this thread evolved from the 1001 books you must read before you die thread.
many of us believed that the list was seriously lacking and in all of it's one thousand and one titles, did not contain some of our faves.
we've decided to make our own list. please post your faves (i'll update this original post as they come in). once we collect all 1001 (it won't take that long, i promise), we can begin the challenge (reading every book on the list, of course). it's ok if your choices are also on the original list (it includes some really good ones).
novels only please (someone can start a best memoirs, non-fiction, collected stories, etc list somewhere else).
here's a link to the original post... http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=918251
these are the books we've got so far...
aba, kobo - the woman in the dunes
adams, douglas - hitchchiker series:
-the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy
-the restaurant at the end of the universe
-life, the universe and everything
-so long, and thanks for all the fish
-mostly harmless
adams, richard - watership down
ahern, cecilia - ps, i love you
albom, mitch - the five people you meet in heaven
albom, mitch - for one more day
alcott, louisa may - little women
alexie, sherman - reservation blues
allende, isabel - daughter of fortune
allende, isabel - eva luna
allende, isabel - the house of the spirits
allende, isabel - portrait in sepia
allison, dorothy - bastard out of carolina
alvarez, julia - in the time of the butterflies
amis, martin - london fields
anaya, rudolfo - bless me, ultima
atwood, margaret - the handmaid's tale
auel, jean m. - earth's children series:
-the clan of the cave bear
-the valley of the horses
-the mammoth hunters
-the plains of passage
-the shelters of stone
austen, jane - emma
austen, jane - mansfield park
austen, jane - persuasion
austen, jane - pride & prejudice
austen, jane - sense and sensibility
baker, nicholson - the mezzanine
banks, russell - cloudsplitter
barker, clive - the thief of always
barrie, j. m. - peter pan
baum, l. frank - the wonderful wizard of oz
benitez, sandra - bitter grounds
berendt, john - midnight in the garden of good and evil
blume, judy - are you there god? it's me margaret
bohjalian, chris - midwives
bowles, paul - the sheltering sky
bradbury, ray - fahrenheit 451
bradbury, ray - the martian chronicles
bradbury, ray - something wicked this way comes
bradbury, ray - a sound of thunder
bradley, marion zimmer - avalon series:
-the mists of avalon
-the fall of atlantis
-the forest house
-lady of avalon
-priestess of avalon
-ancestors of avalon
-ravens of avalon
-sword of avalon
bradley, marion zimmer - darkover series:
-falcons of narabedla
-the planet savers
-the door through space
-the sword of aldones
-the bloody sun
-star of danger
-the winds of darkover
-the world wreckers
-darkover landfall
-the spell sword
-the heritage of hastur
-the shattered chain
-the forbidden tower
-stormqueen!
-the bloody sun (rewritten and expanded edition)
-two to conquer
-sharra’s exile
-hawkmistress!
