Top 5 All Time - No Classics Allowed

[A.J.]

Jane Austen was a stylistic innovator, one of the earliest proponents of free indirect style. Her silly little romance novels are not silly little romance novels at all, but comedies of manners that sniped both at the novels that came before and at the society of her day. They're not considered classics just because they're popular.

[Kate]

I wasn't saying silly little romances like that. I probably should have put it in quotes. Trust me, I am a big Jane Austen fan. Only thing of hers I don't like is Persuasion. I love the books, the movies, everything. I even went to England and saw her house. I am not dissing on Jane.

[412]

Out of the top of mine head...

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams
2. Haruhi Suzumiya [light novel series:] -- Nagaru Tanigawa
3. The Golden Compass -- Philip Pullman
4. The Crystal Shard -- R.A. Salvatore
5. Rebel Dawn -- A.C. Crispin

[Kathy]

I can totally see the Harry Potter books becoming classics! I can see them on a shelf with The Wizard of Oz, and The Chronicles of Narnia among others.....decades from now!

[Atishay]

Hmmm.. a little unimaginable right now but you're right Kathy.

[Jeane]

It is funny to think about books that aren't classics yet but might be when we are old and grey.....
P I wouldn't call a classic either, at least not yet.

[Kathy]

I agree. Who can predict what will be considered classics in the future? It's my guess. Only time will tell.

[Lori, Super Mod]

too true

[Laura]

OK since I started this crazy topic - I was thinking of classics of say 25-30 years ago and older. I wasn't thinking of contemporary classics.

Lori, wow, great hairstyle! What do they call that so I can shamelessly copy you?

Ew. I just realized that with that definition....I could be a classic. EGAD!

*goes to look up Lori's hairstyle*

[Lori, Super Mod]

ha ha... Laura. I just told the woman to give me flippy layers that start at my chin, and to cut long bangs that I can wear across my forehead or tuck back when I want....

She totally understood me! I gotta make sure I get her now everytime I need a trim :)

[Kate]

It is a really nice haircut. And I agree with what you are saying about classics. I don't consider anything a classic until it has stood the test of time... 30 years at the least.

[Robin]

Maybe we need two posts - one for "classics" - i.e 25-30 years like Laura suggested....
and one for "will become a classic" for those books we are just discovering that we think will go on to have a lasting influence.
Wife of GR author: Michael J. Sullivan | The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

[Laura]

Good point Robin - but if people want, they can just post 2 lists here as well. I'll take 'em, whatever and wherever! I want to make 2009 a year of reading Quality Books!

[Heather]

In no particular order.

1. The Stand by Stephen King
2. The Brethren by John Grisham
3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My preferences change often so it really is hard to decide.

[Ronnie]

1. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier

2. Monkey Grip by Helen Garner

3. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

4. Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres

5. Wicked by Gregory Maguire

[Shirley]

Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
On Writing by Stephen King
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

[Timothy]

1. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is one of the best trilogies I have ever read.
2. LA Confidential: I really like noir and Ellroy is one of the best.
3. Winterdance: non-fiction: funny: Gary Paulsen recounting the ignorance of running his first Iditarod race.
4. Lonesome Dove: McMurtry and one of my all-time favorite books. It did win the Pulitzer so that might make it a classic.
5. The English Patient: nothing like the movie and just a beautifully written novel.

I would borderline also place The Bourne Identity on this list. It was better than the others and again nothing like the movie. Good luck in your search.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

The Jane Austen comments remind me that Thomas Hardy used to refer to his novels as his "potboilers." That always amuses me.

[Bettie]

The Master and Margarita
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Under Milkwood
City of Light (Jacob d'ancona)
The Universe in a Nutshell

[diana]

1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
3. Kartography by Kamila Shamsie
4. We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates
5. The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America by Jonathan Kozol

Plus, in general, things by John Irving, Sara Douglass, Raymond Chandler, and Dashiell Hammett.

[A.J.]

1. Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan -- this is not about trout fishing. What is it about, anyway?
2. Ninety-two in the Shade by Thomas McGuane -- no one knows, from sea to shining sea, why we are having all this trouble with our republic.
3. Whale Music by Paul Quarrington -- washed-up, drug-damaged rock star's life discombobulated by visitor from alien planet called Toronto
4. Rock Springs by Richard Ford -- "Rock Springs" is as close to perfect as a short story gets
5. Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney -- you are not the kind of guy who would do that, but apparently you are

[Kandice]

Shogun- James Clavell
Salem's Lot- Stephen King
V for Vendetta- Alan Moore
Thornbirds- Collen McCullough
The First Man in Rome- Collen McCullough

[Stephanie]

1.Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
2.Kite Runner
3.Long Way Gone
4.Left to Tell
5.Easy by Emma Gold

[Bettie]

Kandice wrote: "Shogun- James Clavell
Salem's Lot- Stephen King
V for Vendetta- Alan Moore
Thornbirds- Collen McCullough
The First Man in Rome- Collen McCullough"

Now this is a Good List - one that might have been nine if I had tossed the coin up differently (so many books to narrow down into 5)

Season's greetings

[Joan]

I think I'm going for my YA favorites

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
The Stolen Child, Keith Donohue
The Book of Lost Things, John Connolly
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
Ptolemy's Gate, Jonathan Stroud

[Melissa]

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

[Sherry]

Melissa,I loved Lonesome Dove so much that I was compelled to read the rest of the books in the series. I couldn't get enough of Gus and Call,two of my all-time favorite characters.

[Kandice]

Bettie wrote: "Kandice wrote: "Shogun- James Clavell
Salem's Lot- Stephen King
V for Vendetta- Alan Moore
Thornbirds- Collen McCullough
The First Man in Rome- Collen McCullough"

Now this is a Good List - o..."

