The blog felt overdue for a Top Five/Bottom Five post. I’m coming at you with a broad topic, so let’s establish some ground rules.
There are no rules.
What you want to list is your business. Here’s how I approached this question.
What fictional books have left me feeling the happiest and/or inspired my love of reading the most over my lifetime? That means I am including some YA from my childhood (with no apologies)!
TOP FIVE BOOKS
- The Trolley Car Family by Eleanor Clymer. This is an obscure Scholastic book I read repeatedly as a child and then re-read (several times) as an adult to my own children. I adore this book.
- The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Apparently, to make it in to my Top Five list, a book just needs to be about children who live in retrofitted public transport. A classic for a reason. My kids have read and/or listened to this book at least a dozen times.
- Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. What a wonderful series (especially books 1-3).
- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read this book in Grade 10 English and it was a formative experience.
- Harry Potter (especially the first book) by J.K. Rowling. I came of age with Harry Potter and was part of that magical generation that could. not. wait. for the next book. Watching my own child fall in love with the characters has been its own reward.
Bonus:
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The ending! I never saw it coming…
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I loved this generational, slow-burn saga.
- The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
- Centennial by James A. Michener. I grew up watching the miniseries, and when I read the book I devoured all 1,000+ pages.
- A Time to Kill by John Grisham. I went through a big Grisham kick in my teen years, and this was the book that set that obsession in motion.
- Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series. My Dad was a huge fan of Clive Cussler and his Dirk Pitt series was a major focus of my teenage reading.
- Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene. These are the books that established my love of reading. Growing up, my next-door-neighbour had the entire Nancy Drew series in her basement. Every week or two I would call and ask to come over and borrow the next 4-5 books in the series. I read through the entire Nancy Drew series multiple times in my pre-teen years.
- All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I read this book last year. A masterpiece.
*If you had asked me several years ago, I would have listed Jane Eyre as one of my all-time favourite books. I re-read it last year and despised it. This book did not age well for me and my heart ached for Jane in a way it couldn’t when I was a teenager (without a daughter of my own).
BOTTOM FIVE BOOKS
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I have no words for this one. I read it in Grade 9 and it was traumatizing.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I read this book once and hated it. So last year I decided to read it again to see if I could appreciate it in some new way. Epic fail. This book is the most depressing, dehumanizing piece of literature imaginable. Consider this my official declaration that I will never again read Wuthering Heights.
- The Giver by Lowis Lowry. Ugh. What a slog. I read this in Grade 9 and I know it is beloved by many, but it was hated by me. Should I re-read it now that I’m an adult? I’m thinking that life is too short and it didn’t work with Wuthering Heights (see above).
- As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. My introductory English class at university was taught by a very eccentric, dressed-all-in-black professor who was obsessed (no, really…he was obsessed) with Faulkner. What a depressing book.
- Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers. I love Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins but not P. L. Traver’s version who is narcissistic and rather mean. Such a disappointment.
Bonus:
- My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. I know, I know. This is a love/hate book, and I really struggled to get through this one. Normally I would have abandoned it and never rated it, but since it was a book club choice (and much beloved by more sophisticated readers than myself!) I persevered. Not a fan.
- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Yet another depressing book marketed for children. Why? Horrifically sad.
If you had to pick your top five/bottom five favourite works of fiction – spanning your ENTIRE READING LIFE – what would you pick? Is there a single book (or series) that cemented your love of reading at an early age? Did anyone else have to read Lord of the Flies in high school?
Sophie
Love this topic! Ok my top 5 are:
1. Playing Beattie Bow by Ruth Park. It’s a brilliant children’s book from my childhood, it has time travel, adventure, even a spot of romance. And beautifully written.
2. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken. Another childhood favourite about escape and adventure.
3. Anne of Green Gables – needs no explanation!
4. Jane Eyre- the only adult fiction classic on the list! I honestly love this book, have re-read so many times.
5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Mass. I love the fantasy genre, and I love this book most of all.
Bottom 5 (well 3, because I tend not to continue reading books I dislike and then I can’t remember them).
1. Wuthering Heights- I’m with you here Elisabeth!
2. Tess of the D’urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. We read this in literature class in high school. I was not a fan.
3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol. All too weird for me.
