A Reader's Bucket List

[Haven]

DS asked for a list of the greatest books ever written in the Kindle Fire Covers thread. I am SO NOT QUALIFIED to make such a list, but I bet we could come up with a killer collective bucket list for readers.

I know similar threads exist in the Library, but we get so much traffic in Hangout, I thought it might be fun to hear everyone's input here.

So, PSers, which books would be on your bucket list, and why?

Thanks for the thread idea, DiamondSeeker! I'm really excited to see everyone's input.

 

[vc10um]

Not very "advanced" reading, but if I only had the Harry Potter books to last me the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure I would still be a very happy girl. I've read the entire series through at least 3 times, and read the earlier books many more times than that (I think I've read books 1-3 about 7 times each?) and I STILL find connections that I missed in the previous reads. JKR's ability to weave together this world astounds me. I find myself wishing often that she would write more! I am excited for Pottermore to continue to expand (I was granted early access) and by far the best part right now is the JKR-exclusive content where she provides additional background on the characters, as well as information on how she came up with the names of places and characters. So those seven books definitely top my list.

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Not very "advanced" reading, but if I only had the Harry Potter books to last me the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure I would still be a very happy girl. I've read the entire series through at least 3 times, and read the earlier books many more times than that (I think I've read books 1-3 about 7 times each?) and I STILL find connections that I missed in the previous reads. JKR's ability to weave together this world astounds me. I find myself wishing often that she would write more! I am excited for Pottermore to continue to expand (I was granted early access) and by far the best part right now is the JKR-exclusive content where she provides additional background on the characters, as well as information on how she came up with the names of places and characters. So those seven books definitely top my list.

This is me to a T! I love all things HP and find them to be the most interesting and classic books I have ever read. I WILL read them to my children and I'm currently reading book one to my boyfriend on road trips and in our down time.

 

[Alistra]

I love reading! I would include: Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, and Laurie King's Beekeepers Apprentice series (her others are great too).

 

[mrs taylor]

hmmmm, depends on your style. I'll second the Harry Potter series, the His Dark Materials trilogy, I loved the Kathleen McGowan trilogy-it does have religious tones similar to (but much better than) Dan Brown's books. If I could only have one book the rest of my life it would be Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I also loved WIcked, The Mists of Avalon, anything by Neil Gaiman-especially Good Omens which was co-written with Terry Pratchett. Oh! And Jonathan Norrell and Mr Strange. I'd also never leave out A Prayer for Owen Meany especially at this time of year!

I'm sure there's more, but I'm going to be watching this thread!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I appreciate the replies so far, but I will admit that I am a little surprised that some of these would fall into the category of "greatest books ever written".

I'll be interested to see what else is posted!

 

[vc10um]

Diamondseeker, I think you will get a wide variety of answers because what makes a book "great" is 100% in the eye of the reader. Many people will cite The Sun Also Rises and other books by Hemingway among the "greatest" of all time, however I personally can not stomach a single one of these books of "literary genius." On the other hand, I think many, especially of my generation, can identify with the characters and themes of the Harry Potter books, which, my opinion, are unmatched in series literature for their character and plot development, their creativity, and the love of reading they foster. To me, that makes them "great."

Along with the seven Harry Potter books, my personal library is not complete without:

Little Women
The Catcher in the Rye
The Great Gatsby
Ragtime (E.L. Doctorow)
and
To Kill a Mockingbird
along with the collected works of Shakespeare and Robert Frost

 

[TravelingGal]

War and Peace. I feel as an English major, I should have read it, but never did. That one is on my bucket list...might take me a lifetime to read, anyway!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

vc10um....Well, you can count me as another who wouldn't attempt another Hemingway book after The Old Man and the Sea! But your last list are more along the lines of what I was expecting! Thanks!

 

[yennyfire]

I would say the Classics....they are "The Classics" for a reason...you know, Jane Eyre, DOn Quixote, The Count of Monte Cristo, David Copperfield, To Kill a Mockingbird....I read most of them in high school because I "had" to and then began reading them while I was on bedrest during my first pregnancy. It was amazing how much better I found them the second time around.

I also like Harry Potter, the Outlander Series, The Kite Runner, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn, The Rule of Four...the list could go on...and I can't wait to see what books are listed that I haven't read...I'm always looking for new books to read....great thread, thank you!

I keep editing, sorry....I think I would also say that it depends on your mood. Sometimes I want to read a classic that has teeth, other times I want to read a book that keeps my attention, but is easy to read (i.e. when I'm on vacation at the beach)...

 

[lliang_chi]

The Great Gatsby is my all time favorite book ever. I would definitely say one of the greatest.