-thendara house
-city of sorcery
-the heirs of hammerfell
-rediscovery
-exile’s song
-the shadow matrix
-traitor’s sun
-the clingfire trilogy:
-the fall of neskaya
-zandru’s forge
-a flame in hali
-modern darkover (the children of kings trilogy):
-the alton gift
brontë, charlotte - jane eyre
brontë, charlotte - villette
brontë, emily - wuthering heights
brooks, geraldine - march
brooks, geraldine - people of the book
brooks, geraldine - year of wonders: a novel of the plague
brown, dan - angels & demons
brown, dan - the da vinci code
buck, pearl s. - the good earth
buffie, margaret - the haunting of frances rain
bulgakov, mikhail - the master and margarita
burgess, anthony - a clockwork orange
burnett, frances hodgson - the little princess
burnett, frances hodgson - the secret garden
byatt, a. s. - possession
camus, albert - the plague
camus, albert - the stranger
capote, truman - breakfast at tiffany’s
card, orson scott - ender's game
card, orson scott - pastwatch: the redemption of christopher columbus
carroll, lewis - alice’s adventures in wonderland
carter, angela - nights at the circus
castillo, ana - so far from god
cather, willa - o pioneers
cervantes - don quixote
chabon, michael - the amazing adventures of kavalier & clay
chabon, michael - the mysteries of pittsburgh
chabon, michael - the yiddish policemen’s union
chavez, denis - loving pedro infante
chbosky, stephen - the perks of being a wallflower
chopin, kate - the awakening
cisneros, sandra - the house on mango street
clark, susanna - jonathan strange & mr. norrell
clark, walter van tilburg - the city of trembling leaves
clark, walter van tilburg - the ox-bow incident
coelho, paulo - the alchemist
coelho, paulo - by the river piedra i sat down and wept
coelho, paulo - the devil and miss prym
coelho, paulo - eleven minutes
coelho, paulo - veronika decides to die
coetzee, c. m. - disgrace
cole, brock - celine
colette - cheri and the last of cheri
colette - claudine at school
collins, suzanne - the hunger games trilogy:
-the hunger games
-catching fire
-mockingjay
conrad, joseph - heart of darkness
courtenay, bryce - the power of one
crane, stephen - the red badge of courage
craven, margaret - i heard the owl call my name
cresswell, helen – moondial
cross, donna woolfolk - pope joan
cunningham, michael - the hours
cushman, karen - the midwife’s apprentice
dahl, roald - the bfg
dahl, roald - charlie and the chocolate factory
dahl, roald - james and the giant peach
dahl, roald - matilda
danielewski, mark z. - house of leaves
davenport, kiana - shark dialogues
dean, pamela - tam lin
de bernières, louis - birds without wings
delillo, don - mao ii
delillo, don - underworld
delillo, don - white noise
danticat, edwidge - breath, eyes, memory
diamant, anita - the red tent
dickens, charles - bleak house
dickens, charles - david copperfield
dickens, charles - great expectations
dickens, charles - oliver twist
dickens, charles - a tale of two cities
didion, joan - play it as it lays
dillard, annie - the living
divakaruni, chitra banerjee - the palace of illusions
divakaruni, chitra banerjee - sister of my heart
donleavy, j. p. - the ginger man
dostoevsky, fyodor - the brothers karamazov
dostoevsky, fyodor - crime and punishment
dumas, alexandre - the count of monte cristo
du maurier, daphne - rebecca
duncan, david james - the river why
duras, marguerite - the lover
eliot, george - middlemarch
eliot, george - the mill on the floss
ellison, ralph - invisible man
endo, shusaku - silence
enger, leif - peace like a river
erdrich, louise - love medicine
esquivel, laura - like water for chocolate
eugenides, jeffrey - middlesex
farrell, j. g. - the siege of krishnapur
faulkner, william - absalom, absalom!
faulkner, william - light in august
faulkner, william - the sound and the fury
fforde, jasper - the eyre affair
fielding, helen - bridget jones’ diary
fitch, janet - white oleander
fitzgerald, f. scott - the great gatsby
fitzgerald, f. scott - tender is the night
foer, jonathan safran - extremely loud and incredibly close
follett, ken - the pillars of the earth
follett, ken - world without end
forster, e. m. - howard's end
fowles, john - the french lieutenant's woman
fowles, john - the magus
frank, pat - alas, babylon
