25 books you want to read before you die

[Halcyon]

I wan to make a list of top ten books to read. I read a lot, but have missed many of the greats. So far, based on my research, these are the books I would like to read, or read again:

 

-great gatsby,

-pride and prejudice (read, but it was a long time ago)

-Jane eyre (ditto)

-moby dick (ditto)

-to kill a mockingbird (ditto)

-hamlet

-Anna karenina

-middlemarch

-love in the time of cholera(read)

-theheart is a lonely hunter

-1984 (read)

-the sun also rises

 

Add yours!

[Missouri Okie]

I read a lot too, but have never read any of the great Russian novels.

 

So, at the top of my list would be

 

Anna Karenina

War and Peace

Crime and Punishment

The Brothers Karamazov

Lolita

 

I'd also like to read the Inferno and Paradise Lost.

[marbel]

Les Miserables.  Unabridged.  I did it earlier this year after having read it abridged a time or two.  So so wonderful.   

 

Your initial list looks good!  I need to read/reread a few of those.  Thanks for reminding me of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.  My husband is reading Moby Dick now and is thoroughly delighted with it.  I've never read it but will soon.  We've come to the conclusion that it's wasted on high schoolers, for whom it's usually a slog.  

[elegantlion]

Let's see:

 

Moby Dick (scheduled for fall with ds)

Don Quixote (may also do with ds)

Brothers Karamozov (my very short stack of Russian lit sits glaring at me from the shelf)

Egyptian book of the dead

The Silmarillion

The Three Musketeers (I got through part of it several years ago)

The Travels of Marco Polo (also scheduled in this year)

Rest of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series

Frankenstein

Of Mice and Men (just to see if Steinbeck can tick me off again. The Pearl is the only book I've ever thrown across the room)

[MommaOfalotta]

Ahh, thank you for this thread. :lurk5:  :bigear:

 

My list is way too long, but I just might be able to compile a top ten list from these suggestions!

[tammyw]

Good thread. I just recently read a lot of the classics that I never read the first time (Mockingbird, 1984, Fahrenheit). So many people complain about Moby Dick (we've read a children's condensed version) that I'm not sure I can commit. I also don't know if I want to commit  to some really hard 1000+ page books :) I'd be interested also in hearing what books others say "don't bother" from this list!

[Chris in VA]

This may get me banned...I have never read any Jane Austen all the way thru.I would like to.

I can check Ray Bradbury's Illustrated Man off my list--finished it two days ago.

Too many others to list!

[sparrow]

This may get me banned...I have never read any Jane Austen all the way thru.I would like to.

I can check Ray Bradbury's Illustrated Man off my list--finished it two days ago.

Too many others to list!

 

The Republic of Pemberley has Group Reads of Jane Austen's novels in a rotating sequence. Mansfield Park is scheduled for this fall :) .

[Halcyon]

Good thread. I just recently read a lot of the classics that I never read the first time (Mockingbird, 1984, Fahrenheit). So many people complain about Moby Dick (we've read a children's condensed version) that I'm not sure I can commit. I also don't know if I want to commit to some really hard 1000+ page books :) I'd be interested also in hearing what books others say "don't bother" from this list!

I just downloaded middlemarch on audible, and might do the same with moby dick......

[Halcyon]

I read a lot too, but have never read any of the great Russian novels.

 

So, at the top of my list would be

 

Anna Karenina

War and Peace

Crime and Punishment

The Brothers Karamazov

Lolita

 

I'd also like to read the Inferno and Paradise Lost.

It's terrible but have never been able to get into Russian novels....

[LostSurprise]

Lolita (I'd like to finish it when I don't have kids making me all emotional)

The Brothers Karamazov (need to find it and finish it)

War and Peace (ditto)

The Magic Mountain (ditto)

Remembrance of Things Past (ditto)

The Divine Comedy (ditto)

Cloudsplitter (ditto)

The Tin Drum (ditto)

Narcissus and Goldmund (ditto)

more Studs Terkel

more Tanizaki (probably The Key)

the works of Borges (especially Labyrinths which I've started 2 or 3 times)

all of the works of Charles Portis (I have Gringos and Dog of the South left) 

a Jim Harrison novel (I have True North on-shelf)

Infinite Jest

a Don DeLillo novel or two (I have Underworld and Libra on-shelf)

a Thomas Pynchon novel or two (I have Vineland on-shelf but perhaps Crying of Lot 49 or Gravity's Rainbow as well)

the rest of Cormac McCarthy's novels

a China Mieville

the complete Lorine Niedecker

A History of the Peoples of Siberia

the rest of Walter Tevis' novels (including The Hustler and his science fiction)

EB White's non-fiction

A Disease Once Sacred and The Falling Sickness

Dessert University

 

 

 

 

[Onceuponatime]

I just picked up a leather bound unabridged Works of Shakespeare at a book exchange. I figure it may take me the rest of my life to get through it.

