Top 100 Books to Read

[btownmeggy]

The funny part is you can actually see a five year old btownmeggy with a half-disgruntled half-puzzled look on her face say "what the f*ck?!" in perplexed anger.

Srsly.

[Napoleon Ier]

The funny part is you can actually see a five year old btownmeggy with a half-disgruntled half-puzzled look on her face say "what the f*ck?!" in perplexed anger.

Srsly.

No, I really can envisage that. Your generally dry, sardonic, unforgivingly cynical approach to all things religious paints a vivid picture.

[btownmeggy]

The funny part is you can actually see a five year old btownmeggy with a half-disgruntled half-puzzled look on her face say "what the f*ck?!" in perplexed anger.

Srsly.

No, I really can envisage that. Your generally dry, sardonic, unforgivingly cynical approach to all things religious paints a vivid picture.

(Oh, sorry, my "Srsly." was actually serious. You're pretty much right on.)

[JACKAZZTJM]

bro i say u read 100 books that interest u cause those top 100 might not be ur thing

[suggs]

bro i say u read 100 books that interest u cause those top 100 might not be ur thing

Engage your brain cell, old bean. How is he gonna know what books interest him before he reads them? Word of mouth with books is, like, TOTALLY, the way forward.

[jonesthecurl]

"The Sunne In Splendour" - Sharon Penman.

and even better, her "Here be Dragons". I got her to autograph a copy of that for my Dad (with a dedication in Welsh, no less). A huge shame she ended up cranking out historical murder mysteries for the dosh.

[jonesthecurl]

I have read an awful lot,(when I moved to the US I brought only 1,000 of around 4,000 books with me sadly) and much of it was awful - I do have low tastes for the most part (I admit to being a huge Edgar Rice Burroughs fan, though I can see why most people have no time for him).

I also love many other sf and fantasy authors, some of whose literary merits i would be far readier to defend.

For the slightly higher-brow approach though, Robertson Davies is a must among moderns, and Henry Fielding was the only one of the "classic" authors they made me read at school that really took with me. "Tom Jones" especially is a very fine read.

Chronologically between those two, don't forget Mark Twain, who's writing goes a lot wider than just Tom and Huck.

Going further back (to the first secular printing in English), Malory's "Morte d'Arthur" is still a stunning read, though most people need at least a slightly modernised version. How impressed am I? My son's middle name is "Arthur" and my daughter's is "Malory"

Our local library had a "vote for your favourite book of all time" thing recently, where they put on display what some of the voters had gone for. There were all sorts, from "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" to "Watership Down" to Steinbeck and Dickens. They didn't include my choice - "The Cream of the Jest" by James Branch Cabell. I don't think they had a copy, which is sad.

[Gypsys Kiss]

"The Sunne In Splendour" - Sharon Penman.

and even better, her "Here be Dragons". I got her to autograph a copy of that for my Dad (with a dedication in Welsh, no less). A huge shame she ended up cranking out historical murder mysteries for the dosh.

My favourite Penman book is Falls the Shadow. It was also my first. I picked it up because I used to live in the town where Simon de Montfort died. Since then I've read most of her books, but Falls remains my favourite

[Gypsys Kiss]

bro i say u read 100 books that interest u cause those top 100 might not be ur thing

Engage your brain cell, old bean. How is he gonna know what books interest him before he reads them? Word of mouth with books is, like, TOTALLY, the way forward.

I usually read the first few chapters and if I dont like 'em I dont read 'em no more(I might go back and try later).

There are so many books and not enough time.............

[Hitman079]

I have no idea if these things are age-appropriate, but:

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes- a mentally retarded man has an operation that makes him a genius and this is sort of like a journal on his experience (it's fictional, though). One of the most touching stories I've ever read.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell- not really a touching book or anything, but it's a great, epic tale and I really do think this is one of the best books American literature has to offer anyway.

[Hologram]

Read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul, both by Douglas Adams. Much better than Hitchiker's Guide, more of an intelligent humour.

Also, Dune is a very good read. Not so much the rest of the series unless you're really into it.

[Hologram]

But no matter what anyone tells you, do not, I repeat, DO NOT read Lord of the Flies. It's a great English class book because of all the symbolism and philosophy in literature, but as a casual read, it's a disgraceful excuse for a novel. Sir William Golding had no idea how to write a book with any kind of suspense at all.

[Napoleon Ier]

But no matter what anyone tells you, do not, I repeat, DO NOT read Lord of the Flies. It's a great English class book because of all the symbolism and philosophy in literature, but as a casual read, it's a disgraceful excuse for a novel. Sir William Golding had no idea how to write a book with any kind of suspense at all.

Wha...did he...wha?! You can't? What the hell man?!! That's one the greatest works of literature of the 20th century!

[JACKAZZTJM]

bro i say u read 100 books that interest u cause those top 100 might not be ur thing

Engage your brain cell, old bean. How is he gonna know what books interest him before he reads them? Word of mouth with books is, like, TOTALLY, the way forward.

U just flip the book over and read back

[Gypsys Kiss]

But no matter what anyone tells you, do not, I repeat, DO NOT read Lord of the Flies. It's a great English class book because of all the symbolism and philosophy in literature, but as a casual read, it's a disgraceful excuse for a novel. Sir William Golding had no idea how to write a book with any kind of suspense at all.

Wha...did he...wha?! You can't? What the hell man?!! That's one the greatest works of literature of the 20th century!

What Nappy said.

[jonesthecurl]

But no matter what anyone tells you, do not, I repeat, DO NOT read Lord of the Flies. It's a great English class book because of all the symbolism and philosophy in literature, but as a casual read, it's a disgraceful excuse for a novel. Sir William Golding had no idea how to write a book with any kind of suspense at all.

Wha...did he...wha?! You can't? What the hell man?!! That's one the greatest works of literature of the 20th century!

I agree with nappy Reagan...

[hammockboy1]

The Modern Library Source looks very good. it includes what I would call the bets novels I know of.

Animal farm, 1984, Atlas Shrugged

[daddy1gringo]

I can't believe neither of the lists included Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. Read that one a few years back when I had a flu the kept me in bed a couple of days, and was really glad i did. (that is, glad I chose to read it, not that I had the flu).

The readers' list looks more fun, but I agree with whoever said that all the Hubbard in the top few was probably planted by scientologists. That list gets my vote for including Bradbury, though. He's a personal favorite and very underrated, I think.

[bbqpenguin]

dunno if this has been mentioned yet, but Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy is by far the funniest book i've ever read. it's truly brilliant

[spurgistan]

I'm impressed at the amount of free time Randians have. Five books in the top fiction and non-fiction books of all time? Wow.

Oh, and Dune is number 15? This reader's list is skewed as hell, as well as favorinf high-school novels.

[jenny2008]

I liked "The Wedding" by Nicholas Sparks, of course I'm also a girl. It's a good book to read if you're married though.