Books by level

Which books should you read to learn English?

Read books that are short and use few different words for their level. In our table of 112 free English books the easiest by vocabulary are A Piece of Red Calico (A2, 1,440 words), After Twenty Years (A2, 1,128 words) and An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (A2, 1,174 words). Every book below is in the public domain, rated A2–C2 by our team, and measured: words, different words and how many word forms cover 95% of the text.

By the Readlang Mobile team (an independent app, not affiliated with readlang.com). Updated 31 October 2026.

At A1 and A2, books written for learners come first: see free graded readers by level, and when to move on to original books.

English books for A2 learners 60 books

Free English books at A2, fewest forms for 95% first. Reading time is the range between 200 and 100 words per minute.

Book	Form	Words	Forms for 95%	Reading time
A Piece of Red CalicoFrank Stockton	short story, adapted	1,440	274	7–14 min
After Twenty YearsO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,128	302	6–11 min
An Occurrence at Owl Creek BridgeAmbrose Bierce	short story, adapted	1,174	308	6–12 min
The Devil and Tom WalkerWashington Irving	short story, adapted	1,363	339	7–14 min
To Build a FireJack London	short story, adapted	1,339	345	7–13 min
FeathertopNathaniel Hawthorne	short story, adapted	1,319	348	7–13 min
The Count and the Wedding GuestO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,532	348	8–15 min
The Romance of a Busy BrokerO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,231	352	6–12 min
The Purloined LetterEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	1,380	352	7–14 min
KeeshJack London	short story, adapted	1,444	357	7–14 min
BartlebyHerman Melville	short story, adapted	1,311	360	7–13 min
Pigs Is PigsEllis Parker Butler	short story, adapted	1,406	363	7–14 min
The Making of a Nation: Thomas JeffersonVOA Learning English	history, for learners	1,157	371	6–12 min
The Outcasts of Poker FlatBret Harte	short story, adapted	1,252	383	6–13 min
The God of His FathersJack London	short story, adapted	1,315	389	7–13 min
A Horseman in the SkyAmbrose Bierce	short story, adapted	1,334	390	7–13 min
The Making of a Nation: Andrew JacksonVOA Learning English	history, for learners	1,307	391	7–13 min
The Lady, or the Tiger?Frank R. Stockton	short story, adapted	3,021	393	15–30 min
The Line of Least ResistanceEdith Wharton	short story, adapted	1,287	399	6–13 min
The Exact Science of MatrimonyO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,477	399	7–15 min
The Tell-Tale HeartEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	1,590	399	8–16 min
Mammon and the ArcherO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,780	401	9–18 min
The Lady in BlackEleanor H. Porter	short story, adapted	1,543	403	8–15 min
The Legend of Sleepy HollowWashington Irving	short story, adapted	1,417	404	7–14 min
The Ambitious GuestNathaniel Hawthorne	short story, adapted	1,326	405	7–13 min
Two Thanksgiving Day GentlemenO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,669	405	8–17 min
A Municipal ReportO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,438	407	7–14 min
Ernest HemingwayVOA Learning English	biography, for learners	1,433	408	7–14 min
The Californian’s TaleMark Twain	short story, adapted	1,448	409	7–14 min
A White HeronSarah Orne Jewett	short story, adapted	1,436	410	7–14 min
From the Cabby’s SeatO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,707	420	9–17 min
John HenryTraditional	short story, adapted	1,362	421	7–14 min
Paul BunyanTraditional	short story, adapted	1,397	423	7–14 min
Transients in ArcadiaO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,657	425	8–17 min
Pecos BillTraditional	short story, adapted	1,489	431	7–15 min
The Last LeafO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,506	431	8–15 min
The Cask of AmontilladoEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	1,442	432	7–14 min
The Return of a PrivateHamlin Garland	short story, adapted	1,391	433	7–14 min
The Story of an EyewitnessJack London	short story, adapted	1,409	433	7–14 min
The Luck of Roaring CampBret Harte	short story, adapted	1,284	434	6–13 min
AthénaïseKate Chopin	short story, adapted	1,485	436	7–15 min
The Ransom of Red ChiefO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,548	441	8–15 min
The Gift of the MagiO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,564	441	8–16 min
The Cop and the AnthemO. Henry	short story, adapted	2,050	455	10–20 min
One Thousand DollarsO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,575	457	8–16 min
The Caliph, Cupid and the ClockO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,961	457	10–20 min
The Boarded WindowAmbrose Bierce	short story, adapted	1,505	469	8–15 min
The Furnished RoomO. Henry	short story, adapted	2,378	474	12–24 min
A Retrieved ReformationO. Henry	short story, adapted	2,535	516	13–25 min
Rappaccini’s DaughterNathaniel Hawthorne	short story, adapted	2,819	525	14–28 min
Hearts and CrossesO. Henry	short story, adapted	3,116	527	16–31 min
The Boy on Graves-End RoadVOA Learning English	short story, for learners	2,022	529	10–20 min
The Open BoatStephen Crane	short story, adapted	2,971	558	15–30 min
The Diamond LensFitz-James O’Brien	short story, adapted	2,826	595	14–28 min
Paul’s CaseWilla Cather	short story, adapted	2,901	627	15–29 min
The Law of LifeJack London	short story, adapted	4,219	674	21–42 min
A Princess of MarsEdgar Rice Burroughs	short story, adapted	5,926	690	under 1–1 h
The Murders in the Rue MorgueEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	6,591	762	under 1–1 h
Benito CerenoHerman Melville	short story, adapted	3,955	769	20–40 min
The Blue HotelStephen Crane	short story, adapted	6,839	989	under 1–1 h

English books for B1 learners 21 books

Free English books at B1, fewest forms for 95% first. Reading time is the range between 200 and 100 words per minute.