4. The sense of an ending by Julian Barnes. Slogged through this book to discover it didn’t really have an ending. Sigh.
5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelo. I know this one will be controversial, but I couldn’t get into this fable. It just seemed so obvious? But lots of people loved it so I was clearly missing something.
Elisabeth
For years I listed Jane Eyre as one of my all-time favourite books. Then I re-read it last year and really, really struggled with Jane’s treatment. I couldn’t believe how different my interpretation was of a book!
I’ve never heard of your 1,2, and 5. I’ll have to look them up!
I agree about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Not a fan.
J
I had to laugh at how many ‘bonus’ likes you had. You could easily have done a top 10/bottom 10. I also laughed that you said the more sophisticated readers liked My Brilliant Friend. I don’t think that had anything to do with it. I don’t know if Nance feels herself to be sophisticated, but she majored in British literature in college, which sounds sophisticated to me. She hated it.
I’m glad you loved A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved that one too. I listened to it twice, I loved the book, and I loved the narrator.
Elisabeth
Based on how badly re-reading my old favourites has gone, I’m resisting the urge to revisit A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved it so much but I also realize that sometimes it’s a matter of right place/right time and the combo happened to be perfect for me. So it was perfect at the time and I want to retain that memory 🙂
Yes, I have a lot of favourites and actually removed about 4 from my Bonus list. Oops. But it was hard to think of 10 books I really disliked (fiction at least) because I tend to DNF them if they’re THAT bad.
Linda
Hello, I cannot resist my favorite question—
Top 5 books:
To Kill a Mockingbird—no question.
Winds of War and War and Remembramce by Herman Wouk—a sweeping tale of war and love in two lovely titles. My copies are falling apart!
The Houses in Between and the other novels by British author Howard Spring—these are available as reprints or as used books. The writing is deep, desciptive, panoramic—the opposite of contemporary fiction. I have read and reread them for 50 years and I still adore the writing which describes British life in the 30s and 40s in lush detail.
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand—perfect in every word.
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens—try an audio version, Richard Armitage’s narration is a masterpiece!
Just for fun, the Trixie Belden mysteries by Julie Campbell—devoured as a teen, enjoyed as an adult.
Books I did not enjoy (to be fair, I probably didn’t finish unless required in school)
Lord of the Flies
Animal Farm
Catcher in the Rye
Thanks for asking and happy reading!
Linda
Elisabeth
I’ve never read David Copperfield, but have really enjoyed many of Dicken’s classics (a few years ago I did Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities and was impressed with both, though they can be a bit of a slog at time!).
Laura Hillenbrand is such a good author. Seabiscuit is non-fiction so I didn’t include it in my list, but my absolute favourite non-fiction book of all time is probably Unbroken. I thought she wrote that…majestically!!
I remember seeing Trixie Belden on my parents book shelf. I read a few, but they were a mainstay for my mom! Another favourite for me was Cherry Ames, Student Nurse. Loved those books.
I also wasn’t a fan of Catcher in the Rye. Overhyped in my opinion, and rather disturbing…
Lisa's Yarns
Ooh this is tough and it’s a topic that is top-of-mind as I’m working on a post about the NYT best books of the century so far which I have big feelings about! Top or best is really hard to define and it differs from person to person. Here are my top/bottom 5 as of 12:30CST on 7/29 (this list seems like it could vary by the hour/day. Ha.)
Top 5:
1. Harry Potter books – I was so swept away by this series! I came to it late so I think 5 or 6 of the books were out by the time I started reading it.
2. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
3. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
4. The babysitter club books – about as far from high brow as you can get but they sparked my love for reading.
5. The Heart’s Invisible Furies
Bottom 5:
1. The Road
2. Bleak House (so long and boring – Dickens just doesn’t work for me)
3. Anything by Jane Austen. (controversial, I know. I want to like Jane Austen but I just don’t.)
4. Beowolf. Why was this part of the language arts curriculum when I was young? I hope it isn’t anymore.
5. Atlas Shrugged. Soooooo long.
I fear between this list and my upcoming post on the NYT list people will be like – whelp, she clearly knows nothing about literature!
Elisabeth
It is SO hard to classify, right? So I opted for books that made me love reading or really captured my attention in a unique way.
I’m so glad we see eye-to-eye on Harry Potter. I liked Homegoing, but not enough to fully remember it. But I remember being impressed. Same with Hello Beautiful and the Dutch House. Both those books really lured me in and when I finished I felt like I’d encountered a great book…but they didn’t leave a “forever” impression/memory (if that makes sense).
