

The crossover between Ta-Nehisi Coates and Helen Fielding! The ongoing fight over which Tolstoy novel is the best. The crossover between Marlon James and Donald Barthelme. The fact that Joan Didion and Philip Roth have the same favorite Hemingway novel. The book that Sandra Cisneros and Eileen Myles both chose.

Scott Fitzgerald, Jonathan Franzen, and Philip Roth all recommend William Faulkner-but none of them agree on which book they like best. The results were interesting-not particularly because of the most recommended books (many of them are pretty predictable) but because of the details-the groupings, the exclusions, the agreements between authors you wouldn’t necessarily think had similar taste.

Scott Fitzgerald, Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway) to the contemporary (Yaa Gyasi, Mary Gaitskill, Maggie Nelson, George Saunders), and kept track of which books they recommended most often. I looked at 68 lists made by famous authors, from the classic (F. And as often happens, once I started wondering, I soon knew I was in for some math. While considering the proliferation of the high-profile literary listicle, I started wondering which books famous authors most often touted among their favorites. To that end, people (including certain people at a nice place called Literary Hub) are always asking famous writers to give them lists of books they love, and famous writers are always doing it, because again, who doesn’t like a list of books, and especially when those books are your own favorites, and you get to talk about them again.

#Famous books download
After all, books have power.įill out the form below to download your copy of this PDF.Everyone loves a list-especially a list of books. And though we know that many of these texts may also come under fire in the future, we’re deeply committed, more than ever, to uplifting the books that shine a light on injustice and let children know they’re not alone, and that spur readers on to create a better world. We hope that these will be helpful resources to meet the needs (and wants) of the children in your libraries and classrooms. There’s a nice sprinkle of story time picks and slice-of-life tales. They also include a balance of fantasy, historical and realistic fiction, and, for the first time in years, a breakout list of poetry. Our belief in the importance of literature is paramount as we present our Best Books list.Īfter months of deliberation, the editors and our insigh tful reviewer committee members have selected 139 titles addressing topics-such as climate change, racism, and history-that are more relevant than ever. And though books, especially those featuring characters from marginalized backgrounds, face bans and other challenges, the y will persevere. It’s no wonder that access to these mind-blowing, world-expanding, truth-telling, and life-giving receptacles of knowledge and ideas is being obstructed. It’s no wonder that they are under attack.
