List the Top Ten Books you've read (thus far)

1. 78

   Sarahredheadposted 13 years ago

   TOP TEN BEST BOOKS (yet...)
   
   
   If you are a ridiculous, I mean...er, avid reader like myself, then you will read just about anything. I have a love of so many authors, genres and subjects, but there are always a few that stay with me for many years. Sometimes it is difficult to find other voracious readers (probably because we have our noses in books somewhere) so I implore you; what were some of the best books you ever read? And why? I am describing books with which you connected, or couldn't stop thinking about for weeks, months or years. We all have a definition of what we believe a great read should be. Share the love, and the inspiration. After all, "we read to know we are not alone." (CSL)
   
   
   My favorite reads over the years, in no particular order:
   
   1.    The Outsiders by SE Hinton
   2.    Arundel By Kenneth Roberts
   3.    Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
   4.    Motherhood: The World’s Second Oldest Profession by Erma Bombeck
   5.    Annie Freeman’s FabulousTraveling Funeral by Kris Radish
   6.    Julia’s Chocolates by Cathy Lamb
   7.    InkHeart by Cornelia Funke
   8.    The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis
   9.    The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
   10.               Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

   replyreport
   1. 78

      Sarahredheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The Outsiders, which I read when I was 8, made me very aware of people as characters and souls, not the classes and categories into which society often places them. Arundel was one of the first historic adventure novels which completely transported me to another time and place; I stayed up all night to finish it. Ahab's Wife: I still think about scenes form that book. It was an amazing expanse of story, character, emotions.... It was one of the only books where a scene caught me off guard and I gasped out loud - that's a good book! I'll just say my own writing style pays homage to Erma and may her wit live forever on. She taught me to find the humor in almost everything. Julia's Chocolates was a delicious surprise with laughter and tears. Inkheart was one of the best adventures the children and I have read since Tolkein and Rowling. C.S. Lewis and his Narnia books were the first books I read as a child - and they left a permanent mark on my overactive imagination! So, too, did his best friend's works, Mr. Tolkein's literary wonders. I read Atals Shrugged last year and I loved it. For me, it was the intelligent combination of romance, conspiracy, prophecy, and I couldn't resist Dagny. She should have been a redhead!

      replyreport
   2. 78

      Sarahredheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I forgot to add The Agony and The Ecstasy by Irving Stone - as an artist, I could not get enough of that book! It re-read it every ten years!

      replyreport
2. 73

   livewithrichardposted 13 years ago

   I'll list the top 5 books that really made an impression on me. I was a history major in college so you might understand the reasoning behind some of my choices. Even though these books are fictional, they really captured the essence of the era they cover. 
   
   1. Shogun a novel of Japan by James Clavell
   2. Gai-Jin also by James Clavell
   3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
   4. Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry
   5. The Secret River, by Kate Grenville
   
   Clavell made me feel as if I were in feudal Japan.  Fitzgerald paints scenes with words and reminds us that chasing the 'American Dream' we should be prepared for an unhappy ending. McMurtry allowed me to live vicariously as a real cowboy. And Grenville showed me that Australia's beginnings were not that dissimilar to ours here in the US.
   
   I don't really have a favorite genre. I like books that have a  continuous storyline with characters that cross over into a series, characters that are intriguing and fully dimensional. Books like:
   
   W.E.B Griffin's Badge of Honor
   Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels
   The Left Behind series
   The Harry Potter series
   
   I also enjoy almost anything by John Grisham and Stephen King.

   replyreport
3. 78

   Sarahredheadposted 13 years ago

   Excellent!! I have read all but three of these.                                                                                                                          I remember reading the Red Badge in the 4th grade, and it was the first book I ever read which contained graphic descriptions of death and realistic war scenes. I went through a Fitzgerald addiction at one point, as well... you are exactly right - his language is so beautiful, so concise, and it DOES remind us of the pitfalls of the American dream.                                                                                                                         I must say my close encounter with cowboys came from all of my parents' LAmour novels: reading those made me want to learn to ride horses - which I did! And I can still conjure the smell of a campfire, thick slabs of bacon and camp coffee.                                                                                                                                                                                          Thanks for sharing the list!!!

   replyreport
4. 0

   Sherlock221bposted 13 years ago

   The books that make the biggest impression on me are self-help and science books.  I am not a big reader of fiction, except for the stories of Sherlock Holmes, which I enjoy reading over and over again.
   