franzen, jonathan - the corrections
frazier, charles - cold mountain
funke, cornelia - the thief lord
furlong, monica - juniper
furlong, monica - wise child
gabaldon, diana - outlander series:
-outlander
-dragonfly in amber
-voyager
-drums of autumn
-the fiery cross
-a breath of snow and ashes
gaiman, neil - american gods
gaiman, neil - coraline
gaiman, neil & terry pratchett- good omens
garcía márquez, gabriel - love in the time of cholera
garcía márquez, gabriel - one hundred years of solitude
gaskell, elizabeth - north and south
gass, william h. - omensetter’s luck
gibbons, kaye - ellen foster
gibbons, stella - cold comfort farm
gibson, william - neuromancer
gilchrist, ellen - the anna papers
gilman, charlotte perkins - herland
golden, arthur - memoirs of a geisha
golding, william - lord of the flies
goldman, william - the princess bride
goodkind, terry - the sword of truth series:
-debt of bones
-wizard’s first rule
-stone of tears
-blood of the fold
-temple of the winds
-soul of the fire
-faith of the fallen
-the pillars of creation
-naked empire
-chainfire
-phantom
-confessor
grafton, sue - kinsey millhone series:
-“a” is for alibi
-“b” is for burglar
-“c” is for corpse
-“d” is for deadbeat
-“e” is for evidence
-“f” is for fugitive
-“g” is for gumshoe
-“h” is for homicide
-“i” is for innocent
-“j” is for judgment
-“k” is for killer
-“l” is for lawless
-“m” is for malice
-“n” is for noose
-“o” is for outlaw
-“p” is for peril
-“q” is for quarry
-“r” is for ricochet
-“s” is for silence
-“t” is for trespass
-“u” is for undertow
grass, gunther - the tin drum
graves, robert - claudius the god: and his wife messalina
graves, robert - i, claudius
graves, robert - king jesus
greene, graham - the end of the affair
greene, graham - the quiet american
gregory, philippa - the other boleyn girl
gruen, sara - water for elephants
guest, judith - ordinary people
haddon, mark - the curious incident of the dog in the night-time
hamilton, jane - a map of the world
hamsun, knut - growth of the soil
harris, joanne - chocolat
harrison, sue - mother earth father sky
harrison, sue - my sister the moon
hawthorne, nathaniel - the house of seven gables
hawthorne, nathaniel - the scarlet letter
haynes, melinda - mother of pearl
hegi, ursula - stones from the river
hegland, jean - into the forest
heinlein, robert a. - the moon is a harsh mistress
heinlein, robert a. - starship troopers
heinlein, robert a. - stranger in a strange land
helprin, mark - a soldier of the great war
helprin, mark - winter's tale
heller, joseph - catch-22
hemingway, ernest - a farewell to arms
hemingway, ernest - for whom the bell tolls
hemingway, ernest - the old man and the sea
henry, marguerite - misty of chincoteague
herbert, frank - dune series:
-dune
-dune messiah
-children of dune
-god emperor of dune
-heretics of dune
-chapterhouse: dune
hesse, hermann - narcissus and goldmund
hesse, hermann - siddhartha
hesse, hermann - steppenwolf
hinton, s. e. - the outsiders
hoban, russell - kleinzeit
hoban, russell - riddley walker
hoffman, alice - blue diary
hosseini, khaled - the kite runner
hughes, monica - invitation to the game
hugo, victor - les miserables
hugo, victor - the hunchback of notre-dame
hulme, keri - the bone people
hurston, zora neale - their eyes were watching god
huxley, aldous - brave new world
irving, john - the cider house rules
irving, john - a prayer for owen meany
irving, john - until i find you
ishiguro, kazuo - never let me go
ishiguro, kazuo - remains of the day
jackson, shirley - the haunting of hill house
jakes, john - north and south trilogy:
-north and south
-love and war
-heaven and hell
james, henry - the portrait of a lady
james, henry - the wings of the dove
jansson, tove - moomin series:
-the moomins and the great flood
-comet in moominland
-finn family moomintroll
-the exploits of moominpappa
-moominsummer madness
-moominland winter
-moominpappa at sea
-the memoirs of moominpappa
-moominvalley in november
jarrell, randall - the animal family
jarrell, randall - the bat-poet
johnson, denis - already dead: a california gothic
johnson, denis - angels
jong, erica - fear of flying
jordan, robert - the wheel of time series:
-the eye of the world
-the great hunt
-the dragon reborn
