Top 10+ Best Telugu Books To Read

It is a collection of poetry written in the Telugu language by the prominent writer and National Award winner Srirangam Srinivasarao, also known as Sri Sri.

This book is regarded as an epic achievement of modern Indian poetry.

The Maha Prasthanam, which means “The Great Journey to a New World,” is a compilation of all poems written between 1930 and 1940.

However, it was first published in 1950. This release shook the Telugu literary world. One of the if not the best novels to read in telugu. 

Barrister Parvateesam is a 1924 comedy novel, written in the Telugu language by the famous writer Mokkapati Narasimha Sastry.

However, it was first published in three parts. The first part of the book demonstrates the struggle-filled life of Parvateesam (Main Character).

In the first part, the main character runs away from his home to become a barrister.

In the second part of the novel, Parvateesam reaches England and enrolls himself at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Vennello Aadapilla is a romantic novel written in Telugu by Yandamoori Veerendranath.

The whole novel is a mix of drama, knowledge, suspense, and more. A series was created based on this novel, for which the author was awarded the Nandi award for Best Director.

Moreover, the characters shown in this novel are very strong and beautiful, which makes this book interesting to read. 

Amaravati Kathalu is a compilation of 101 short stories written in Telugu by Satyam Sankaramanchi.

These short stories are about the village people of Amaravati. However, it was first published in the Aandhra Joyti newspaper.

After that, these stories were published in the form of a book by Navodaya Publishers. Moreover, the images illustrated in this novel were created by the famous artist Bapu. 

Veyi Padagalu is a popular novel written in Telugu by Viswanatha Satyanarayana. In English, Veyi Padagalu means “A Thousand Hoods.”

Here, hood refers to the hoods of the thousand-hooded snake god who acts as the divine protector of the village where the story is set.

This novel was written for a competition organized at Andhara University in the year 1934 , this is one of the most famous telugu books in India.

This unique novel by Ravuri Bhardwaj was the first Telugu book to use the film business as an object.

This novel made him win the most popular Jnanipith Award for Literature in the year 2013. The story of the novel focuses on showing the dark sides of the Telugu film industry.

Moreover, this novel revolves around the main character, Manjari, and how she rose from being an orphan theatrical artist named Mangamma to becoming a prominent Telugu cinema actress.

Siprali, or Ciprali, is an epic novel written by the famous poet Sri Sri in 1981 during his visit of Sri Wanguri Chitten King Garinta to Swadasturi.

He wrote these poems between 1945 and 1950. However, they are printed in a variety of journals.

With respect to the publication, Sri Sri Gary's handwritten book was initially published in 1981 in 50 copies by the Wanguri Foundation of America.

It is the Telugu version of Albert Camus's "The Outsider", written by Yandamuri Virendra Nath in the year 1992.

In this novel, the story revolves around the feelings of an old man who is ready to die in bed.

Moreover, the novel explores, in the depths of the heart, the man's external behavior, the inherent conflict within him, the bonds that bind him, and the greatness of love. 

Kashi Majili Kathalu is a compilation of short stories, written in 12 parts by Madhira Subban Dixit.

Kandula Suryarao and Rajahmundry at Ramamohana Press printed this book in the year 1934.

The story of the book revolves around the two main characters, Manisiddhudane Yati and Gopakumaruni.

They walk from the southern area to Kashi, which is one of the holiest places for Hindus.

Andhra Prasasti, a Telugu poem, was written by Viswanatha Satyanarayana.

This poetry is loaded with Telugu. However, the poet dedicated this poem to Mallampally Somasekhara Sharma.

This book focuses on the major episodes and stories of Telugu history, starting with Satavahana, Andhra Mahavishnu, Gautamiputra Satkarni, Madhava Varma, Vengi Kshetramu, Mukhalingamu, Nannaya Bhattu, Prolaraju, Kondaveeti Pogamabbulu, and Chandravanka Yuddhamu. 

In the early 16th century, Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagara Emperor, wrote the Telugu epic poem Amuktha Malyada.

Here, the name Amuktha Malyada means "one who presented the garland after wearing it himself."

This masterpiece by Krishnadevaraya demonstrates the marriage between Lord Ranganayaka, who is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and Goda Devi, the Tamil Alvar poet, and daughter of Periyalvar.

Budugu is a fictional novel written by Mullapudi Venkata Ramana.

In his novel, he created a fictional character named Budugu, which was actually the nickname of Ramana.

The book revolves around a young kid growing up in Andhra Pradesh. He has his own perspective towards life, and his dream is to become a horse-cart rider or a railway engineer. 

It is actually the autobiography of Gudipati Venkata Chalam, which he has written in his own words, but it was recorded by Narthaki.

In this autobiography, he talked about his inclination towards romance, his battle with his laughter because of his opinions, and his questions about life. 

His modern writing style made him one of the most influential people in Telugu literature.

It is an autobiography of Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, the first Chief Minister of the Hyderabad state.

In the princely state of Hyderabad, he was one of the Telugu-speaking politicians who stood up against the Nizam.

He was also a multilingual professor who was well-known for his knowledge of Sanskrit and Telugu. He was a poet and a translator as well.

Tilak Kadhalu is a famous novel written by Devarakonda Balgangadhara Tilak.

In this novel, he wrote a collection of short stories in which he spoke with clarity about humans as people.

For such a masterpiece, he was recognized as a brilliant and innovative writer.

Also, in 1970, he received the "Sahitya Academy Prize" for his collection of poems, Amrutham Kurisina Ratri, which was published in 1969.