   1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Dummies by Rob Willson &  Rhena Branch.
   2. A Seperate Creation by Chandler Burr.
   3. Mind Watching - Why We Behave The Way We Do by Hans and Michael Eysenck
   4. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
   5. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Sherlock221bposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is odd, when I consider that I have a personal library of over 6,000 books, yet can only remember five titles off the top of my head.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         Nurfninjaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         wow you're a lucky man.  6,000 books?   That's larger than my local library.

         replyreport
5. 59

   Jonathan Jancoposted 13 years ago

   1. Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
   2. Life, The Universe & Everything by Douglas Adams
   3. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
   4. How To Be Good by Nick Hornby
   5. World Without End, Amen by Jimmy Breslin
   6. The World According to Garp by John Irving
   7. Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey
   8. Enderby's End by Anthony Burgess
   9. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
   10. Romance of the Three Kingdoms (an oral tradition translated by Luo Guan Zhong, detailing the fall of the Han dynasty and the multifaceted conflicts that ensued afterwards, part of which inspired the film Red Cliffs)

   replyreport
   1. 74

      shoganposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If you haven't already, Jonathan, you should read Slaughterhouse Five.  Given your list, you're bound to like it.

      replyreport
      1. 59

         Jonathan Jancoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I did like Slaughter and Breakfast of Champions. They just didnt quite make the list. Def put both in the top20

         replyreport
   2. 61

      emichaelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I actually read my first Vonnegut a few months ago. Slaughter House Five. Since then I've been picking up every one of his I come across in used bookstores. I just got Timequake a couple days ago. Looks like that's the one I'll be reading next.

      replyreport
   3. 78

      Sarahredheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Oh these are reat lists!

      replyreport
6. 0

   Motown2Chitownposted 13 years ago

   Let's see....I'd say, to date the best ten books I've read are:
   
   1)   East of Eden - John Steinbeck
   2)   To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
   3)   Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
   4)   The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCollough
   5)   The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton
   6)   An American Tragedy - Theodore Dreiser
   7)   The Given Day - Dennis LeHane
   8)   Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
   9)   The Shell Seekers - Rosamunde Pilcher
   10)  The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory

   replyreport
   1. 61

      emichaelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I am sad to say that I have only read 2 of the books on your list (2 and 3). What of these is your top favorite?

      replyreport
      1. 0

         Motown2Chitownposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         My top favorites tie and they are East of Eden and To Kill a Mockingbird.
         
           Both brilliantly written, with fantastic characters.
         
         And, I should really have included Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  I love, love, love the book.

         replyreport
         1. 61

            emichaelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Of all Steinbeck's, I always hear the most praise for this one. I'll have to put it next on my list. Though with all of this writing we're doing lately, I haven't found much time for reading! But I'm not complaining.

            replyreport
            1. 0

               Motown2Chitownposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I've run into the same little conundrum on my end...lol  But, no complaints here either. 
               
               The book is phenomenal.  Full of fascinating characters and life lessons all over.  Worth every minute it takes to read, and you'll probably find yourself going back multiple times.  I've read it four times so far, and it awaits yet another reading from me.

               replyreport
7. 0

   Emile Rposted 13 years ago

   Shogun and King Rat by James Clavell. Something about Clavell, I love his work.
   
   The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
   The Thorn Birds by Coleen McColloch.
   Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
   The Shining by Stephen King
   The Painted House by John Grisham.
   Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.
   Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

   replyreport
8. 61

   emichaelposted 13 years ago

   Ok, let's see. In no particular order...
   
   1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
   2. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
   3. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
   4. Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut
   5. Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
   6. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
   7. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
   8. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
   9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   10. The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis

   replyreport
   1. 78

      Sarahredheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Sweet. My husband and I love Adams, and also Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett. But then again, I do love a good laugh! To Kill A Mockingbird should have been on my list as well! ALL of these are so great!

      replyreport
      1. 78

         Sarahredheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I see I have some new books to acquire...

         replyreport
      2. 61

         emichaelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         You know...I haven't read any Gaiman yet, but I've heard good things. What's his style?

         replyreport
         1. 78

            Sarahredheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            He writes with wit, irony, and a wicked clever style. I think you'll love it!