[VeganCupcake]

I just downloaded middlemarch on audible, and might do the same with moby dick......

The Moby Dick Big Read was a series of recordings of each chapter that were released each day, starting in September 2012. Some chapters were kind of meh, but some were amazing. It was also available as a podcast so it was very easy to get on a phone or other device. I can't link it here for some reason, but google "Moby Dick Big Read" and you'll find it.

[Luanne]

Spare yourself the displeasure of reading The Great Gatsby.  Worst book ever.  I had to read it several times for school.  It wasn't good the first time nor the fourth time.  I hate that book.

 

My daughter 100% agrees with you.  I've never read the book, but from what Rebekah says, it is awful!

[crazyforlatin]

Awful classics may be more tolerable on audio. Here's hoping this is true as I begin some awful ones again.

[VeganCupcake]

Awful classics may be more tolerable on audio. Here's hoping this is true as I begin some awful ones again.

I listened to the audiobook of The Great Gatsby last year, after reading it a hundred years ago in high school. The writing is absolutely masterful--terse but so effective. Sure, the story isn't sunshine and unicorns, but it does have a lot to say about humanity.

[crazyforlatin]

I listened to the audiobook of The Great Gatsby last year, after reading it a hundred years ago in high school. The writing is absolutely masterful--terse but so effective. Sure, the story isn't sunshine and unicorns, but it does have a lot to say about humanity.

Good to know! To be honest, I don't have the same aspirations as some people in reading these books for the simple intellectual stimulation. I'm really a practical kind of person, so this is just to prepare in advance when DD has to read them. I don't care if they are awful - I'm still assigning them to her so that she can at least be exposed to the writing.

[Halcyon]

Well, I start hte Middlemarch audio book tonight while I knit a pair of socks. Supposedly, the narrator is AMAZING. I'll let you know. 

[tammyw]

Good to know! To be honest, I don't have the same aspirations as some people in reading these books for the simple intellectual stimulation. I'm really a practical kind of person, so this is just to prepare in advance when DD has to read them. I don't care if they are awful - I'm still assigning them to her so that she can at least be exposed to the writing.

 

For me, I want to read them before assigning them to my children, and if I weren't homeschooling, I'm sure I'd never be at this point, but I'm also so incredibly glad to be doing it, because wow, I missed out on some amazing stuff!

[Mommy22alyns]

I listened to the audiobook of The Great Gatsby last year, after reading it a hundred years ago in high school. The writing is absolutely masterful--terse but so effective. Sure, the story isn't sunshine and unicorns, but it does have a lot to say about humanity.

I'm glad you said this. I picked it up a few days ago thanks to the thread on the high school board for it and other classics people disliked. I'm liking it a lot, but sometimes my taste is a bit warped.   :tongue_smilie:

[crazyforlatin]

For me, I want to read them before assigning them to my children, and if I weren't homeschooling, I'm sure I'd never be at this point, but I'm also so incredibly glad to be doing it, because wow, I missed out on some amazing stuff!

It's like that with math. I'm not sure if I would be willing to go through any of the AOPS books if I weren't teaching math. It's humbling at times. And I'm just in Pre-A.

[KRG]

Books I want to read:

Atlas Shrugged
The Count of Monte Cristo
The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series
I have about 300 books downloaded on my kindle that I want to read
 

[Violet Crown]

Ulysses

À la Recherche du Temps Perdu

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

The Magic Mountain

Piers Plowman

Finnegan's Wake

A good reader's guide to Finnegan's Wake

[Seasider]

[quote name="elegantlion" post="5058049" timestamp=

Of Mice and Men (just to see if Steinbeck can tick me off again. The Pearl is the only book I've ever thrown across the room)

 

Start clearing some pictures off a wall.

[Stacia]

Books I've never read, but want to (in no particular order)...

