Books that Exceeded your Expectations

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 4.33 avg rating — 6,336,058 ratings score: 154,499, and 1,566 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) 4.37 avg rating — 1,820,446 ratings score: 104,880, and 1,062 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) 4.30 avg rating — 2,408,929 ratings score: 97,673, and 992 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 Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 6,981,447 ratings score: 95,560, and 976 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	Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 1,372,408 ratings score: 77,971, and 795 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	The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 2,149,308 ratings score: 67,856, and 702 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	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.28 avg rating — 4,467,815 ratings score: 67,135, and 697 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	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson 4.14 avg rating — 2,591,596 ratings score: 58,324, and 603 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 Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 1,565,775 ratings score: 57,335, and 591 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	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4.26 avg rating — 2,973,280 ratings score: 54,595, and 567 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	Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 4.12 avg rating — 1,709,410 ratings score: 51,940, 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
12	The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon 3.88 avg rating — 1,184,410 ratings score: 49,351, and 506 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	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7) by J.K. Rowling 4.62 avg rating — 2,787,077 ratings score: 46,644, and 488 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 4.29 avg rating — 2,493,535 ratings score: 46,012, and 482 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	Twilight (Twilight, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.60 avg rating — 4,931,409 ratings score: 43,896, and 453 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) 4.38 avg rating — 1,143,092 ratings score: 43,523, and 454 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	The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 3.82 avg rating — 2,005,352 ratings score: 42,440, and 441 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 Host by Stephenie Meyer 3.84 avg rating — 889,398 ratings score: 39,920, and 413 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	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.13 avg rating — 1,613,958 ratings score: 38,378, and 402 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	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3) by J.K. Rowling 4.57 avg rating — 2,779,369 ratings score: 33,011, and 353 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	1984 by George Orwell 4.18 avg rating — 3,110,016 ratings score: 32,520, and 347 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	Life of Pi by Yann Martel 3.91 avg rating — 1,331,127 ratings score: 31,778, and 333 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	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 4.28 avg rating — 897,061 ratings score: 31,560, and 332 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	My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 1,052,902 ratings score: 31,499, and 332 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	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4) by J.K. Rowling 4.56 avg rating — 2,572,590 ratings score: 30,303, and 327 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	The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 270,937 ratings score: 29,160, and 302 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	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.30 avg rating — 1,070,921 ratings score: 29,096, and 310 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	A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin 4.45 avg rating — 1,989,471 ratings score: 27,749, and 295 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 Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer 4.17 avg rating — 605,792 ratings score: 26,340, and 280 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	The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4.27 avg rating — 457,152 ratings score: 25,912, and 269 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 Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 4.06 avg rating — 656,338 ratings score: 24,933, and 263 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	Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 4.01 avg rating — 579,603 ratings score: 24,839, and 260 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 Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.27 avg rating — 2,873,767 ratings score: 23,798, and 262 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 Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 2,086,859 ratings score: 23,050, 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
35	The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 1,112,003 ratings score: 22,355, 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
36	Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 816,341 ratings score: 22,149, and 234 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 Red Tent by Anita Diamant (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 517,852 ratings score: 22,093, 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
38	The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 1,444,722 ratings score: 22,071, 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
39	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.92 avg rating — 3,750,240 ratings score: 21,527, and 234 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	Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.30 avg rating — 1,122,987 ratings score: 20,786, and 221 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 Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.97 avg rating — 712,046 ratings score: 20,447, and 217 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	Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins 4.04 avg rating — 2,331,006 ratings score: 19,675, and 215 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	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.99 avg rating — 1,665,253 ratings score: 19,482, 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
44	Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Goodreads Author) 3.57 avg rating — 1,465,991 ratings score: 18,920, 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
45	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.86 avg rating — 1,332,660 ratings score: 18,802, and 206 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	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.18 avg rating — 679,377 ratings score: 18,434, and 195 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	The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 4.01 avg rating — 586,813 ratings score: 17,859, and 193 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 Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson 4.24 avg rating — 805,561 ratings score: 17,653, and 197 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	The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 1,974,268 ratings score: 17,396, and 188 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	The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.22 avg rating — 517,316 ratings score: 17,173, and 187 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	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.68 avg rating — 2,249,528 ratings score: 17,079, and 193 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	Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 2,884,193 ratings score: 16,932, and 185 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	Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 378,369 ratings score: 15,874, and 168 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	Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 3.89 avg rating — 658,990 ratings score: 15,773, 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
