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# Best Books Ever

The best books ever, as voted on by the general Goodreads community.
Note to librarians: do not edit this list's description.
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# Score

A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.

All Votes Add Books To This List

1 |  | The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.32 avg rating — 7,528,522 ratings score: 3,317,358, and 33,782 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2 |  | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5) by J.K. Rowling 4.50 avg rating — 2,991,006 ratings score: 2,870,389, and 29,334 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3 |  | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4.28 avg rating — 3,693,802 ratings score: 2,314,428, and 23,800 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4 |  | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.27 avg rating — 5,382,362 ratings score: 2,231,947, and 22,796 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5 |  | The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,226,852 ratings score: 1,586,731, and 16,342 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6 |  | Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1) by Stephenie Meyer 3.63 avg rating — 5,852,817 ratings score: 1,552,107, and 15,820 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7 |  | Animal Farm by George Orwell 3.97 avg rating — 3,347,960 ratings score: 1,413,502, and 14,663 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8 |  | The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7) by C.S. Lewis 4.27 avg rating — 594,583 ratings score: 1,334,473, and 13,928 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9 |  | J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.60 avg rating — 123,783 ratings score: 1,303,784, and 13,569 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10 |  | The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 4,450,491 ratings score: 1,208,769, and 12,530 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11 |  | Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.30 avg rating — 1,157,007 ratings score: 1,123,895, and 11,585 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12 |  | The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein 4.37 avg rating — 1,030,074 ratings score: 1,088,511, and 11,282 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13 |  | Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.88 avg rating — 1,592,544 ratings score: 1,068,605, and 11,174 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14 |  | The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 4.11 avg rating — 1,243,465 ratings score: 1,019,217, and 10,703 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15 |  | Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.14 avg rating — 1,882,768 ratings score: 934,955, and 9,857 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16 |  | The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2) by Dan Brown (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 2,172,660 ratings score: 932,437, and 9,808 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17 |  | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 8,718,618 ratings score: 919,382, and 9,704 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18 |  | The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 4.22 avg rating — 1,550,554 ratings score: 911,573, and 9,542 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19 |  | Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 4.14 avg rating — 1,877,526 ratings score: 900,137, and 9,379 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20 |  | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll 4.06 avg rating — 517,439 ratings score: 896,295, and 9,457 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21 |  | The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 4,550,852 ratings score: 879,007, and 9,422 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22 |  | Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.19 avg rating — 746,651 ratings score: 867,942, and 9,118 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23 |  | Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 3,511,272 ratings score: 866,692, and 9,099 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24 |  | The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 4.32 avg rating — 1,766,802 ratings score: 842,838, and 8,959 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25 |  | Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.25 avg rating — 764,151 ratings score: 840,780, and 8,778 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26 |  | The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 2,604,420 ratings score: 838,489, and 8,760 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27 |  | Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.69 avg rating — 2,615,193 ratings score: 827,860, and 8,800 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28 |  | Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 3.74 avg rating — 2,360,013 ratings score: 817,471, and 8,765 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29 |  | The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 2,513,943 ratings score: 800,111, and 8,461 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30 |  | City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 1,850,695 ratings score: 780,454, and 8,206 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31 |  | Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery 4.29 avg rating — 871,247 ratings score: 779,335, and 8,212 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32 |  | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams 4.22 avg rating — 1,665,564 ratings score: 760,709, and 7,880 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33 |  | The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 2,487,318 ratings score: 760,267, and 8,129 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34 |  | Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.30 avg rating — 1,267,055 ratings score: 748,916, and 7,810 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35 |  | Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 4.19 avg rating — 1,650,795 ratings score: 729,122, and 7,869 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36 |  | Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 3.88 avg rating — 2,268,679 