 

01. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

02. something by Marcel Proust

03. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

04. Absalom, Absalom (&/or any or all books by William Faulkner)

05. Against Nature by J.K. Huysmans

 

06. The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

07. Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson

08. Congo Solo by Emily Hahn

09. something by Roberto Bolaño

10. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

 

11. Head in Flames by Lance Olsen

12. something by Sjón

13. The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares

14. something by Bernardo Atxaga

15. The Silence of Trees by Valya Dudycz Lupescu

 

16. In the Orchard, the Swallows by Peter Hobbs

17. The Travels by Marco Polo

18. anything from Nat'l Geo's list of the 100 best adventure books that I haven't already read...

19. anything by Jorge Luis Borges

20. The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen

 

21. Furdydurke by Witold Gombrowicz

22. North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

23. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

24. something by Issac Asimov

25. I have to leave this spot open for serendipity to decide...

[ebunny]

I want to *complete* reading one book before I die- Don Quixote. Every time I pick it up, I just can't get past the first 10 pages because I fall asleep! It's my proverbial Everest.

[wingedradical]

I love Russian writers and have read most of them.

 

I am ashamed to admit this (and I may REALLY be kicked off here)but I hate reading anything in play form, including Shakespeare. I don't mind watching it acted out. I have the same problem with every play I've ever had to read so I haven't read many.

 

What I want to read: 

 

- The Fairie Queen by Edmund Spenser.

 

-The Great Gatsby. I've started it more than once but never finished it. I don't expect to like it but I hate not finishing something. My youngest son loved it though.

 

-1001 Arabian Nights. I actually have it but didn't find it interesting so didn't finish. But I heard someone on NPR talking about it recently which gave me new insight so I'd like to go back to it again.

 

-The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.

 

 

 

[Hoot]

In no particular order, the top 25 books that I would like to read but have either never read or never finished would be:

 

1. Anna Karenina

2. Don Quixote

3. Moby Dick

4. Sherlock Holmes

5. Uncle Tom's Cabin

 

6. Walden

7. Up From Slavery (though I read selections in high school)

8. Mein Kampf

9. An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth

10. Utopia (though I read selections in high school)

 

11. Shadow Divers

12. The Scarlet Pimpernel

13. Purple Hibiscus

14. Silent World and other works by Jacques Cousteau

15. Le Morte D'Arthur

 

16. Origin of Species

17. The Satanic Verses

18. The Three Musketeers

19. Lord of the Flies

20. King Solomon's Mines

 

21. The Curious Naturalists

22. The "All Creatures..." books by Herriot

23. Slaughterhouse Five

24. The Grapes of Wrath (I got about 3/4 of the way through this a few years ago and really liked it, but just never finished it for some reason.)

25. Long Walk to Freedom (I'm reading this now.)

 

 

 

[LostSurprise]

Oooh, Ulysses and 1001 Arabian Nights! I would add those. 

[Kareni]

My problem is that while there are many books that I would like to have read, I'm too lazy to actually read them.  (It's not that I lack time as I find plenty of that for more fluffy reads.)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

That's what audiobooks are for. :)

 

 

I'll confess, Jen, that I have tried to listen to audio books.  If I'm in the car (as a passenger), I have a tendency to fall asleep.  I did seriously try once while painting the interior of our house; I found that I would hear the first few paragraphs and then meander away with my own thoughts only to hear the click signalling the end.  This is what comes of years of using the radio as background company/noise!

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Among the many books:

 

On the Nature of Things (Lucretius)

 

The Social Contract (Rousseau)

 

The complete works of George Bernard Shaw

 

I need to read Middlemarch and reread Adam Bede.

 

A word to those of you who hesitate cracking the cover of Moby Dick. Just do it! It is a wonderful book. Wonderful, I tell you!!

[Halcyon]

That's what audiobooks are for. :) Seriously, I would be asleep in 2 minutes reading any of the books on my list. By the time I sit down to relax and read, I'm out. So moving around, going for walks, cooking, doing chores while listening to books has helped me get through so many just this year. I'm up to 17 books so far this year and I'm loving it.

Well, I have been listening to Middlemarch on audio, and i LOVE it. BUT. There is no way I could be doing other things, other than perhaps knitting, while listening. Following what is happening is challenging, but I am getting more used to it and can follow better than I could in the beginning. 

 

So for anyone who is interested in Middlemarch, the Audible version is really good. 

