Top Ten Best Books of All Time
A book is a medium in the form of many pages of writing bound by a cover. It can take the form of a novel, play, poem, collection, eBook, biography, or nonfiction.
This book (well, 60 books in total) is not only necessary in your life, but it is true. This is not fiction, and it is in a category of its own. The Bible is the best thing you will ever read, and you can't live without it. I may be a Christian, but those of you who aren't must understand that all good morals in the world come from this important, true, and much-needed book.
All of you who aren't Christians need to read this book and accept Jesus in your heart because you need him. Are you a good person? If you died now, would you be fit for Heaven? How many times have you lied? How many times have you stolen? How many times have you blasphemed God's name? There is no such thing as a good person, and you need Jesus. This world needs Jesus. Read it.
I can't believe this isn't number one. This book is absolutely amazing in every possible way. Every single character, no matter how minor, becomes someone of great importance and learns a very important life lesson. Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth is the best fictional world ever created.
I don't think the Bible should be ranked above this masterpiece, considering that only a percentage of the population actually believes in the Bible anyway. However, any of Tolkien's works can appeal to anyone. I first read this book when I was 12 years old, and I still have maps of Middle-Earth and Elvish family trees plastered all over my walls.
I believe Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is so inspiring and magical that it should always be considered the best book ever. I might sound biased, but if you read this book, you would be biased towards it too.
Best book ever, it has fantasy, action, adventure, drama, mystery, and a somewhat feel of science fiction. It gets its fantasy because it is all fake, its action by having sudden events filled with adventure, giving the book its adventure. It gets its drama from deaths of important people that you only know for a couple hundred pages of a book, and it gets its mystery from the parts of the book that you and the main character don't know what's going to happen next, giving you that on the edge action and mystery feel.
The story gets the science fiction from the fact that it is like what might happen in the future if we keep watching reality TV shows and what might happen if we worship them so much that our capital, D.C., might have an uprising against us. That hasn't happened yet, so it is currently fiction, and it seems like something that would be really crazy if it did happen, so it gives the book that science fiction feeling in general. I just love this book. I have read it twice, but the first time, for sure, was the best reading experience that I have ever had in my not-so-long 16-year-old life.
The Hunger Games is above this?! It made me feel nothing at all. Absolutely nothing. Katniss doesn't do anything but survive. She's selfish and doesn't care for anyone but herself and Prim. Peeta and she were for her convenience so that she could rise above the Capitol and not be killed. Gale and she were cheap plot tension.
The second book... I swear, if I have to read another book like that again I will...never mind. Every tribute was her partner, and they all survived except one. At this point, I was really, really disappointed with this book. And the third book... Katniss conks out halfway and gets the ending explained to her. EXPLAINED to her. (Calming breaths) Rant over.
Harry Potter is a whole other story. J.K Rowling literally made me feel so much when Dobby, Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, and even when Hedwig died. She writes in a way that can only be matched by Stephen King and J.R.R Tolkien. Every single character was developed. Harry was hot-headed but brave. He also felt like he needed to be a hero.
He wanted revenge against Sirius, but his better judgment said that he should listen to Sirius first. The book isn't just black and white. It has shades of gray. Severus Snape was a clear-cut example of that.
To everyone who is rating this, please tell me that you actually have read the book and are not voting because you liked the movie. The Hobbit took me (sadly) a little bit less than 7 months to read, but then again I did lose the book for about 3 months, and I was in the 5th grade when I read it.
But when I finished it, I felt so accomplished, and it was such an iconic book to read. I loved reading it so much that I bought myself another copy to read in the future. As a matter of fact, I like the book so much more than the 3 movies.
To anyone who has only seen the movies, please read the book today! It will make your life and opinion of the movies so much better.
Just finished it, and from what I know, this is not a light read. It's grim, thought-provoking, frightening, shocking, and terrifying in regards to politics and social science gone into maniacal control. And scariest of all, it actually feels... realistic enough, thanks to how the setting of the novel is laid out and each component of said setting operates. That's what makes 1984 such an effective book.
Each character displayed in the film signifies some area of importance that would be displayed later on, and some of the buildup is masterfully crafted as it is tellingly horrifying. Without a doubt, this is one of the best books of all time. In addition, it's also the codifier of the Dystopian Genre in general and an incredibly important piece of writing, both for fiction literature and as an allegory for totalitarianism, political corruption, and the possible takeover of the human mind and spirit.
You know this is a great novel because they still teach it in high school, even though it is longer than anything else they make students read these days.
