FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » The Best Books Ever (according to goodreads users)

   
Author Topic: The Best Books Ever (according to goodreads users)
Threads
Member
Member # 10863

 - posted      Profile for Threads   Email Threads         Edit/Delete Post 
A rather interesting list...

I think I have to go with the first comment on the page:
quote:
proof that the truth is not democratic =/

seriously, jane austen? errughhh.

[Wink]
Posts: 1327 | Registered: Aug 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
Listopia is fun, but actually one of the least useful bits of Goodreads, IMO.

Hey, Threads, are you a GR member?

Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Nighthawk
Member
Member # 4176

 - posted      Profile for Nighthawk   Email Nighthawk         Edit/Delete Post 
Twilight beat The Lord of the Rings ?!?

List = FAIL.

Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Nighthawk:
Twilight beat The Lord of the Rings ?!?

Teen members of GR vote EXTREMELY disproportionately on lists like that. I find it far more interesting to see what my friends have voted for than the results of such lists overall.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Strider
Member
Member # 1807

 - posted      Profile for Strider   Email Strider         Edit/Delete Post 
Other more specific lists are more interesting.

Like the best science fiction books.

Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Threads
Member
Member # 10863

 - posted      Profile for Threads   Email Threads         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by rivka:
Listopia is fun, but actually one of the least useful bits of Goodreads, IMO.

Hey, Threads, are you a GR member?

I am as of today [Razz]
Posts: 1327 | Registered: Aug 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
Not with the email listed in your Hatrack profile, you're not. [Razz]

Edit: I take that back!

Invite incoming. [Smile]

Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Lyrhawn
Member
Member # 7039

 - posted      Profile for Lyrhawn   Email Lyrhawn         Edit/Delete Post 
Weird list.

I'm not against a lot of the books on it, but the ordering is wacky.

Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
The ordering is based on who voted for what, and tells you more about the subsection of GR that voted than anything else. [Wink]
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Threads
Member
Member # 10863

 - posted      Profile for Threads   Email Threads         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by rivka:
Not with the email listed in your Hatrack profile, you're not. [Razz]

Edit: I take that back!

Invite incoming. [Smile]

Thanks! I won't have much time to update my book list until the middle of next week since I have four finals between now and Tuesday [Mad]
Posts: 1327 | Registered: Aug 2007  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
Dude, priorities! [Wink]

Good luck with your finals. [Smile] Then I look forward to learning what you like to read besides poker books. [Wink]

Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
scifibum
Member
Member # 7625

 - posted      Profile for scifibum   Email scifibum         Edit/Delete Post 
I enjoyed the list. I was gratified to be familiar with most of the books on it. And I don't see why Twilight can't be one of the best books ever, since 'best' is not well defined. Some of the ways it could be best:
  • Carbon sink
  • Furniture Unbalance Correction Tablet
  • Evidence that dreams can come true
  • Handy social taxonomy visual aid
  • Reason for yet another special category on bestseller lists

Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Selran
Member
Member # 9918

 - posted      Profile for Selran   Email Selran         Edit/Delete Post 
I just joined. I'm now trying to remember what I've read. I'm also deciding whether or not to include all the Star Wars books and cheesy D&D novels I've read.
Posts: 212 | Registered: Nov 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Tara
Member
Member # 10030

 - posted      Profile for Tara   Email Tara         Edit/Delete Post 
I have nothing against Twilight, but...

All of the Twilight books on the first page?
And ahead of Harry Potter?
REALLY???

Posts: 930 | Registered: Dec 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Selran
Member
Member # 9918

 - posted      Profile for Selran   Email Selran         Edit/Delete Post 
I find it funny Twilight is number two on the best books list and number one on the worst books of all time list.
Posts: 212 | Registered: Nov 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Nighthawk
Member
Member # 4176

 - posted      Profile for Nighthawk   Email Nighthawk         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Strider:
Other more specific lists are more interesting.

Like the best science fiction books.