[Halcyon]

In no particular order, the top 25 books that I would like to read but have either never read or never finished would be:

 

1. Anna Karenina

2. Don Quixote

3. Moby Dick

4. Sherlock Holmes

5. Uncle Tom's Cabin

 

6. Walden

7. Up From Slavery (though I read selections in high school)

8. Mein Kampf

9. An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth

10. Utopia (though I read selections in high school)

 

11. Shadow Divers

12. The Scarlet Pimpernel

13. Purple Hibiscus

14. Silent World and other works by Jacques Cousteau

15. Le Morte D'Arthur

 

16. Origin of Species

17. The Satanic Verses

18. The Three Musketeers

19. Lord of the Flies

20. King Solomon's Mines

 

21. The Curious Naturalists

22. The "All Creatures..." books by Herriot

23. Slaughterhouse Five

24. The Grapes of Wrath (I got about 3/4 of the way through this a few years ago and really liked it, but just never finished it for some reason.)

25. Long Walk to Freedom (I'm reading this now.)

 

 

 

These are great! Thank you for adding your list. Thank goodness for Audible LOL.

 

[Matryoshka]

Books I've never read, but want to (in no particular order)...

 

01. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

02. something by Marcel Proust

03. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

04. Absalom, Absalom (&/or any or all books by William Faulkner)

05. Against Nature by J.K. Huysmans

 

06. The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

07. Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson

08. Congo Solo by Emily Hahn

09. something by Roberto Bolaño

10. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

 

11. Head in Flames by Lance Olsen

12. something by Sjón

13. The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares

14. something by Bernardo Atxaga

15. The Silence of Trees by Valya Dudycz Lupescu

 

16. In the Orchard, the Swallows by Peter Hobbs

17. The Travels by Marco Polo

18. anything from Nat'l Geo's list of the 100 best adventure books that I haven't already read...

19. anything by Jorge Luis Borges

20. The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen

 

21. Furdydurke by Witold Gombrowicz

22. North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

23. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

24. something by Issac Asimov

25. I have to leave this spot open for serendipity to decide...

Okay, I'm incredibly impressed by this list. Something like 98% of the books on other lists here I've read, are on my 'to read' list, or I know what they are but am not interested. But I don't think I know about half of the books, or even authors, on your list! Could you perhaps expound on your selections 5-16, 20-21 and 23? What makes those works/authors on your must-read list? :bigear:

 

One book I'd have in common with you would be "something by Borges". I've been trying to figure out which one - where are you leaning?

 

I've got you on Asimov, though - read all the Foundation and Robot books back in high school. ;)

[Matryoshka]

I want to *complete* reading one book before I die- Don Quixote. Every time I pick it up, I just can't get past the first 10 pages because I fall asleep! It's my proverbial Everest.

I've got it sitting there on the shelf mocking me. I am determined to read it someday, in the original. I know I can handle the language - I've read even more than 10 pages! But it is long and goes on and on - I need a reading buddy or a deadline or something that doesn't make me just move on to something else and put it off till 'later' again...

 

Die Leiden des jungen Werther (Goethe) is another one mocking me from my shelf. I'm not sure I can get through all the romantic melodrama... and Cien años de soledad (Garcia Márquez) is shelf-mocking as well. I'm not sure if these are on my to-read bucket list or whether I should just give up on them...

 

 

Moby Dick is another one. At least I don't own it and it's not laughing at me from the shelf. I'm thinking maybe I should get that one on audio... anyone know if there's a good unabridged audio of Moby Dick?

[Stacia]

Okay, I'm incredibly impressed by this list. Something like 98% of the books on other lists here I've read, are on my 'to read' list, or I know what they are but am not interested. But I don't think I know about half of the books, or even authors, on your list! Could you perhaps expound on your selections 5-16, 20-21 and 23? What makes those works/authors on your must-read list? :bigear:

:blush: Ok, first, you're making me blush.

 

I like to read a variety of things, often contemporary &/or very modern/surrealist type works, as well as novels that do something different (challenge convention re: writing style, narrative, etc...) -- basically works that could be called 'experimental'. I've read classics (quite a few -- there are still many, many that I can/will/need to read) & pulp fiction & tried about everything in between -- my list reflects the type of reading that I generally enjoy most. I guess I enjoy works that are different & off the beaten path, including books that have found themselves banned; I like reading books that take risks with traditional styles; I enjoy things like magical realism (in its various forms from around the world) & other stylistic types of writing; love multi-layered, multi-dimensional texts; & I love reading lesser-known (in the US) authors from around the world, which is not always an easy task as some authors/places don't have huge amounts of works available in English translations. (And, then, I consider myself fortunate if I am able to find them at a library because I rarely buy books. Most of the books I like aren't easily found through PaperbackSwap either, lol.).

