# Your all time top five?



## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

I have a top five for a lot of things in life, and they often change, but I was thinking about this and my top five books hasn't changed in years - does that mean I haven't read anything as good in a long time, or does it mean that I have been in this stage of my life for a long time and they won't change until I change? They do each represent something different for me, like childhood or happiness or home. Anyway, here are mine.

1) The Lord of the Rings - I can't read this book too many times, to me it is the most magical wonderful book ever written and always will be

2) Riders by Jilly Cooper - Don't judge me, especially if you haven't read this book, it's amazing, there are a multitude of characters both good and evil and redeemable all woven together in a complex story that covers years of time, it's funny and yet poignant, full of tear-wrenching drama and exciting too.

3) Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson - I kept this book with me the whole time when I went travelling and when I worked abroad, despite the author being American, he gave me a little bit of home, and the humour is laugh out loud funny

4) Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - Do I need to explain this one? It just ticks all the boxes

5) Blott on the Landscape by Tom Sharpe - Such an incredibly British farce and so clever. I just really like the way he writes. I like all his books, but this was my favourite.

I feel annoyed that I didn't manage to squeeze Douglas Adams, Roald Dahl or Dan Brown in there, but they do get to sit in my top ten.

So what are your top 5 and why?


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## Shei Darksbane (Jan 31, 2015)

1. *The Slow Regard of Silent Things* by Patrick Rothfuss (JUST read this and it earned this spot.)
2.*The Hobbit* by J.R.R. Tolkein (Absolutely the best thing he wrote, and it's beautiful in every way!)
3. *Words of Radiance* by Brandon Sanderson (Not sure many books have thrilled me quite as much as this one did. I have never been so desperately invested in how it went for a character.)
4. *Wise Man's Fear* (Rothfuss again. Yes he gets two spots. This book. Oh goddess, this book was just so beautiful. It's hard to decide between loving Name of the Wind or Wise Man's Fear more, but I think Wise Man's Fear wins due to the insanely beautiful philosophy that ended up in one of the cultures in this story...)
5. *Skin Game* - Jim Butcher or *Night Broken*- Patricia Briggs (I literally can not pick. Both are insanely awesome, and the author's clear best ever imo. Urban Fantasy at its prime. It is my goal to one day live among these on someone's list with my Dakota Shepherd books. These are the books that made me want to write Urban Fantasy.)

I'm sure I've forgotten something I would love to include... 
And it's hard not to include several more. I've loved so many book so deeply, but if I have to choose, those are my choices. I even cheated in a 6th, but those last two really live on the same level to me.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

Mine is also Lord of the Rings. I read it once a year. I would also add Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Sword of Shannara, The Stand, and One For the Money (I loved Stephanie Plum until she ceased growing as a character).


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## SunshineOnMe (Jan 11, 2014)

I love this post!

I mean, hello, The Lord of the Rings <3

Chronicles of Narnia

Disc World by Terry Pratchett

The Stand and

the Talisman by Stephen King


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## JV (Nov 12, 2013)

I don't have a top five. Perhaps a top 2...

Number 1 is very easy for me: *Shantaram* by _Gregory David Roberts_. No other book I've experienced comes close to this masterwork. The only thing that will meet its greatness is a sequel which, thankfully, is coming in October after over a decade of waiting. I mean...just the story behind his struggle to write this book is absolutely incredible. Blood, sweat, and tears LITERALLY went into this piece.

Second is easy too: *Infinite Jest *by_ David Foster Wallace_. DFW is a genius. That's pretty much all I feel I need to say about that.


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## edwardgtalbot (Apr 28, 2010)

The first two are head and shoulders above the other three. The other three might vary depending on when you ask me.

1.The Eight by Katherine Neville (Dan Brown way before Dan Brown, and much better)

2.The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo

3.Foundation by Isaac Asimov

4.Plum Island by Nelson Demille

5.Killing Floor by Lee Child*

*It's probably not the very best Jack Reacher book, but it was the first time I experienced the joy of reading Lee Child.

I did enjoy Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings quite a bit. Were I a big reader of fantasy, one of them probably would have. Foundation is the only one of the five that isn't in the normal range of what I read most of the time.

If I were picking favorite authors, then Cussler, Clancy, King, Ludlum would be near the top. But none have a single book that would make my top five.


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## N R Hairston (Oct 5, 2014)

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm not sure how to pick out my top five books, but I do have my top five series. 

1. The Dune books- Frank Herbert

2. A Song Of Ice and Fire- George RR Martin

3. The Lucas Davenport books- John Sandford, (so realistic, wow, I love him.)

4. Adrien English Series- Josh Lanyon  (Some of the best m/m murder mysteries I've ever read.) 

5. Every Jane Austen book I've ever read.


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## Genevieve Mckay (Jan 19, 2015)

A Wind in the Door - Madeline L'Engle
The House Tibet - Georgia Savage
The Last Samauri - Helen Dewitt
The Beautiful and the Damned - F.Scott
A Man in Full - Tom Wolfe

There are so many more but these came to mind first as the great ones.


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## Flay Otters (Jul 29, 2014)

Goldfinger – Ian Fleming
The Power & the Glory or pretty much anything by Graham Greene
Don Quixote – Miguel Cervantes
Flashman (any one of them or all of them) – George McDonald Fraser
Bonfire of the Vanities – Tom Wolfe


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

In no particular order

The Girl in A Swing - Richard Adams (my favorite love story, with a creepy ghost story as a bonus)
Chicot the Jester - Alexandre Dumas (a great love story supported by some of Dumas' best characters)
She - H. Rider Haggard (another great love story with some of Haggard's best adventure in darkest Africa)
The Silmarillion - Tolkien (I love LOTR, but in a showdown where I could only pick one...)
The Pliocene Exile saga - Julian May (IMHO this has never gotten anywhere near the recognition or awareness it deserves)


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## KGorman (Feb 6, 2011)

1. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson (this will, forever and always, be my #1)
2. Memory and Dream - Charles de Lint
3. Under Heaven - Guy Gavriel Kay
4. The Descent Series - by our very own SM Reine ... I re-read these books quite a lot.
5. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Honourable mentions: Patricia Briggs, JK Rowling, ---aaaaand I have to run away from my computer before I post more


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## Cxxxxxxx (May 30, 2015)

It's so hard to choose only five. My top five are pretty well locked in place, with room below still in the top ten.

1. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy. First read it at 11, because all the adults in my family had. I didn't understand much except that I loved the characters. I've read it every five years or so since then and it remains for me, the best novel ever written.

2. The Alexander Trilogy- Mary Renault

3. Buddenbrooks- Thomas Mann

4. Midnight's Children- Salman Rushdie

5. A Song of Ice and Fire- George R.R. Martin (the first three books. I'm meh about 4 & 5, but will read obsessively to the end).

I could go on and on, but I won't. 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Christine_C (Jun 29, 2014)

1. The Secret History -- Donna Tart. 
I could not fricking put this book down. I loved the mystical aspects and the mystery.

2. The Alexandria Quartet -- Lawrence Durrell. 
For some reason, I love the over-the-top, flowery descriptions, and the structure is amazing. The first 3 books take place at the same point in time from different perspectives. Book 4 goes forward in time.

3.  Tender is the Night  -- F Scott Fitzgerald
It was about Zelda Fitzgerald, and she is fascinating. And I guess F Scott Fitzgerald is pretty good at writing stuff. 

4. Fortress of Solitude -- Jonathan Lethem
Semi-Autobiographical book, but with fantasy elements. It tackles complex issues of race, interpersonal relationships and family dysfunction--all around fascinating read. 

5.  The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian  -- Sherman Alexie
Funny, sad, and true. Totally readable and sort of heart-breaking YA. 

Kind of wanted to put Gone Girl on there but I ran out of room. This was hard.


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## Robert Dahlen (Apr 27, 2014)

I find myself thinking that the best way to describe what my top five books mean to me is with quotes from each one. And, yes, one of them is a graphic novel. If that upsets you, sorry, but it belongs there.

_Bridge Of Birds_, Barry Hughart (my all time favorite book from the moment I finished the last page):

I shall clasp my hands together and bow to the corners of the world.

May your villagers remain ignorant of tax collectors, and may your sons be many and ugly and strong and willing workers, and may your daughters be few and beautiful and and excellent providers of love gifts from eminent families that live very far away, and may your lives be blessed by the beauty that has touched mine.

Farewell.

_Alice's Adventures In Wonderland_, Lewis Carroll:

"Two days wrong!" sighed the Hatter. "I told you butter wouldn't suit the works!" he added, looking angrily at the March Hare.

"It was the _best_ butter," the March Hare meekly replied.

_Reaper Man_, Terry Pratchett

"Because we're all in this together, I suppose. Because we don't leave our people in there. Because you're a long time dead. Because anything is better than being alone. Because humans are human."

AND SIXPENCE IS SIXPENCE. BUT CORN IS NOT JUST CORN.

_MythAdventures_, by Phil Foglio, adapting _Another Fine Myth_ by Robert Asprin:

Aahz: "You traded a magical pendant that sees through spells for a fledgling dragon?'

Skeeve: "Yeah."

Aahz: [picks up Skeeve and shakes him roughly]

Skeeve [discombobulated]: "What was that for?"

Aahz [furious]: "I wanted to see if you'd *completely* lost your mind, or if a piece of it was still rattling around in there!"

_The Phantom Tollbooth_, Norton Juster:

"And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Reason, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover the wonderful secrets of tomorrow."


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## jlmarten (May 9, 2012)

My first three are by the same author, C.S. Lewis.

1. The Great Divorce
2. The Chronicles of Narnia (that's seven books, so I'm obviously cheating  )
3. The Space Triology
4. Lord of the Rings
5. A Wrinkle in Time,  by Madeleine L'Engle  It was the first book I actually finished when I was a kid.


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## Nope (Jun 25, 2012)

.


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## Liz French (Apr 13, 2014)

Confession: I've never read LOTR

Mine are:
1. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing. I read it in my early 20s and it changed me/my life.
2. American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis. I just love his use of repetition, I haven't read it for a few years now, I'm not sure if I still have the stomach for it.
3. Lace by Shirley Conran. She is just excellent. 
4. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. Small story told in a big way.
5. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I'm hesitant to include this because whenever I mention it people get really angry. I'm not sure I would say it was a "favourite", I enjoyed reading it, although the ending is bonkers and hard to push through. I'm including it because it had a huge impact on me and in quite a direct way showed me that I shouldn't marry the person I was with at the time. Which in turn lead to all sorts of merry life adventures  

ps I am not, and never will be a member of the Tea Party. Just so that's clear.


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## Kessie Carroll (Jan 15, 2014)

I love all your lists! What a diverse bunch of tastes!

I love all these equally, so they're my tops:

1 all four Melendy books by Elizabeth Enright-- The Saturdays, the Four Story Mistake, And Then There Were Five, A Spiderweb For Two

2. The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones (all her books, actually)

3. The Wheel on the School, by DeJong

4. Bleak House, by Dickens

5. The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge (all her books are varying degrees of wonderful).


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

The Caves of Steel (Isaac Asimov)
Dune (Frank Herbert)
Elric of Melnibone (Michael Moorcock)
The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle)
Perfume (Patrick Suskind)

Also a confession: I fall asleep on LOTR, the movies were a godsend.


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## Liz French (Apr 13, 2014)

Nic said:


> Perfume (Patrick Suskind)


Ahh Perfume! That's a great one!


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## J.A. Cipriano (May 27, 2014)

It was hard to choose five...

1. Armor - John Steakley
2. Fault in Our Stars - John Green
3. Illusions - Richard Bach
4. Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card
5. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers
To Kill a Mockingbird
Johnny Tremain
Shogun


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## Abderian (Apr 5, 2012)

Wow, this is hard. I thought I had my five then I read all the replies and was reminded of a few more!

Books I can read again and again include:

1. The Lord of the Rings (of course)

2. Wuthering Heights

3. Joseph Conrad's short stories (yes, all of them. I'm sneaky. Imagine they're all in one big collection.)

4. To Kill a Mockingbird

5. Gormenghast


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## Janeal Falor (Oct 25, 2014)

Oooh, I love this topic!

1. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
2. The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
3. Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
4. The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanely
5. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine


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## loriann (Jun 20, 2014)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Jane Eyre

Les Miserables

The Mountain Lion

The Patrick Melrose Novels


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

So many favorites to choose from:

1. Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

2. The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner

3. The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough

4. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

5. Lake Wobegon Days - Garrison Keillor


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## jillb (Oct 4, 2014)

1. Wild Swans
2.Les Miserables


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Difficult. Today's list, in no order:

Daphne Du Maurier - Rebecca
Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None
Jane Austen - either Mansfield Park or Persuasion, depending on what mood I'm in
Josephine Tey - most of them. Probably The Franchise Affair
Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre

Not one male writer in my list, I see. What's all that about, then?