Thank you!!! I only just figured out how to reply! :)

[Natasha]

Prince of Wolves-Susan Krinard
A Loving Scoundrel-Johanna Lindsey
Sword-Breaker-Jennifer Roberson
Lick Of Frost-Laurel K Hamilton
Dead Witch Walking- Kim Harrison

[Nicholas]

Lets See.... no classics aye?
1) The Cyberiad- Stanislaw Lem
2) UBIK- Philip K Dick
3) Pale Fire- Vladimir Nabokov (does it count as classic? Lolita definatley does and this is next best)
4) Childhoods End- Arthur C Clarke
5) The Leopard- Some italian guy. This is classic, but not many people have read it.

[El]

Nicholas, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa wrote The Leopard.

You're right, not many people have read it, which is a shame. I can't say I would put it in my Top-Anything, but still a darn good book.

[d4]

Can I tack on Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to my list? I hadn't read it when I first replied to this.

[Stephanie]

Wow...only 5? This is tough!

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
I Know This Much Is True - Wally Lamb
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Swan Song - Robert R. McCammon
How to Kill a Rockstar - Tiffanie DeBartolo

[Valerie]

Oooh, this is a good topic! Here are my five in no particular order:

1. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
2. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
4. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
5. The Princess Bride - William Goldman

[Carly]

This is rather hard. A couple of my true favorites probably count as modern classics (Lolita, Love in the Time of Cholera). Besides those, these are at the top of my mind right now:

1. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
2. Watchmen - Alan Moore
3. A Widow for One Year - John Irving (I love several of Irving's books equally, but this was the first one I read.)
4. The Golden Compass - Phillip Pullman
5. Coming Through Slaughter - Michael Ondaatje

[April]

My top five (no particular order):
1. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
2. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
3. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
4. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
5. The Twilight series (I've only read to Eclipse) by Stephenie Meyer

[Jeane]

April, how is the mist of Avalon? It is the first book ever written in my notebook for books, but lik about five years ago....and I still didn't read it.

Is Memoirs of a Geisha as good as the movie?

[Kandice]

Carly wrote: "This is rather hard. A couple of my true favorites probably count as modern classics (Lolita, Love in the Time of Cholera). Besides those, these are at the top of my mind right now:

1. Blood Mer..."
I am so glad to see someone else counts Watchmen as a novel!!!! I love it.

[Kandice]

Jeane wrote: "April, how is the mist of Avalon? It is the first book ever written in my notebook for books, but lik about five years ago....and I still didn't read it.

Is Memoirs of a Geisha as good as the mo..."

Memoirs of a Geisha is sooooo much better than the movie. Especially if you have enough imagination to "see" the kimono in your mind.

[Laura]

OMG I didn't know Lonesome Dove was the first of a series! I read it when it came out when I was I think a senior in H.S. I didn't know there were more. How many more? Anyone know the titles?

I'm trying to plan out a year of quality reading in '09. I'm gonna try to exceed 3 books /month, being at least 1 fiction, 1 non-fic., and 1 classic per month minimum. And this list is really gonna help!

Thanks everybody.

[Laura]

Ofmatt wrote: "Can I tack on Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close to my list? I hadn'..."

Yes Ofmatt, tack away. I loved that one!!

[Monica]

5. A Millin Little Pieces
4. Go Ask ALice
3. The Pact
2. In The Time of the Butterflies
1. The Green Mile
And the list goes on and on and on....

[Kevin]

This was a tough list to develop, but here goes:

In no particular order :O)

1) Setting Free the Bears by John Irving

2) The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

3) LOTR by J.R.R. Tolkien

4) The Stand by Stephen King

5) Lamb by Christopher Moore

[Heather]

I can't decide on an order, so in no particular:
The Pact; by Jodi Picoult
The Book Thief; by Marcus Zusak
The Harry Potter series; by J.K. Rowling
The Twilight series; by Stephenie Meyer
Bartimaeus Trilogy; by Jonathan Stroud

[Robyn]

I don't usually read classics so and when I do I can't really relate so they don't usually make my favorite's shelf. so here are some modern books that I absolutely love and think that everyone should read:

Ahab's Wife:or The Star Gazer
The time travelers wife
The Kite Runner
The Glass Castle
A Long Way Gone:memoirs of a boy soldier
The five people you meet in Heaven
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Middlesex


hmmm I know there's more but can't think of them right now.

[Katie]

I just joined this group :D I'm very excited!
Oh, and to this: I am a big Jane Austen fan. Only thing of hers I don't like is Persuasion Kathryn, I am a huge Jane Austen fan and Persuasion I think is my favorite. I go back and forth between that and P&P. Persuasion is just so much darker and mature.

ANYWAY...sorry. First, is LOTR not considered a classic? That surprises me, but good for me b/c that is on my list so here it is:

1. The Lord of the Rings
2. Daughter of the Forest
3. Harry Potter series
4. A Voice in the Wind
5. The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

[Jana]

First, I wonder what classifies a classic? I think many of the ones on my list will be classics, but they're too new to get the fancy title. How old does something have to be? 30 yrs? 40 yrs or more?

Here are my top 5 soon-to-be-called classics, in no particular order....
1. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (or Interpreter of Maladies)
2. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (though I could also throw in here many Atwood novels)
4. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
5. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

[Laura]

Prodigal Summer: A Novel - Barbara Kingsolver
The Great Santini - Pat Conroy
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry

[Liesl]

In no particular order:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Tully by Paullina Simons

The Shack by William P. Young

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Diana by R.F. Delderfield

[Becky]

1. The Stand
2. The Thirteenth Tale
3. The Book Thief
4. I Know This Much Is True
5. The Harry Potter series

I'd have included the Lord of the Rings but I consider it a classic.