Book	Form	Words	Forms for 95%	Reading time
Two Stories About the Letter XCarl Sandburg	short story, adapted	1,279	326	6–13 min
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras CountyMark Twain	short story, adapted	1,657	348	8–17 min
The Masque of the Red DeathEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	1,466	383	7–15 min
LuckMark Twain	short story, adapted	1,270	414	6–13 min
The Black CatEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	1,515	422	8–15 min
The Whirligig of LifeO. Henry	short story, adapted	1,512	428	8–15 min
The BirthmarkNathaniel Hawthorne	short story, adapted	1,376	467	7–14 min
Doctor Heidegger’s ExperimentNathaniel Hawthorne	short story, adapted	1,475	471	7–15 min
A Pair of Silk StockingsKate Chopin	short story, adapted	1,509	502	8–15 min
The Fall of the House of UsherEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	4,519	640	under 1–1 h
William WilsonEdgar Allan Poe	short story, adapted	5,815	702	under 1–1 h
The Bride Comes to Yellow SkyStephen Crane	short story, adapted	3,372	765	17–34 min
Love of LifeJack London	short story, adapted	7,643	920	under 1–1.5 h
Grimms’ Fairy TalesJacob and Wilhelm Grimm	fairy tales	101,611	1,789	8.5–17 h
Short Science FictionIsaac Asimov	short stories	23,196	2,685	2–4 h
My Life and WorkHenry Ford	memoir	93,814	3,009	8–16 h
The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde	novel	79,464	3,269	6.5–13 h
Short StoriesFyodor Dostoevsky	short stories	81,223	3,309	7–14 h
The Memoirs of Sherlock HolmesArthur Conan Doyle	short stories	95,934	3,431	8–16 h
The Case-Book of Sherlock HolmesArthur Conan Doyle	short stories	83,631	3,565	7–14 h
The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesArthur Conan Doyle	short stories	104,993	3,576	8.5–17 h

English books for B2 learners 19 books

Free English books at B2, fewest forms for 95% first. Reading time is the range between 200 and 100 words per minute.

Book	Form	Words	Forms for 95%	Reading time
Alice’s Adventures in WonderlandLewis Carroll	children’s novel	26,775	1,399	2–4.5 h
The Communist ManifestoKarl Marx and Friedrich Engels	non-fiction	13,680	1,871	1–2.5 h
The Psychology of ManagementLillian Moller Gilbreth	non-fiction	84,315	2,170	7–14 h
Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen	novel	122,164	2,425	10–20 h
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeRobert Louis Stevenson	novella	25,785	2,684	2–4.5 h
How It WorksArchibald Williams	non-fiction	74,338	2,785	6–12 h
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Dostoevsky	novel	204,644	3,349	17–34 h
DraculaBram Stoker	novel	161,387	3,383	13–27 h
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald	novel	48,659	3,508	4–8 h
FrankensteinMary Shelley	novel	78,010	3,747	6.5–13 h
The Art of WarSun Tzu	non-fiction	54,454	3,770	4.5–9 h
Stanford Stories: Tales of a Young UniversityCharles K. Field	short stories	54,488	4,022	4.5–9 h
Michael Faraday, His Life and WorkSilvanus P. Thompson	biography	88,927	4,078	7.5–15 h
DialoguesPlato	philosophy	1,206,575	4,237	101–201 h
The King in YellowRobert W. Chambers	short stories	72,499	4,477	6–12 h
The Count of Monte CristoAlexandre Dumas	novel	463,374	4,828	39–77 h
Madame BovaryGustave Flaubert	novel	116,535	5,089	9.5–19 h
The Notebooks of Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci	notebooks	244,475	5,816	20–41 h
Woman in ScienceJ. A. Zahm	non-fiction	146,277	7,401	12–24 h

English books for C1 learners 11 books

Free English books at C1, fewest forms for 95% first. Reading time is the range between 200 and 100 words per minute.

Book	Form	Words	Forms for 95%	Reading time
Philosophical WorksRené Descartes	philosophy	96,801	1,962	8–16 h
MeditationsMarcus Aurelius	philosophy	49,641	2,198	4–8.5 h
The PrinceNiccolò Machiavelli	non-fiction	36,421	2,401	3–6 h
The Wealth of NationsAdam Smith	non-fiction	427,445	3,061	36–71 h
The Story of My Experiments with TruthMahatma Gandhi	autobiography	173,864	4,476	14–29 h
Beyond Good and EvilFriedrich Nietzsche	philosophy	63,710	4,633	5.5–11 h
Napoleon’s Letters to Josephine, 1796–1812Napoleon Bonaparte	letters	91,618	4,737	7.5–15 h
The End of the WorldGeoffrey Dennis	non-fiction	39,220	5,265	3.5–6.5 h
Notre-Dame de ParisVictor Hugo	novel	185,410	6,219	15–31 h
The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Bābur)Babur	memoir	416,383	8,202	35–69 h
The Civilisation of the Renaissance in ItalyJacob Burckhardt	history	211,395	8,675	18–35 h

English books for C2 learners 1 books

Free English books at C2, fewest forms for 95% first. Reading time is the range between 200 and 100 words per minute.

Book	Form	Words	Forms for 95%	Reading time
Romeo and JulietWilliam Shakespeare	play in verse	26,138	2,443	2–4.5 h

How were the levels and numbers worked out?

Levels were set by hand by our team when each book was added to the Readlang Mobile library; they are a judgement, not a formula. Words, different word forms and the forms needed for 95% of the text were counted by a script from the text of each edition, without title pages and licences. The method is explained in Free books by CEFR level and on the About page, and the full table is free to reuse as a CSV file.