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## Raquel Lyon (Mar 3, 2012)

1.	The Harry Potter series. Don’t ask me to pick a favourite. Oh, all right then, Prisoner of Azkaban. (The film so didn’t do it justice.) I think I’ve read the whole series seven times now and can’t see it ever being usurped from its number one position.
2.	A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor-Bradford. A favourite from my teenage years. Gotta love a good family saga.
3.	Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging by Louise Rennison, in fact, the whole Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series. Sooo funny and brought back so many memories!
4.	Riders. (Yes, Stella, people can judge me too.) Rivals was nowhere near as good, IMHO, but what woman wouldn’t want her a bit of Rupert Campbell-Black?  
5.	Pride and Prejudice. At about the age of eleven, I picked a leather-bound copy off my late grandma’s bookshelf, when I was bored one day, and I was hooked.

I’ve just noticed all my favourite books are by English Authors, and also female, Lydniz.  

I’ve never read LOTR either, Liz, nor have I ever read a Stephen King book. (No intention to either.) And yes, I’m being honest, P.J.


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## Liz French (Apr 13, 2014)

Raquel Lyon said:


> I've never read LOTR either, Liz, nor have I ever read a Stephen King book. (No intention to either.) And yes, I'm being honest, P.J.


Ha ha - I HAVE read Stephen King, but not since I was about 13. I always preferred James Hurbert. Sacrilege!


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## Raquel Lyon (Mar 3, 2012)

Liz French said:


> Ha ha - I HAVE read Stephen King, but not since I was about 13. I always preferred James Hurbert. Sacrilege!


I did once read Rats. Scared me s***less. I had nightmares for months. Yeah, not going near a horror book again!


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## Nathalie Aynie (Nov 24, 2013)

My two favourites are:
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Back Street by Fanny Hurst


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## Nathalie Aynie (Nov 24, 2013)

Raquel Lyon said:


> I did once read Rats. Scared me s***less. I had nightmares for months. Yeah, not going near a horror book again!


OMAGAD me too, I've had vivid nightmares for months. I loved those books, but I'm never reading them again.


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

KGorman said:


> 1. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson (this will, forever and always, be my #1)
> 2. Memory and Dream - Charles de Lint
> 3. Under Heaven - Guy Gavriel Kay
> 4. The Descent Series - by our very own SM Reine ... I re-read these books quite a lot.
> ...


What did you think of the remake of the film, The Haunting? I thought it was an absolute insult, they made it into a comedy. The original was great.

My top 5 Not in any particular order:

The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Stand by Stephen King
Forever Amber by Kathleen Windsor
Can I sneak in The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins?


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

Five is just not enough!


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

Oh, I like the Woman in White too, Doglover. Similarly, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, although they both have the same plot hole you could drive a tractor through.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Y'all know we have a whole board just for discussing books you've read, right?

Book Corner.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2015)

1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller because it's brilliant satire and when asked, "If you could have written any novel …" that would be my choice. It's snarky, political, poignant and still manages to be a page turner. Everything a great novel should be, IMO  

2. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. This one because it's beautiful and haunting and one of those novels that I think always makes my students reconsider WHO is fighting in the trenches. That part of the novel where Paul is in the trench with the French soldier … there are no "bad guys." And I think this novel makes my students rethink the men (or the boys, in some cases) in this war. 

3. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. It's quirky, laugh out loud funny, weird, and yet, Smith manages to pull it all together in a way that works so well I read the book in one day. There's a good reason this one has racked up the awards.

4. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. I love Hemingway and this is my favorite of his novels.

5. Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng. This isn't a novel but an autobiography so I'll place a novel in an honorable mention below but this book deserves to be in a top five category anyway. I don't assign it, but I should … she survived the Cultural Revolution and imprisonment, refused to make a false confession and suffered for years. Amazing woman and fantastic book.

*HM: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.


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## Salvador Mercer (Jan 1, 2015)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Y'all know we have a whole board just for discussing books you've read, right?
> 
> Book Corner.


Hehe, yes we do, but I'll share mine here all the same 

1) LOTR (I consider The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers & The Return of the King to be one large book  )
2) Watership Down by Richard Adams
3) The Shining by Stephen King
4) Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy
5) Renegade's Honor by William Keith

Yah, five is not enough


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## Christine_C (Jun 29, 2014)

Lydniz said:


> Difficult. Today's list, in no order:
> 
> Daphne Du Maurier - Rebecca
> Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None
> ...


Oh I forgot about Rebecca. I want to add that!


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## KGorman (Feb 6, 2011)

Doglover said:


> What did you think of the remake of the film, The Haunting? I thought it was an absolute insult, they made it into a comedy. The original was great.


...Not much. The only good part was when the lion-thing in the fireplace took Owen Wilson's head off. I re-watch the original every year or so.


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## sstroble (Dec 16, 2013)

Hombre by Elmore Leonard. You have to love a writer who said, "you have to leave out the parts no one reads." 

The Bounty Trilogy by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.  You might have seen one of the 3 movie versions (1962 one with Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, and Richard Harris is most true to the book). Do yourself a favor and find out what happened before and after the mutiny on the Bounty.

The Gold Bug by Edgar Allen Poe. Poe says more in 60 pages than most authors do in 600.

The Day Christ Died by Jim Bishop. Brings that day to life.

Camp of the Saints by Jean Raspail. For over 40 years, critics have denounced the book as racist, fascist, capitalist, and imperialist. But this post apocalyptic novel has proven to be prophetic. The phrase that best describes Raspail's critics might be "ceased to exist."


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

KGorman said:


> ...Not much. The only good part was when the lion-thing in the fireplace took Owen Wilson's head off. I re-watch the original every year or so.


My daughter, now 38 years old, still won't watch any black and white film because of the original of the Haunting. They scare the life out of her! Great film, a real classic.


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## Kylo Ren (Mar 29, 2014)

The correct answer (in no particular order) is:

Lord of the Rings

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Dark Tower Series

Ready Player One

Ender's Game


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## jackconnerbooks (Nov 18, 2014)

Okay, in no particular order . . .