            replyreport
   2. 0

      Motown2Chitownposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      There are a few on your list that I haven't read also...I have to check out the Lewis trilogy.  I've read a lot of his Christian books, as well as "A Grief Observed," but not a lot of his others.  And, can you believe it?  I've never read a single thing by Vonnegut.

      replyreport
      1. 61

         emichaelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         See and I'm the opposite. I've only really read his fiction. The Space Trilogy is great not only because it's a good, fun story, but the depth of the theology and philosophy will knock your socks off. Especially in the second book, Perelandra. Also, you should look into Till We Have Faces, if you haven't heard of it. It's a retelling of the story of Cupid and Psyche. Very, very excellent.
         
         Yeah, Vonnegut has become one of my favorites. I feel like being a fan of Douglas Adams, you would appreciate him. They're not totally alike, but they have a similar zany quality in their storytelling.

         replyreport
         1. 78

            Sarahredheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I have a collection of all Lewis' works - and I must agree. In fact, he is so uniqie as an author that in my mind he has his very own category. Til We Have Faces was superb, indeed. And myhusband (sci fi freak) and I both savored his space trilogy. If you're a thinker on any level, you won't be disappointed. Lewis always provides meat for the mind, regardless of genre!

            replyreport
            1. 0

               Motown2Chitownposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               That's it!  I'm sold.  The next thing I purchase will be Lewis' space trilogy.  You've both convinced me it will be well worth the read.
               
               

               replyreport
               1. 61

                  emichaelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  In case you haven't gotten these yet...just a little nudge in that direction
                  
                  http://www.amazon.com/Space-Trilogy-Per … amp;sr=8-5
                  
                  You are welcome.

                  replyreport
9. 0

   adeaugustusposted 13 years ago

   Ok. I love reading so i dont have a special genre. I just read anything, that suits my mood.
   1. Harry potter series started reading at the age of 7 { J.K ROWLINGS}
   2. Chronicles of narnia {C.S LEWIS}
   3. Robinson Crusoe {DANIEL DEFOE} read at the age of 8
   4. Every book written by Join Grisham. Everything.
   5. All of mario puzo's work.
   6.Jurasic Park by Michael Crichton
   7. The Da vinci code by Dan Brown
   8. Prince of Beverely Hills
   9. Digital Fortress
   10. All of Tom clancy's work.

   replyreport
   1. 61

      emichaelposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You know...Jurassic Park and Lost World are the only Crichton books I haven't read. I think it's because I am so familiar with the movies. I have a hard time getting into a book if I've already seen the movies.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         DNCalkinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         For what it's worth, I can say that Jurassic Park is absolutely unrecognizable as a movie.  This isn't necessarily an endorsement of the book, but the two share titles, basic concepts and character names and the similarities end there.

         replyreport
10. 66

    KBEvolveposted 12 years ago

    As far as fantasy goes, the Song of Ice and Fire ruined me for all else. Admittedly it went downhill somewhat in the last two books but I still rank it as the best series I've read in that genre.

    replyreport
    1. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I have not read that - I will have to check that out!! Thanks - I am ALWAYS looking for a great read!

       replyreport
11. 71

    WriteAngledposted 12 years ago

    I have an annotated list on my blog of the 100 books that have left the greatest impression on me over my decades of reading.
    
    If anyone is interested, it is at:
    http://writeangledwrites.blogspot.com/2 … tated.html

    replyreport
12. 84

    rebekahELLEposted 12 years ago

    some of my favorites
    
    most of Michael Crichton's books - simply brilliant writer/storyteller
    http://www.michaelcrichton.net/books.html
    The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy/Tolkien
    Anna Karenina/Tolstoy
    Pride and Prejudice/Jane Austen
    Girl With a Pearl Earring/Tracy Chevalier - her books are like reading art.
    I loved reading the illustrated version of The DaVinci Code/Dan Brown.
    The Yearling and Cross Creek/Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
    Walden/Thoreau

    replyreport
    1. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Great list! I have read three of Tracy Chevalier's books - including Pearl Earring - and they are indeed like reading art.

       replyreport
13. 59

    truebluewriterposted 12 years ago

    Her's my list:
    
    LOTR series
    harry potter series
    Song of ice and fire series
    Gates of fire
    acts of faith
    The paolo coehlo books
    Dan browns books
    The 5 people you meet in heaven
    Memoirs of a geisha
    To kill a mocking bird
    
    Thats actually a lot more than ten but i'm not really good at ranking them. I like them all equally i guess

    replyreport
    1. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I should have included Harper Lee's masterpiece somewhere on my list as well...in fact, I just finished reading it to my kids. Great list. I never have read Memoirs; may have to pick up a copy!

       replyreport
14. 0

    juliafranceschiniposted 12 years ago

    This is fun. I love writing about books. I'm just going to do top 5 though, because trying to sort out a top ten seems too daunting to me...
    
