Books That Exceeded Your Expectations (14694 books)

These are books that pleasantly surprised you. They could be classics that you really loved or more recent fiction that just caught you off guard by its greatness.

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1	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.35 avg rating — 9,815,727 ratings score: 160,404, and 1,628 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,857,410 ratings score: 112,555, and 1,142 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 3,468,615 ratings score: 104,917, and 1,066 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 11,313,430 ratings score: 100,412, and 1,026 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	A Story of Yesterday by Sergio Cobo 4.53 avg rating — 19,149 ratings score: 84,700, and 847 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 1,695,184 ratings score: 79,604, and 812 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson 4.18 avg rating — 3,428,296 ratings score: 74,357, and 777 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.26 avg rating — 6,827,286 ratings score: 72,981, and 758 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 3,001,968 ratings score: 71,554, and 740 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,854,119 ratings score: 58,992, and 608 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4.29 avg rating — 4,757,492 ratings score: 57,612, and 598 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 4.16 avg rating — 2,102,953 ratings score: 54,419, and 565 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon 3.89 avg rating — 1,589,260 ratings score: 52,514, and 543 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins 4.35 avg rating — 4,117,654 ratings score: 51,109, and 538 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7) by J.K. Rowling 4.62 avg rating — 4,084,790 ratings score: 48,733, and 511 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.45 avg rating — 1,722,670 ratings score: 48,563, and 508 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	1984 by George Orwell 4.20 avg rating — 5,399,929 ratings score: 48,510, and 517 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Elephant Tree by R.D. Ronald 3.90 avg rating — 39,989 ratings score: 46,528, and 494 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 3.86 avg rating — 2,456,265 ratings score: 46,027, and 481 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.67 avg rating — 7,257,906 ratings score: 45,335, and 468 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium #2) by Stieg Larsson 4.26 avg rating — 982,719 ratings score: 41,675, and 456 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Host (The Host, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.86 avg rating — 1,046,736 ratings score: 41,466, and 430 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.16 avg rating — 2,307,176 ratings score: 41,273, and 435 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3) by J.K. Rowling 4.58 avg rating — 4,798,183 ratings score: 36,099, and 388 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 1,352,799 ratings score: 35,744, and 378 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4) by J.K. Rowling 4.57 avg rating — 4,162,218 ratings score: 33,893, and 367 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 1,272,202 ratings score: 33,064, and 349 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Life of Pi by Yann Martel 3.94 avg rating — 1,746,497 ratings score: 33,017, and 346 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Zombie Room by R.D. Ronald 3.92 avg rating — 39,823 ratings score: 32,253, and 343 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.31 avg rating — 1,253,917 ratings score: 31,759, and 339 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 326,010 ratings score: 31,016, and 324 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin 4.45 avg rating — 2,718,804 ratings score: 29,304, and 313 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer 4.19 avg rating — 806,435 ratings score: 28,730, and 309 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4.31 avg rating — 714,601 ratings score: 27,980, and 293 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 4.11 avg rating — 790,701 ratings score: 27,670, and 293 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 574,529 ratings score: 25,634, and 271 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 2,397,005 ratings score: 25,571, and 281 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.30 avg rating — 4,427,905 ratings score: 25,569, and 281 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 4.04 avg rating — 662,087 ratings score: 25,529, and 268 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 1,109,231 ratings score: 25,456, and 276 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 5,862,732 ratings score: 25,242, and 274 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 164,456 ratings score: 25,155, and 275 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 1,348,986 ratings score: 25,137, and 273 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 833,891 ratings score: 25,017, and 274 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master by K. Ritz (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 27,780 ratings score: 24,981, and 265 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 3,263,782 ratings score: 24,881, and 271 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 1,147,681 ratings score: 24,537, and 261 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 3,533,247 ratings score: 24,519, and 261 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 1,072,609 ratings score: 24,490, and 259 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Never Lie by Freida McFadden (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 1,397,691 ratings score: 23,955, and 254 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.99 avg rating — 2,062,329 ratings score: 23,739, and 266 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1) by Thomas Harris 4.07 avg rating — 371,433 ratings score: 23,649, and 256 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 629,952 ratings score: 22,981, and 244 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 739,439 ratings score: 22,939, and 242 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Woman in Cabin 10 (Lo Blacklock, #1) by Ruth Ware (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 761,888 ratings score: 22,659, and 243 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins 4.12 avg rating — 3,687,168 ratings score: 22,553, and 249 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 296,074 ratings score: 22,025, and 235 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 3,420,892 ratings score: 21,978, and 245 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (Goodreads Author) 3.64 avg rating — 708,087 ratings score: 21,873, and 233 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 366,925 ratings score: 21,834, and 235 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.90 avg rating — 2,023,472 ratings score: 21,799, and 241 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.31 avg rating — 1,468,402 ratings score: 21,575, and 231 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Road by Cormac McCarthy really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,028,588 ratings score: 21,423, and 229 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.97 avg rating — 2,805,707 ratings score: 21,275, and 243 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 3.94 avg rating — 880,420 ratings score: 21,218, and 227 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	You (You, #1) by Caroline Kepnes (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 290,482 ratings score: 21,145, and 225 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Family Upstairs (The Family Upstairs, #1) by Lisa Jewell (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 557,043 ratings score: 20,500, and 219 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2) by Freida McFadden (Goodreads Author) 4.17 avg rating — 1,530,089 ratings score: 19,998, and 213 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.70 avg rating — 3,177,506 ratings score: 19,818, and 224 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Goodreads Author) 3.64 avg rating — 1,837,205 ratings score: 19,659, and 212 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 3,407,302 ratings score: 19,645, and 212 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.28 avg rating — 748,985 ratings score: 19,517, and 214 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 4,353,544 ratings score: 19,099, and 210 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.21 avg rating — 840,277 ratings score: 18,962, and 202 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 4.05 avg rating — 1,205,578 ratings score: 18,694, and 203 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 90,081 ratings score: 17,321, and 182 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 198,177 ratings score: 17,223, and 182 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 3.87 avg rating — 939,441 ratings score: 16,777, and 180 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3.80 avg rating — 276,023 ratings score: 16,392, and 177 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author) 4.52 avg rating — 1,074,590 ratings score: 16,324, and 176 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Three Witches and The Master by Max Nowaz (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 17,841 ratings score: 16,226, and 173 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 2,787,087 ratings score: 15,781, and 178 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 4.32 avg rating — 1,015,985 ratings score: 15,655, and 175 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 4.12 avg rating — 1,096,379 ratings score: 15,630, and 169 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Viciously Yours (Fae Kings of Eden, #1) by Jamie Applegate Hunter (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 43,617 ratings score: 15,568, and 164 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 434,460 ratings score: 15,438, and 164 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 692,511 ratings score: 15,398, and 163 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Animal Farm by George Orwell 4.02 avg rating — 4,499,065 ratings score: 15,354, and 172 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Murder on Family Grounds (Mary Wandwalker #3) by Susan Rowland (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 16,715 ratings score: 15,332, and 163 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Pericles and Aspasia: A Story of Ancient Greece by Yvonne Korshak (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 15,796 ratings score: 15,114, and 161 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Atonement by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 561,202 ratings score: 14,741, and 162 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 552,360 ratings score: 14,603, and 159 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 223,613 ratings score: 14,464, and 159 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 3.90 avg rating — 2,812,230 ratings score: 14,407, and 165 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	The Only One Left by Riley Sager (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 589,753 ratings score: 14,395, and 153 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 5,679,174 ratings score: 14,336, and 160 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 1,211,714 ratings score: 14,292, and 160 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 2,157,207 ratings score: 14,196, and 156 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Being a Witch, and Other Things I Didn't Ask For by Sara Pascoe (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 26,877 ratings score: 14,086, and 148 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Taming Flame by Therisa Peimer (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 16,711 ratings score: 13,928, and 147 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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14,694 books · 16,409 voters · list created July 29th, 2008 by Rob (votes) .