Babysitter’s Club. Classic. A ADORED them. I also really like Sweet Valley High. Not books I’d necessarily want my teen to read, but I LOVED them.
Oh, and I’m with you on Jane Austen. I really struggled to get through Pride and Prejudice last year, and I know so many people (including readers here) love it. That’s the amazing things about books. We all read the same words, but they touch us in very unique ways. Books are powerful that way.
Laura
Yep, Lord of the Flies is disturbing. Maybe there could be a special category of books for “books everyone else seems to like but just don’t do it for me.” I’ll put Emma in there (I know, I know).
Elisabeth
There is a layer of pressure that comes with reading a “beloved” book that doesn’t land well personally. I always question what’s wrong with me. I felt that way about Pride and Prejudice last year. I mean, it was fine, but I don’t feel the need to ever read it again but it’s so fiercely admired I feel like I need to keep that opinion close to my chest.
Lindsay
My brain can’t handle making its own lists right now but I had to jump in and say reading Where the Red Fern Grows when I was younger WRECKED me and I tear up just thinking about it. I read so much at such a young age, but that is the one that really shook my little heart and why I try to have such a balance of supporting my daughter’s reading exploration while reminding her that some things can wait until she is older and more mature/ready… THE END JUST RUINS ME!!!
Elisabeth
That book is TRAUMATIZING. Thankfully I read it as an adult, but still. I just did not see it coming and it’s devastating. Why is this a book we market to CHILDREN??!!
Elinoora
Oooh, such a cool topic! And hard!
Top 5:
1. Pride and prejudice – Jane Austen. What can I say? Prototypical romance, and who doesn’t want to be like Lizzy?
2. Kinderen van Moeder Aarde – Thea Beckman. Translated into English, Children of Mother Earth. Ok, I’ll throw in the other 2 books as well. Thule series it is. I love the way she rethought the whole prison system.
3. Vorkosigan series – Lois McMaster Bujold. I just can’t pick one book from this series, sorry not sorry.
4. The mirror of her dreams – Stephen Donaldson (and yes, A man rides through as well)
5. Night Watch – Terry Pratchett. So sad he passed away…
Bonus books:
– Luck in the shadows, Lyn Flewelling
– De leeuw van Vlaanderen – Henrik Conscience, The Lion of Flanders. Historical novel, but one of the first that really talked about Flanders in Flemmish, which at the time of writing was very uncommon, as the language of the aristocracy and the authorities was French at the time. It also really influenced the Flemish cultural identity. To this day, the Flemish (note, not the Belgian) national day is the 11th of July, which is the date of the Guldensporenslag (Battle of the Golden Spurs) where the Flemish won from the French. (And my dad usually adds that this didn’t precent the French from coming back and winning the next time) (Also, this was the first book where I stayed up really late to finish it, with my dad’s permission, as he remembers how exciting he found it as a boy, telling my mom that I would be able to handle the next day and if not I had learned something anyway.)
Books I dislike:
Oh how I wish I kept my notebooks with ratings I sed to make as a teenager! Also, this is hard, to try and remember the bad books. Anyway:
– 1984, George Orwell. Why yes, important book, but I see no need to ever read it again
– Fear and loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S Thompson. It got a mention in Gilmore Girls, so I figured I should read it. Yeah… No idea where my copy is, I think I gave it away
– The Road, Cormac McCarthy. I know it’s seen as a masterpiece, but I just couldn’t finish it. I got thoroughly depressed reading that book. I flipped to the end and it didn’t get better.
– A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller Jr. That was a slog to get through. I persevered, as it was for a reading club but otherwise it would have gone onto the ‘life is too short to finish this book’ pile. (Also, I couldn’t remember the title and had to google ‘monks in space’ – it’s amazing to see the amount of books about monks in space! Why did I waste my time on this one?)
Elisabeth
It is hard, isn’t it?
I love that you had notebooks with ratings from your teen years. That’s just magical <3
I read P&P first as a teen and remember really enjoying it (that was in the same time period when I read and adored Jane Eyre). I re-read it in the last few years and did not enjoy it at all. I found the characters annoying and the whole thing a slog. I'm embarrassed to admit this since it's SUCH a classic. It has also made me wary of re-reading books I liked earlier in life.