Reading this book can literally change your life and make you see things and other people in a whole new light. While it's gratifying to see Mockingbird solidly in the top 20, it's still not as high as it should be. It shouldn't be struggling to stay in the top ten.
While some of the books ahead of this are good books, I have to question whether people five hundred years from now will know about their characters. I do think people five hundred years from now will know who Atticus Finch is.
Excellent book, the whole series is wonderful. Our entire family loved these books. They are entertaining but also full of symbolism and analogies if you enjoy a deeper read. Great for kids and adults. If possible, read the books before you watch the movies.
The Harry Potter series is amazing. It has to be listed as one of the greatest series of books of all time. You have to ask yourself, how did J.K. Rowling come up with all this stuff? She has such an amazing imagination and is a great writer.
I love Harry Potter. It is a great book that everyone of every age can enjoy. I finally got my mum to read it and she loves it! I have a life goal to read Harry Potter more than 20 times. I love you, J.K. Rowling!
I love that it is based in the 1920s. It's my favorite time period in modern history. Plus, the movie turned out really good. It has some good lessons that everyone should learn and still has an intriguing story along with them. Something that a lot of books don't do, in my opinion.
The moral of the story is incredible. It tells of characters who are consumed by themselves and have no care for others or sympathy due to their self-proclaimed superiority.
I read this book when I was in sixth grade and I still love it! In my opinion, this should be ranked way higher than other books meant for kids aged 11-17 (minus the Bible).
This is a realistic kids' book that shows what life is actually like for kids. It's not about dancing unicorns or flying dogs. It's about reality. Sometimes, it may feel exaggerated or not entirely believable, but through the main character, Greg, we see a truthful look at childhood.
No, there is no real character development or a strong plot. But we enjoy it because, unlike so many books today, its characters and themes are relatable on every level. It's an entertaining read, and it's actually kind of sickening that people are calling this a money grab and not Dork Diaries.
Really? Diary of a Wimpy Kid is popular and suddenly Dork Diaries appears with the same simple designs and concepts, and everyone calls it the more original of the two. Diary of a Wimpy Kid may be getting redundant, but it's never been a boring read. In this day and age, that's a rare find.
The Newcomers
The conclusion to the greatest fantasy series of ALL TIME, in my opinion. Plus, if you ask me, "The Last Battle" is the best battle ever written. It's the crowning conclusion to a masterpiece.
The ending of this book was so glorious that when I read it on Kindle, I bought a paperback copy.
This is amazing and needs to be ranked higher!
Personally, this was better than The Hunger Games. In my opinion, it was fresh yet still followed the same guidelines as The Hunger Games. This is one of the few sequels that improve after the first book. 10/10.
Catching Fire is my favorite book ever. Ask yourselves, do you think Harry Potter, The Hobbit, and even the Bible will still top the charts in 2014 when the film Divergent is released, as is expected? Just wait, read Divergent, and see if I'm right.
I actually thought this book was better than The Hunger Games, the one she wrote before this. This book and the movie are so well written and acted. This book is just amazing!
I loved this book! It's definitely one of the best character-developing books out there. With just a quick glance or reading a few pages without delving into the words, Holden may seem like a jerk. But he's not.
He's a kid going through a terrible time in his life, and he's trying to make friends. However, the world doesn't accept that. It's not some compelling "oh sexy plot where John Travolta flies to the moon in the 1800s!" but it's certainly a good book.
This book killed me! Also, the fact that Artemis Fowl, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Hunger Games have been voted above this masterpiece is deeply upsetting and concerning.
My favorite Orwell novel, Animal Farm, surpasses 1984 in terms of political commentary and storytelling. Presented as a "talking animal" fantasy, this cautionary tale could easily deceive the casual reader with its stereotypes and jingoism. It's a true treat.
It is what you make of it, though it is probably one of the best reflections on society ever written. Even though it seems a bit childish at first glance, it is a work of art and a great opportunity to observe society.
It certainly has never aged!
I admit, I only read it because it was obligatory in high school. I didn't regret it at all. This is an amazing book, with very likable characters and an original plot and series of themes. It has the most memorable ending in any novel I have read. This was the only time I almost cried while reading a book. Why is almost every book in the top 10 teen fiction? Come on, people!
I decided to read it on my own before we read it in school. Such a phenomenal book, very depressing, but really gives insight into the hard lives people used to live and how mental disorders weren't properly understood and acknowledged in society. I cried. Why is this below Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
It's a good book to start with. Also, The Hunger Games and The Great Gatsby cannot be ranked before this book. The plot, characters, and everything about this book are spectacular! Honestly, this book deserves more love. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are also the most interesting and best book characters in the whole history! I like everything about this book, and J.K. Rowling is an amazing author.