-the shadow rising
-the fires of heaven
-lord of chaos
-a crown of swords
-the path of daggers
-winter’s heart
-crossroads of twilight
-knife of dreams
juster, norton - the phantom tollbooth
kafka, franz - the castle
kafka, franz - the metamorphosis
kafka, franz - the trial
karon, jan - the mitford years series:
-at home in mitford
-a light in the window
-these high, green hills
-out to canaan
-a new song
-a common life: the wedding story
-in this mountain
-shepherds abiding
-light from heaven
kaye, m. m. - the far pavilions
keller, nora okja - comfort woman
kerouac, jack - on the road
kesey, ken - one flew over the cuckoo’s nest
kesey, ken - sometimes a great notion
kidd, sue monk - the secret life of bees
king, laurie r. - mary russell mystery series:
-the beekeeper’s apprentice
-a monstrous regiment of women
-a letter of mary
-the moor
-o jerusalem
-justice hall
-the game
-locked rooms
king, stephen - the talisman
kingsolver, barbara - the bean trees
kingslover, barbara - pigs in heaven
kingsolver, barbara - the poisonwood bible
knowles, john - a separate peace
kogawa, joy - obasan
konigsburg, e. l. - from the mixed-up files of mrs. basil e. frankweiler
kundera, milan - the unbearable lightness of being
lackey, mercedes - the last herald mage series:
-magic’s pawn
-magic’s promise
-magic’s price
lamb, wally - the hour i first believed
lamb, wally - i know this much is true
lamb, wally - she's come undone
l’amour, louis - the quick and the dead
lansens, lori - the girls
lee, harper - to kill a mockingbird
leguin, ursula k. - the left hand of darkness
l'engel, madeleine - time quartet series:
-a wrinkle in time
-a wind in the door
-a swiftly tilting planet
-many waters
levin, jenifer - the sea of light
lewis, c. s. - the chronicles of narnia series:
-the lion, the witch and the wardrobe
-prince caspian: the return to narnia
-the voyage of the dawn treader
-the silver chair
-the horse and his boy
-the magician’s nephew
-the last battle
lewis, c. s. - the great divorce
lewis, c. s. - till we have faces
lindgren, astrid - ronia the robber's daughter
lissner, caren - carrie pilby
lowry, lois - the giver trilogy:
-the giver
-gathering blue
-messenger
lowry, lois - number the stars
macdonald, ann-marie - fall on your knees
maclachlan, patricia - sarah, plain and tall
manicka, rani - the rice mother
mann, thomas - the magic mountain
martel, yann - life of pi
maxwell, william - time will darken it
mccammon, robert r. - swan song
mccarthy, cormac - blood meridian
mccarthy, cormac - the road
mccullers, carson - the heart is a lonely hunter
mcewan, ian - atonement
mcgahern, john - that they may face the rising sun
mckay, ami - the birth house
melville, herman - moby-dick
meyer, stephenie - twilight series:
-twilight
-new moon
-eclipse
-breaking dawn
michener, james a. - texas
miller, henry - tropic of cancer
miller, henry - tropic of capricorn
mistry, rohinton - a fine balance
mitchell, margaret - gone with the wind
mongomery, l. m. - anne of green gables series:
-anne of green gables
-anne of avonlea
-anne of the island
-anne of windy poplars
-anne’s house of dreams
-anne of ingleside
-rainbow valley
-rilla of ingleside
morrison, toni - beloved
morrison, toni - the bluest eye
morrison, toni - love
mosse, kate - labyrinth
murakami, haruki - hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world
murakami, haruki - the wind-up bird chronicle
murdoch, iris - the green knight
murdoch, iris - the sea, the sea
nabokov, vladimir - despair
nabokov, vladimir - lolita
nabokov, vladimir - mary
nabokov, vladimir - pale fire
naylor, gloria - mama day
nichols, john - the miagro beanfield war
niffenegger, audrey - the time traveler's wife
nin, anaïs - a spy in the house of love
oates, joyce carol - we were the mulvaneys
o'brien, edna - the country girls
o'brien, edna - wild Decembers
o’brien, flann - the third policeman
o'connor, joseph - star of the sea
o'dell, scott - island of the blue dolphins
oke, janette - the bluebird and the sparrow
oke, janette - a bride for donnigan
oke, janette - the calling of emily evans
oke, janette - canadian west series:
-when calls the heart
-when comes the spring
-when breaks the dawn
-when hope springs new
-beyond the gathering storm
-when tomorrow comes