ratings score: 716,102, and 7,725 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37 |  | Dracula by Bram Stoker 4.01 avg rating — 1,105,168 ratings score: 699,892, and 7,548 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38 |  | The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 1,698,307 ratings score: 679,697, and 7,111 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39 |  | Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.99 avg rating — 1,666,939 ratings score: 677,562, and 7,269 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40 |  | The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3.81 avg rating — 3,165,440 ratings score: 670,207, and 7,230 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41 |  | One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 4.10 avg rating — 869,475 ratings score: 669,321, and 7,042 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42 |  | Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.98 avg rating — 2,073,544 ratings score: 656,192, and 6,969 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43 |  | A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.41 avg rating — 1,355,250 ratings score: 646,756, and 6,850 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44 |  | The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4.26 avg rating — 849,852 ratings score: 639,227, and 6,807 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45 |  | The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 4.15 avg rating — 1,047,151 ratings score: 632,474, and 6,941 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46 |  | A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin 4.44 avg rating — 2,263,058 ratings score: 612,867, and 6,541 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47 |  | A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1) by Madeleine L'Engle 3.99 avg rating — 1,128,758 ratings score: 594,155, and 6,348 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48 |  | The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 1,148,428 ratings score: 582,601, and 6,279 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49 |  | The Odyssey by Homer 3.79 avg rating — 973,983 ratings score: 542,885, and 5,951 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50 |  | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 3.82 avg rating — 1,217,744 ratings score: 536,487, and 5,904 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51 |  | The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 3.84 avg rating — 2,206,922 ratings score: 532,073, and 5,743 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52 |  | Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak 4.23 avg rating — 929,387 ratings score: 525,834, and 5,729 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53 |  | Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss 4.30 avg rating — 709,315 ratings score: 520,728, and 5,726 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54 |  | Life of Pi by Yann Martel 3.93 avg rating — 1,499,761 ratings score: 515,339, and 5,571 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55 |  | A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 3.86 avg rating — 886,601 ratings score: 513,177, and 5,626 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56 |  | The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 2,815,882 ratings score: 507,800, and 5,519 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57 |  | The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 1,782,271 ratings score: 494,792, and 5,412 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58 |  | Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.84 avg rating — 1,374,040 ratings score: 493,614, and 5,497 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59 |  | Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 3.88 avg rating — 757,899 ratings score: 491,777, and 5,294 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60 |  | The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 2,155,016 ratings score: 487,808, and 5,303 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61 |  | Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 4.12 avg rating — 1,976,170 ratings score: 487,434, and 5,459 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62 |  | Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 1,514,466 ratings score: 485,574, and 5,231 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63 |  | 1984 by George Orwell 4.19 avg rating — 3,918,693 ratings score: 478,386, and 5,169 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64 |  | Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.09 avg rating — 1,258,925 ratings score: 474,810, and 5,130 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65 |  | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7) by J.K. Rowling 4.62 avg rating — 3,303,991 ratings score: 473,691, and 5,134 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66 |  | Dune by Frank Herbert 4.25 avg rating — 1,112,225 ratings score: 460,494, and 4,961 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67 |  | Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3.98 avg rating — 785,614 ratings score: 419,887, and 4,582 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68 |  | The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 698,351 ratings score: 415,618, and 4,494 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69 |  | The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1) by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 711,422 ratings score: 409,450, and 4,403 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70 |  | The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 4.04 avg rating — 752,818 ratings score: 401,370, and 4,384 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71 |  | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3) by Arthur Conan Doyle 4.30 avg rating — 275,425 ratings score: 401,249, and 4,489 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72 |  | Matilda by Roald Dahl 4.33 avg rating — 815,141 ratings score: 396,941, and 4,406 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73 |  | Watership Down (Watership Down, #1) by Richard Adams 4.07 avg rating — 460,563 ratings score: 389,544, and 4,255 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74 |  | Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 3.79 avg rating — 735,078 ratings score: 384,836, and 4,414 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75 |  | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3) by J.K. Rowling 4.58 avg rating — 3,544,392 ratings score: 379,648, and 4,178 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76 |  | Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 952,245 ratings score: 366,824, and 3,928 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77 |  | Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.24 avg rating — 552,294 ratings score: 365,635, and 4,092 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78 |  | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey 4.20 avg rating — 687,043 ratings score: 364,378, and 4,124 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79 |  | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson 4.16 avg rating — 2,941,244 ratings score: 364,231, and 4,062 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80 |  | My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 1,144,669 ratings score: 354,433, and 3,901 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81 |  | The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.38 avg rating — 2,600,577 ratings score: 352,565, and 3,968 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82 |  | The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.25 avg rating — 605,845 ratings score: 350,690, and 3,974 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83 |  | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 4.28 avg rating — 428,136 ratings score: 324,017, and 3,566 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84 |  | The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.34 avg rating — 284,356 ratings score: 320,851, and 3,543 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85 |  | A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 663,593 ratings score: 317,417, and 3,573 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86 |  | The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.98 avg rating — 807,202 ratings score: 313,559, and 3,443 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87 |  | Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt, #1) by Frank McCourt 4.13 avg rating — 593,091 ratings score: 298,236, and 3,329 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88 |  | Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1) by Richelle Mead (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 611,461 ratings score: 293,304, and 3,155 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89 |  | Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 4.05 avg rating — 683,775 ratings score: 290,444, and 3,241 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90 |  | The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1) by Philip Pullman 4.01 avg rating — 1,424,391 ratings score: 285,529, and 3,186 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91 |  | The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 4.08 avg rating — 701,771 ratings score: 280,037, and 3,074 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92 |  | Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 3.89 avg rating — 242,738 ratings score: 271,528, and 3,091 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93 |  | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.27 avg rating — 5,382,362 ratings score: 260,782, and 2,800 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94 |  | The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 3.79 avg rating — 998,957 ratings score: 257,779, and 2,970 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95 |  | Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 4.07 avg rating — 764,935 ratings score: 257,317, and 1,773 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96 |  | Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 3.69 avg rating — 374,564 ratings score: 256,277, and 2,815 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97 |  | The Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe 4.38 avg rating — 238,544 ratings score: 249,303, and 2,864 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98 |  | The Notebook (The Notebook, #1) by Nicholas Sparks (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 1,526,630 ratings score: 245,574, and 2,769 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99 |  | Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh, #1) by A.A. Milne 4.34 avg rating — 304,952 ratings score: 243,957, and 2,857 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100 |  | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4) by J.K. Rowling 4.57 avg rating — 3,130,164 ratings score: 232,065, and 2,626 people voted | Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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92,746 books · 226,331 voters · list created May 14th, 2008 by Michael Economy (votes) .
Tags: best, earliest-list, favorites, favourites, fiction, writer
9355 likes · Like
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

## People Who Voted On This List (226331)

Michael 703 books
286 friends
Otis 1335 books
2028 friends
Dean 183 books
3 friends
Ryan 22 books
20 friends
Vincetastic 331 books
11 friends
The Crimson Fucker 424 books
204 friends
Cynthia 13082 books
237 friends
rivka 3095 books
277 friends
More voters…

##
Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-50 of 4,414 (4414 new)

date newest »
message 1: by Joan (new)
Jul 29, 2008 06:08AM
proof that the truth is not democratic =/
seriously, jane austen? errughhh.
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message 2: by Marla (new)
Jul 29, 2008 10:55PM
this is the second list--worst books was the first--and i'm done. this is madness. i mean, how many mormons congregated to vote the book of mormon as a top 100 book? really?
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message 3: by Adam (new)
Jul 30, 2008 02:04AM
It's also flawed in that the same book with a different cover might be on the list twice in drastically different places (see Catch-22 or Lord of the Flies).
At least Mockingbird is #1, though.
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message 4: by Chris (new)
Aug 09, 2008 01:11AM
these comments are funny!
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message 5: by Amber (new)
Aug 23, 2008 05:06AM
This list is a joke!
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message 6: by Elisabeth (new)
Aug 25, 2008 01:48AM
I think you people need to just relax!!! I think "you're just too high strung" and eventually the "strain will be more than you can bear."
