What are the 5 best books you've ever read? (series, recommendations, classic)

[Cornerguy1]

In no particular order:

Very Ordinary Seaman -- JPW Mallalieu, 1944

Robinson Crusoe -- Danial Defoe, 1719

Lonesome Dove -- Larry McMurtry 1986

HMS Ulysses -- Alistair MacLean 1955

The Second World War -- Winston Churchill

[findinghope]

ok this is hard because i really love books. i will name some of my favorites... if i can i will put the harry potter series all together:
1. harry potter
2. persuasion by Jane Austin
3. typee by Mellville
4. a christmas carol--dickens
5. the handmaid's tale
6. holes
and for the life of me i cant remember the title. i think it's called the seeker?

[findinghope]

sorry, can i add another--lol
"eat, pray,love"

[designergirl77]

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince - JK Rowling
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Outlander (series) - Diana Gabaldon
Legend - Jude Deveraux

[cpg35223]

Vanity Fair -- Thackeray. Just a great, underappreciated book. I read it every couple of years.

Tom Jones -- Fielding. Fun book, once you get past the 18th Century diction

Sense and Sensibility -- Austen. Nobody had a more nuanced view of human relations

Anything by Patrick O'Brian -- Maybe the best historical novels ever

Any of the Jeeves/Wooster Novels by P. G. Wodehouse -- Holy crap, the stuff he wrote in the 20s and early 30s was wet-your-pants funny.

[ontheroad]

Two of your five could easily be put on my list of favourites: Fielding's Tom Jones, and Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Vanity Fair -- Thackeray. Just a great, underappreciated book. I read it every couple of years.

Tom Jones -- Fielding. Fun book, once you get past the 18th Century diction

Sense and Sensibility -- Austen. Nobody had a more nuanced view of human relations

Anything by Patrick O'Brian -- Maybe the best historical novels ever

Any of the Jeeves/Wooster Novels by P. G. Wodehouse -- Holy crap, the stuff he wrote in the 20s and early 30s was wet-your-pants funny.

[entyss]

anything by Geraldine Brooks, esp Year of Wonders
Anything by Barbara Kingsolver, esp Poisonwood Bible
The Life before her Eyes,Laura Kasischke (made me cry for days)
We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
Autobiography of a Face - Lucy Greeley
Never Let me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by gemkeeper

Today I put Three Cups of Tea on hold until I can go back in a couple of days to get it!

I am reading and enjoying it.
Y'all--I wouldn't agonize too much about posting on this thread.
I am at #12, and I truly enjoyed the books I listed.
But it's not written in stone.
It's okay to change your mind.

[jake786]

Confederacy of Dunces- Toole
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius- Eggers
Portrait of an Artist as a Young Boy- Joyce
Sacred Hoops- Jackson
Walden- Thoreau

[RDSLOTS]

I have to stay away from this thread. It frustrates me to no end. I just don't seem to be able to think in terms of 5 best books I've read.

I see titles here, and agree, wholeheartedly, they are wonderful, superb, brilliant, but the best -- like in the best of the best? the best-est ever? There are so many titles out there that I've yet to read. How can I possibly say these five?

See my dilemma?


Let me introduce myself. My husband has begun calling me Mrs. Monk.