Top 5 All Time - No Classics Allowed

[Rachel]

As I was looking through this thread, I thought of more books to add! So it's difficult, but here goes:

1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2. The Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman
3. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
4. Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
5. The Stand by Stephen King

It was a close call... the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz are up there, as is the Discworld series (Terry Pratchett), and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

[April]

Jeane,

I agree with Kandice, Memoirs of a Geisha is so much better than the movie! Just a striking, beautiful, passionate read! I read it quite a while ago, and it just sticks with me... Whenever someone asks for book suggestions, it is at the top of the list!

The Mist of Avalon is also so well and beautifully written. I like the mythology of the story! You really should read it.

[Jeane]

Thanks April.

[Kandice]

Jana wrote: "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 mor..."

I absolutely love the Handmaid's Tale, but have not been able to enjoy 2 others of hers that I have tried. Most recently, the Blind Assassin. Could you suggest something else? I was going to try Oryx and Crake, but was reluctant after TBA.

[Rosemary]

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betsy and the Great World
Mariner's Compass
Little Women
Where the Wild Things Are

[Ann]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

My #1 classic is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

[Lori, Super Mod]

Jana, that is a good question! WHat IS a classic? Im my own terms, I look at it as a novel that has stood the test of time... something that had an impact on the generation it was created in, and has continued to impact us throughout every generation afterwards..... Does age matter... I think the answer to that is YES, in the sense that it has to have made it past all the hype of its own generation....

I think of books by authors like Ray Bradbury, Jules Verne, Charles Dickens,Jane Austen, The Bronte sisters .. Titles like Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Robinson Crusoe...

Just as an example.. and again, only my opinion.

[Laura]

Now I feel bad for putting that up there like it's a rule or something. I say we abolish all rules.

List whatever books you love. I'm trying to find books not to just like and enjoy and they're fluffy and pretty and 'fun'.

Fun has its place, but not in my '09 reading. I'm looking for meat, I say, MEAT! Something really terrific, savor every word, get to know and love the characters, almost like they become friends, hate-to-keep-turning-the-pages-as-I'll-mourn-for-you-book-once-I've-finished-you types of reads.

That's why I put this up. And hopefully some others have found new great reads for them that will edify and inspire them in the New Year and beyond.

*oh Lord, I'm waxing poetic again*

[Anne]

The Poisonwood Bible
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Lovely Bones
Black Swan Green
The Little Prince

[El]

Laura, the meatiest-meat-ball-of-a-book you could read this year would be 2666. It is certainly not a book for someone looking for just a quick, fun read.

[Laura]

Thanks, but is it really in Spanish or just the GR version of the book that your link went to? (Cause that's too meaty for me!)

[El]

Laura, hah! No, there is an English translation - I just picked the first link that came up and did not realize that it was in the original Spanish. Sorry! I read the English translation which was just released in 2008.

[Laura]

hee hee thanks El! I typed it in the search box and didn't see GR pulling up any other book so I thought maybe....hey on this group, people are from everywhere and speak all kinds of languages, so ya never know...

:)

[Joseph]

for me my top five would be

1. all the mikedimea books by raymond e fiest
2. tales of the otori by lean hearn
3. eluminum and tamuli by david eddings
4. the earth sea quartet by ursula le guin
5. teh kingmaker/kingbraker series by karren miller

[Laura]

Me too Joanna! I loved it! I wanted to move to Guernsey after turning the last page.

[[deleted user]]

Ok....

1) Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

2)His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

3) Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

4) Juno and Juliet- Julian Gough

5) The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold

[Dennis]

Not sure if any if these classify as classics anywhere, but they stick with me for one reason or another:

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
Labyrinths Selected Stories and Other Writings by Jorge Luis Borges
The Comedians by Graham Greene
Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee

[Amber]

My top 5 would be:
1. Harry Potter Series by J. K Rowling (probally the best series ever, I always hated waiting on the books to come out)

2. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (i just love her books and this one was my favorite. Its a very sad story and i think her best writing to date.)

3. Twighlight Series by Stephenie Meyers

4. Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris (eagerly waiting for the next installment of this series to come out)

5. How I live now by Meg Rosoff (I rented this book from the library when i was younger and even though some of it is a little disturbing it has always stuck with me.)

[Debbie]

In the order they popped in my head...

Still Alice - Genova
Song Yet Sung - McBride
The History of Love - Krauss
The Pillars of the Earth - Follett
The Book Thief - Zusak


The list might be different tomorrow!