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message 7: by Fire-fish (new)
Aug 25, 2008 05:22PM
May be there should be a list of "Books for Mormones" on this website..
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message 8: by David (last edited Sep 08, 2008 09:59PM) (new)
Sep 08, 2008 09:58PM
Regarding the message from Labsjoao, you can search for a book without leaving the first page by entering the name in the "find/add books to list" box. It's pretty easy that way. A much more serious flaw is what Adam said. If the same book it in several different spots, and not all of the votes for, say, Catch-22 are going to the same Catch-22, then these rankings really aren't worth much. Overall, there are several pretty odd choices here, such as the Mormon book being #3, but most of the list seems pretty good to me.
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message 9: by [deleted user] (new)
Sep 15, 2008 04:06AM
where is the amber spyglass?
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message 10: by kristen (new)
Sep 16, 2008 02:17AM
I was thinking the same thing ;-)
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message 11: by Georgia (new)
Oct 10, 2008 06:17PM
i agree the amber spyglass is awesome
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message 12: by Dana (new)
Oct 12, 2008 02:48AM
Make your own list. Satisfy your inner proselyte!
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message 13: by Alex (new)
Oct 19, 2008 03:33AM
hmm this makes me question what is my favorite book?
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message 14: by Svetoslava (new)
Oct 31, 2008 07:28AM
I have to read more, obviously.....
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message 15: by Matt (new)
Nov 05, 2008 05:09AM
The War of the Worlds
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message 16: by Bruce (new)
Nov 12, 2008 09:17AM
I'm not going to argue with the Book of Mormon--either all religious texts are valid for a list like this, in which case it's merely interesting, or all religious texts should be off the list, in which case there's a whole other set of things to worry about.
The one that gets my goat is Twilight (number eleven at the time of this comment). Are you people kidding? Stephanie Meyer in a list of the Best Books Ever? Fut the Whack? It's the EMO of literature! It's pop garbage with no depth! It's above inarguable classics like Crime and Punishment! That's like arguing that My Chemical Romance is better music than Bach! This place is bonkers!
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message 17: by Brian (new)
Nov 25, 2008 05:27AM
I like how "The Brothers K" is "better" here than Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov." What a joke!
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message 18: by Molly (new)
Nov 27, 2008 09:12AM
Ah the stupidity of lists. You'll notice the Best and Worst lists are almost identical.
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message 19: by M (new)
Dec 03, 2008 06:43AM
I was just going to say that. Always important to remember when you're writing - the best line according to some will be what others despise, etc.
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message 20: by Josef (new)
Dec 05, 2008 07:13AM
Bruce wrote: "I'm not going to argue with the Book of Mormon--either all religious texts are valid for a list like this, in which case it's merely interesting, or all religious texts should be off the list, in w..."
Yeah, but I've noticed that since these lists allow opinions from every Goodreads member, there will never be a standard. The only population that counts here is the population of Goodreads members, so maybe there's just not a lot of people on Goodreads who enjoy quality literature.
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message 21: by Amy (new)
Dec 06, 2008 03:52AM
extremely well written
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message 22: by Todd (new)
Dec 08, 2008 02:31AM
Best and worst list are certainly not meant to be definitive. Best and worst are so subjective. They are merely meant to elicit conversation and thought which they obviously have done. But the Book of Mormon? Come on. Really?
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message 23: by Josef (new)
Dec 08, 2008 05:54PM
Todd wrote: "Best and worst list are certainly not meant to be definitive. Best and worst are so subjective. They are merely meant to elicit conversation and thought which they obviously have done. But the B..."
Yes, the Book of Mormon. I've read it 13 times. There is not one other book that's changed my life more significantly. Millions have read that book and will testify to the same thing. And literally hundreds have died because of that book. It's because of these facts that we who love that book place it above all others on the list.
I love literature. I've studied the Brothers Karamazov with a dozen other philosphy students. I've wept over Les Miserables. I've fallen in love with words and wonders, yet I have yet to find a book to offer more to me than the Book of Mormon.