Monks in space. How is there more than one books about such an obscure topic??
NGS
This is IMPOSSIBLE, Elisabeth. How could I rate my babies this way? But we all know A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is #1.
Elisabeth
When I clicked post, you were the first person I thought of Engie! I knew it would be IMPOSSIBLE.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is another book (I’m sensing a theme) that I adored the first time I read it as a teen, and had mixed feelings about as an adult. It’s an incredibly well-written book, but it doesn’t leave me feeling…”good” or “happy.” I felt sad a lot reading it as an adult. Again, I blame becoming a parent. I am SO sensitive to the sort of material covered in ATGIB. But, it is a masterfully written book, but because of the content and how it makes me feel I couldn’t put it in my Top 5.
Grateful Kae
Argh, I’m like the WORST at ranking things or deciding on favorites/least favorites. (Don’t ever ask me what my favorite color is! I don’t know!!! Why do we have to choose?!?) But I’ll just chime in and say I also LOVED LOVED A Gentleman in Moscow, and Unbroken too. I also was obsessed with the Babysitters Club books and also will credit them with getting me hooked on reading. Other than that, I tend to draw a total blank when pressed on stressful questions like this. lol!! I feel like AGIM is probably my most recent (~last 5 years) book that I really felt passionately about loving, though. Can I admit I’ve never read Harry Potter? I feel like I’ve mentioned this before, but I have tried to watch the 1st movie like 5 times and always fall asleep. I do feel like I may need to do a HP challenge though and read them eventually so I can get on the same page as the rest of the world….
Elisabeth
I agree on the colour. My favourite colour in some senses is purple, but I own VERY FEW PURPLE THINGS. So it feels like that does not make sense. For most things I like white or black or navy. But I wouldn’t consider any of those my favourite.
I’m so glad you liked A Gentleman in Moscow. It feels like such a sweeping epic. And Unbroken was just…incredible. Again, not fiction so I didn’t include it in my list, but one of the best books I’ve ever read in any genre.
It has been fun to watch A get very in to The Babysitter’s Club books. She’s read all the new ones, but also loves to find old books at thrift stores.
Hey – Harry Potter isn’t for everyone. To be quite frank, I am not a fan of the movies at all and hope to never watch one again in my life. So, if you didn’t love the movies, take heart that you might love the book. I do think that it was a case of it being the right time in my life to get hooked? I’m not sure if I would find them nearly compelling if was reading them for the first time. They’re great books, and I love them, but it’s not that your life is going to be dramatically improved by reading them. And skip the movies. Blergh. Audiobooks are a great option, too. If you have a long trip? There are some GREAT narrations of the HP books and A listens to them on repeat. She has entire chapters MEMORIZED! Literally.
Birchie
I haven’t read all of your bottom books, but for the ones I have I absolutely agree with you!
For top books, if we’re going all the way back, then the Little House books are high on the list. I found a good number of my life favorites in junior high – Sue Townsend (I haven’t read her in a while but I think she would hold up), Joyce Porter, and Nevil Shute. That’s a good 30 books between all of those authors. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is another big one for me.
Elisabeth
I haven’t read Agatha Christie in far too long; I really need to change that. Such classics!
Jan Coates
Spent some happy time thinking of this today. BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE by Kate DiCamillo, TUESDAYS with MORRIE by Mitch Albom, BLACK BEAUTY from childhood, A HARE in the ELEPHANT’S TRUNK by moi, because it helped me know I’m a writer, and I became a reader because of Nancy Drew (I read one a few years ago, and it didn’t stand the test of time for me.) As a mentor once told me: “After you’ve gone through the editing of your own book, you’ll never read the same way again.” Happy reading, Elisabeth.
Elisabeth
Because of Winn Dixie is such a wonderful (modern) classic and I know how deeply you admire that book (and DiCamillo as a writer in general). I really should re-read it again.
I LOVE that you list one of your own books. I can only imagine what it’s like to read a book after going through the editing and publishing process.
I tried to get A interested in Nancy Drew but to no avail, and I’ll admit I have no desire to revisit the series myself. Best to leave it as a treasured, blissful memory from adolescence. But I’ll forever be grateful for the hundreds (thousands?) of happy hours I spent reading and re-reading that series.
