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.
Note to librarians: do not edit this list's description.
73,169 books ·
269,029 voters ·
list created May 14th, 2008
by Michael Economy (votes) .
10220 likes · Like
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.
Michael
708 books
285 friends
285 friends
Otis
1601 books
2017 friends
2017 friends
Dean
183 books
4 friends
4 friends
Ryan
22 books
20 friends
20 friends
Vincetastic
333 books
11 friends
11 friends
The Crimson Fucker
426 books
227 friends
227 friends
Cynthia
30065 books
236 friends
236 friends
rivka
3122 books
284 friends
284 friends
More voters…
Comments Showing 1-50 of 4,682 (4682 new)


At least Mockingbird is #1, though.



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!



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.


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.

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.

Very Good Advice. This is just a list someone made up, somewhere in the world. It holds as much weight as you give it.



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.

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



I agree, this list is loaded and biased.

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?



and why does 'to kill a mockingbird' in position 2 have more votes than position 1?...




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.



I can understand how "The Book of Mormon," is on that list but before The Bible? No way...
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Anyone can add books to this list.
seriously, jane austen? errughhh.