Lord of the Rings

Game of Thrones 

Hyperion

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

Any omnibus of the works of Robert E. Howard

I had to sneak REH in there somewhere. H. P. Lovecraft should also be in there, but I didn't want to put in two omnibuses, and The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters needs more love. Truly wonderful books.


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## KelliWolfe (Oct 14, 2014)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Y'all know we have a whole board just for discussing books you've read, right?
> 
> Book Corner.


There's more to kboards than WC? 

Every time someone makes a post I want to go back and change my list. Five just isn't enough.


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

KelliWolfe said:


> Every time someone makes a post I want to go back and change my list. Five just isn't enough.


Same here. I also realize I just may be missing out on somthing by never having read any of the LOTR or Harrry Potter series. Did I just admit that on a public forum for writers?


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I've read LOTR but I prefer The Hobbit.


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## Fannin Callahan (Jun 8, 2015)

My favorites have held steady for many many years, though this is tough. Lots of books that I love. 
1. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
2. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
3. Trinity by Leon Uris
4. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
5. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (STILL scares me)


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

Ooh, I'd forgotten about The Exorcist. It took me several attempts to get through that book because it scared me so badly.


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## jackconnerbooks (Nov 18, 2014)

Yeah, I forgot to include something from Larry McMurtry. I'd pick Comanche Moon.


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## Silly Writer (Jul 15, 2013)

I'm going to have to list mine as series:

1) The Dark Tower Series
2) Chronicles of Narnia
3) Inkheart
4) Lonesome Dove
5) Kushiel's Dart (sp?) 

3 was a toss-up...and hard to decide between Inkheart and The Harry Potter Series.

Funny thing, I write in 3 genres...but none of the above 😳


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## The 13th Doctor (May 31, 2012)

I'm all about series so... (and these are in no particular order)

1. Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

2. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

3. Zom-B by Darren Shan

4. The first three Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon (the later ones bored me)

5. The Enemy series by Charlie Higson


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

moving to the book corner . . . which is the place made for exactly this sort of thread.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Hmm ... this is really tough. I'm going to go with "books I'll definitely read again more than once."

_Pride and Prejudice_, Austen
_The Lord of the Rings_, Tolkien
_The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian_, Alexie
_White Noise_, DeLillo
_King Lear_, Shakespeare


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## SA_Soule (Sep 8, 2011)

It is hard to say these are my "Top 5" because with new books being published all the time and discovering new authors, mine change frequently. LOL So right now I favor these...

_In no particular order: _

*FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC* by V.C. Andrews (I guess I've loved this series since high school)

*POISON PRINCESS* (_The whole series is amazing!_) by Kresley Cole

*THE IRON HUNT *by Marjorie M. Liu

*BEAUTIFUL DISASTER* by Jaime McGuire

*TWILIGHT* by Stephenie Meyer


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

[list type=decimal]
[*]The original "Amber" series by Roger Zelazny, which technically would be my 5 favorite books all by itself, but like LotR can be considered one novel in multiple volumes. Why? Because I've read them at least 30 times so far. 'Nuff said?
[*]_Night Watch_, by Terry Pratchett: humorous, thoughtful, clever, sad, moving, yet still humorous
[*]_Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal_, by Christopher Moore: see #2
[*]_Good Omens_, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: see #2 and #3, though maybe not as much sadness
[*]_The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?_, by Leon Lederman: had to squeeze one nonfiction book on here, and this does a great job of explaining not just science, but what it's like to be a scientist
[/list]


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

My all time top five includes To Kill a Mockingbird, by the way.  Not sure what else is in there.

Betsy


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## scifi365 (Sep 12, 2014)

The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Trial - Franz Kafka
We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

Bubbling under - Hyperion (Dan Simmons), Metamorphosis (more Kafka), The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver), Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut), American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis)


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

And I don't really have a top five because it depends on when you ask me and my mood at time.  And the state of my memory.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Folks,

let's continue talking books while we discuss moving it in the smoke filled admin cave.  I'm going to remove the request to return the thread to the WC and responses to it to allow the thread to continue; Evenstar, know that we're discussing it.

Betsy


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

Top five not in any order:

*The Guns of Avalon *from Zelazny's _Chronicles of Amber_
*Dragon* from Brust's _Vlad Taltos Series_
*Tricked *from Hearn's _Iron Druid Chronicles_
*The Five People You Meet in Heaven *by Albom
*The Illearth War* from Donaldson's _Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever Trilogy_


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## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
Imajica - Clive Barker
Shadowland - Peter Straub
Mort - Terry Pratchett (or any other Discworld book)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie

With apologies to those who listed them amongst their favourites, War and Peace and The Silmarillion would make it into my top 5 worst books.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

Thee Hannah by Marguerite de Angeli (an original edition with wonderful watercolor illustrations was the first thing my husband replaced for me after our home was flooded and I was heartbroken at the loss)

To Kill A Mockingbird

After those 3 individual books, I guess I have to go with one series which would be the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout.

Too many others would occupy the 5 spot on any given day to list them, but I could be satisfied reading these same books over for the rest of my life.

Maybe The Chronicles of Narnia if I really had to choose.  Okay, edited that - The Velveteen Rabbit has to be in my Top 5. Not removing any of the others you understand, just adding.


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## AngryGames (Jul 28, 2013)

1. The Forever War - Haldeman
2. Hyperion (cantos) - Dan Simmons
3. Old Man's War - Scalzi

(man... all sci-fi so far...? I need to get out more)

4. The Gunslinger - Stephen King
5. Philip K. Dick Collection 

I do love tons of non-scifi books (I grew up reading the entire Nancy Drew series and will quickly admit to still loving them). But my top 5 have pretty much stayed consistent since Old Man's War made the list. I've probably read each of these 10x over the years other than OMW (maybe 4x so far on it).


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Any number of favorites is so hard to choose as the list will only reflect that particular moment in time, but here I go:

1, _House of Suns_ by Alastair Reynolds - possibly the best science fiction I've read in decades.

2. _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by Walter Miller -I don't know how many times I've read this book

3. _Breakfast of Champions_ by Kurt Vonnegut - my first Vonnegut and it opened up a whole new world for me.

4. _The Vampire Chronicles_ by Anne Rice - I simply adore the original trilogy.