[Alisha Marie]

Hmmm, the whole no classics thing doesn't affect me since I really haven't read that many classics (I'm slowly, but surely fixing that).

So, my top 5 (or at least I'll try to limit it to 5) are (in no particular order):

The Harry Potter series-J.K. Rowling (Goblet of Fire is my favorite, though)
The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants series-Ann Brashares (the first is still my favorite)
The Stand-Stephen King
The House at Riverton-Kate Morton
The Hummingbird's Daughter-Luis Alberto Urrea
The Shadow of the Wind-Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Book of Lost Things-John Connolly
The Thirteenth Tale-Diane Setterfield
Plain Truth-Jodi Picoult
Lucky-Alice Sebold

[Holly]

This is tough!

1. These is my words, by Nancy Turner
2. Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
3. Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry
4. Dalva, by Jim Harrison
5. Peace like a river, by Leif Unger

[Ed]

I can't believe, I'm attempting this but here goes.

In no particular order.

"O'Reilly of Notre Dame" by Francis Wallace

"Why I am so Beat" by Vance Bourjaily

"Dune" by Frank Herbert

"Foundation" by Isaac Azimov

"Shogun" by James Clavell

This list would most likely change a day from now if I were to re-write it. It's fun thinking about it, though.

[Kandice]

Ed wrote: "I can't believe, I'm attempting this but here goes.

In no particular order.

"O'Reilly of Notre Dame" by Francis Wallace

"Why I am so Beat" by Vance Bourjaily

"Dune" by Frank Herbert

"Foundatio..."

Wow, Ed! Dune and Shogun are two of my all time favorites.

[Catamorandi]

in no particular order:

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
2. The Shining
3. The Book Thief
4. The Hobbit
5. Water for Elephants

[Ed]

I saw that some people listed series so I am going to be a follower and do the same.

My favorite series by far is the Aubrey/Maturin Series by Patrick O'Brien.

Next is the "Rome" series by Colleen McCullough

3rd is the Richard Sharpe Series by Bernard Cornwell

4th: the Dave Roubicheaux Series by James Lee Burke.

5th: The Spenser Series by Robert Parker

Tied for 5th: The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov.

This way I get to list almost 100 books in 6 entries with very little cheating.

[Lori, Super Mod]

Ed, we do have a separate list for series too.....!!!

[GracieKat]

These are books that I've reread a lot:

1. The Witches of Eastwick- John Updike
2. The Kitchen God's Wife- Amy Tan
3. Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden
4. The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver
5. The Color Purple- Alice Walker

[Sandra]

Of all time - no classics. Mine today would be:
l.Digging to America by Anne Tyler
2.The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
3. Death of a Cad - ( A Hamish Macbeth series) by M C Beaton
4.Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas
5. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

[JSou]

Uhm, off the top of my head, here's five of my faves:

Cloud Atlas-David Mitchell
Slaughterhouse Five-Kurt Vonnegut
East of Eden-John Steinbeck
One Thousand Splendid Suns-Khaled Housseini
Fahrenheit 451-Ray Bradbury

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

So, if there are no classics to be on this list, what are we calling classics? I would think East of Eden is probably a classic, and perhaps even Slaughterhouse Five by now. Then again, maybe not.

[JSou]

Ooh, you're right Elizabeth! Sorry for adding the classics! Here's a more correct list:

Cloud Atlas-David Mitchell
One Thousand Splendid Suns-Khaled Housseini
Never Let Me Go-Kazuo Ishiguro
Timequake-Kurt Vonnegut
The Stand-Stephen King

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Hey, no problem, Jessica. When I was young(er), those were not yet called classics, I think. Sort of like an antique is supposed to be 100 years old, but sometimes they're not, I don't really know when a book becomes a classic.

[Kellie]

Haven't been on this site in a while. Was looking around today and stumbled on this thread. I thought I would share mine. I have to make 2 lists though...Fiction and Non-fiction.
Here goes....

Fiction (Not in any order)
1. Shutter Island -Dennis Lehane
2. The Wedding-Nicholas Sparks
3. The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns-Khaled Hosseini
4. A Prayer For Owen Meany-John Irving
5. Redeeming Love-Francine Rivers
5. Those Who Save Us-Jenna Blum

Non-Fiction-(Not in Any Order)
1. Couldn't Keep It To Myself-Wally Lamb
1. The Tender Bar- J.R. Moehringer
2. Seabiscuit-Laura Hillenbrand
2. Riding on the Bus With My Sister-Rachel Simon
3. A Walk in the Woods-Bill Bryson
3. The Glass Castle-Jeannette Walls
4. Infidel-Ayaan Hirsi Ali
5. Audition-Barbara Walters

[Lori, Super Mod]

Kelly, interesting numbering structure you have there :)

[Kandice]

I think she was just trying to sneak in a few more picks;) It worked...