Tags: exceeded-expectations, fiction, non-fiction

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Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (16409)

Rob 232 books
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Robert 432 books
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Lauren 1842 books
315 friends

Corina 4125 books
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ExistenGuy 123 books
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Aaron 2822 books
290 friends

Rae-Nani 3535 books
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Matt 416 books
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Comments Showing 1-39 of 39 (39 new)

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message 1: by Ale and Vicki (new)

Dec 07, 2010 06:54PM

Why Twilight? That was a let down..

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message 2: by X (new)

Dec 08, 2010 09:50PM

The Hunger Games. I thought it looked dumb when I read the description, but once I started the book I couldn't put it down...

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message 3: by Alenka (new)

Jul 02, 2011 11:19PM

Aurora wrote: "The Hunger Games. I thought it looked dumb when I read the description, but once I started the book I couldn't put it down..."

Same here.

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message 4: by Breanne (new)

Jul 20, 2011 12:45PM

The Tiger series definitely fit in this list :)

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message 5: by Danna (new)

Aug 05, 2011 02:01AM

I have to admit, not many books exceeded my expectations. In fact, I was very dissapointed of a great amount of the books considered to be "amazing", such as The Time Traveler's Wife, The Shadow of the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, Twilight and Eat, Pray, Love - all of them really really bad, in my opinion ><

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message 6: by Valerie (new)

Mar 01, 2012 04:50AM

Ale and Vicki wrote: "Why Twilight? That was a let down.."

