High Noon: 30 books everyone should read before 30

Zoe Miller, 16, of San Marino, Calif., holds a dog-eared copy of one of her favorite books, “The Catcher in the Rye.” The book, whose author, J.D. Salinger, died Jan. 27, is widely taught in high schools. Associated Press photos

Nevertheless, the Web cannot replace the authoritative transmissions from certain classic books that have delivered (or will deliver) profound ideas around the globe for generations.

The thirty books listed here are of unparalleled prose, packed with wisdom capable of igniting a new understanding of the world. Everyone should read these books before their thirtieth birthday. Read more.

Included on the list: To Kill a Mockingbird, For Whom the Bell Tolls, War and Peace, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and The Origin of the Species. I hate reading lists like these because now I feel lame. I have NOT read Siddhartha, A Clockwork Orange or many others on this list.

Sigh. Have you read most of these? What would you add to the list?