Melissa
So, since there’s no rules, I’m going to list some books that I read when I was young (pre-teen up to eighteen) that have stuck in my mind in a good way. Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park, Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, 1984 by George Orwell, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Dark is Rising Series by Susan Cooper. I also spent many happy days hidden away with Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew books.
We read Lord of the Flies in high school and I enjoyed it. I just thought it was fascinating, but I think I like many books that would not be up your alley. I adored all the Light you Cannot See though, and I bought a copy for my daughter for Christmas and she loved it too. I think maybe it’s one of her all time favourites. I’m lucky because my reading taste overlaps with both my daughters (but they rarely overlap)
Elisabeth
I also loved Lord of the Rings. I know some people find that trilogy a slog, but the first time I read through it I was ENTHRALLED.
It’s wonderful when reading interests overlap with loved ones <3
Diane
I did not have to read Lord of the Flies in high school, but I later had a friend who loved that book and couldn’t believe that I hadn’t read it, so I finally read it and… what the what!!!! It was pretty horrific. I was like, Holy mother, I can’t believe that happened.
Anyhow…
Another friend of mine and I have a long standing debate of which book is more romantic – Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. I was team Jane Eyre, she was Team Wuthering Heights. (I feel like you are firmly team Neither!). Jane Eyre is still one of my favorite books, but I do realize that Mr. Rochester is so problematic!
I don’t know if I have a top five/bottom five, but Gone Girl would definitely be in the bottom five. I’ve never felt so enraged by a book, even though I stayed up til 3am to finish it.
Elisabeth
It was horrific. And I just…never expected that when I was in Grade 9 (also, I had been homeschooled, so this was my first year in a public school setting which likely made reading a book like that even more shocking).
The answer is neither, Diane. Neither of those books is romantic! Though if I was forced to choose, it would definitely be Jane Eyre. I can’t comprehend how anyone would enjoy Wuthering Heights. It is just depressing page after depressing page.
I am sad that I re-read Jane Eyre because I loved it so much the first time…I just couldn’t get past some of the troubling aspects when I read it as an adult.
Jenny
Oh, so tough! Harry Potter, for sure is my #1. Pride and Prejudice is also in my top 5. And I like Nancy Drew in your bonus books- I grew up with those too. Also, we agree on Wuthering Heights- I hated it! I also don’t like anything by Dickens. I did love Jane Eyre when I was younger, but now I’m afraid to reread it.
Elisabeth
I know how you feel about HP!
Nancy Drew are classics for a certain era (John loved Hardy Boys which seemed to be the male equivalent).
Wuthering Heights is just…so depressing. I can’t think of a single thing I enjoyed about the book other than finally getting to the end of it.
Don’t re-read Jane Eyre. You might find it doesn’t age well for you!
Jenny McPherson
So, long time reader but I tend not to comment. I firmly believe the love of reading is a gift from God. One book I have recommended over and over to all my mom friends who want a read aloud book that captures the interest of a wide age range children is The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz. We have read this book aloud 3 times and my kids have all read it on their own at least twice. I have read it myself 3 times. It is funny, sad, and so relevant to our current times.
Elisabeth
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ve never heard of that book, but went and put it on hold in my library system! I’ll report back.
Jacquie
I love books and lists!
My top five reads:
1. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
2. Bastard Out of Carolina – Dorothy Allison
3. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
4. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
5. Frankenstein
All of my favourites moved and/or surprised me in a very profound way. I have many, many other favourites, but these ones have continued to stick with me over the years. I did like Jane Eyre, and like you, hated Wuthering Heights and DNFed – everyone in that book was horrible! I put off reading All the Light We Cannot See because I was tired of the WWII theme in fiction, but I finally read it a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it!
My bottom five reads:
1. The English Patient (took me 3 weeks to read the 300 pages – such a slog!)
2. Obasan – Joy Kogawa (tried twice and could never finish it)
3. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
4. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
5. Alice Munro – I know she’s considered “Canada’s Chekhov” of the literary world, but I rarely connect with her stories
(She and her husband owned the amazing bookstore, Munro’s located in a gorgeous former Royal Bank building built in 1909 in Victoria, BC. It’s no longer owned by the Munro family, but if ever in Victoria, it’s a must visit for book lovers!)
Elisabeth
I’ve heard such good things about Frakenstein, but have never read it. Maybe a classic to attempt this fall once I settle back in to a reading routine?
Wasn’t All The Light We Cannot See…amazing???!!!
