These are the books that we've all either HAD to read, or chose to read to see if we could. Some of these selections are re-reads; a new perspective gained with each page. These books run the gamut from confusing to difficult. Feel free to add your personal "nightmare" reading material!
1

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3.76 avg rating — 138,358 ratings
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2

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3.43 avg rating — 560,645 ratings
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3

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4.03 avg rating — 1,056,854 ratings
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4

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3.44 avg rating — 922,998 ratings
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5

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3.90 avg rating — 2,108,433 ratings
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6

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4.17 avg rating — 367,400 ratings
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7

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3.53 avg rating — 238,477 ratings
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8

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3.93 avg rating — 7,040 ratings
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9

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3.68 avg rating — 13,664 ratings
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10

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4.03 avg rating — 207,128 ratings
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11

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3.93 avg rating — 512,414 ratings
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12

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3.91 avg rating — 238,282 ratings
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13

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4.10 avg rating — 936,433 ratings
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14

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3.86 avg rating — 183,319 ratings
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15

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3.84 avg rating — 303,500 ratings
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16

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3.86 avg rating — 196,705 ratings
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17

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3.99 avg rating — 48,140 ratings
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18

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3.50 avg rating — 348,964 ratings
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19

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3.46 avg rating — 98,892 ratings
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20

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3.89 avg rating — 337,940 ratings
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21

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4.05 avg rating — 30,117 ratings
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22

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3.96 avg rating — 279,046 ratings
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23

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3.84 avg rating — 223,208 ratings
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24

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4.02 avg rating — 48,491 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 337,735 ratings
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26

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4.39 avg rating — 389,868 ratings
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27

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3.98 avg rating — 2,087,537 ratings
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28

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4.44 avg rating — 646,215 ratings
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29

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3.38 avg rating — 181,230 ratings
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30

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4.21 avg rating — 219,264 ratings
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31

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4.11 avg rating — 547,272 ratings
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32

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4.45 avg rating — 319,827 ratings
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33

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4.09 avg rating — 202,088 ratings
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34

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3.57 avg rating — 618,165 ratings
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35

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4.03 avg rating — 998,424 ratings
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36

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4.10 avg rating — 1,488,910 ratings
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37

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3.98 avg rating — 125,678 ratings
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38

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3.91 avg rating — 1,907,285 ratings
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39

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3.96 avg rating — 21,917 ratings
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40

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3.98 avg rating — 131,943 ratings
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41

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3.69 avg rating — 407,676 ratings
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42

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4.20 avg rating — 5,504,396 ratings
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43

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4.07 avg rating — 357,906 ratings
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44

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3.94 avg rating — 66,877 ratings
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45

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3.77 avg rating — 99,335 ratings
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46

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3.89 avg rating — 366,157 ratings
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47

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3.19 avg rating — 19,717 ratings
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48

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4.14 avg rating — 461,781 ratings
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49

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4.10 avg rating — 53,754 ratings
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50

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4.17 avg rating — 28,609 ratings
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51

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,860,851 ratings
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52

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3.84 avg rating — 11,311 ratings
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53

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4.15 avg rating — 438,686 ratings
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54

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3.87 avg rating — 256,105 ratings
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55

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3.98 avg rating — 106,317 ratings
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56

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4.28 avg rating — 424,272 ratings
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57

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3.86 avg rating — 11,864 ratings
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58

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3.47 avg rating — 158 ratings
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59

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3.53 avg rating — 8,041 ratings
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60

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4.28 avg rating — 353,312 ratings
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61

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3.42 avg rating — 8,361 ratings
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62

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3.73 avg rating — 23,062 ratings
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62

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4.02 avg rating — 8,705 ratings
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64

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4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
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64

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4.13 avg rating — 64,712 ratings
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64

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4.83 avg rating — 111 ratings
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64

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3.46 avg rating — 2,847 ratings
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68

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4.17 avg rating — 94,629 ratings
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69

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3.87 avg rating — 950,266 ratings
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70

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3.77 avg rating — 12,499 ratings
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71

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3.77 avg rating — 150,173 ratings
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72

