Comments on Best Books Ever - page 54

i love the hunger games

Karen wrote: "What is with all the book snobs? This list is a popular vote for the best books. I'm guessing that means the best books to read, not necessarily the most well written, deep or thought provoking. ..."

Well said, Karen. Thank you for putting my thoughts into words :)

nicola wrote: "proof that the truth is not democratic =/

seriously, jane austen? errughhh."

agree...

I have to agree that there are some books on the list, that although they may be enjoyed by people, would not qualify to me, for the top 100 books of all time. But....nothing to be done about that, except maybe at the beginning of the list, if the website might take the time to explain what criteria people would consider for putting a book on the list, maybe that would help.

I've tried to vote for books that were memorable for me, that I think most people would benefit from reading, that I could not bear to think of them NOT existing. I've skipped over many that I enjoyed reading, but didn't qualify. I did not always vote for 'literature' or vote for something simply because it was well written. But everything I did vote for, was very well written.

I agree Liz. The criteria I have used is, "Is this something I would consider reading over & over again if it was the only book I had to read?"

That's a good criteria too, Rayni. :-)

I also seem to choose books that have inspired me to see the choices we can make in life to make our lives better and the world a better place.

Liz wrote: "I also seem to choose books that have inspired me to see the choices we can make in life to make our lives better and the world a better place."

I like that too.

Seriously? The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Harry Potter are the best books ever read. These people haven't read much apparently...

Nancy wrote: "Seriously? The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Harry Potter are the best books ever read. These people haven't read much apparently..."

Baby steps.

I just realized that the above list is in order. ??? Hunger Games is the #1 book of all time? I realize that it is a popular book right now, but a little perspective might be good. Also....how is it that 10,000+ people voted for it, but the score is over a million? Does that mean that people are voting multiple times? That is pretty confusing. Allowing multiple votes from any individual for one title, seems to be ineffective in producing a useful list. And I agree with everyone who has found the list, pretty disappointing and surprising. While there are books on the list that I believe belong there, they are in the minority. Much of the list looks like a 'currently popular' list. Was there opportunity to write in titles? I just got here, so I'm not sure. Because I would think there are a lot of titles that are missing from consideration.

Score is 100 points for a first-place vote, 99 points for a 2nd place vote, etc. So that math makes sense.

It's pretty easy to add books to lists; at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."

Liz wrote: "I just realized that the above list is in order. ??? Hunger Games is the #1 book of all time? I realize that it is a popular book right now, but a little perspective might be good. Also....how i..."

The score for being # 1 is "100 points", for #2, "99 points", etc. GR adds up the points for each individual list.

I've said it before...the only thing this list is actually good for is seeing the reaction of people who discover it for the first time.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I've said it before...the only thing this list is actually good for is seeing the reaction of people who discover it for the first time."

Hello, Paladin, fancy meeting you here at comments 2795-2796. Hope you weren't too bummed out by the election results. Much to be thankful for all the same, Nov 22, 2012.

Wait and see mode. Still participating in the "discussion". :)

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Wait and see mode."

It gets repetitive after a while. ;)

Kalin (of pages 38-47)

This is a popularity contest..

I like the huge variety in this list. It makes me curious about the not-so "popular" books on here... to see what they're all about.

This is what happens when eleven-year-olds are allowed to vote on literature.

I hope Perks of Being A Wallflower makes it higher up on the list, it is currently number 117, I believe it should be at least in the top 50 if not higher.

Hunger Games and Twilight are above things like The Stand and Atlas Shrugged? Priorities, people...

Are you kidding with me ??????

This list is dominated by YA readers. And why do books show up more than once? Because there are over 21,000 books! It's easier to add new than scroll through all of them!

this kind of list could be the result of a lot of people buying books at big box stores that only carry a few dozen of the same titles.

I'll put this list on the dictionary under the definition of "biased". LOL. Twilight? Harry Potter? c'mon!

This list is a bloody joke. Twilight over Harry Potter? Or even over most of the books?

How on earth did the last three Twilight books get into the top twenty?

Think about it...most of the voters are probably sparkly vampires.

Hey, at least they're reading.