[Irene]

I love this topic! It's been great reading through everyone's top 5. Some of it's been a wonderful walk through memory land. Some of it's been surprising and I picked up a few TBRs myself. so here's mine
1. definately Memoirs of a Geisha
2. Cradle and All
3. Nicholas and Alexandra
4. Where the Red Fern Grows
5. The Dead Zone

memoirs of a geisha and cradle and all because I stayed up when I had to work the next morning to read them- couldn't put them down. Nicholas and Alexandra because it just sucked me into the royal court life of Russia. Where the Red Fern Grows because it was the first book that ever made me cry. The Dead Zone because it was just damn good.

[Kellie]

Kandice wrote: "I think she was just trying to sneak in a few more picks;) It worked..."

Ha Ha Kandice and Lori
I had a VERY hard time with the 5 so I had to be creative....:)

[Laura]

Yeah, nice numbering there Kellie - I recently checked out that Francine Rivers title, glad you liked it.

And nice to see you around here again!

[Kellie]

Hey Laura!
Thanks
I have to admit, I've become addicted to facebook.
I see Emily and Ken out there.
And there is this game, Bejeweled Blitz, I can seem to stop playing it.
Needless to say, it takes away from my reading time.

[Amy]

Okay without including the classics, at this point in time i would say my top five are:
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Stand by Stephan King
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

[Dree]

What a neat idea!

In the order I thought of them:
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Pasadena by David Ebershoff
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

[Kim]

Kellie wrote: "Haven't been on this site in a while. Was looking around today and stumbled on this thread. I thought I would share mine. I have to make 2 lists though...Fiction and Non-fiction.
Here goes....

..."

Kellie, Shutter Island is one of my favorites as well. They are making a movie from it, hopefully it will do the book justice. Although they did a great job with Mystic River, and also Gone Baby Gone..

[Kelly]

I would have to say:
1. Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins
2. Neverwhere, Neil Giaman
3. Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
4. Graceling, (Can't remember the authors name)
5. A Song of Fire and Ice (books 1-4), George RR Martin

Jitterbug Perfume was just a fun off beat book that had such a great philosophical view on things. I think the story part of the book was not as great as the views but it truly made me think, which is what a great book really does, makes you think.

Neverwhere was just an awesome book. I liked American Gods too but not half as much as I loved this book. The concept and idea behind are just so intriguing. Giaman is great!

Hunger Games and Graceling are both young adult fiction but they are so wonderful. The female characters are so strong and I just found them very empowering, which rarely seems to happen to me when I read a book with a female character.

The series a Song of Ice and Fire is just amazing. It is brutal and honest and then brutal again. George RR Martin is amazing because no matter how much time he's spent on a character he is still willing to kill them off. That's what makes the books so great you never know and you can never count on who will be making it through to the next book. Of course the downfall of the series is that he seems to take like 5-10 years to write the next book in the series. :)

[SillySuzy]

Here is my Top 5 all time:

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
In the Country of Last Things - Paul Auster
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Passion - Jeanette Winterson
The Rain Before It Falls - Jonathan Coe

[Laura]

LOVE Atonement! I'm reading it now. What a tremendous book. And I'm not even 1/3 of the way through. I actually don't want to finish.

[Kellie]

OK I have to add another book to my list already.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Any book that makes me cry is immediately put on my all time favorite list.

[Laura]

Kellie - have you read I am the Messenger, also by Zusak? Completely different, but also a terrific read.

[Kellie]

Kim wrote: "Kellie wrote: "Haven't been on this site in a while. Was looking around today and stumbled on this thread. I thought I would share mine. I have to make 2 lists though...Fiction and Non-fiction.
H..."

I have read every book written by Lehane. He is one of my favorite authors. the only one I didn't like was Coronado

[Kellie]

Laura,
I was actually going to do a little research on some of Zusak's other books. I loved The Book Thief so much I thought I'd try another one of his.
I will definitely see about The Messenger.
It's not a tear jerker is it?

[Fiona (Titch)]

Mine have changed:

BEAUTIFUL LIES - Lisa Unger
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS - Khaled Hossieni
PRIVATE PEACEFUL - Michael Morpurgo
The Anatomy of Deception - Lawerence GoldstoneEndal: How One Extraordinary Dog Brought a Family Back from the Brink - Allen & Sandra Parton