Despair not! That simply means expectations were piss poor to begin with. :)

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message 7: by Jen (new)

May 14, 2012 09:31AM

Ale and Vicki wrote: "Why Twilight? That was a let down.."

This was the first book I read since high school, and it just drew me in and reminded me how much I love and miss reading. For that reason it will always be one of my favorites.

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message 8: by Grace (new)

Jun 07, 2012 09:08PM

I must admit I do love a good romance and Twilight is certainly one, the thing I do like however is not the vampire or werewolf aspect but the differences I discover on each reading. The movies tie in very well with the written word and I personally have never been disappointed by either. The supernatural just makes the story different but the ability to make a FF of the characters shows how the general writing public adores the presentation of those personalities.

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message 9: by [deleted user] (new)

Nov 07, 2012 01:54PM

Great list! Awesome books!

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message 10: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Mar 30, 2013 05:59AM) (new)

Mar 30, 2013 05:42AM

Several titles in this list made me wonder whether some voters also voted on books that lived up to their expectations, instead of just voting for books that exceeded their expectations...

And yes, I only voted for books that exceeded my expectations, not the ones that lived up to it :-) Some authors I expect exceptional books from, like Jane Austen, George Eliot, Margarat Atwood, Thomas Hardy, and so on, and I've have never been disappointed so far. But their books do not exceed my expectations, as I already expected a lot of them before I started.

@Hercina
You are not the only one with doubts about this list :-)

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message 11: by Grace (new)

Jul 15, 2014 02:08PM

Alenka wrote: "Aurora wrote: "The Hunger Games. I thought it looked dumb when I read the description, but once I started the book I couldn't put it down..."

Same here."

I'd have to say I was the opposite. I heard so many great things about the Hunger Games and then I was really disappointed by the development of the plot and the characters. I feel like the story had a great concept but that the characters ruined it for me.

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message 12: by Ashley (new)

Jan 21, 2015 09:45AM

hi everybody

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message 13: by Cherryl (new)

Jun 08, 2015 09:25AM

I don't understand why this page shows that I've read 0 books on this list when I've read quite a few. I've voted on the books I've read.

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message 14: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jun 08, 2015 09:56AM) (new)

Jun 08, 2015 09:54AM

Cherryl wrote: "I don't understand why this page shows that I've read 0 books on this list when I've read quite a few. I've voted on the books I've read."

Did all the books you voted for show up as 'read' in this Listopia?

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message 15: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jun 08, 2015 12:36PM

Were the ones you read in the top 100 of the list? I don't think it reports numbers for lower down.

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message 16: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Aug 15, 2015 06:15AM) (new)

Aug 15, 2015 06:14AM

With some modern authors, like Tim Winton or Richard Flanagan, I've come to expect an excellent read, based upon previous experiences :-) I truly hope I won't be let down (haven't been so far) :-)

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message 17: by Selina (new)

May 07, 2018 05:53AM

Ale and Vicki wrote: "Why Twilight? That was a let down.."

SHUCKING YES

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message 18: by Donna (last edited May 11, 2018 03:59PM) (new)

May 11, 2018 03:30PM

It works! It works! The system found and removed 1 duplicate.

This is an interesting concept for a list. I found myself trying to decide how to order my votes--by how much I liked the book, or by how surprised I was? (I went with the surprise factor.) Then I began looking for common threads. I noticed that a relatively small number of my choices were books I'd purchased for myself. I guess I am a conservative shopper. I was more likely to be surprised and delighted by books I was required to read when I was in school, and by review copies I received for free. Fiction surprised me more often than nonfiction.

Great idea, Rob.

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message 19: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

May 11, 2018 03:56PM

Yay!

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message 20: by ~☆~Autumn (last edited Jun 01, 2018 06:19PM) (new)

Jun 01, 2018 06:17PM

Grace wrote: "I must admit I do love a good romance and Twilight is certainly one, the thing I do like however is not the vampire or werewolf aspect but the differences I discover on each reading. The movies tie..."

Thanks Grace as it made me happy to read what you wrote. I read so many bad reviews of Twilight on goodreads that I almost didn't read it. I was amazed how much I liked so I don't trust goodreads reviews anymore.

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message 21: by Donna (new)

Jun 01, 2018 09:41PM

*sound of plane engine dying; crash, explosion, flames*

The duplicate link is broken.

The list is broken; long live the list.

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message 22: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jun 02, 2018 09:25PM

Well, with creeping on 5000 books, I'm kind of not surprised. Alas.

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message 23: by Donna (new)

Jun 02, 2018 10:51PM

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Well, with creeping on 5000 books, I'm kind of not surprised. Alas."

Yeah, I guess it's a category that is doomed to outgrow itself, since it can never be edited down. Hadn't thought of it.