5. _The Color Purple_ by Alice Walker - simply a beautiful novel


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## gdae23 (Apr 30, 2009)

_No Great Mischief _- Alistair MacLeod 
_The Martian Chronicles_ - Ray Bradbury
_The Hobbit _and _Lord of the Rings _- J.R.R. Tolkien
_The Bird Artist_ - Howard Norman

Can't decide which ONE book to put as number five, so I'll put several, in no particular order: _To Kill a Mockingbird, Dandelion Wine, All the Light We Cannot See, The Night Circus, Harry Potter series, Earth Abides..._


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## Dave Lewis (Aug 22, 2015)

Top 5 is very hard but here are 5 different books that would make my Top 100:

1. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists - Robert Tressell

2. Far Bright Star - Robert Olmstead 

3. When the Lions Feeds - Wilbur Smith

4. Lean on Pete - Willy Vaultin

5. Left Out in the Rain - Gary Snyder


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I couldn't possibly select just five books as "the best." I will take a shot at five series:

Sherlock Holmes, because I love the characters and the point of view, and the plots and ideas of the stories are often very clever. Note that I would have a tough time even picking my five favorite Sherlock Holmes stories.

The Jeeves stories of PG Wodehouse, because they are hilarious! And also because the writing and phrasing is brilliant, even getting past my usual fixation on plot rather than writing style.

CS Forester's Horatio Hornblower stories, because I love and can identify with the main character, and I like the painstaking attention to historical detail.

The Nate Heller detective novels of Max Allan Collins, because I love the genre (noir detective) and am fascinated by the historical detail, and use of real historical situations such as the Lindbergh Kidnappings or Amelia Earhart's disappearance as settings. The straightforward writing style also appeals.

A fifth fictional series would be David Drake's work. Specifically probably the RCN series about Lieutenant Leary and librarian Adele Mundy. Great plots, with the framework often stolen from ancient history, and intriguing heroes and details. I have to get some science fiction in here someplace!

To get some nonfiction in here, I would be hard-pressed to choose between the historical work of Barbara Tuchman (for brilliant writing in a wide variety of always-interesting subjects), or Samuel Elliott Morison, also for brilliant writing, but for a laser-like focus on fascinating naval and nautical history.

I have not mentioned any kid's books, but I'd have to give honorable mention to The Pushcart War and The Twenty-One Balloons.


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## Natasha Holme (May 26, 2012)

*1979 by Rhona Cameron*. She lived my life, and recaptures it hilariously.

*Catch 22 by Joseph Heller*. Hilarious political satire.

*The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger*. Stunning coming-of-age novel. First book I read twice.

*The Martian by Andy Weir*. Utterly gripping.

*The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson*. Full of joy and life, an inspiriation. Very funny, too .


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

scifi365 said:


> The Secret History - Donna Tartt
> The Trial - Franz Kafka
> We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
> 100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
> ...


Mmm ... Slaughterhouse-Five and Hyperion are so good.


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## prairiesky (Aug 11, 2009)

Beach Music - Pat Conroy
Lonesome Dove-Larry McMurtry
Outlander-Diana Gabaldo
The Quiet Game- Greg Iles
Finally, anything by James Lee Burke...He is the one author I read slowly...to make it last as long as possible


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## WHDean (Nov 2, 2011)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I couldn't possibly select just five books as "the best." I will take a shot at five series:
> 
> Sherlock Holmes, because I love the characters and the point of view, and the plots and ideas of the stories are often very clever. Note that I would have a tough time even picking my five favorite Sherlock Holmes stories.


I have the same problem with Holmes and with fiction in general. I couldn't name a specific story in the Holmes canon that I liked better than the others. And as I read through others' top fives I'm reminded of books I'd have to add. This is a difficult task. 

ETA: Maybe I'll throw in _Don Quixote _and _MacBeth_. Oddly enough, I feel like mentioning _White Knight, Black Swan _by Ross Harding--a penname of David Gemmel--because it stuck with me for some reason. Given the price paid for this book nowadays, I wish I had a copy to sell.


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

Wow. I can't narrow it down to five. I know I'm not following the rules, but here are some of mine, in no particular order:

_Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ by Lewis Carroll
The Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly
_A Storm of Swords_ by George R.R. Martin
The Appalachian series by Sharyn McCrumb
_Winter's Bone_ by Daniel Woodrell
Everything by Jane Austen and Willa Cather
_Purple Hibiscus_ and _Half a Yellow Sun_ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
_The Stand_ and _11/22/63_ by Stephen King

O.K. -- I'll stop now.


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

Evenstar said:


> 4) Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - Do I need to explain this one? It just ticks all the boxes
> 
> 5) Blott on the Landscape by Tom Sharpe - Such an incredibly British farce and so clever. I just really like the way he writes. I like all his books, but this was my favourite.


I'd never heard of _Blott on the Landscape_. I should add it to my list.  I'm also a fan of Harry Potter and _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe_.


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

Shei Darksbane said:


> 1. *The Slow Regard of Silent Things* by Patrick Rothfuss (JUST read this and it earned this spot.)


I love the way the joy that you find in terrific books shines through in this post.  I also love the fact that you shared the series that inspired you to become an author of Urban Fantasy. Jim Butcher and Patrick Rothfuss are two authors who've been on my list for a long time, and I haven't gotten to them yet.


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

Amanda M. Lee said:


> Mine is also Lord of the Rings. I read it once a year. I would also add Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Sword of Shannara, The Stand, and One For the Money (I loved Stephanie Plum until she ceased growing as a character).


_Lord of the Rings_ and Harry Potter are terrific. I love the fact that you read LoTR every year. My husband is a big fan of the Shannara series, but I've never read it. And _The Stand_ ... yes!!


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

SunshineOnMe said:


> Chronicles of Narnia


I feel in love with _The Chronicles of Narnia_ when I was young, and my 11-year-old daughter recently read them for the first time. She binged on the whole series. <3


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

JV said:


> Second is easy too: *Infinite Jest *by_ David Foster Wallace_. DFW is a genius. That's pretty much all I feel I need to say about that.


I haven't read _Infinite Jest_, but it's been on my list for a long time.


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

edwardgtalbot said:


> 5.Killing Floor by Lee Child*
> *It's probably not the very best Jack Reacher book, but it was the first time I experienced the joy of reading Lee Child.


I haven't read any of the Jack Reacher novels yet -- I should probably go hand in my mystery buff card now.