 

I know you didn't ask, but I'll start with why I picked:

01. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

03. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

 

Earlier this year, I read Nick & Jake -- a very fun, light read that places Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby) and Jake Barnes (The Sun Also Rises) as the main characters. It has a mash-up of literary characters & real people, is set in the 1950s during McCarthyism. It was just plain fun, especially Jake's character. Having never read The Sun Also Rises, I want to see how well Nick & Jake portrayed Jake. Larry Darrell (from The Razor's Edge) also shows up as a character, but I've never read Maugham & want to see how well Larry was portrayed too. So, that's why those two classics are on my list.

 

Quite a few others on my list are ones I've come across through good ratings/recommendations of people on Goodreads -- people I'm friends with or people I follow who seem to have the same/similar taste as me as far as novels are concerned. (If you're interested in seeing books I enjoy/have read, check my Goodreads page.)

 

05. Against Nature by J.K. Huysmans: Seems to be an unconventional 'classic', as well as one that challenges narrative structure, so that makes me want to try it.

 

06. The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa: Portuguese writer who attributed his writing to various versions of his selves. Not sure if he had multiple personalities or not, but this is a varied collection of writings, notes, diary entries, etc... compiled after his death.

 

07. Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson: I read a different book by Markson (Vanishing Point) & thought the style was somewhat interesting but overall the entire piece was ok. Wittgenstein's Mistress is his more/most well-known work. I'm curious about it.

 

08. Congo Solo by Emily Hahn: I love adventure stories & find women adventurers quite fascinating. Stumbled across this title a few years ago & added it to my want-to-read list.

 

09. something by Roberto Bolaño: Have considered reading his magnum opus of 2666, but also wonder if it won't be too harrowing for me. May try The Savage Detectives (esp. because I just saw it pop up in the movie 'Now You See Me' -- the hypnotist in the group was reading it, lol). He's very highly-regarded in Latin American fiction (& I tend to love Latin American fiction, so he seems like a must-read to me).

 

10. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway: So many have recommended this book -- many on the WTM reading/book posts.

 

11. Head in Flames by Lance Olsen: Don't remember how I heard about this one, but I fell in love with the idea of its experimental structure when I read about it. It alternates between 3 voices -- Vincent Van Gogh; Theo Van Gogh (great grandson of Theo Van Gogh), a Dutch director that was murdered by a Muslim in 2004 after Van Gogh made the film 'Submission', which criticized the treatment of women in Islam; and Mohammed Bouyeri (the man who murdered Theo Van Gogh). The idea of the alternating viewpoints creating one story sounds fascinating & I'm wondering how Vincent (from past times) would be woven into the Theo & Mohammed (from present times), along with the obvious artistic & religious topics that would probably play into the text. Plus, I love the cover art. :001_smile:

 

12. something by Sjón: I've been seeing this Icelandic author's books popping up on a lot of lists lately, especially since some of his works have just recently been translated into English. He is apparently well-known & popular in Europe & has been compared favorably to Borges, Calvino, etc.... I've never read a novel from Iceland. And, these new English versions have very visually striking covers too. (Can you tell I'm all about pretty/intriguing/striking cover art?)

 

 

13. The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares: This is a NYRB Classics book (which are lovely book editions, btw) & is another one I've seen recommended by my Goodreads friends. I enjoy most South American writers, so that's another plus for this one.

 

14. something by Bernardo Atxaga: I want to read something by a Basque author. Should be a fairly unique viewpoint since the number of Basques in the world is quite small in relation to the world's population. I've visited part of the Basque region of Spain -- beautiful scenery, delicious food. Curious what the writing will be like...

 

15. The Silence of Trees by Valya Dudycz Lupescu: Actually saw this posted in a wish list by someone here on the boards & it piqued my interest.

 

16. In the Orchard, the Swallows by Peter Hobbs: A Goodreads friend highly rated this one -- said it was one of the most beautiful stories she had read in a long time. Also, since it's set in Pakistan, it meets my love of world authors (though, apparently, the story is timeless & really could be set anyplace). This Goodreads friend is the one who pointed me to Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi, one of the most enchanting books I've read. After Mr. Fox, I certainly trust her recommendations.

