If you have seen a few episodes of the hit CBS drama, Criminal Minds (or binged all 15 seasons) you are familiar with Spencer Reid. The FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit wouldn’t be complete without him. The young and handsome whizz kid from Caltech is a genius with an IQ of 187 who can read 20,000 words per minute. Spencer Reid, who is a reading machine,  constantly mentions the books that he is reading, or has had his mom read to him. These are the books mentioned by Spencer Reid.

Really, any  book that’s a literary classic would qualify as a Reid-esque book. This FBI agent especially likes famous science fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels. 

So here is the definitive list of all 32 books mentioned by Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds.

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The Full List of Books Mentioned by Spencer Reid

1. The Narrative of John Smith by Arthur Conan Doyle
2. The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
3. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
4. Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle (Tristan and Isolde, #1) by Rosalind Miles
5. The Maid of the White Hands (Tristan and Isolde, #2) by Rosalind Miles
6. The Lady of the Sea (Tristan and Isolde, #3) by Rosalind Miles
7. Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander by Thomas Merton
8. Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton
9. Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut
10. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
11. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
12. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
13. Empty Planet by Darrell Bricker
14. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
15. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
16. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
17. Synchronicity by Jung
18. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
19. The Collector by John Fowles 
20. One Thousand and One Nights by Hanan Al-Shaykh
21. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 
22. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
23. Swann’s Way : In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
24. Inferno by Dante Alighieri
25. The Parliament of Fowls by Geoffrey Chaucer
26. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
27. The Arthurian Legends by Richard Barber
28. The Once and Future King by T.H. White
29. The Fisher King by Leonore Fleischer
30. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
31. Solaris by Stanisław Lem

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Some Of Our Spencer Reid Books Highlights Are…

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Sherlock Holmes Books by Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was a prolific writer who was most famous for Sherlock Holmes. Interestingly, his works also included science fiction stories, historical novels, plays, romances, poetry, and nonfiction. Doyle’s characters feel real. They are a treat to read. Perhaps the most famous book mentioned by Spencer Reid is The Narrative of John Smith, which was Doyle’s unpublished first novel, before he created Sherlock Holmes. This story is a complex and interesting tale involving true love and revenge. The other books mentioned are also classic sleuth tales.

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Tristan and Isolde Series by Rosalind Miles

Spencer Reid goes through this 3 part Saga in the show. The Tristan and Isolde series explores the romance of Isolde, the only daughter and heiress of Ireland’s great ruling queen. It is written in the style of rich prose. These books are fascinating because the reader gets the opportunity to see the demise of so many characters. These books will make your hearts ache for the star-crossed lovers.

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Thomas Merton Books

Thomas Merton was a Catholic priest and prolific writer that was known for his study and incorporation of eastern thought into his spirituality. Spencer at one point in Criminal Minds reads Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander – Merton’s collection of reflections on the world in the 1960s. In it, Merton discusses JFK, LBJ, Pope John XXIII, Gandhi, truth and violence. Merton’s reads are an inspiring window into his prayer, work, and meditation.

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Kurt Vonnegut Books

Spencer Reid mentions two Kurt Vonnegut Books throughout the series. Both books tell stories of World War 2 through interesting lenses – one through time travel and the other through the Nazi perspective. In Mother Night, Vonnegut tells the after war story of a Nazi propaganda radio star who is going to trial in Israel for war crimes. Slaughterhouse-Five is a classic (yet weird) book with a nonlinear timeline that is often read in American universities.

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Isaac Asimov Books
Our friend from Criminal Minds is into Science fiction. Specifically, Sci-Fi from the 1950s. You may recognize Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot, which was made into a movie starring Will Smith. The Caves of steel is another one of his classics. Asimov was very influential in the way people thought about the future

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We won’t give descriptions for all the rest of the books that Spencer Reid reads on Criminal Minds. These are more a hodge-podge of adventure, sci-fi, classic literature, and drama. We’ll just give you the list. Here you Go!

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And Then There’s the Rest – Other Books Mentioned by Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds

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In Conclusion

While you may not be reading 5 books a week, you can still take a recommendation from Spencer for  next read. If we missed any, feel free to comment on the name of the book below.

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Also check out : 

These aren’t books mentioned by Spencer Reid, but just fun journals for the hardcore fans. They make fun gifts. And lastly – a book by Spencer Reid himself.