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## TheEclecticScribe (Aug 25, 2015)

Liz French said:


> 5. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I'm hesitant to include this because whenever I mention it people get really angry. I'm not sure I would say it was a "favourite", I enjoyed reading it, although the ending is bonkers and hard to push through. I'm including it because it had a huge impact on me and in quite a direct way showed me that I shouldn't marry the person I was with at the time. Which in turn lead to all sorts of merry life adventures
> ps I am not, and never will be a member of the Tea Party. Just so that's clear.


I didn't love _Atlas Shrugged_, and Rand's worldview doesn't sit well with me, but I have always been struck by the fact that this is one novel many people say changed their lives! That impresses me. I think the philosophy of individualism has affected many people in a positive way, partly because they read at the right time in their lives. That is obviously true for you. Now I am curious about the story of you and your former romantic partner.  My sister-in-law fell in love with the book after reading it at a time when she felt she didn't fit in and needed a stronger sense of confidence in herself as an individual. I love that.


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## CMH (Aug 21, 2015)

A hard choice.  Would probably be different on a another day (e.g. Anne Rice, Victor Hugo, Terry Pratchett, Patrick O'Brian) and three of them are series.

The Asian Saga - James Clavell
Hyperion cantos - Dan Simmons
The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
Dune series - Frank Herbert
The Third World War - General Sir John Hackett


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## JeanetteRaleigh (Jan 1, 2013)

The Lord of the Rings (including The Hobbit) by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
On the Way to Heaven by Tina Wainscott (Later released under a different title as Jamie Rush)
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I am in awe of all of you that can narrow down to 5. I can't even narrow down to 100. I am not even kidding at that.


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

Bleak House, by Dickens
The Haunting of Hill House, --thank you KGorman for reminding me of that one--
The Alexandria Quartet, by Lawrence Durrell 
The Doorbell Rang, by Rex Stout --well, just about any book by R.S.--
The Testament, by John Grisham


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## bohemianedu (Jul 24, 2014)

Right now...almost too hard to narrow down
1. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
2. Fear of Flying, Erica Jong
3. Friday, Robert Heinlein
4. Another Country, James Baldwin
5. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote


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## typo (Jul 30, 2010)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Shogun by James Clavell
Remember Ben Clayton by Stephen Harrigan
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2015)

1) The virgin of small plains by Nancy pickard 
2) Love walked in by Marisa de Los santos 
3) An unpublished title by Lindsey Loucks (she has other great titles published, but there's this one I beta read for her and to not include it here would be a lie. It's probably my favorite book ever and hopefully gets published soon)
4) Sirens Secret by Debbie Herbert
5) the claiming of sleeping beauty by Anne rice (it's under her pen name)


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## TomCrossley (Sep 16, 2015)

Hi guys,

I'm new here, didn't realise there was so many members for this website but hey ho, thought I'd join, as I love books, they are my passion, what can I say haha? 

Anyway, to start off I thought I'd ask you guys the question, what are your top 5 favourite books? I love to read so I guess it seems like the formidable question. 

So guys; what is your top 5 favourite books? I would love to know!!      

For me, it's got to be

(1/5) Of Mice And Men (mainly because of the interesting storyline, and the idea of two friends journeying together)

(2/5) Treasure Island (mainly because of the classic characters, and the journey of Jack, which is quite cool)

(3/5) The Butterfly Lion (thought this storyline was pretty beautiful, with the circus, and obviously the lovely couple)

(4/5) Remains Of The Day (Quite hard to read at first, but actually it turns out to be pretty funny...)

(5/5) The Curious Incident Of The Dog At Night (Thought it was pretty special, the character of the boy, as well as the way it was written plus I'm glad they're making it a play)


--

Anyway guys, would love to hear from you!


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Feel free to jump into this thread with the same topic: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,220973.0.html and welcome to KBoards!


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## TomCrossley (Sep 16, 2015)

Sweet thanks!!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I've gone ahead and merged your thread, Tom, with the one referenced . . . . sorry for any confusion!


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## xandy3 (Jun 13, 2010)

OOH, it's so hard to pick just 5!   

1.	_The Lord of the Rings_-JRR Tolkien. It truly is an escape for me, and there's no such thing as reading it too many times. LOL

2.	_The Hobbit_-JRR Tolkien. The adventure that first sent my mind to Middle Earth&#8230;

3.	_The White Gryphon_-Mercedes Lackey. This was a pleasant surprise to say the least, and it blew me away! I received the book due to not filling out my book club order fast enough, and this was sent to me automatically. So, I gave it a shot, and read it as I liked to take a book to work during my lunch break at my old dental assisting job. Well, I was completely amazed by the setting, the characters, and the mystery that unfolded within the fantasy story. The world building and character development made me fall in love with it, and really inspired me to expand my writing skills and grow as a fantasy writer. Plus, it was the book that made me a Mercedes Lackey fan. 

4.	_Charlotte's Web_-EB White. I first read it in 3rd Grade. Read it again 2 years later, when I was sick in the hospital. It was a great comfort to me, at that time. I re-read it again as an adult. It still has the same effect on me. (It also cured my arachnophobia. LOL )

5.	_A Christmas Carol_-Charles Dickens. I read it every year at Christmas Time. It's a true holiday classic. I love when Scrooge has a change of heart at the end.


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## scott.marmorstein (May 26, 2015)

This is a rather difficult list for sure.

1. Wool (first book) -Hugh Howey
2. The Shining - Stephen King
3. Odd Thomas -Dean Koontz
4. The Sphere - Michael Chricton
5. The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisngr) - Christopher Paolini


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## Sarah Chute (Nov 11, 2015)

Oh, this is hard! 

1. _Harry Potter_ series by JK Rowling
2. _Lord of the Rings_ by JRR Tolkien
3. _Gone with the Wind_ by Margaret Mitchell
4. _Hattie Big Sky_ by Kirby Larson
5. either _And Then There Were None_ by Agatha Christie or _A Farewell to Arms_ by Ernest Hemingway. Sorry. I couldn't chose.


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## annabrockton (Nov 12, 2015)

A Time To Kill / John Grisham
The Great Gatsby / F. Scott Fitzgerald
Charlotte's Web / E.B. White
Roots / Alex Haley
...
All my other favorites are tied for fifth place.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

Atunah said:


> I am in awe of all of you that can narrow down to 5. I can't even narrow down to 100. I am not even kidding at that.


I was thinking the same thing


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## Jon Lee Clay (Nov 24, 2015)

1- Battlefield Earth by L, Ron Hubbard  
2- Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
3- Robinson Crusoe by Danile Defoe
4- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolien
5- The Time Machine by H.G. Wells


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## Key Lime Ink (Nov 26, 2015)

Oh, goodness! Narrowing it down is harder than properly roasting a turkey (which I'm doing right now).

