Top 5 All Time - No Classics Allowed

[Maranda (addlebrained_reader)]

OMG!! Only five?? That's hard! Well...here are the first five that come to mind:

1) The Double Bind ~ Chris Bohjalian
2) Memoirs of a Geisha ~ Arthur Golden
3) Stiff ~ Mary Roach
4) I Know This Much is True ~ Wally Lamb
5) American Gods ~ Neil Gaiman

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

I haven't read Stiff, but I'm reading Mary Roach's Spook at the moment (it's my current non-fiction). Very good so far.

[Maranda (addlebrained_reader)]

Susanna,

I definitely wanted to read that when it first came out but forgot about it. Stiff was informative and hilarious. You should pick it up when you get a chance.

[Sherry]

I'm with you guys on the half stars thing and I'd promise not to ever want more than that!

[Liz M]

There is no way to limit top reads of all time to 5 books. Luckily, some of my absolute favorites have already been mentioned.

My five:
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
All the Names by José Saramago

A classic that is not widely read:
Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck

Non-fiction:
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs

Any Calvin & Hobbs book by Bill Watterson

[Kiwi]

My top 5:

1. Bloomability by Sharon Creech
2. The Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz
3. Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
4. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
5. Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan

If I could put more, I'd totally. Okay, I can't resist:

6. The Young Heroes Series by Jane Yolen
7. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
8. The Tiger Rising by Kate Dicamillo
9. White Fang by Jack London
10. Pendragon Series by D.J. MacHale
11. Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
12. The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
13. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
14. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
15. Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, 57 B.C. (The Royal Diaries) by Kristiana Gregory

There're more but I don't want to clog the thread. All of these wonderful books have a place in my heart so I can't just not list them. And yes, I love reading series.

[A]

Lol! Kiwi, with all the series that's like, 30 books ;-)

[Kiwi]

@Alethea: I see them as one book though. D=

[Michelle]

Loved Stiff...it is one of those books I always recommend to people. But I really couldn't get into Spook. It is still sitting on my nightstand. I have started it numerous times. I am so sick of reading about India, but at the same time can't remember where I left off because I take so many breaks in between in hopes that it will miraculously keep my attention the next time I pick it up. I read Stiff in one sitting...(flying across the Atlantic...)

[Cindy]

Love reading your lists! This is almost too hard for me to tackle, but for now I would list
1. Peace like a River
2. The Secret Life of Bees
3. The Thorn Birds
4. Pillars of the Earth
5. Horse Whisperer

and I will be adding more to my TBR list based on all of your favorites!! :)

[Carrie]

GREAT..my TBR list is getting loooonger!!!

MY LIST:
1. The Pilot's Wife --- Anita Shreve
2. The Secret Life of Bees -- Sue Monk Kidd
3. The Time Traveler's Wife
4. Kite Runner
5. gods in Alabama

[Carrie]

p.s. it is super hard to just list 5...I could have included any Shreve book, really, and any Jodi Picoult too..

[Carrie]

and I forgot about Their Eyes Were Watching God..or is that a "classic"?

[Darla]

Hmmm. Tough question. Off the top of my head?

1. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
1. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
2. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
3. Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
5. The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe by Jane Wagner

I don't even know if that's right. I'm sure I could think of more that I would rate in my top 5, and that, at times, a books station within that top 5 will rise and fall.

[Maranda (addlebrained_reader)]

Darla,

I laughed out loud when I saw your list!! Thanks for the smiles so early in the morning! I love your list of "5" books!

[ScottK]

OK I am going to limit myself to 5 (Hopefully)
1) The Shadow of the Wind
2) The Name of the Wind
3) The Innocent
4) The Raw Shark Texts
5) The Stand

Yay I did it although, like others I could have gone on and on. :)

[d4]

No classics??? You're breaking my heart here.

Let me see what I can throw together, although I wouldn't consider it my definitive favorites list....

The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Peanutbutter & Jeremy's Best Book Ever - James Kochalka
Geek Love - Katherine Dunn
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

The last three I haven't read in years. This topic is rather difficult for me because I've been focusing on reading mostly classic books lately.

[Laura]

It is hard to pick just 5, esp. without the classics, but thanks everyone for your help with this.

I've become hooked on top quality books, anything less just doesn't seem worth the time anymore. (Since GR)

[Amber]

Honestly, it depends on the mood I'm in as to which books make my favorites list. At the moment they are...

The Horse Whisperer-Nicholas Evans
Twilight-Stephenie Meyers
Magic Hour-Kristen Hannah
Angel falls-Kristen Hannah
The Guardian-Nicholas Sparks

[Kate]

Okay, I have a random question... how do you make it so that it links your books to the book page???

[Kate]

Oh, wow, thanks. That is really nice!

[Gloria]

My favorites limited to five??? I'll do my best!

East of Eden.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
The Boy in Striped Pajamas
Prince of Tides
The Good Earth

[Darla]

lol, ty Maranda.... It says top 5.... those are my top five... I can't help it if some books tie... :)

[Christine]

fun thread! in no particular order (and likely to change within the next half hour)

1. good omens - neil gaiman/terry pratchett
2. bel canto - ann patchett
3. devil in the white city - erik larson (grew up around chicago, what can i say)
4. perks of being a wallflower - stephen chbosky
5. complications - atul gawande

...and just started captain corelli's mandolin recently and am loving it thus far :)

[Jennifer]

I could never pick a top five, but I wish to highlight a magical book that is too often overlooked, Flanders. It is a war story, an anti-war story, laced with magical realism. Adams is a beautiful writer. You won't regret reading this one!