    1. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell: This is a book that I reread once every year. And every year I find something new to like about it. Sometimes it's really hilarious, sometimes it's really disturbing, sometimes it's really astute. I love Orwell's conception of a society built on fear, control, and surveillance. And to be honest, half the time I think the Party's politics could actually work. Plus, I love the concept of solipsism and how reality is "inside the skull" as O'Brian would say.
    
    2. The Trial, Franz Kafka: It's an infuriating read and makes me frustrated just thinking about it. I love how Kafka describes space or how space closes in on his characters. And I like that the events in his stories don't always make sense. His subtle humor also really gets me.
    
    3. The Plague, Albert Camus: A great introduction to existentialism. I always try to live my life like the main character, but I don't know if I'd be able to find meaning during a plague. It's hard to find meaning during this financial crisis.
    
    4. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley: I love Gothic fiction. And I'm so impressed with Mary Shelley's inventive story. There are so many ways to interpret this novel.
    
    5. Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling: Genius concept that never once gets boring during all 7 books.

    replyreport
    1. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Superb list. I must read The Trial; it sounds like a challenge! And the kids and I couldn't agree more with #5: My husband and I started reading the series long before the movies existed, and all seven books kept us reading far into the night!

       replyreport
15. 72

    marriedwithdebtposted 12 years ago

    This is a tough one, but in no particular order
    
    Brightness Falls - Jay McInerney
    Hotel New Hampshire - John Irving
    Black Lamb, Grey Falcon - Rebecca West
    Rising Up and Rising Down - William T. Vollman
    The Stranger - Albert Camus
    The Hawkline Monster - Richard Brautigan
    Bound for Glory - Woody Guthrie
    Money - Martin Amis
    Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
    On the Road - Jack Kerouac

    replyreport
    1. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I definitely have some books to buy. I have only read two on your list, so let the reading begin. Atlas is one of my top ten as well!

       replyreport
16. 60

    DNCalkinsposted 12 years ago

    In no particular order and subject to change at any time:
    
    Audrey Hepburn's Neck by Alan Brown
    The Roaches Have No King by Daniel Evan Weiss
    A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin
    The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
    The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
    Commentarii de Bello Gallico by Julius Caesar
    Taiko by Eiji Yoshikawa
    The Serpent and the Rainbow
    Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
    From Hell by Alan Moore
    
    I'll admit that this list shows a slight bias for Japanese related material that is misleading.  In general, I have no particular taste for most Japanese related literature, but the entries here were unavoidable!

    replyreport
    1. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       This is a really cool list. I have only read two of these books, so thank you for pointing me in a new direction!

       replyreport
       1. 60

          DNCalkinsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Happy to be of service.

          replyreport
17. 60

    Captain Redbeardposted 12 years ago

    I love to read but usually that means I am reading articles and columns and not to many books. So when I do read I tend to stick with who I generally like and usually only read other authers when forced too, by hospital bed, airplane excedellla excedellla excedellla Sorry, for those of you who got that you may think it's funny. I did. Anyway.....
    
    TOP TEN LIST IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
    
    1. The Hobbit
    2. The Stand
    3. Dean Koontzs  Frankenstein Series
    4. The B.F.G. By Raul Daul
    5. Harris and Me
    6. The Green Mile
    7. Why I Stayed by Gayle Haggard
    8. The Visitation
    9. All Calvin and Hobbes collections = ) Yes they count lol
    10. The Shack
    
    I like all these for different reasons but with having 5 kids the best reading time I get in is usually when I can fit in only a thousand words or so which is why the majority of my reading are columns or articles.

    replyreport
    1. 69

       Tusitala Tomposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Like SarahRedhead, I could not begin to estimate how many books I've read.  After all I joined my first public library at age 12 and have been an avid reader for 63 years.   I've even written over a dozen books, numerous short stories, poems, essays, articles, film scripts myself.   So what are my favourite or best 12 books?
       