So yes, really, The Book of Mormon.
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message 24: by Josef (new)
Dec 08, 2008 05:55PM
Matt wrote: "The War of the Worlds"
My nine year old nephew just finished that book! I'm so proud.
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message 25: by Josef (new)
Dec 08, 2008 05:58PM
Molly wrote: "Ah the stupidity of lists. You'll notice the Best and Worst lists are almost identical. "
Yes, and I have more of a problem with the Worst Book List than this. People who put great literature as the worst books ever written seem do be doing so simply because they may have had pain getting through the book and they think that good literature should simply entertain. What a sad state to be in. These are the same people who put Twilight on this list. These are the people who would rather call Friends the best TV show and would put a show like Freaks and Geeks on the Worst Show ever list.
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message 26: by Josef (new)
Dec 08, 2008 06:06PM
Elisabeth wrote: "I think you people need to just relax!!! I think "you're just too high strung" and eventually the "strain will be more than you can bear.""
Very Good Advice. This is just a list someone made up, somewhere in the world. It holds as much weight as you give it.
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message 27: by Paige (new)
Dec 09, 2008 01:45AM
I agree, if you don't like the fact the poorly written books are on a best books ever list than I think you care to much. On the other hand it's not bad to defend what you think is a good book or a bad book but let's not get carried away.
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message 28: by Todd (new)
Dec 09, 2008 02:19AM
Josef -- I certainly didn't mean to be offensive or to put you on the defensive. It was only a poor attempt at making an ironic statement. This is why I usually keep my opinions out of these discussion threads. I completely love your comment about Friends compared to Freaks and Geeks. As a high school English teacher, I see students turned on by so much trash, but, as they say, one person's trash is another person's treasure. I'm just glad they are reading.
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message 29: by Josef (new)
Dec 09, 2008 07:20PM
Todd wrote: "Josef -- I certainly didn't mean to be offensive or to put you on the defensive. It was only a poor attempt at making an ironic statement. This is why I usually keep my opinions out of these disc..."
I didn't mean to make you think I was upset. My respect to you for being a high school teacher. Yeah, even if they think that Stephen King is the greatest living writer, as long as they're reading they've got something going for them.
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message 30: by Arlene (last edited Dec 09, 2008 11:54PM) (new)
Dec 09, 2008 11:52PM
Dear Otis,
Your list is great! I've read only about 50 of these books, so my vote is not exactly fair. But of the 50 I've read, my vote -- far and away above the other 49 -- would be for:
JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN by Dalton Trumbo
This is the most powerful antiwar novel I ever read. And readers be warned, this book is NOT for the faint of heart!
Otis, I wish you would think of using the influence of Goodreads, which is becoming a large and potentially influential group, to suggest that the new administration -- Barack Obama and his Cabinet, especially leaders in the Department of Defense -- read this book.
All best,
Arlene
www.ArleneSanders.com
Author of TIGER BURNING BRIGHT
Jefferson Press, 2009
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message 31: by Nick (new)
Dec 10, 2008 12:08AM
If California Proposition 8 were published, would it be number 2 on the list?
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message 32: by Endre (new)
Dec 10, 2008 12:10AM
Otis, this is a great idea to find the best book. I have to think about this in more detail to narrow it down in my own mind.Too bad we can not vote for three or four and then narrow down the list. Followed by another vote on the shorter list....BTW it is unfortunate that some people do not have any class and manners in how they express their thoughts. Is there a moderator that could eliminate thevulgar comments as above?
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message 33: by Leslie (new)
Dec 10, 2008 12:32AM
Twilight is number 4? Give me a friggin break people!!! Entertaining? Slightly. A classic piece of literature? Absolutely not!
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message 34: by Hippo dari Hongkong (new)
Dec 10, 2008 08:32AM
Les Miserable! Les Miserable! Les Miserable!
Did I mention Les Miserables?
