10 Adult books

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1998) by J.K. Rowling

As if the storyline really needs to be repeated anymore. Rowling used this tale of magic to magically change the entire reading world. The Sorcerer’s Stone started it all, but be sure to read the rest that follow. Rowling just seems to get better with age.

Read Review

3. The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry

Set in the future, in a time where there is no crime, disease, or pain, Jonas, a 12-year-old, is selected to become the next Receiver of Memories, where he learns that the utopian world he’s lived in may not be as perfect as he had thought. Lowry creates a biting emotional tale that cannot easily be forgotten in possibly the greatest work of futuristic fiction since the days of Orwell.

4. The Golden Compass (1996) by Philip Pullman

In The Golden Compass, the first of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, he deftly crafts a captivating alternate universe in which his Lyra Belacqua does battle with the evil that tends to exist in these sorts of stories. Lyra finds herself teamed up with the Gyptians who set a course for lands North to rescue their stolen children. The other players on Lyra’s team include a hot-air balloon pilot from New Denmark and Iorek Byrnison, an armored polar bear outcast from his Nordic home.

5. House of the Scorpion (2002) by Nancy Farmer

A seemingly immortal druglord named El Patron created Matt as a clone of himself. Though Matt is hardly his first clone used for “spare parts,” he is the only clone in the world that has not been turned into a brainless slave as is the law. His freedom of thought was meant to be a gift from El Patron, but it winds up being a curse. Tortured as if he were an animal by the others in the family, when El Patron arrives for a visit Matt is feared and treated as royalty.

6. Monster (1999) by Walter Dean Myers

Myers has always had a knack for writing gritty, realistic novels of life on urban streets, but Monster, with its completely unique format and unbiased tone, is his finest achievement to date. Narrated by 16-year-old aspiring film maker Steve Harmon, who is on trial his role in the murder of a convenience store worker, the text goes back and forth between his scribbled journal and the events in the courtroom written screenplay-style by Steve himself.

7. The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Bk 1 (1999) by Lemony Snicket

Though adored by children around the world the Snicket books are often more appreciated by adults who eat up all the slightly sick, twisted, and truly lovable unhappy stories they contain. Following the trials of three orphaned siblings who can’t seem to find a lick of good luck, Snicket, in his role as the lecturing narrator, serves up a perfect (though thoroughly addicting) blend dry wit and sarcasm. If you read one book be ready to read them all.

8. The Thief Lord (2002) by Cornelia Funke

This fantasy set in Venice stole the hearts of readers around the world. It is the tale of two runaways who find safe harbor amongst a gang of thieving children. As an eccentric detective tries to hunt them down, the self-proclaimed “Thief Lord,” the leader of the gang, takes on his biggest heist, leading towards the discovery of some very magical things. Never a dull moment, Funke has created a sure fantasy classic.

Sponsored Links

Sell Isolation Isolator0-10V/0-100mA/4-20mA& Signal signal processing, Order!www.szsunyuan.com/china+Amplifier
7000+ Free E-MagazineWith realistic flipping and zooming No need account to download emagzwww.martview.com

9. Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

(2000) by Louise Renningson. If Bridget Jones was writing her diary at the age of 14 it might sound similar to Georgia’s story, though it’s hard to imagine Jones being half this hysterical. Renningson creates a memorable character who is as lovable as she is quirky, feisty, and true to her hormones. (For those not in the know, Angus is Georgia’s cat, Thongs are “stupid underware” that just “go up your bum as far as I can tell” and Full Frontal Snogging is kissing with all the trimmings.)

10. Feed (2002) by M.T. Anderson

Though Feed hardly has a sci-fi feel, since the novel is told entirely in teenaged slang, its futuristic story centers around the internet. In Anderson’s world, internal “Feeds” are placed into people’s heads at birth, revolving their entire lives around the rush of advertisements and messages shooting between their brains. The teens have no time to speak in complete sentences, as they dangerously follow split second trends in search of some unknown, and never found, form of happiness.

Finalists for Best Books in Translation Announced

Yesterday the University of Rochester announced the finalists for its 2010 fiction translation award on its site, Three Percent (named for the percentage of books published in the U.S. each year that are translations). The contest, like the site, hopes to inspire greater support for works in translation, with the idea that "reading literature from other countries is vital to maintaining a vibrant book culture and to increasing the exchange of ideas among cultures."
The list came at a good time for me personally, as some emails from a Saudi reader have recently reminded me of my intention to read more books from beyond the English-speaking world. Whether or not you've made a similar resolution, you might heed judge Scott Eposito's suggestion " . . . to give at least one of these titles a shot and see if [you] aren't refreshed and inspired by reading beyond our language's borders."
I spent some time today choosing a few books from the list to read and would welcome other suggestions. If you have a recommendation for a book in translation -- or a book that should be translated to English -- please share below.

