel that explores beauty, morality, temptation, and the hidden consequences of human choices. Set in Victorian...
Read The Picture of Dorian GrayCharles Dickens
A Christmas Carol is a timeless classic by Charles Dickens that tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy businessman who values money more than kindness or friendship....
Read A Christmas CarolFranz Kafka
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a classic literary novella that explores themes of change, identity, isolation, and human relationships. The story follows Gregor Samsa, a...
Read MetamorphosisJohn Steinbeck
The Pearl is a literary novella that tells a powerful allegorical story about wealth, ambition, and the consequences of desire. Set in a poor coastal village, the narrative...
Read The PearlOscar Wilde
"I am a very remarkable Rocket, and come of remarkable parents." A royal wedding is about to be celebrated with a magnificent fireworks display. Among the squibs, Roman...
Read The Remarkable RocketOscar Wilde
The Canterville Ghost is a humorous gothic mystery that blends satire, supernatural elements, and family drama. The story begins when the American Otis family moves into...
Read The Canterville GhostJules Verne
Around the World in Eighty Days is a classic adventure novel that follows the extraordinary journey of Phileas Fogg, a precise and reserved English gentleman who makes a bold...
Read Around the World in Eighty DaysArthur Conan Doyle
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle is an adventure and science fiction novel that tells the story of an extraordinary expedition into an unexplored region of the Amazon...
Read The Lost WorldJack London
White Fang by Jack London is a classic adventure novel that explores survival, nature, instinct, and the relationship between humans and animals. The story follows White Fang,...
Read White FangJohn Buchan
The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan is a classic spy thriller that follows Richard Hannay, an ordinary man who unexpectedly becomes involved in a dangerous international...
Read The Thirty Nine StepsOscar Wilde
"Admirable as is the common sense of the world, it is not everything." Hughie Erskine is a young man with a wonderful profile, a kind heart, and no money. To marry the woman he...
Read The Model MillionaireO. Henry
On a luxury train heading west, a young woman named Miss Fairchild encounters an old acquaintance, Mr. Easton. To her surprise, he is handcuffed to a grim-looking man. As...
Read Hearts and HandsKenneth Grahame
Mole leaves his spring-cleaning behind and discovers the river with Rat. Their friendship with Badger and the reckless Toad leads from quiet waters to the Wild Wood and the...
Read The Wind in the WillowsFrances Hodgson Burnett
Young Cedric Errol leaves New York when he learns that he is heir to an English earldom. His affection and trust challenge his proud grandfather, while an unexpected claim...
Read Little Lord FauntleroyLewis Carroll
Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit hole and enters a world where size, language and rules keep changing. Her encounters with the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and the...
Read Alice's Adventures in WonderlandArthur Conan Doyle
A murder in London leads Dr. Watson to an unexpected reunion with Sherlock Holmes. The thirteen cases in this 1905 collection take the pair from a puzzling series of stick...
Read The Return of Sherlock HolmesArthur Conan Doyle
Dr. Watson recounts twelve cases in which Sherlock Holmes turns small observations into clues. From Irene Adler in A Scandal in Bohemia to the unsettling household in The...
Read The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesFor B2 reading practice, look beyond following the plot: consider how a character's choice of words suggests attitude, or how a description sets the tone. You may understand the events while still needing help with an idiom or an implied meaning.
Original novels vary widely in difficulty. An older setting, unfamiliar subject or dense narrative voice can make a particular edition demanding. A B2 catalog label is a recommendation to explore; it does not guarantee that every passage will be equally accessible to every reader.
A familiar genre can make events easier to follow. If both the subject and the writing style are new, start with a small section before committing to the full book.
Compare a conversation with a descriptive passage. Notice whether your difficulty comes from unfamiliar words, idioms, sentence structure or an unclear reference; each may need a different kind of support.
A shortened or adapted version may differ substantially from the original. Use the edition details and text, rather than assuming that every version of a familiar classic suits B2 reading.
If maintaining the plot already requires constant help, a B1 book may be a better choice for regular reading. If you can follow B2 passages and want to examine more demanding style and implied meaning, try a C1 text alongside your usual reading.
For a more demanding comparison, explore C1 English books and choose a familiar subject so you can focus on the writing.
After a scene, consider what a character says and what they may mean. Check expressions that change the tone, and record phrases with enough context to remember their use. You can reread a difficult paragraph after finishing the scene.
Use the B2 English word list to review vocabulary, then look at how those words behave in the sentences you read.