 

20. The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen: This is one I actually have sitting on my shelves -- picked it up at a used bookstore awhile ago. The mix of drawings, text, & marginalia drew me in -- I just love the look of it. Now I need to spend the time reading it.

 

21. Furdydurke by Witold Gombrowicz: Published in Poland in the 1930s & was criticized/banned by the Nazis, Stalinists, & the Polish Communist regime. I want to read/know what caused such scandal. :D If you know my siggy line, you know I like banned books. ;)

 

23. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby: Another one recommended on these forums, actually. Written by a French editor paralyzed by a rare type of stroke, he could only blink his left eye. This book was composed blink by blink once drs. & loved ones realized that his mind was intact & that he could blink yes or no as each letter of the alphabet was recited, doing this over & over & over to spell words & tell the story of himself being trapped in his body. He died two days after the book was published. I think this book will break my heart & uplift it too. I must read this man's story; there is no question about it.

One book I'd have in common with you would be "something by Borges". I've been trying to figure out which one - where are you leaning?

Maybe Ficciones.

I've got you on Asimov, though - read all the Foundation and Robot books back in high school. ;)

Yep, see, another big author I've missed.

 

And, now, I'd better start reading, huh?

[Violet Crown]

24. something by Issac Asimov

 

Take this for what it's worth, but I'm going to suggest skipping Asimov's science fiction, and instead reading some of his science writing for adults. I read a surprising amount of science fiction as a child (my brother had shelves of it), and I realized at a young age that his just wasn't very good writing. But he wrote explanations of science for the non-scientist tremendously well.

 

See if you can get your hands on the unpromising-sounding World of Carbon. I was just hooked.

[Kareni]

Take this for what it's worth, but I'm going to suggest skipping Asimov's science fiction, and instead reading some of his science writing for adults. I read a surprising amount of science fiction as a child (my brother had shelves of it), and I realized at a young age that his just wasn't very good writing. But he wrote explanations of science for the non-scientist tremendously well.

 

See if you can get your hands on the unpromising-sounding World of Carbon. I was just hooked.

 

I can't speak to Asimov's science fiction writing; however, I concur with Violet Crown concerning his non-fiction.  I read and enjoyed a great many of his factual books as a teen.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Stacia]

Take this for what it's worth, but I'm going to suggest skipping Asimov's science fiction, and instead reading some of his science writing for adults. I read a surprising amount of science fiction as a child (my brother had shelves of it), and I realized at a young age that his just wasn't very good writing. But he wrote explanations of science for the non-scientist tremendously well.

 

See if you can get your hands on the unpromising-sounding World of Carbon. I was just hooked.

 

I can't speak to Asimov's science fiction writing; however, I concur with Violet Crown concerning his non-fiction.  I read and enjoyed a great many of his factual books as a teen.

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

Thank you both for the advice. Maybe Asimov just slipped lower on my list, lol. (I much prefer fiction to non-fiction. I may just skip his fiction & will give his non-fiction a try... someday.)  :tongue_smilie:  Have you read his guide to the Bible? Curious as to what that is like....

[Storm Bay]

Wel, I could never limit this to just 10 books, and naturally people always manage to include some book I loathe!!! The 1001 list has many I hated or won't ever read, but also some I loved.

 

Here are two not seen on this thread yet that I'd include for sure.

 

The Bible m(for literature if you don't believe it is holy)

 

Snow Falling on Cedars (one of my all time favourites--well done, beautiful descriptions, haunting charaters, good plot, very well done story)

 

 

Wow, a post from a different thread I'd multi quotedshowed up here.

 

It's terrible but have never been able to get into Russian novels....

Me neither, but I have enjoyed some of the Russian classic playwrites & also some of the art music (aka classical, but that's just one era...).

[LostSurprise]

Thank you both for the advice. Maybe Asimov just slipped lower on my list, lol. (I much prefer fiction to non-fiction. I may just skip his fiction & will give his non-fiction a try... someday.)  :tongue_smilie:  Have you read his guide to the Bible? Curious as to what that is like....

 

I've always considered Asimov's Bible guides (I think he has more than one) to be a bit of hubris on his part. Eh.