There are other books that I enjoyed reading and recommended to others:

Fiction:
A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry (fiction: set in India circa the Partition, not exactly happy light beach reading but very enjoyable)
MIddlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides

Non fiction:
Guests of the Ayatollah, Mark Bowden (about the Iran hostage crisis)
Conspiracy of Fools, Kurt Eichenwald (about Enron scandal)
Sin in the Second City, Karen Abbott (about The Everleigh Club in Chicago during Progressive Era.Pretty light reading, vacation-y)

 

[smitcompton]

Hi All,

I recommend a book called THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison-

I recommend a book called Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

I also agree that the classics are wonderful-- I prefer the Russian writers. Of course I was young when I read them and they evoked young passions that are probably no longer as meaningful to me.

I also think Ayn Rands "Atlas Shrugged" ought to be on your list


Annette

 

[mrs taylor]

I loved the Bluest Eye. Loved.
Also, more in the line of "classics" or rather....things I had to read in school and loved:
Time and Again by Jack Finney
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis as well as Till We Have Faces
Of Mice and Men
To Kill a Mockingbird
Little Women
The Scarlet Letter
The Crucible
The Picture of Dorian Gray followed closely by The Importance of Being Earnest
The Red Badge of Courage
My Brother Sam is Dead
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Three Musketeers
anything Jane Austen

So many others too that I can't recall. I can SEE the jackets, but I can't come up with titles.

 

[soocool]

I was on a Kurt Vonnegut kick a short while ago (don't really know why) , now I am into biographies/auto biographies. Read Dick Van Dyke's-My Lucky Life, Betty White's latest, Diane Keaton's - Then Again, now reading about Vincent Van Gogh. Waiting to read Tina Fey's book - BossyPants.

Regarding biographies/autobiographies, I am interested in learning about the real person, not the one we know solely via tv, movies, or art.

Next on my list is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCuller. I have read this book over and over and over agin. I always hope that it would end differently.

 

[lulu]

The complete works of Shakespeare would top my list.

 

[marymm]

If we're talking the "Greatest Books Ever Written," my list would include:
1. An American Tragedy - by Theodore Dreiser
2. A Town Like Alice - by Nevil Shute
3. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
4. All fiction by Chaim Potok
5. Emerson's Essays
6. The Power of One - by Bryce Courtenay
7. Cry the Beloved Country - by Alan Paton
8. The Diary of Anne Frank

 

[iheartscience]

The best books I've read lately-ish (that I can remember off the top of my head):

-Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
-Mr. Vertigo, Paul Auster
-The Power of One, Bruce Courtenay
-Naked, David Sedaris
-The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon

 

[LAJennifer]

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

 

[mrs taylor]

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

that was one I couldn't come up with! Thank you! I could see the cover but couldn't manage the name. Great book.

 

[vc10um]

If we're talking the "Greatest Books Ever Written," my list would include:
1. An American Tragedy - by Theodore Dreiser
2. A Town Like Alice - by Nevil Shute
3. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
4. All fiction by Chaim Potok
5. Emerson's Essays
6. The Power of One - by Bryce Courtenay
7. Cry the Beloved Country - by Alan Paton
8. The Diary of Anne Frank

Thank you for reminding me of these! I've loved everything I've ever read by him. I need to find the rest of his books and complete my collection. He's such a beautiful story-teller.

 

[yssie]

The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll

 

[Haven]

The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll

I love all four of these books! DORIAN GRAY was the only book that was universally loved by my students when I taught high school.

I'm not one for the classics, generally, so I've had to think about this one for a while. The classics that I do love are:

THE CANTERBURY TALES by Chaucer
Short stories, I know, but I really love 'em

THE WINTER'S TALE is my favorite Shakespeare play, followed closely by MIDSUMMER. I love Shakespeare, and am so lucky to have studied in Stratford-Upon-Avon in college. *sigh* The good old days.

I love ROBINSON CRUSOE but I can't tell if it's because I read it with The Most Amazing English Professor Ever, or if I just really love the book.

I really love Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories, "The Birthmark" is probably my favorite.

Love Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN. This is another case of Great Professor or Great Book, though. My Romantic lit prof was amazing. Not as amazing as my Restoration lit prof, but close enough.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST is hilarious. I have a thing for Oscar Wilde, in general.

That's all I can think of for now. I hate many of the titles that others love, so it's so subjective. Most of the truly transformative books I've read have been outside of the canon, and would be considered very low brow by the literati, but they're some of the books that have changed me most.