That makes more sense to me than the original list, at least.
Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Selran:
I find it funny Twilight is number two on the best books list and number one on the worst books of all time list.

quote:
Originally posted by rivka:
The ordering is based on who voted for what, and tells you more about the subsection of GR that voted than anything else. [Wink]

It also tells you that you can't vote AGAINST a book on any list, only FOR other books.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
The Black Pearl
Member
Member # 11788

 - posted      Profile for The Black Pearl   Email The Black Pearl         Edit/Delete Post 
Have you guys ever made a list?
Posts: 1407 | Registered: Oct 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
Which "you guys"?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
scifibum
Member
Member # 7625

 - posted      Profile for scifibum   Email scifibum         Edit/Delete Post 
The last list I made was an IN list for a SQL statement. It was pretty boring.
Posts: 4287 | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
The Black Pearl
Member
Member # 11788

 - posted      Profile for The Black Pearl   Email The Black Pearl         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by rivka:
Which "you guys"?

hatrack
Posts: 1407 | Registered: Oct 2008  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
Yup. There are quite a few lists running around here someplace.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Occasional
Member
Member # 5860

 - posted      Profile for Occasional   Email Occasional         Edit/Delete Post 
Two observations:

The list continually changes, from what I gather from comments here. That means next week or even a few days from now "best" is going to be different. This isn't about the literary qualities of books, as commentators seem to think, but what GR voting participants feel they like. It says less about the books and more about the voting audience. I am not sure, actually, what a proper "best" would mean? What defines best other than what someone likes?

Second, there must be a lot of Mormons who are active on GR because I can't think of any reason The Book of Mormon would be on a "best" list. Not that I, as a believing Mormon, don't think it deserves to be on a list like this. Rather, I put it in a whole different category much like I do the Bible, the Quran, or any other religious Scripture.

I am not, however, surprised that Mormons make up such a large group on GR, because how it operates. A good portion of Mormons do read and they also like to share with other Mormons. They aren't known for their organizational skills for nothing. I am aware of a vibrant Mormon GR community.

Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Occasional:
It says less about the books and more about the voting audience.

I think I said that already. [Wink]


quote:
Originally posted by Occasional:
Second, there must be a lot of Mormons who are active on GR

Yup. Tons.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Kwea
Member
Member # 2199

 - posted      Profile for Kwea   Email Kwea         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Nighthawk:
Twilight beat The Lord of the Rings ?!?

List = FAIL.

Amen. (Pun intended....BoM? I don't THINK so, agenda read strong and clear)
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Tara
Member
Member # 10030

 - posted      Profile for Tara   Email Tara         Edit/Delete Post 
After getting indignant about Ender's Game being near the top of the "Worst books of all time", I realized it was number one on "Best Sci-fi books." [Smile]
Posts: 930 | Registered: Dec 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Humean316
Member
Member # 8175

 - posted      Profile for Humean316   Email Humean316         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Tara:
I have nothing against Twilight, but...

All of the Twilight books on the first page?
And ahead of Harry Potter?
REALLY???

I would put Twilight ahead of a few of the Harry Potter books, including Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkeban, but as a series overall, I agree.

Twilight is a good series, though the final book was a bit of a disappointment (I have no idea how they make that book into a movie without getting an R rating).

Posts: 457 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Occasional
Member
Member # 5860

 - posted      Profile for Occasional   Email Occasional         Edit/Delete Post 
Kwea, have you ever read the Book of Mormon? As I said, it probably goes into a different category because its purpose is, like all religious texts, of a different nature. However, I would still put it into a top spot on this list (if not the top ten) because I find it a powerful literary work. The grammar might be stilted and slow paced, but the epic stories and characters are very memorable from the strong willed and faithful Nephi, the heroic and passionate Captain Moroni, to the lonely and resolute Moroni named after him. There are both direct and subtle Biblical allusions matched only in use by Milton and William Blake. Frankly, it outdoes "Pilgrims Progress" in its allegory of personal religious development. At the same time it explores personal progress while also examining the rise and fall of civilization. All of this besides the point that it is believed to be a Holy Book that has influenced millions.
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2