       Not easy.   I used to enjoy reading John Steinbeck, but not all of his stuff.  I liked Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, and his play, The Moon in Down.
       
       Hemingway I also liked.  Snows of Kilimanjaro, and especially his story The Old Man and the Sea.
       
       Then the Master of Story, Rober Louis Steveson and his classic kid's story, Treasur Island.
       
       But mostly nowadays I'm into non-fiction, books such as those written by Wayne W Dyer, Joseph Murphy, Maxwell Matlz, Roberto Assagioli, Louise L Hay - all popular psychology and new age stuff.
       
       I even started to read my own work, the fiction first- stuff I wrote 20, 30 and 40 years back and find myself enjoying it.
       
       As I said, I hardly know where to start.

       replyreport
       1. 78

          Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I wrote this in another hub, but it is pretty funny. Since we're all discussing our literary addiction:
          
          TOP TWENTY-FIVE SIGNS YOU READ TOO MUCH
          
          
          (Not that you could ever read too much!!!)
          
          25. After hearing about an interesting dilemma or some juicy gossip, you tell people, “You should write a book…” and you mean it.
          
          24. You hear gossip and you say, “I read that in a book once…” and proceed to discuss the plot.
          
          23. You accidentally sign your checks with your pen name.
          
          22. You hear someone else’s name and tell them it would make a great pen name.
          
          21. You randomly quote book lines in conversation.
          
          20. Your children are named after your favorite characters or authors.
          
          19. You recognize archetypal patterns within your family.
          
          18. You compare everyday life to plot structures and decide whether or not you’re the antagonist.
          
          17. You are genuinely shocked when you meet someone who hates to read.
          
          16.You try to convert a non-reader into a bibliophile.
          
          15. You can read the inside cover of a book and know instantly whether or not you will like it.
          
          14.You tell people, “Just give me the cliff notes version.”
          
          13.Embarrassingly, you seem to know something about every topic people are discussing.
          
          12.When asked how you know something, you always answer, “I read it in a book.”
          
          11.Research should be your middle name.
          
          10.Your house has more shelves than furniture.
          
          9. People view your home as a local library, and use it accordingly.
          
          8. You use phrases such as, “I’m sorry, I lost the plot,” or “Are you giving me the unabridged version?”
          
          7. Your cat’s name is Frodo.
          
          6. The bookstore knows you on a first name basis.
          
          5. The book is always better than the movie.
          
          4. You refer to phases in your life as “chapters”.
          
          3. You own more than one dictionary, and they’re huge.
          
          2. You claim you can write better than some of the crap you’ve read, even though you've never published anything.
          
          1. You are the only one you know who doesn’t think climax is a sexual term.

          replyreport
    2. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I love it. Having three kids, I stay afloat in the world of YA and children's lit! There's some really great stuff out there. Fine list - I have to agree with the articles notion... It's touch and go so often taht articles must fill my literary void until I can find time for a book!

       replyreport
       1. 78

          Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I have written many poems, short stories, and two bokks of sorts...I have never gone back to read them years later. Perhaps I should give it a try!

          replyreport
       2. 60

          Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I agree my son being 8 years old means that right now we are half way thru the Spiderwick Chronicles and I have to say I enjoy the adventure! Stuff I never would have read if I didn't have kids.

          replyreport
18. 60

    5mics123posted 12 years ago

    I love to read and suggest that everyone does the same, and if you want I have a list of books that are really great. Some are a little expensive but are worth it.
    
    Go here if you are interested.
    mylitteplaceofentertainment.3dcartstores.com/BOOKS-YOU-MUST-READ_c_26.html
    

    replyreport
19. 60

    DNCalkinsposted 12 years ago

    Why not post your list in this thread?

    replyreport
20. 93

    habeeposted 12 years ago

    1. Chesapeake - James Michener
    
    2. Grapes of Wrath - Steinbeck
    
    3. Tess of the D'urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
    
    4. Harvest Home - Thomas Tryon
    
    5. Hunter's Horn - Harriet Arnow
    
    6. The Stand - Stephen King
    
    7. Ghost Story - Peter Straub
    
    8. Lyrical Ballads - Wordsworth and Coleridge
    
    9. New Testament
    
    10. anything by Dickens

    replyreport
    1. 60

       Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I hate to sound stupid but what is your take on the Grapes of Wrath? I like Steinbeck but have yet to travel farther than, Of Mice and Men. I am interested in The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon is Down and a few others though.

