Top 5 Novels

These are my top 5 in no particular order
1. The Giver
2. Lolita
3. The Stranger
4. The Great Gatsby
5. Lord of the rings trilogy

I love these books because each one has taught me something and all of them have such great twists to their stories that I never expected. They truly were the ones that took me into another word and made me forget about everything around me.
 
cookiesandcreamshake said:
These are my top 5 in no particular order
1. The Giver
2. Lolita
3. The Stranger
4. The Great Gatsby
5. Lord of the rings trilogy

I love these books because each one has taught me something and all of them have such great twists to their stories that I never expected. They truly were the ones that took me into another word and made me forget about everything around me.
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Great list! I especially love the Great Gatsby, as I read that back in high school. My AP English class covered the book from top to bottom and analyzed it in full detail!
 
dannyboy said:
Great list! I especially love the Great Gatsby, as I read that back in high school. My AP English class covered the book from top to bottom and analyzed it in full detail!
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I had to do the same! We did it in IB as well but I didn't enjoy it a whole lot. But the second time I read it was out of free will and enjoyed it so much :)
What is your top 5?
 
  1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-1943 Novel written by Betty Smith. At the age of 14, my family moved to a rural community from a larger city. This town had things called, 'Barn Sales' which I had never been to before. In one of the barn sales the summer before entering my new school, I found an original copy of this book. I bought it and when my English teacher told us we could choose our first book for essay, I chose A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Mr. Golden was surprised to learn I had never heard of the book before. Unknowingly, I had chosen a classic. The story about a girl who longs to rise above mediocre and find meaning in her life was good timing for that 14 year old girl who was wide eyed and curious about what her new life was going to bring. I still love that book!
  2. Random Harvest-1942 Novel written by James Hilton. I cannot speak to much about this book without spoiling everything about it. It's a must read. Thanks to my 8th grade music teacher, I read it. She told me nothing about it. Mrs. Owens just said, 'Read this.' And I am so happy I did. I'll never forget the way my heart skipped a beat in the end when it all came together.
  3. Arabian Nights – 1706 English Collection written by a varity of Arabic, Aisian and African writers. Old fashioned tale-telling at its best. It is deeper reading for certain readers though, but well worth the effort. Sometimes transliterated works can help us see things with different colored spectacles. Different cultures sometimes think differently and I think it comes across well in this collection.
  4. The Hobbit – 1937 by J.R.R. Tolkien is a fantasy novel suggested to me by my 8th grade school teacher. It was the first of this genre I had ever read and I found myself swept away in a world of imagination. Since then, I have enjoyed fantasy and sci-fi and so I feel this book really helped shape some of my reading and writing passions.
  5. Great Expectations – 1831 by Charles Dickens. It wasn't until I decided to comment on this post that I realized how connected I am to the classics. I do read modern novels! But I must admit the statement top 5 favorite novels of all time and why has me digging deep down in my roots and soul searching. I first saw the film at a young age at my mother's best girlfriends home. The story line intrigued me. Similar to that was the reaction that Wuthering Heights had and still does each time I read it. But I have exceeded my limit of books loved. The list could go on and on.
 
I am not fond of reading novels, I prefer it to be watched on movies.
Some movies derived from novels that I really like are:
1. Zorro
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
3. Forrest Gump
4. Tom Sawyer
5. Harry Potter movies
 
1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
2. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
3. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

I absolutely love all these books as most of them are highly relatable, specially The Catcher in the Rye.
 
A hard one again. I would start with Orwell and 1984. A visionary of its own. No need to say i was thrilled with his metaphors and analogies. The concept of somebody watching all the time is now days i common thing and a notion that is a trend in some countries.
The great Expectations by Charles Dickens. So universal and again so specific classic piece of art. Pip is one of the most recognizable characters in literature and for a reason. The story is so easy to apply to any time and that was shown in several movies.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. A complex story about love and pride. A play of fate that was so tragic and sad. Well written with some heart braking monologues and scenes.
I just realize this was not about classics but i will not change though i could.
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk is one of the best novels i have ever read. it shows Istanbul struggling between traditional east and modern west. The sorry evolves around a murder of one of the miniaturists who were supposed to make a book for their sultan. A mystery, thriller, sleuth, love triangle, art and so much more you can find in this wonderful book written by a Nobel price winner.
The Bridge on the Drina - Ivo Andric. Another Nobel price winner but from Serbia this time. A book about a bridge and some events around it in Serbia occupied by Turkish empire.
 
Here are my top five:

1. The Hunger Games Series. I was intrigued by this book series after reading reviews about it on Goodreads. After that, I purchased one book, which is The Hunger Games, just to see what the hype is all about. By the end of the book I was hooked and so purchased the next two, lol. I think this was my first dose of dystopian novels and I was amazed and shocked by just how action-packed and violent it is. But I loved it and until now, it is my favourite dystopian novel.

2. Divergent Series. Yet another dystopian novel that got me hooked. It is about Tris and her journey into finding what faction she belongs to.

3. The Princess Diaries Series. This one's a romance and chick literature. The premise is the same as the movie although many parts were changed in the adaptation.

4. Gone Girl. This one was recommended by my friend. And wow, was it thrilling! The quest on finding what happened to Amy and whether her husband has something to do with her disappearance is quite exciting. You won't expect the twist on this one!

5. All American Girl. Yet another romance and chick lit by the author of The Princess Diaries. It is about a girl who saves the life of the president's son and falls in love with him along the way!
 
If I had the chance, I wouldn't limit my favorite novels to 5. As far as life lessons are concerned, however, the following are on top of my list:
  • Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
  • Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
  • The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
  • The Lord of the Rights Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien
  • One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Yes, I'm a huge existentialist.
 
Hmmm, it's so hard for me to pick a top five! But I'll try.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (like the commenter above!), Kirith Kirin by Jim Grimsley, the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and finally, East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
 
My personal favorites are:

  • Harry potter and the deathly hallows
  • 2 states
  • False impression
  • Mightier than sword
  • The da vnici code
I read a lot of non fiction as well specially on self improvement.
In the fiction category, thrillers are the novels which I like the most and most of the above ones are in that category as well.
 
The Picture of Dorian Gray
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Count of Monte Cristo
Jane Eyre
The Boy In Striped Pajamas


The books were well-written and quite deep. There are many lessons an open-minded person could learn from them. Knowledge they could find to be practically useful. I'd even say they could change someone.
 
There is a catalogue of novels which I can recall having pored through and they captured my attention. These are one by Robinson Crusoe and another one by James Hadley Chase. I have had the best experience with African novels like Son of a Woman, My Life In Crime and the River Between by the novelist Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong'o.
 
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