World Book Night 2012 Top 100

[ninebelow]

World Book Night asked people to nominate their top ten books to create a list that would feed into the selection of next year’s titles to be given away. Here is the list, usual rules apply.

1 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
2 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
3 The Book Thief Markus Zusak
4 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
5

Comments

[communicator]

I don't know why people choose books that have just been made into a film.

Out of all of those, the one I haven't read that I probably should is The Great Gatsby. I also wonder about getting into Murakami. I am irrationally resistant to people who are popular but I haven't read yet.

[ninebelow]

Yeah, it is a shame to see Never Let Me Go pushing down Ishiguro's better, earlier books because of the film.

The Great Gatsby is, er, great.

[despotliz]

Not sure why 13 and 89 are different. I've read about 30, and yes, people do really like Gaiman. You should see his signing queues.

[ninebelow]

An attempt to game the system relating to the book giveaway? Technically, I shouldn't have ticked 13 since I read half of them in paperback but, you know.

[del_c]

I like American Gods, but it's not the eleventh best anything.

[burkesworks]

If we must have lists of books that are obviously loaded, far better it's by Gaiman fans than those of Ayn Rand, like that American list that came up a while back.

Wouldn't agree with much of this selection though; far too much skiffy in there, the literary fiction is too safe, and just what is Ken Follett doing in the list?

[ajr]

World Book Night asked people to nominate their top ten books to create a list that would feed into the selection of next year’s titles to be given away.

Makes you wonder if a lot of people weren't paying any attention:

16 One Day David Nicholls
32 His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
49 Life of Pi Yann Martel
63 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon

Because giving away some of the same books again is really going to work. What were they thinking?