In no particular order:

- Night Flight, Antoine de Saint-Exupery (for his exquisite language)
- Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte (for the gut-wrenching romance)
- A Time To Kill, John Grisham (for a visceral history lesson; better than all his others combined)
- Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck (for his poignant assessment of America)
- The Bible (for its sheer size and variety of stories)

Whoever started this ... thank you. I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone else's Top Five selections this winter. Happy Thanksgiving to all.


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## Natasha Holme (May 26, 2012)

Key Lime Ink said:


> A Time To Kill, John Grisham


I'd love to read this, but is it *scary*? I cannot do scary. ...


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Natasha Holme said:


> I'd love to read this, but is it *scary*? I cannot do scary. ...


I wouldn't say scary [_A Time to Kill_], but there's a graphic description of what the lowlife scum do to a little girl, and for me at least it was stick-in-the mind upsetting. Even so, I'd agree that it was Grisham's best. Like others I have trouble deciding on 5, but in the case of series or one favorite author, I decided to go with my favorite by that author. All are books I reread every few years.

1. Mostest favorite author Dick Francis: _Decider_
2. Favorite book of favorite romance author Mary Balogh: _A Summer to Remember_
3. James Herriot, _All Creatures Great and Small_
4. Josephine Tey, _Brat Farrar_
5. Nevada Barr, _Firestorm_

Until recently Dana Stabenow's _Breakup _would probably have replaced something or other on that list, but her last Kate Shugak book with its truly stupid, aggravating cliffhanger ending put paid to my affection for the series.


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## Natasha Holme (May 26, 2012)

ellenoc said:


> I wouldn't say scary [A Time to Kill], but there's a graphic description of what the lowlife scum do to a little girl, and for me at least it was stick-in-the mind upsetting. Even so, I'd agree that it was Grisham's best.


That's clear feedback. Thanks, ellenoc!
Ooh, I'd forgotten Dick Francis. Excellent writing.


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## Key Lime Ink (Nov 26, 2015)

ellenoc said:


> 3. James Herriot, _All Creatures Great and Small_


Yes! That shall be no. 6 on my list. Thanks for the reminder.


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## Erinm128 (Jan 1, 2016)

1. Changes - Jim Butcher
2. Succubus Blues - Richelle Mead
3. Drawing Breath - Laurie Boris
4. It Is What It Is - L.B. Clark
5. Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Completely off the top of my head, and in no particular order:

_A Farewell to Arms_ - Ernest Hemingway.
_The Big Sleep_ - Raymond Chandler.
_Something Wicked This Way Comes_ - Ray Bradbury.
_Incarceron_ - Catherine Fisher.
_I, Robot_ - Isaac Asimov.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Jeff Tanyard said:


> My thoughts exactly.
> 
> I don't have a top five. It's basically LOTR at the top, and then a bunch of things that are "good, but not even close to LOTR."


Agreed! That's number 1 on my list.

2) The Iliad - powerful, poetic, and promotes peace and not war.
3) Gone With the Wind - best character study ever and a story that makes you care about the characters.
4) Little Women - not as sappy as movie versions would have you think; often brutally realistic and heartbreaking story of life with your sisters. What other children's book has the main heroine admitting that she didn't care if her sister lived or died after first beating her in punishment for actions against her? 
5) The Chronicles of Narnia tied with The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Narnia for the magical lands, adventure, and humor. Hunchback for the beauty of its prose and its deeply moving portrayal of injustice in the Middle Ages.


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## Paul Reid (Nov 18, 2010)

This post definitely makes you think!

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2. The Year of the French by Thomas Flanagan
3. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
4. Redemption Falls by Joseph O'Connor
5. The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor


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## Natasha Holme (May 26, 2012)

I am reading book I of The Lord of the Rings, simply because it has appeared so many times in this thread. I am over halfway through. And I don't like it. What is wrong with me, please? What am I missing?


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Natasha Holme said:


> I am reading book I of The Lord of the Rings, simply because it has appeared so many times in this thread. I am over halfway through. And I don't like it. What is wrong with me, please? What am I missing?


Well, we're all different people with different tastes, for one thing. The last time I read LotR, I was not nearly as entranced as I was oh so many years ago when I first read it. I'm not sure how much of that is due to how modern novel writers write faster paced stories than they did back when it was written, with that in some way changing my reading expectations; how much the successful movies changed a contemplative, almost pastoral at times story into a slam-bang action-adventure; and simply how much I've changed.

Also, people reading it for the first time now who have read a lot of epic fantasy stories may find nothing new or different in LotR -- since so much of what has been written in the genre since then is unavoidably influenced by it.

And I know more than a few people even back when it was relatively new simply did not like Tolkien's writing.

If after this point you really don't like it, then move on -- life is too short to read something you don't like. But if it's not yet a slam dunk that you can't stand it, I'd say push on to the end of the first book, then see if you want to find out what happens next.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I admit that I liked _The Hobbit_ better than LotR . . . . sort of much more lighthearted . . . .


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## Salvador Mercer (Jan 1, 2015)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I admit that I liked _The Hobbit_ better than LotR . . . . sort of much more lighthearted . . . .


Yeah, just a fun read, no stress... well, not too much stress 

(Hey, Hobbits are just plain fun!)


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

NogDog said:


> If after this point you really don't like it, then move on -- life is too short to read something you don't like. But if it's not yet a slam dunk that you can't stand it, I'd say push on to the end of the first book, then see if you want to find out what happens next.


Absolutely, don't torture yourself  I got to read and love LOTR only after seeing the movies as a visual reference. (I know LOTR enthusiasts will slay me for saying this.) But even now, after quite a few re-reads, I always must skip those long poems. They make me slightly mad. The fault, no doubt, is mine.


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## Sarah Chute (Nov 11, 2015)

Natasha Holme said:


> I am reading book I of The Lord of the Rings, simply because it has appeared so many times in this thread. I am over halfway through. And I don't like it. What is wrong with me, please? What am I missing?


I've read LOTR twice, and it was always through the Two Towers that I had to push myself through. It's so worth it though. The Return of the King has some truly amazing scenes with wonderful language and description. Emotional, intense... My kindle's longest highlights come from these passages--I could never push myself to stop highlighting because it was just so good!



anguabell said:


> But even now, after quite a few re-reads, I always must skip those long poems. They make me slightly mad. The fault, no doubt, is mine.