 

Actually, Asimov is an interesting writer, and very influential. He's just not a great stylist. You don't read him for the prose or characterization. You read him for the ideas. 

 

I, Robot is one of his most accessible (although he's not hard to read) and I'm fond of his mysteries (Tales of the Black Widowers, etc.). I like when he mixes mystery and science fiction. 

[Onceuponatime]

Thank you both for the advice. Maybe Asimov just slipped lower on my list, lol. (I much prefer fiction to non-fiction. I may just skip his fiction & will give his non-fiction a try... someday.)  :tongue_smilie:  Have you read his guide to the Bible? Curious as to what that is like....

 

 

I consider Asimov's original Foundation Trilogy to be some of the most fascinating stories I've ever read. I've read them through multiple times. The End of Eternity is the last fiction book of his I read and I liked the time paradox aspect. Some of his  fiction is fun but forgettable.  However,  he is classic Sci- Fi and essential to understanding the robot and human relationship roots that run through modern Science Fiction. If you are looking for stellar writing, you are looking for the wrong thing.

 

I have his book ATOM on our Science bookshelf. I've also read large portions of his Guide to the Bible. I don't believe it was hubris that led him to write that. I believe it was the scientist's desire for factual truth. The Guide is heavily based on historical criticism. It would make a lot of people uncomfortable. 

[Guest ella.fisher]

My favorite books are : 

 

BATTLEFIELD EARTH

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

1984

ANTHEM

WE THE LIVING

MISSION EARTH

FEAR

ULYSSES

CATCH-22

THE GREAT GATSBY

DUNE

THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS

STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND

A TOWN LIKE ALICE

BRAVE NEW WORLD

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

ANIMAL FARM

GRAVITY’S RAINBOW

THE GRAPES OF WRATH

SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE

GONE WITH THE WIND

LORD OF THE FLIES

[QueenCat]

Thank you both for the advice. Maybe Asimov just slipped lower on my list, lol. (I much prefer fiction to non-fiction. I may just skip his fiction & will give his non-fiction a try... someday.)  :tongue_smilie:  Have you read his guide to the Bible? Curious as to what that is like....

 

My husband uses his Bible guide as a reference tool. Lots of interesting history and cultural information. It makes understanding certain elements of the Bible easier.

[QueenCat]

Spare yourself the displeasure of reading The Great Gatsby.  Worst book ever.  I had to read it several times for school.  It wasn't good the first time nor the fourth time.  I hate that book.

 

I love The Great Gatsby........... I find it well written, giving a glimpse of an interesting part of society in history.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I listened to the audiobook of The Great Gatsby last year, after reading it a hundred years ago in high school. The writing is absolutely masterful--terse but so effective. Sure, the story isn't sunshine and unicorns, but it does have a lot to say about humanity.

I just reread it in anticipation of the movie and I was astounded at what I missed when I read it in high school. I loved it and I agree that his writing is masterful.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Well, I start hte Middlemarch audio book tonight while I knit a pair of socks. Supposedly, the narrator is AMAZING. I'll let you know.

I really enjoyed Middlemarch. Daniel Deronda, on the other hand, . . . not so much. I've never been able to slog my way all the way through.

 

I can't get into the Russian authors either (I did read Crime and Punishment and still feel vaguely ill). Or Dickens. I forced myself to finish Little Dorrit. I can't stand the long-winded prose.

 

I have been reading a lot of Edith Wharton lately. I read The House of Mirth from the WEM book list and really loved it, so I reread The Age of Innocence, and read Glimpses of the Moon, the Custom of the Country, Sanctuary, Ethan Frome, and Summer.

[Violet Crown]

I have been reading a lot of Edith Wharton lately. I read The House of Mirth from the WEM book list and really loved it, so I reread The Age of Innocence, and read Glimpses of the Moon, the Custom of the Country, Sanctuary, Ethan Frome, and Summer.

You might see if you can find a copy of her nonfiction book, The Decoration of Houses. It makes you realize how much she tells you in her fiction through descriptions of interior spaces.

[Amethyst]

Spare yourself the displeasure of reading The Great Gatsby.  Worst book ever.  I had to read it several times for school.  It wasn't good the first time nor the fourth time.  I hate that book.

 

I liked Great Gatsby quite a bit. It's not as great as Grapes of Wrath, but it's still 4 stars. On the other hand, there should be a picture of Red Badge of Courage in the encyclopedia under "Most Boring Book Ever Written"!