I love this book. Harry Potter finds out about a guy named Sirius Black who was misunderstood as a bad guy. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione found him, they discovered that Sirius was really Harry's guardian who associated with his parents. Peter Pettigrew, who was once Ron's pet rat, turned into a human and betrayed him. In the fourth book, Peter is known as Wormtail and works for Voldemort.
Perhaps the most adapted story ever penned, this beloved timeless classic recounts the transformation of a "stingy, avaricious old sinner" as, on one fateful Christmas Eve in Victorian England, he faces ghosts and a past long-forgotten. He will be forced to reckon with three Spirits before he earns a chance for redemption and, in that stead, discovers the true meaning of Christmas.
A quick page-turner, deftly told in avid yet precise prose. I cannot laud this beloved opus enough! Sit back, light a fire, sip a cup of steaming hot cocoa, and treat yourself to this Yuletide treasure! You won't regret it!
I read this book in class, and it is awesome. Even the people who usually do not like books keep talking about it. Before, I thought, "Great, another boring novel" because I read a boring novel in class last year.
But books, in general, are not boring. Once I read it, I thought, "Man, this is one of the greatest books I've read in class." I feel like reading it again. It is not boring and confusing at all. It makes you want to keep reading it.
I like the characters, just like the ones on TV and in movies. Dally is my favorite because he is tough and awesome, but at the same time, he shows love for Johnny. All the characters are great and well-written. This is really surprising for a 15-year-old to write something as amazing as this. I even want to draw a picture of the characters in this book. I like the gangs and violence too!
What has this world come to where Diary of a Wimpy Kid is ranked higher than this? This is an amazing piece of literature for various ages, an endless classic, and it stretches so far and explores life, evil, and good. This is an amazing book, possibly the best of the series. It will never get old, no matter how many times I read it.
The Chronicles of Narnia is an amazing series. The Magician's Nephew is my personal favorite. Narnia puts the majority of titles on this list to shame. Clearly, this list was composed by teenage girls who just want a good cry.
This book is claimed to be the scariest book of all time. I didn't believe that, so I read it. Let's just say that whoever reads this book will undoubtedly be scared of clowns for the rest of their lives.
"They float, Georgie, and when you're down here with me, you'll float too!"
Of course, this is on here. It's a huge horror story that became even more popular when the recent movie "IT" was released. I haven't read the book, but what I've read about it keeps me on the edge of my seat and gives me goosebumps all over.
The sheer volume of content in the book archives is astounding. The Grapes of Wrath humanizes a group of people who might otherwise have been forgotten. It accomplishes this with well-developed and memorable characters, as well as chapters that chronicle the much larger journeys, troubles, and experiences of the Okies during the Great Depression.
The book stands up for the poor and helps us understand how human society functions at a basic level. The writing itself is astounding, far superior to any of the books listed above it.
I have enjoyed John Steinbeck's references to the suffering of those who needed help from poverty and from themselves. This is why this book is great!
This is by far one of my favorite books. It has humor, love, and sadness all packed into one amazing book. John Green's style of writing is amazing in every book he's written, but this one just seems to stand out to me.
It made me laugh and it made me cry. Overall, it's a generally fantastic book that had me right from the beginning. Even my mom couldn't put it down after starting it, and that is saying something! Best book ever, and you have to vote for it. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you go to the nearest bookstore, buy it, and read it because it is amazing!
Goblet of Fire should be ranked much higher. Sure, it might not be as awesome as Deathly Hallows, but it should be in the top ten. It is better than Prisoner of Azkaban and Philosopher's Stone, so I voted for it because I thought it deserved to be higher.
I know this is probably the most underrated Harry Potter book known to man, but it is still, for me, the most memorable. The storyline is so interesting, and it keeps you hooked to the book. I spent a whole summer reading it, and I loved it!
This is such a great book. If you don't like fantasy, read this, and you'll start wanting more of the Harry Potter story. It's also a great story of friendship - the characters are getting older and start falling in love. It's also dark. Rest in peace, Cedric Diggory.
When I am older, I will read this.
Best book I've ever read in school.
I read this book when I was about eleven, and I still read it today. It's the kind of book you don't grow out of, and it is truly a beautiful story. In fact, this author produces beautiful books overall.
Incredible book, great characters, and storyline. The character development was also incredible. I would rate it 10/10.
Read it in about 4 hours. It wasn't fast-paced, yet I couldn't put it down. Loved it!