55	The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author) 4.53 avg rating — 707,481 ratings score: 15,540, and 166 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	The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3.79 avg rating — 240,966 ratings score: 15,186, 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
57	One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 4.08 avg rating — 748,003 ratings score: 14,928, 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
58	Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1) by Kristin Cashore 4.08 avg rating — 381,089 ratings score: 14,022, and 151 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 Elephant Tree by R.D. Ronald 4.13 avg rating — 60,658 ratings score: 13,989, and 158 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	The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 4.25 avg rating — 742,281 ratings score: 13,744, 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
61	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 1,770,634 ratings score: 13,501, and 152 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	The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 450,351 ratings score: 13,481, and 146 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	City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 1,606,434 ratings score: 13,320, and 144 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	Atonement by Ian McEwan 3.91 avg rating — 437,312 ratings score: 13,091, and 144 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	His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3) by Philip Pullman 4.26 avg rating — 141,887 ratings score: 12,733, and 138 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	Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 3.88 avg rating — 1,931,292 ratings score: 12,726, and 146 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	Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1) by Richelle Mead (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 544,798 ratings score: 12,683, and 137 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	Quantum Roots by Kyle Keyes 4.35 avg rating — 8,767 ratings score: 12,488, and 140 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	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.99 avg rating — 1,430,783 ratings score: 12,376, and 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
70	The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4.26 avg rating — 774,488 ratings score: 12,281, and 138 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	Animal Farm by George Orwell 3.95 avg rating — 2,717,359 ratings score: 12,145, and 136 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 Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 3,522,546 ratings score: 12,042, and 134 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	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3.81 avg rating — 2,719,649 ratings score: 12,029, and 137 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	The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 190,264 ratings score: 11,351, and 125 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 Shack by William Paul Young 3.78 avg rating — 535,189 ratings score: 11,350, and 123 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	And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 4.26 avg rating — 810,162 ratings score: 10,744, and 121 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	Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 3.93 avg rating — 238,468 ratings score: 10,742, and 118 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	Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 4.07 avg rating — 952,122 ratings score: 10,543, and 123 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 Zombie Room by R.D. Ronald 4.16 avg rating — 61,192 ratings score: 10,540, and 119 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 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 3.82 avg rating — 1,147,548 ratings score: 10,244, and 119 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	All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 3.98 avg rating — 353,400 ratings score: 10,024, and 112 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 Pact by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 271,628 ratings score: 9,754, and 108 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 Last Lecture by Randy Pausch 4.26 avg rating — 301,437 ratings score: 9,658, and 104 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	A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 3.99 avg rating — 597,376 ratings score: 9,543, and 111 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	Matching Configurations: QUANTUM ROOTS III by Kyle Keyes 4.39 avg rating — 5,176 ratings score: 9,449, and 104 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	Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 3.69 avg rating — 352,053 ratings score: 9,390, and 102 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	The Stranger by Albert Camus 3.98 avg rating — 699,863 ratings score: 9,272, and 103 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	One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey 4.19 avg rating — 627,291 ratings score: 9,161, and 110 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	The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand 3.87 avg rating — 295,753 ratings score: 9,106, and 101 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	Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez 3.92 avg rating — 408,633 ratings score: 9,010, and 101 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	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.82 avg rating — 466,755 ratings score: 8,974, and 102 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	Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 4.03 avg rating — 577,491 ratings score: 8,962, and 101 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	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1) by Gregory Maguire 3.53 avg rating — 571,027 ratings score: 8,892, and 100 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	Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson (Goodreads Author) 3.65 avg rating — 324,890 ratings score: 8,878, and 97 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	I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 288,803 ratings score: 8,843, and 98 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	A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1) by Libba Bray (Goodreads Author) 3.78 avg rating — 205,557 ratings score: 8,808, and 95 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	Brainwalker by Robyn Mundell (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 12,694 ratings score: 8,496, and 94 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	The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy 4.24 avg rating — 192,735 ratings score: 8,303, and 96 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	American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis 3.81 avg rating — 240,401 ratings score: 8,239, and 93 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	The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 516,894 ratings score: 8,170, and 93 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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7,123 books · 9,716 voters · list created July 29th, 2008 by Rob (votes) .

Tags: exceeded-expectations, fiction, non-fiction

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Comments Showing 1-36 of 36 (36 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 Ðɑηηɑ (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 Narayan Govind (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 (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 Narayan Govind (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 (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 (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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