And yes, I often skipped the poems. Tom Bombadil-- as much as Tolkien loved him--bothered me.

I read LOTR when I was in 7th grade, so I think I found myself skimming/not intaking some passages, not out of purpose but it just sort of happened. I think that's okay.

I found that after I had read it and I watched the movies, rereading it was easier because I could visualize the scenes/passage of time a little better. The LOTR movies were really well done. They left out some scenes, but unlike some other movies (*cough* The Hobbit *cough*-- Don't get me started.  ) they didn't really add much, which I appreciated.

If you keep reading and don't care to continue, don't force yourself, though. But if you're curious enough to have gotten that far, I'm sure the Return of the King will be a good enough reward and you'll be glad that you did!!


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## Sarah Chute (Nov 11, 2015)

Jeff Tanyard said:


> "Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil."
> 
> A lot of things in LOTR were inspired by Tolkien's Catholic faith. I personally believe Tom and Goldberry were meant to symbolize Adam and Eve, and their home/domain represents the Garden of Eden prior to the Fall. That's why Tom can wear the ring without any effects, and why Frodo so readily hands it to him in the first place--Tom and Goldberry represent humankind as it was prior to the introduction of sin. Things like covetousness and malice have no power over them.
> 
> ...


 my goodness, you're getting me all LOTR-y now 

I had never considered that about Tom and Goldberry, but I like it! Seem like I need to look over it again. 
I know, I really love Faramir and I wish there was better portrayal of him in the movies. I really loved the development of the love between him and Éowyn (who is my 2nd favorite character after sweet Samwise) and I missed that they didn't really have that in the movies.


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## Salvador Mercer (Jan 1, 2015)

Ok, so what was up with the dwarf/elf romance in the Hobbit movies??


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## ElisabethGFoley (Nov 20, 2011)

*Westward Ho!* by Charles Kingsley

*Nine Coaches Waiting* by Mary Stewart

*To Kill a Mockingbird* by Harper Lee

*The Magnificent Ambersons* by Booth Tarkington

*A Christmas Carol* by Charles Dickens

Narrowing it down to five is just _hard_. There were a whole bunch of others vying for that fifth spot: _Captains Courageous_ by Rudyard Kipling, _Tiger Eye_ by B.M. Bower, _Mrs. Miniver_ by Jan Struther or _The Street of Seven Stars_ by Mary Roberts Rinehart, just to name a few!


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## KeraEmory (Feb 8, 2016)

Cyteen - CJ Cherryh
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
The entire Discworld Series - Terry Pratchett, RIP
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson


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## Paegan (Jul 20, 2009)

No particular order here:

The Welsh trilogy by Sharon K. Penman: The Reckoning, Falls the Shadow, Here be Dragons (have read these time and again)

The Asian sagas by James Clavell (Shogun, Tai-Pan, The Noble House)

Jane Eyre

The Byzantium trilogy by John Julius Norwich: The Early Centuries, The Apogee, The Decline and Fall (my best non-fiction selection)

The Autobiography of Henry VIII By Margaret George.

After reading everyone's post here, I realize that I have tried and failed to finish many books on your favorites list including anything by Jane Austin, LOTR, Shantoram, Ayn Rand. I have a running list on Goodreads for books I started but couldn't finish. Life is too short to struggle reading something I am not enjoying. I forced myself to finish _Ulysses_ but I didn't enjoy it


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## KeraEmory (Feb 8, 2016)

Paegan, if you liked the Autobiography of Henry VIII, I can recommend I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. It's a bodice ripper in places, but her Elizabeth voice is extremely sharp and well-defined, and cynical as heck.


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## Paegan (Jul 20, 2009)

KeraEmory said:


> Paegan, if you liked the Autobiography of Henry VIII, I can recommend I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles. It's a bodice ripper in places, but her Elizabeth voice is extremely sharp and well-defined, and cynical as heck.


Thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out. I'm a bit tired of reading about the Tudors at the moment. As I have read more about them through the years, I realize they are not my favorite people. I'm more on the side of Richard III. As you know, the Tudors weren't kind to that dynasty.


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Just feeling the need to wade in on the LOTR's discussion.

I loved the books, but if you are not enjoying Fellowship then you will find Two Towers even harder going, so maybe don't bother, but if you do - then I concur with the others that Return of the King is your reward for your diligence. You'll clasp it to your heart as you cry tears of joy in the penultimate chapter.

I loved the films, it was the first time ever (and ever since) that the film versions have not irritated me after loving a book. I thought Jackson did an outstanding job of bringing Middle Earth to life and I will defend him earnestly hereafter.

I am putting off watching The Hobbit films out of fear that they don't match up.

Yeah, I get what you're saying about Faramir, but at least he made him a hottie, and for this the female population thanks him.

I'm personally thrilled that so many other writers also feel this book gets their number one spot too, and I bet Tolkien never ever thought it would become the best selling book of all time. So to anyone who hasn't read it, there really is a reason why so many of us have listed it, and I'm not even a fan of high fantasy! But the films really are a credible version, so I think it's okay to watch them instead, and hopefully they will make you want to read the books, because they are all that and then even more...

Great choices from everyone! Except maybe one of you, who named at least three books that turned my stomach, lol. I guess we have _very_ different taste.

And I think Narnia and Pride & Prej, definitely get spots 6 and 7. Sherlock Holmes was also a great addition to the list. I couldn't believe it when I found the entire lot was free for Kindle!


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## KeraEmory (Feb 8, 2016)

Paegan said:


> Thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out. I'm a bit tired of reading about the Tudors at the moment. As I have read more about them through the years, I realize they are not my favorite people. I'm more on the side of Richard III. As you know, the Tudors weren't kind to that dynasty.


Understood--I just remember Margaret George's take on it being very sarcastic, and it reminded me of Rosalind Miles's Elizabeth voice.

I'm still chewing through the Wars of the Roses, but I'm aware of the propaganda, yes.


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## joyjennings (Jan 20, 2016)

Oh my gosh, well my picks are memoirs because that's my thing. These were the most memorable. 

1. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
2. The Damage Done by Warren Fellows
3. Finding Me by Michelle Knight & Hope by Amanda Berry and Gina Dejesus (2 books, same kidnapping event)
4. A Child Called "IT" by Dave Pelzer
5. Lucky by Alice Sebold


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