As a high schooler, my favorite classics were MIDSUMMER and LITTLE WOMEN. I reread LITTLE WOMEN as an adult and really disliked it. Strange how time changes everything. Still love MIDSUMMER, though.

 

[TooPatient]

As a Driven Leaf -- Milton Steinberg
The Hope -- Herman Wouk
The Glory -- Herman Wouk
Winds of War -- Herman Wouk
War and Remembrance -- Herman Wouk
To Kill a Mockingbird -- Harper Lee
The Moonstone -- Wilkie Collins
The Kite Runner -- Khaled Hosseini
Siddhartha -- Hermann Hesse
Night -- Elie Wiesel
Dawn -- Elie Wiesel
Day -- Elie Wiesel
Sherlock Holmes -- Arthur Conan Doyle
Miss Marple -- Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot -- Agatha Cristie
John Adams -- David McCullough
Masters Of Rome (series) -- Colleen McCullough
at least a couple by Ernest Gann

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I was on a Kurt Vonnegut kick a short while ago (don't really know why) , now I am into biographies/auto biographies. Read Dick Van Dyke's-My Lucky Life, Betty White's latest, Diane Keaton's - Then Again, now reading about Vincent Van Gogh. Waiting to read Tina Fey's book - BossyPants.

Regarding biographies/autobiographies, I am interested in learning about the real person, not the one we know solely via tv, movies, or art.

Next on my list is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCuller. I have read this book over and over and over agin. I always hope that it would end differently.

i went on a Vonnegut binge too. I bought a ton of his books, but only read about half of those before fizzling out. My fav is Cat's Cradle.

There are so many books I could add to this thread, but am on my ipad and peck typing and that it takes to long to type! Lol will contribute when on my PC.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the book suggestions. Many of my favorite books are from posters who talked about them on PS!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi All,

I recommend a book called THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison-

I recommend a book called Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

I also agree that the classics are wonderful-- I prefer the Russian writers. Of course I was young when I read them and they evoked young passions that are probably no longer as meaningful to me.

I also think Ayn Rands "Atlas Shrugged" ought to be on your list


Annette

I tried so hard to get into atlas shrugged, but finally gave up! I really liked We The Living though... Gave me a chance to check out Rand's writing style w/out too much long-term book dedication. Lol

 

[Octavia]

These are the books I currently have rated as "five stars" on Goodreads:

The 'Madeline' series - Ludwig Bemelmans
A Lover's Discourse - Roland Barthes
The Age of Wonder - Richard Holmes
The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Odyssey - Homer (**Robert Fagles translation**)
The 'Anne of Green Gables' series - L.M. Montgomery
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
The Great Gatsby; Tender is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Orczy
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg
The End of the Affair - Graham Greene

Some of my "four star" picks which I would put at almost five, but not quite there:

Autobiography of My Mother - Jamaica Kincaid
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
Pretty much anything by Agatha Christie, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle
The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
Most of Bill Bryson's travel books
Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams
Hedda Gabler - Henrik Ibsen
The Shell Seekers; September - Rosamunde Pilcher
Possession - A.S. Byatt

 

[TooPatient]

Teddy Roosevelt's autobiography
The Naval War of 1812 -- Theodore Roosevelt
The Rough Riders -- Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt's History of the United States
His Excellency: George Washington -- Joseph Ellis

 

[violet3]

This is hard, because like many others I was an english major and had to read many books in the canon that I didn't love and others that I did. Some of the books I've loved were also contemporary, but still had an impact on me. Books I've read and loved:

Dracula - Bram Stoker
Kindred - Octavia Butler
The Odyssey - Homer
Cold sassy tree - Olive Ann Burns (the sequel is terrible)
Gatsby - Fitzgerald
Plainsong - Kent Haruf
The catcher in the rye - J.D. Salinger
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
EDIT: I forgot "Never let me go - Kazuo Ishiguro

books I've recently downloaded onto my Kindle, which I think I should have read but did not get the chance:

The Scarlett Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer/Huck finn - Mark Twain
Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave Written By Himself
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte- (although I completely admit I am not a fan of the Victorian period and I don't care for the other Bronte's work)


Hey! There are so many books out there that are not "greatest books ever written," but are really enjoyable, fast reading. We should start a guilty pleasure (for lack of a better term) thread for those who don't want to read the classics but want something compelling to read. I have quite a few myself!!!!

 

[Sky56]

War and Peace

I read Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov and loved them.

 

[zoebartlett]

I automatically thought of the classics when I read the title of the thread, but to be honest, I'm not a fan of most of them. I did like reading To Kill a Mockingbird, Anthem, and A Separate Peace in high school though.