[Jensownzoo]

Okay, the first five that jump to mind are:

1) I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
2) Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
3) Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
4) The Newford stories by Charles de Lint, including The Ivory and the Horn, Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection, and Moonlight & Vines as well as others.
5) The James Herriot books, starting with All Creatures Great and Small

[Kathy]

First, there were several posts about John Irving. I have been remiss in my reading and only read one by Irving, but it is such a fantastic novel. I highly recommend A Widow For One Year.

OK, naming only five is almost impossible, so I will name the five that come to me first today.

1. A Widow For One Year by John Irving
2. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
3. The Girls by Lori Lansens
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. Beach Music by Pat Conroy
(I have to further. I'm really sorry. I'm just not very good at limiting these kinds of lists. I always feel as if I've left out a loved one.)
6. Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
7. City of Shadows by Ariana Franklin
8. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
9. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
10.The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
11.Stones From the River by Ursula Hegi
12.Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
13.The Good German by Joseph Kanon

[Jeane]

jensownzoo, did you read the cat stories by james Herriot? It is really good.

[Laura]

I'm gonna make a solemn vow to read at least 10 of these books (or more, who knows) in 2009.

Thanks everyone for their lists! I know there's lots of good stuff here. (A special thanks to those of you who listed more than 5, more to choose from! LOL)

>:)

[Jensownzoo]

Jeane -- Yes, I did. It is basically a collection of all the cat-themed stories he had in his main collection. Dog Stories too. I am a sucker for a good animal memoir. I first read the Herriot books when I was in vet school (no time for novels, had to read short-stories and essays), so I can't blame Herriot for my vocation like so many other veterinarian can...

[Jeane]

I loved the cat stories!

[El]

City Boy, Herman Wouk.
The Taste of a Man, Slavenka Drakulic.
The Collector, John Fowles.
White Apples, Jonathan Carroll.
HERmione, H.D.

[Jeane]

fiona, the cat stories are really nice and light

[Laura]

The cat stories are tremendous on audio too - great for a road trip. Very heartwarming.

[Will]

Listing only fiction, two 2008 books make my list

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski
Serena - Ron Rash

then
The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera
Cider House Rules - John Irving
His Dark Materials (series)- Phillip Pullman

So many more, but I will grit my teeth and stop here.

[Michelle]

This is hard! But here are five that I don't think I've seen in this post, and these are all favorites for me:

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Holes by Louis Sachar
Angry Housewives Eating BonBons by Lorna Landvik
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

[Fiona (Titch)]

Here are mine:

BEAUTIFUL LIES - Lisa Unger
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS - Khaled Hossieni
PRIVATE PEACEFUL - Michael Morpurgo
WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB & ALEX CROSS (series) - James Patterson

God now its between Tess Gerritsen books and Patricia Cornwell series.

[Kathy]

Michelle, I also loved The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Holes. I have meant to read The Bean Trees for years, so it will go on my list for 2009.

[Robin]

I really enjoyed 1000 Splended Suns - probably more so because it wasn't "My type" of novel but I read it for a face2face group and was glad I did.
--
Wife of fantasy author: Michael J. Sullivan
The Crown Conspiracy (Oct 2008)
Avempartha (April 2009)

[Michelle]

Kathy, Pigs in Heaven is the Bean Trees sequel, too, if you like the first one. I love all of hers. Yay, I'm glad someone else loves the Watsons as much as me! It was a LOL book too.

[Jane]

The Stand
Pillars of the Earth
The World Acording to Garp
Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Akabazan
Watership Down

[Fiona (Titch)]

Robin, I read it within 24hrs and it stuck with me for so long.

[Robin]

Sorry fiona, which book are you referring to - 1000 splended suns?
--
Wife of fantasy author: Michael J. Sullivan
The Crown Conspiracy (Oct 2008) - Fantasy Book Critic Review
Avempartha (April 2009)

[Fiona (Titch)]

Yes hun, sorry should of made it clear what book I was talkin about.

[Holly]

The Road (McCarthy)
Book of Lost Things (Connolly)
Till We Have Faces (Lewis)
His Dark Materials (Pullman)
and that is all I can think of right now.

[Kathy]

I'm not sure what constitutes a "classic"? Is there a time frame? Cause I would definitely put on the list:

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
2. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Are they too old????

Otherwise, here are some other definites for me:
3. The Stand by Stephen King
4. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

[Robin]

Hey Kathy,

I'm sure everyone's definition of "a classic" varies but I would definitely put your first 2 in that category. I think the last 2 - will hit that status at some point but i think one of the criteria of "a classic" is standing "the test of time.

When I looked up Classic this is one definition: "an author or a literary work of the first rank, esp. one of demonstrably enduring quality."

But I agree with all 4!!

Wife of GR author: Michael J. Sullivan | The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

[Kathy]

Thanks, Robin. I can agree with that!

[Lori, Super Mod]

me, personally..... a classic novel is one that has been read generation through generation. A classic cant be "too old" in my opinion.

I have to chuckle a little at the HP books. Cant quite see them becoming Classic ... not that I have anything against them, please dont take me wrong!

[Kate]

I think that they will eventually be classics... just because they aren't what we consider classics currently, doesn't mean that some day they won't be to some other generation. For example, I am sure Jane Austen never thought a silly romance novel like Pride & Prejudice would be considered a classic and still read over 100 years later.