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 — 139,397 ratings
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2

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3.43 avg rating — 565,133 ratings
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3

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4.03 avg rating — 1,068,072 ratings
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4

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3.44 avg rating — 928,745 ratings
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5

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3.90 avg rating — 2,210,183 ratings
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6

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4.17 avg rating — 370,444 ratings
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7

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3.53 avg rating — 239,504 ratings
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8

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3.93 avg rating — 7,052 ratings
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9

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3.68 avg rating — 13,719 ratings
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10

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4.03 avg rating — 208,971 ratings
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11

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3.93 avg rating — 517,698 ratings
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12

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3.91 avg rating — 240,054 ratings
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13

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4.11 avg rating — 945,544 ratings
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14

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3.86 avg rating — 184,716 ratings
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15

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3.84 avg rating — 305,125 ratings
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16

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3.86 avg rating — 198,049 ratings
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17

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3.99 avg rating — 48,504 ratings
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18

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3.50 avg rating — 350,573 ratings
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19

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3.46 avg rating — 99,451 ratings
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20

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3.89 avg rating — 339,036 ratings
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21

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4.05 avg rating — 30,590 ratings
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22

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3.96 avg rating — 282,179 ratings
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23

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3.84 avg rating — 225,025 ratings
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24

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4.02 avg rating — 49,061 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 341,294 ratings
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26

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4.39 avg rating — 397,450 ratings
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27

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3.98 avg rating — 2,106,883 ratings
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28

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4.44 avg rating — 662,453 ratings
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29

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3.38 avg rating — 183,169 ratings
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30

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4.21 avg rating — 222,939 ratings
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31

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4.10 avg rating — 553,316 ratings
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32

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4.45 avg rating — 322,414 ratings
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33

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4.09 avg rating — 205,255 ratings
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34

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3.57 avg rating — 622,981 ratings
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35

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4.03 avg rating — 1,006,243 ratings
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36

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4.10 avg rating — 1,499,717 ratings
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37

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3.98 avg rating — 126,625 ratings
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38

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3.91 avg rating — 1,939,604 ratings
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39

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3.96 avg rating — 22,107 ratings
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40

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3.98 avg rating — 134,461 ratings
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41

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3.69 avg rating — 409,093 ratings
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42

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4.20 avg rating — 5,581,182 ratings
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43

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4.07 avg rating — 381,602 ratings
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44

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3.94 avg rating — 67,279 ratings
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45

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3.77 avg rating — 99,702 ratings
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46

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3.89 avg rating — 369,687 ratings
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47

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3.19 avg rating — 19,851 ratings
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48

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4.14 avg rating — 463,502 ratings
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49

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4.10 avg rating — 53,951 ratings
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50

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4.17 avg rating — 29,010 ratings
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51

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,866,971 ratings
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52

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3.84 avg rating — 11,351 ratings
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53

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4.15 avg rating — 441,715 ratings
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54

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3.87 avg rating — 258,026 ratings
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55

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3.98 avg rating — 107,118 ratings
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56

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4.28 avg rating — 431,651 ratings
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57

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3.86 avg rating — 11,993 ratings
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58

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3.47 avg rating — 159 ratings
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59

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3.52 avg rating — 8,134 ratings
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60

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4.28 avg rating — 361,806 ratings
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61

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3.42 avg rating — 8,480 ratings
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62

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3.72 avg rating — 23,112 ratings
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62

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4.02 avg rating — 8,784 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 — 65,119 ratings
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64

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4.83 avg rating — 112 ratings
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64

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3.47 avg rating — 2,871 ratings
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68

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4.17 avg rating — 94,910 ratings
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69

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3.87 avg rating — 959,042 ratings
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70

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3.77 avg rating — 12,671 ratings
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71

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3.77 avg rating — 151,196 ratings
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72

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3.84 avg rating — 36,430 ratings
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72

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4.15 avg rating — 1,859 ratings
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72

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3.77 avg rating — 9,393 ratings
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72

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3.86 avg rating — 3,417 ratings
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76

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3.84 avg rating — 505 ratings
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76

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4.25 avg rating — 2,267 ratings
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76

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4.09 avg rating — 31,678 ratings
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76

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4.02 avg rating — 975 ratings
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80

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3.95 avg rating — 742 ratings
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80

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3.27 avg rating — 706 ratings
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80

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4.11 avg rating — 575 ratings
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80

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3.59 avg rating — 347 ratings
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84

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3.79 avg rating — 24,687 ratings
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84

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3.88 avg rating — 2,785 ratings
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84

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3.39 avg rating — 266 ratings
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87

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3.94 avg rating — 34,689 ratings
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87

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3.83 avg rating — 3,449 ratings
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89

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3.63 avg rating — 6,482 ratings
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90

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3.18 avg rating — 226 ratings
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90

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4.05 avg rating — 18,333 ratings
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90

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3.85 avg rating — 1,683 ratings
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93

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3.98 avg rating — 13,248 ratings
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94

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3.97 avg rating — 14,004 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 — 6,379 ratings
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98

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3.84 avg rating — 1,518 ratings
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99

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3.75 avg rating — 7,295 ratings
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100

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3.90 avg rating — 1,253 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 2367 books
192 friends
Cristen 234 books
45 friends
A.M. 1423 books
309 friends
Leslie 2890 books
181 friends
Charlie 154 books
3 friends
Bradley 2370 books
4989 friends
Tamar 760 books
23 friends
Elise 5128 books
241 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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