       replyreport
21. 78

    barryrutherfordposted 12 years ago

    These are mine
    
    
    http://barryrutherford.hubpages.com/hub … our_life_3

    replyreport
22. 58

    A Troubled Manposted 12 years ago

    Ulysses
    Lord of the Flies
    Brave New World
    Of Mice and Men
    Les Miserable
    Catch 22
    Great Expectations
    A Tale of Two Cities
    The Great Gatsby
    Wuthering Heights
    East of Eden
    To Kill A Mockingbird

    replyreport
23. 77

    sunforgedposted 12 years ago

    Its cool to see so many shared "tops", will have to glean through and find some unknown treasures for myself.
    
    In no particular order, just glancing at my bookshelf.
    
    
    Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Foer
    The Shogun Series - Clavelle
    Magister Ludi - Hesse  (But Anything by Hesse is a must read)
    Cats Cradle - Vonnegut (same deal)
    1984 - Orwell
    Hotel New Hampshire - John Irving (he has a new book coming out!)
    On a Pale Horse - Piers Anthony (Incarnations of Immortality series)
    All Things Wise and Wonderful - James Herriot (again, the whole series works for me)
    The Laws of Success- Napoleon Hill
    Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins (suggested that one read them all!)
    
    I would throw in an Asimov,Adams or Gaiman title but this list was hard enough.
    
    I did a top ten most influential books list ... which varies a bit from this list
    
    http://sunforged.hubpages.com/hub/Books … Best-Books
    
    i think the adams/vonnegut fans would really enjoy robbins and gaiman , at least thats how I "discovered" those two authors
    
    
    lord of the flies and the jungle belong in there ..they were just to thin to stand out on the shelf, ten is to little to choose!

    replyreport
24. 62

    SunSevenposted 12 years ago

    I'd rather list them as my top 10 best authors, because I read all of their published books. But honestly, I cannot rate them in terms of numbers.
    
    Jack London
    Wilbur Smith
    James Herriot
    James Clavell
    Louis L'Amour
    James Michener
    Irwing Wallace
    Alistair McLean
    Desmond Bagley
    Umberto Eco
    
    Plus
    
    Hammond Inns
    Sidney Sheldon
    Tagore
    James Hadley Chase
    Durga Prasad Khatri
    Ayn Rand
    Uri Bondarev
    Michail Sholokhov
    Gorky
    M.T. Vasudevan
    Thakazhi
    Vaikom Mohammed Basheer
    
    
    Not in any particular order, that is.
    
    Best Regards
    SunSeven

    replyreport
    1. 78

       Sarahredheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Niiiiiice......I definitely have some new books to borrow/check out/purchase!

       replyreport
    2. 61

       emichaelposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Which Umberto Eco book was your favorite? I am trying to decide which of his I should read first...

       replyreport
       1. 59

          carol3sanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          1 To Kill a Mocking Bird
          2 Jane Erye
          3 Little women
          4 Gone with the Wind
          5 A Tale of Two Cities
          6 Scarlet letter
          7 Valley of the Dolls
          8- Helter Skelter
          9 Several Steven King's books

          replyreport
25. 67

    relacheposted 12 years ago

    I'm going to have to go with my ten most recent best reads as my reading habits are too prolific otherwise.
    
    Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
    Anathem by Neal Stephenson
    The Black Sun: The Alchemy and Art of Darkness by Stanton Marlon
    The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
    The Ecotechnic Future by John Michael Greer
    The Miracle of Life by JG Ballard
    Zero History by William Gibson
    Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

    replyreport
26. 52

    Travis Mcgeeposted 7 years ago

    I compiled my top 10 all time books into a Best books to read in 2017 list. It basically contains the entire Hitchhiker's Guide series as the Trilogy of 5 are my favourites

    replyreport
27. 71

    Aime Fposted 7 years ago

    Old thread and spammy resurrection but I'm posting anyway.
    
    Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
    Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
    Life of Pi by Yann Martel
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
    Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
    American Gods by Neil Gaiman
    Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
    Maus by Art Spiegelman
    A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

    replyreport