Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Book recommendations

Yummy is looking to fill her shelves with the really good books of various genres of book. There's lists of best books put out by various publications but I'm not looking for lists produced by people trying to get readers or English teachers and librarians spouting their favorites.

Think like this: Moby Dick may be a great book, but it sure isn't a very good one.

I want the books that people actually enjoy reading.
I want the books you are glad that you read.
I want the books you'd be willing to read over and over.

Or, failing that, I want the books that you think everyone should read once. The movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" may be a masterpiece of cinematography that I think everyone should see once, but it's too dull to watch more than once. You get what I'm saying?

I'm also breaking the categories in to older greats and newer greats. Exactly how to define those ages is a bit tricky. I find the lists I'm coming up with in my head tend toward being roughly pre-Ibid and post-Ibid but the line is kinda blurry. Place them as you see fit.

Feel free to add categories if you have some recommended reading that doesn't fit. I left out comedy as a category since most everything that I could put in it also fits elsewhere. Feel free to point out exceptions.

I have my own lists. I'm keeping them to myself for assorted reasons.
I don't want to influence your lists with my ideas.
My lists are incomplete and I'm wanting top 10 lists.
Others give a list and get people to pick it apart. I'd rather give you a blank space and let you fill it.

Science fiction
Classic -

Modern -


Horror
Classic -

Modern -


Mystery
Classic -

Modern


Fantasy
Classic -

Modern -

Any submissions are greatly appreciated.

4 comments:

Tom said...

Hey there. A couple recommendations:

Science fiction
Classic - Foundation by Isaac Asimov, or Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.

Modern - Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.

Mystery
Classic - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Doestoevsky.

Modern - Perfume by Patrick Sueskind.


Fantasy
Classic - The NIbelungenlied, author unknown.

Modern - The Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker.

GreenCanary said...

I get the feeling that there aren't any pictures in the Billo's books *scratching head*

Ibid said...

Foundation was on my list, Yummy. I think I have a spare copy.

I haven't read Solaris, but I'm told it's good.

Thanks, Thomas.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed the Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart, but that was a long time ago.

Oh, and Don Quixote by Cervantes was a fun, challenging read.