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3.84 avg rating — 35,791 ratings
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72

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4.15 avg rating — 1,821 ratings
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72

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3.77 avg rating — 9,335 ratings
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72

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3.85 avg rating — 3,382 ratings
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76

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3.85 avg rating — 504 ratings
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76

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4.25 avg rating — 2,259 ratings
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76

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4.09 avg rating — 31,497 ratings
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76

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4.02 avg rating — 962 ratings
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80

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3.95 avg rating — 733 ratings
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80

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3.27 avg rating — 705 ratings
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80

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4.11 avg rating — 573 ratings
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80

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3.59 avg rating — 343 ratings
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84

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3.79 avg rating — 24,431 ratings
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84

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3.88 avg rating — 2,774 ratings
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84

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3.39 avg rating — 264 ratings
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87

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3.94 avg rating — 34,317 ratings
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87

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3.83 avg rating — 3,419 ratings
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89

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3.62 avg rating — 6,344 ratings
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90

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3.18 avg rating — 224 ratings
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90

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4.05 avg rating — 18,076 ratings
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90

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3.85 avg rating — 1,655 ratings
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93

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3.98 avg rating — 13,196 ratings
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94

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3.97 avg rating — 13,938 ratings
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95

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3.60 avg rating — 30 ratings
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96

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liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
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97

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4.02 avg rating — 6,354 ratings
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98

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3.85 avg rating — 1,449 ratings
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99

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3.75 avg rating — 7,244 ratings
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100

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3.90 avg rating — 1,243 ratings
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106 books · 100 voters · list created June 18th, 2009 by Tara Lynn (votes) .
36 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Tara 2363 books
191 friends
Cristen 234 books
45 friends
A.M. 1422 books
310 friends
Leslie 2875 books
181 friends
Charlie 154 books
3 friends
Bradley 2370 books
4991 friends
Tamar 760 books
23 friends
Elise 5084 books
240 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by A.M. (new)

A.M. Great list; I always feel so guilty when I don't finish a book, but sometimes it is just impossible!


message 2: by Whitney FI (new)

Whitney FI I finished all the books for which I voted, but all took ample research, contemplation and discussion. It's those books that challenge, which are more rewarding, at least for me, in the end.


message 3: by Andrew (last edited Apr 22, 2014 11:40PM) (new)

Andrew Obrigewitsch Who is voting on this list? The Phantom of the Opera is only hard to read if you think Twilight is high literature.

Same goes for Brave New World, 1984, anything by John Steinbeck, The Shadow of the Torturer (not hard but it is weird), Fahrenheit 451 (this book is super easy to read actually) and I'm sure at least half the books I haven't read on this list are not that hard.

I would say that, "Heart of Darkness and the Congo Diary" is medium difficulty, above those listed above, but I didn't find it difficult either. The only book on hear I didn't finish was The Silmarillion, because it was just boring and felt like reading a really dry history book taken from the Bible.


message 4: by Milo (new)

Milo I agree with The Silmarillion, Andrews, but am surprised anyone found Fahrenheit 451 hard to read. Perhaps the list also includes books people were forced to read in class, when they weren't in the mood.


message 5: by A.M. (new)

A.M. Andrew wrote: "Who is voting on this list? The Phantom of the Opera is only hard to read if you think Twilight is high literature."

I think the list has changed since I last looked at it - just reviewed it all now and there's quite a few titles on there that I've read and not found difficult. But I suppose each person has their own standards of what they find difficult...


message 6: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jun 30, 2019 05:50AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Andrew wrote: "Who is voting on this list? The Phantom of the Opera is only hard to read if you think Twilight is high literature.

Same goes for Brave New World, 1984, anything by John Steinbeck, The Shadow of t..."


I'm sorry to disagree but Nineteen Eighty-Four (#48) was not exactly an 'easy' read for me either. I read books which others found difficult and vice versa. I agree with A.M. on this, what's easy for some isn't easy for another.

Beowulf (#20), for instance, is a great read, but to say it is easy? Not in my opinion....

Besides, the description clearly says These books run the gamut from confusing to difficult.


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