oke, janette - drums of change
oke, janette - a gown of spanish lace
oke, janette - heart of the wilderness
oke, janette - love comes softly series:
-love comes softly
-love’s enduring promise
-love’s long journey
-love’s abiding joy
-love’s unending legacy
-love’s unfolding dream
-love takes wing
-love finds a home
oke, janette - the measure of a heart
oke, janette - roses for mama
oke, janette - they called her mrs. doc
oke, janette - a woman named damaris
ondaatje, michael - the english patient
ondaatje, micheal - in the skin of a lion
orczy, emmuska - the scarlet pimpernel
orwell, george - animal farm
orwell, george - 1984
ozeki, ruth - all over creation
ozeki, ruth - my year of meats
ozick, cynthia - heir to the glimmering world
ozick, cynthia - the puttermesser papers
pasternak, boris - doctor zhivago
patchett, ann - bel canto
patchett, ann - the patron saint of liars
paterson, katherine - bridge to terabithia
paterson, katherine - jacob have i loved
paton, alan - cry, the beloved country
paulsen, gary - brian’s saga series:
-hatchet
-the river
-brian’s winter
-brian’s return
-brian’s hunt
paulsen, gary - tracker
perrotta, tom - little children
phillips, jayne anne - shelter
piercy, marge - woman on the edge of time
plath, sylvia - the bell jar
potok, chaim - the chosen
potok, chaim - the gift of asher lev
potok, chaim - my name is asher lev
pratchett, terry - discworld series:
-the colour of magic
-the light fantastic
-equal rights
-mort
-sourcery
-wyrd sisters
-pyramids
-guards! guards!
-eric
-moving pictures
-reaper man
-witches abroad
-small gods
-lords and ladies
-men at arms
-soul music
-interesting times
-maskerade
-feet of clay
-hogfather
-jingo
-the last continent
-carpe jugulum
-the fifth elephant
-the truth
-thief of time
-the last hero
-the amazing maurice and his educated rodents
-night watch
-the wee free men
-monstrous regiment
-a hat full of sky
-going postal
-thud!
-wintersmith
-making money
proulx, e. annie - the shipping news
pullman, philip - his dark materials series:
-the golden compass
-the subtle knife
-amber spyglass
pynchon, thomas - gravity’s rainbow
queirós, eça de - the maias
rand, ayn - anthem
rand, ayn - fountainhead
rand, ayn - atlas shrugged
ransome, arthur - swallows and amazons series:
-swallows and amazons
-swallowdale
-peter duck
-winter holiday
-coot club
-pigeon post
-we didn’t mean to go to sea
-secret water
-the big six
-missee lee
-the picts and the martyrs
-great northen?
raskin, ellen - the westing game
rawls, wilson - where the red fern grows
reed, ishmael - flight to canada
remarque, erich maria - all quiet on the western front
rice, anne - interview with the vampire
rice, anne - the witching hour
richter, conrad - the light in the forest
roberts, gregory david - shantaram
robbins, tom - even cowgirls get the blues
robbins, tom - fierce invalids home from hot climates
robbins, tom - half asleep in frog pajamas
robbins, tom - jitterbug perfume
robbins, tom - still life with woodpecker
robinson, marilynne - gilead
robinson, marilynne - housekeeping
rowling, j. k. - harry potter series:
-harry potter and the sorcerer's stone
-harry potter and the chamber of secrets
-harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban
-harry potter and the goblet of fire
-harry potter and the order of the phoenix
-harry potter and the half-blood prince
-harry potter and the deathly hallows
roy, arundhati - the god of small things
ruiz zafón, carlos - the shadow of the wind
rushdie, salman - midnight's children
russell, mary doria - the sparrow
russo, richard - empire falls
saint-exupéry, antoine de - the little prince
salinger, j. d. - the catcher in the rye
sarton, may - anger
sarton, may - as we are now
sarton, may - faithful are the wounds
sarton, may - joanna and ulysses
sarton, may - a reckoning
scalzi, john - old man's war
schwarz-bart, andre - the last of the just
scott, walter - ivanhoe
sebold, alice - the lovely bones
seth, vikram - a suitable boy
seton, anya - katherine
sewell, anna - black beauty
shalev, meir - a pigeon and a boy
shelley, mary - frankenstein
shields, carol - the stone diaries
shields, carol - unless
shikibu, murasaki - the tale of genji
sinclair, upton - the jungle
sinclair, upton - oil!