I don’t know if I’d put Pride and Prejudice in my bottom 5, but I don’t think I ever need to read it again. I found most of the characters rather insufferable.
mbmom11
Let’s see – too many books!
As a kid/teen, the Witch of Blackbird Pond, Agatha Christie mysteries, Jude the Obscure (set me off on a Thomas Hardy kick), Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare kick followed).
As an adult, The Vorkosigan series (Memory my favorite), the Murderbot Diaries (both of which are completely unusual for me -I’m not really a sci-fi person). I really liked Happiness Falls recently – it inspired me to keep reading when I’ve been having trouble starting new books. Daivd Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series – I just like them even though they’re not the world’s greatest literature. They’re fun reading.
Books I don’t like – Catcher in the Rye, though when I read it with my son, his insights made me mellow my dislike. Jane Eyre. Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn. And anytime I read Maeve Binchy or Jodi Picoult I hate the ending. So I’ve given up those type of books. Where the Crawdads Sing. I am Lucy Barton . The Appeal. I’m hard to please anymore!
Elisabeth
Shakespeare is a tough one for me; I want to be a fan, but it always feels like a slog.
I’ve heard great things about Happiness Falls but haven’t read it yet.
I did like Where the Crawdads Sing, but I think more because there was a lot of hype. I read it once and that was enough and definitely not a Top 5 book for me. I did like My Name is Lucy Barton but then didn’t like any other Elizabeth Strout book. They’re all so similar (and all so depressing).
Gigi
Top five, huh? Mmm, just off the top of my head
1. Harry Potter – all of them (and they came out when my son was small; so I didn’t grow up with them)
2. Little Women
3. To Kill a Mockingbird
4. Just about anything by Stephen King (I don’t love all his books, but I do love most of them)
5. Nancy Drew, of course.
I can’t name the bottom five; because if I didn’t love it, I most certainly don’t remember it.
Elisabeth
Little Women is such a classic; I haven’t read it in years and hope that Engie does it for a CBBC soon. Hint, hint.
Yay for another vote for Nancy Drew and Harry Potter, and To Kill a Mockingbird. We have lots of overlap.
I think that most of my bottom books are older reads. If someone handed me Lord of the Flies now I would DNF that so fast it would make my head spin. But, doing it in high school, I was required to slog through to the bitter end (and discuss it at length). So I think most of my least-favourite books were read when I had a bit less autonomy over stopping them?
Stephany
I love your lists! The only one I disagree about is All the Light We Cannot See, but I know I have a very dissenting opinion about it. Everyone loves it! I just didn’t get it. 🙁
Gah, The Boxcar Children was such a sweet series. I’d love to reread at least a few books in the series someday, but it probably wouldn’t live up to my 8-year-old imagination, haha.
Elisabeth
My kids were both OBSESSED with The Boxcar Children. Like listened-to-hundreds-of-audiobooks obsessed. Such a fun, gentle mystery series.
I loved All The Light We Cannot See, but I feel like you have to be in the right mood for it? I can easily see myself *not* liking it if I had read it in a different season of life?
Sarah
Oh gosh!!! Where the Red Fern Grows was the first book I really LOST myself in– it was 3rd grade, and our teacher was reading it aloud, but I read ahead and stayed in a whole recess SOBBING at my desk. Before that moment, I had no idea I could be transported by literature.
Elisabeth
I think I would have been traumatized for life if I had read this book in Grade 3. Though maybe I’m more sensitive now that I’m older? I dunno, but I was not expecting the outcome in that book!!!!!
Anne
Oh, my. Such wonderful books and comments. And so many unique perspectives on ‘top’ and ‘bottom’! I am in agreement with you on many – but my Steinbeck of choice was East of Eden, for many reasons. I have not read some of your top list, so am adding them to mine. Between this (WONDERFUL) post, and Lisa’s and Stephany’s on the NYT list, I am actually going to (gulp) start a real TBR.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Arghhh now I can’t stop thinking how The Grapes of Wrath ended…
My top 5
– Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren – first book I read on my own
– The solitaire mystery by Jostein Gaarder – my first book I had a huge revelations I connected some dots
– The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind – my love for fantasy was born
– Pillars of the Earth by Ken fillet – my love for historic fiction was manifested
– East of Eden by John Steinbek – my first book I dissected and understood so much more also part of my high school graduation