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message 35: by John (new)
Dec 10, 2008 09:37AM
hard to decide
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message 36: by Paul (new)
Dec 10, 2008 11:15PM
The Book of Mormon? You gotta be kidding me. I'd put "Where the Wild Things Are" as being more "literature" than that book.
I agree, this list is loaded and biased.
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message 37: by Bee (new)
Dec 12, 2008 01:45AM
why are none of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy on here?
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message 38: by Natalie (new)
Dec 12, 2008 02:07AM
Marla wrote: "this is the second list--worst books was the first--and i'm done. this is madness. i mean, how many mormons congregated to vote the book of mormon as a top 100 book? really?"
nicola wrote: "proof that the truth is not democratic =/
seriously, jane austen? errughhh."
Yes, what's with the Mormon thing? Are they the only ones who have time to READ these days?
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message 39: by Richard (last edited Dec 13, 2008 08:31PM) (new)
Dec 13, 2008 08:30PM
Only in the USA would "the most popular" be confused for "the best". How many people have read Philip Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint" about masturbation? Compare that to how many people have read Thoreau's "Walden".
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message 40: by Tori (new)
Dec 15, 2008 03:03PM
Where are the rest of the good books? I don 't even see most of my favorite books on here. And the book of Mormon is number one? I really don't think so.
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message 41: by Jason (last edited Dec 15, 2008 09:21PM) (new)
Dec 15, 2008 09:19PM
i think the book of mormon thing must be some kind of in joke...i mean it only takes a little organization and you could theoretically get anything put up in the number 1 position...
and why does 'to kill a mockingbird' in position 2 have more votes than position 1?...
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message 42: by Larry (last edited Dec 16, 2008 01:21AM) (new)
Dec 16, 2008 01:07AM
If this list is any indicator, it appears that a lot of people on Goodreads don't read very serious literature. Plus, the Book of Mormon, come on, seriously, you might as well put Dianetics up there too.
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message 43: by Elizabeth (new)
Dec 16, 2008 08:48AM
If you're groaning or confused about The Book of Mormon being at #1, I ask - have you ever read it? It's a fair question... I do agree w/the Twilight comment though - UGH. But hellooo, Farenheit 451 should be way further up the list, says I...
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message 44: by Becca (new)
Dec 16, 2008 04:47PM
I agree. I think every fair-minded reader here will agree that you have to actually read something before deciding on its merit. And no one would argue with someone esteeming The Bible or The Quran or any other religious text if it really moved them. Why should The Book of Mormon be any different? Sometimes what makes a book "Best" is how powerfully it impacts you. So what if it's religious or spiritual in nature?
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message 45: by Jade (last edited Dec 17, 2008 01:35AM) (new)
Dec 17, 2008 01:31AM
I agree with Becca and Elizabeth.
Endre:Is there a moderator that could eliminate the vulgar comments as above?
I don't see anything wrong with the Book of Mormon being in the list. I don't think people need to be so rude about it. Most people that have criticized it obviously haven't read it.
Also, I think that it is right to put Twilight on the list. People have read other good books and think that those books should be on the list, but have you ever read Twilight? Probably not.
People need to respect other peoples opinions. And people who don't, are just rude and immature.
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message 46: by Greg (new)
Dec 19, 2008 11:31PM
Wow, some of these folks need to read more. Or age more. Or go to school, or something. I mean, really.
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message 47: by Jazmine (new)
Dec 21, 2008 07:00AM
Twilight is the best book I've read in my entire life! It is awemazing! I love the whole saga and Edward Cullen!
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message 48: by Kirsten (last edited Feb 25, 2009 12:25PM) (new)
Dec 22, 2008 10:46PM
I'm annoyed with Twilight. Extremely
And where is The Shack?
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message 49: by Lorena (new)
Dec 23, 2008 07:17PM
I am rooting for "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."
I can understand how "The Book of Mormon," is on that list but before The Bible? No way...
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message 50: by Laura (new)
Dec 23, 2008 10:47PM
I hope my novel doesn't end up on this list!
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