....yyyeeesss. We can hope they may start thinking as well some day.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "....yyyeeesss. We can hope they may start thinking as well some day."

Good point.

:)

i want to red some books but i do not how i read ?? any body know how ??

Hi I am new!!!

Welcome to the asylum. :)

Book of Mormon is no longer on the list, so obviously it was an issue of small sample size at the time of the original comment. Basic math should put it on the list anyways, though. Mormons ARE typically big readers, and they will obviously all vote for the Book of Mormon. Any book that would be agreed upon as one of the best of all time by 10% of the overall population would likely place it in the top 100. No? And 100% of a small demographic is similar to 10% of a large demographic.

Actually Michael, The Triple Combination, which is a compilation of The Book of Mormon: ANOTHER Testament of Jesus Christ, The Doctrine & Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price is on page 4, #363. While The Book of Mormon alone is on page 8, #678.

How the hell can twilight be in first position? And where are the game of thrones? Jeeeezzz

The name of this list should be changed to 'best books ever according to barely literate adolescents and adult women whose work cubicles are covered with 'Hello Kitty' posters'. Other than that, fine work.

Any vote for a Best Anything is going to become a Favorite Anything, unless those being polled are scholars. Recent works gain from an immediacy benefit - people remember them more, which is why classics are all the more powerful if they are still remembered all these years later. Any book that has wide readership is going to get lots of votes, because a higher number of people have actually read it. I wouldn't denigrate any books on this list like so many are doing here to Twilight. I actually thought it was OK, not great, but I'm not shocked or offended to see it ranking high on a popularity list of best books.

Yeah, sometimes my sarcasm overrides my good sense and instead of being vaguely funny it just comes off as mean. My bad.

twilight?! really?

Josef wrote: "Todd wrote: "Best and worst list are certainly not meant to be definitive. Best and worst are so subjective. They are merely meant to elicit conversation and thought which they obviously have don..."

Josef wrote: "Todd wrote: "Best and worst list are certainly not meant to be definitive. Best and worst are so subjective. They are merely meant to elicit conversation and thought which they obviously have don..."

Okay, so you are admitting the book of morman is a work of fiction?

Deon wrote: "Okay, so you are admitting the book of morman is a work of fiction? "

Where did this come from?

The comment was a bit glib, I apologize. The sentiment remains. My opinion only, but I do not think this type of list is the right place to be promoting religious beliefs or religious texts, be they Mormon with the Book of Mormon, Christian with the Bible, Jewish with the Talmud, Islamic with the Quran, or any other religious text. While it might be offensive for me to make a glib comment about a religious book, and I do apologize, it is also from my perspective offensive to have that religion, or any other, so blatantly promoted on this type of book list directed at readers of literature, non-fiction, etc. If being Mormon brings you peace and serenity, wonderful! I applaud the comfort you take in your religion and hope it brings you solace throughout your life. However promotion of religious books fits much better into lists on inspirational texts.

As an addendum, maybe I am wrong and the rest of the readers enjoy religious texts with their literature lists. I am only one opinion.

I don't see the Percy Jackson books! <3
Also.. The Heroes of Olympus <3

EDIT: Oh... Sorry.. Second page xP
STILL THE BEST SERIES EVER! <3

Bee wrote: "why are none of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy on here?"
Check page 3...

Elizabeth wrote: "If you're groaning or confused about The Book of Mormon being at #1, I ask - have you ever read it? It's a fair question... I do agree w/the Twilight comment though - UGH. But hellooo, Farenheit ..."

I have tried to read it. Not readable. Neither is the Qu'ran to one without Arabic. Joseph Smith's writing cannot compare to, is not even readable for one familiar with Shakespeare, Moliere, Plautus, Lope de Vega, Calderon, Rousseau, Montesquieu (Lettres Persanes), Edward Gibbon, Byron, Wordsworth, Dickinson, Dickens, James, Joyce, WB Yeats, Eliot, even JK Toole, Saul Bellow and Updike and Sue Miller--etc. Of course, my favorite writers in the Bible are the authors of I and II Kings and I and II Samuel--I love to quote the Bible, "And he put them under axes and saws. So they died." Lovely, the Bible.