smiley, jane - moo
smith, betty - a tree grows in brooklyn
smith, dodie - i capture the castle
solzhenitsyn, aleksandr - one day in the life of ivan denisovich
soueif, ahdaf - the map of love
speare, elizabeth george - the witch of blackbird pond
spyri, johanna – heidi
starhawk - the fifth sacred thing
stead, christina - the man who loved children
stegner, wallace - angle of repose
stegner, wallace - the big rock candy mountain
steinbeck, john - east of eden
steinbeck, john - the grapes of wrath
steinbeck, john - of mice and men
stephenson, neal - snow crash
stevenson, robert louis - dr. jekyll and mr. hyde
stoker, bram - dracula
stowe, harriet beecher - uncle tom's cabin
suskind, patrick - perfume: the story of a murder
tan, amy - the bonesetter's daughter
tan, amy - the joy luck club
tan, amy - the kitchen god's wife
taylor, theodore - the cay
thackeray, william makepeace - vanity fair
toer, pramoedya ananta - the girl from the coast
tolkien, j. r. r. - the hobbit
tolkien, j. r. r. - the lord of the rings series:
-the fellowship of the ring
-the two towers
-the return of the king
tolkien, j. r. r. - the silmarillion
tolstoy, leo - anna karenina
tolstoy, leo - war and peace
toole, john kennedy - a confederacy of dunces
tsukiyama, gail - the language of the threads
tsukiyama, gail - women of the silk
twain, mark - adventures of huckleberry finn
twain, mark - the adventures of tom sawyer
twain, mark - a connecticut yankee in king arthur's court
tyler, anne - digging to america
uris, leon - exodus
voltaire - candide
vonnegut jr., kurt - breakfast of champions
vonnegut jr., kurt - cat's cradle
vonnegut jr., kurt - the sirens of titan
vonnegut jr., kurt - slaughterhouse-five
walker, alice - the color purple
wallace, david foster - infinite jest
waters, sarah - fingersmith
waters, sarah - tipping the velvet
waugh, evelyn - brideshead revisited
welch, james - fools crow
wells, h. g. - the time machine
wells, rebecca - divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood
welty, eudora - delta wedding
west, michael lee - crazy ladies
westall, robert - the machine gunners
weston, susan b. - children of the light
wharton, edith - the age of innocence
wharton, edith - ethan frome
white, e. b. - charlotte’s web
white, e. b. - the trumpet of the swan
wilde, oscar - the picture of dorian gray
wilder, laura ingalls - little house series:
-little house in the big woods
-farmer boy
-little house on the prairie
-on the banks of plum creek
-by the shores of silver lake
-the long winter
-little town on the prairie
-these happy golden years
-the first four years
willis, connie - doomsday book
winterson, jeanette - oranges are not the only fruit
wolfe, thomas - look homeward, angel
wolfe, tom - i am charlotte simmons
woolf, virginia - mrs. dalloway
wright, richard - native son
yamanaka, lois-ann - blu's hanging
zabytko, irene - the sky unwashed
zamyatin, yevgeny - we
zusak, markus - the book thief
533 to go...
Edited by samstress - 7/31/11 at 5:45pm
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