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message 24: by Greg (new)

Jun 13, 2018 12:48PM

I read Hunger Games #1 cause it's been, or still is, at the top of a number of lists, including best novel ever. So I read it. It wasn't absolutely awful, like goodreads Best of the Year "Go Set a Watchman" a few years ago, or last year's weird (and for me, completely confusing and pointless) 'Lincoln in the Bardo." But it was better than I expected and I gave it two stars: it was okay. But if I hadn't already seen the exact same story on film (Battle Royale, Japan, same story, same end with two victors) I would have liked it better. I've been studying some Egyptian Heiroglyphics and even some ancient Sumerian texts, and oddly, this very same story shows up in about every civilization and is at least 6,000 years old.

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message 25: by ~☆~Autumn (new)

Jun 13, 2018 12:55PM

Greg wrote: "I read Hunger Games #1 cause it's been, or still is, at the top of a number of lists, including best novel ever. So I read it. It wasn't absolutely awful, like goodreads Best of the Year "Go Set a ..."

I agree with you. I don't understand its popularity. I read it so I could do all the quiz questions.

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message 26: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Oct 09, 2018 02:03AM

vijay govind wrote: "Maze of Deceit"

Don't use this section to promote your own book!

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message 27: by Vijay (new)

Oct 09, 2018 10:30PM

My sincere apologies - I'm a new user on Goodreads and was not aware that I should not talk about my own work. Will try to participate more creatively in general discussions hereafter.

Apologies & regards

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message 28: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 10, 2018 08:08AM

There are places for it; but this isn't one of them. It may be OK in groups; check if they have an author's section.

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message 29: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Oct 10, 2018 09:12AM

vijay govind wrote: "My sincere apologies - I'm a new user on Goodreads and was not aware that I should not talk about my own work. Will try to participate more creatively in general discussions hereafter.

Apologies ..."

Delete your previous comment if you're sincerely sorry...

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message 30: by Vijay (new)

Oct 10, 2018 10:42PM

Not sure how a previous comment is to be deleted - may I request the admin to kindly do it if possible on my behalf. Else - request that it may be kindly ignored as my inadvertence.

Thanks and best regards

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message 31: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Oct 11, 2018 06:00AM

Vijay Narayan Govind wrote: "Not sure how a previous comment is to be deleted - may I request the admin to kindly do it if possible on my behalf. Else - request that it may be kindly ignored as my inadvertence.

Thanks and be..."

The person who placed a comment is also able to delete it by clicking 'delete' at the bottom of the comment...

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message 32: by ~☆~Autumn (new)

Mar 02, 2019 09:44PM

Breanne wrote: "The Tiger series definitely fit in this list :)"

Definitely NOT!

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message 33: by AshleyS (last edited May 01, 2019 09:14AM) (new)

May 01, 2019 09:13AM

Every list on this site gets taken over by the Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Twilight. I wish there were lists created by experts that other people couldn't add to and screw up (he said, adding The Lord of the Rings)

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message 34: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

May 01, 2019 11:09AM

AshleyS wrote: "Every list on this site gets taken over by the Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Twilight. I wish there were lists created by experts that other people couldn't add to and screw up (he said, adding Th..."

Try lists of most horrible books, books one doesn't like, and so on. They won't appear as the first few there 😃

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message 35: by Lobstergirl (new)

Sep 08, 2019 10:54PM

55 duplicates removed.

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message 36: by Pat (new)

Jan 08, 2020 11:44AM

Ðɑηηɑ wrote: "I have to admit, not many books exceeded my expectations. In fact, I was very dissapointed of a great amount of the books considered to be "amazing", such as The Time Traveler's Wife, ..."

Eat Pray Love was a real disappointment. They made a movie of it. Why?

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message 37: by Vincent V (new)

May 30, 2021 01:49AM

Ale and Vicki wrote: "Why Twilight? That was a let down.."

The Twilight exceeds any expectations of Meyer's writing.

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message 38: by Tim (last edited Jul 02, 2021 07:38AM) (new)

Jul 02, 2021 05:08AM

Apologies to the 100 or so members who voted on this list for my Congo book `Blood River' and to the 80 or so who voted for my WWI book `The Trigger' but they have both recently been removed. And a particular apology to whoever it was that put the books on the list. We authors are rightly not allowed to put our own work on lists nor vote for our books. But we are also powerless when setbacks like this happen. Seeking clarity from GoodReads and sympathy from all book-lovers on the site.

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message 39: by Aracelis (new)

Dec 25, 2022 07:10PM

Jen wrote: "Ale and Vicki wrote: "Why Twilight? That was a let down.."

This was the first book I read since high school, and it just drew me in and reminded me how much I love and miss reading. For that reaso..."

I for sure have to agree with you on this one! It was a page turner for me - the whole series honestly

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