Top 20 books of 2010

Getty Images

NON-FICTION
Tiger John Vaillant
A chilling page turner—complete with an astonishing denouement—about a Siberian tiger’s revenge and the dangerous subsequent hunt for the man-killer.
Future Babble Dan Gardner
A witty, lively debunking of wrong-headed predictions about the future by “experts”—and why we frequently fail to notice their spectacularly dumb mistakes.
Even Silence Has an End Ingrid Betancourt
The kidnapped Colombian politician’s gripping account of years in jungle captivity features squabbling hostages, brutish deprivation and, somehow, hope.
The Truth Shows Up Harvey Cashore
A great investigative reporter’s account of his 15-year effort to bring the Airbus affair to light, which damaged not just Brian Mulroney but the journalist himself.

Parisians Graham Robb
With tiny, perfect character sketches of everyone from Napoleon to Haussmann, an entrancing life of Paris that reads like a Balzac novel.
Against Reform John Pepall
A clever and bracing contrarian critique of proposed reforms to our political institutions—an elected Senate, fixed election dates—and why they’d fail.
The Paper Garden Molly Peacock
A juicy biography of the 18th-century mixed-media collage pioneer—a grieving widow in her 70s—and brilliant exploration of late-life creativity.
The Emperor of All Maladies Siddhartha Mukherjee
An oncologist offers a moving, informative and elegantly written history of our eternal, and most intimate, deadly enemy: cancer.
Last Call Daniel Okrent
This superb social history of the rise and fall of Prohibition, that maddest of American utopian dreams, is a cautionary tale for the current war on drugs.
Finishing the Hat Stephen Sondheim
Opinionated, entertaining essays on the art and craft of lyric writing, accompanied by stunning photographs, from the man who gave us “West Side Story.”
Let’s Take the Long Way Home Gail Caldwell
A memoir of friendship between two writers, both recovering alcoholics and dog-lovers, who sustained and completed each other until one died, too soon.
Contested Will James Shapiro
A brilliant exposition of how and why the authorship controversy evolves in tandem with our ideas of how a writer reveals himself in his works.
FICTION
Room Emma Donoghue
A stringently intelligent, creepily claustrophobic tale of a mother and son imprisoned in a garden shed becomes an epic of parenthood, through a child’s eyes.
A Visit from the Goon Squad Jennifer Egan
An utterly enthralling, stylistically inventive romp through the lives of indelibly drawn characters, many connected by music—a dazzling entertainment.
By Nightfall Michael Cunningham
With nods to Henry James and Thomas Mann, this masterful, literary exploration of mid-life marriage, malaise and desire, set in the Manhattan art world, packs a quiet wallop.
My Hollywood Mona Simpson
In pitch-perfect alternating chapters, a mom and her Filipino nanny create a stunning portrait of the uneasy mutual dependency at the heart of family life.
Super Sad True Love Story Gary Shteyngart
Often hilarious, this raunchy dystopian satire, set in near-future New York, achieves heft with a May-December romance that is, yes, super sad and feels true.
The Imperfectionists Tom Rachman
At an English-language newspaper in Rome, a cast of ink-stained wretches and their eccentric bosses struggle, comically and tragically, to stay afloat.
The Snakewoman of Little Egypt Robert Hellenga
Original and riveting, this love story between an ex-con who shot her husband and an anthropologist is an ode to the beauty of learning, crammed with fascinating digressions.
The Lonely Polygamist Brady Udall
A darkly comic, mesmerizing family drama about a Mormon with four wives and 28 children who feels increasingly disconnected from his family after the death of a child.

The Top 5 Must-Read Fashion Books

Photo by chotda.

If you’re like me, your fashion research isn’t just limited to fashion blogs and magazines – fashion books can be a great source of the kind of in-depth info you can’t find anywhere else.
If you want a career in fashion and want to learn more about the fashion industry, books are an essential source. There are so many great ones out there, but I’ve picked my top 5 of the moment for this article. Whether you want to build a timeless wardrobe, learn how to dress for every occasion or just figure out how to organize your messy closet, the following books have you covered.
The Fashion Game Book: A World History of 20th-century Fashion

If you want to learn about the fashion industry, you’d be hard pressed to find a more in-depth book than this one about designers, clothes, trends, and style throughout the ages. With fun quizzes like “Designers and muses: Who inspired whom?”, and “Chanel No. 5: Arrange the bottles in chronological order”, it’s an enjoyable book that’s packed with information.
If I could recommend any book to someone who wants to learn more about fashion, this would be it. You’ll learn everything there is to know about the biggest names in the business, plus pick up fashion terms and facts you won’t find anywhere else. Truly a must-read for any style fanatic.
The Little Black Book of Style

Nina Garcia is a fashion icon & Project Runway judge, so it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about putting an outfit together!
The Little Black Book of Style is all about style basics – the elements that set a stylish woman apart from everyone else. Nina goes into detail on everything from fashion don’ts to tips on developing your own unique sense of style. She also offers lots of helpful advice on how to edit your closet, buy with drama, and shop for clothes that will stand the test of time.
That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between

I have to say, I didn’t have high expectations for this book, but reading it completely changed my mind! Victoria Beckham’s book on all things fashion and beauty covers everything from what to wear on vacation to the right type of jeans for your figure.
Another great thing about this book is that Victoria writes in a very conversational style – it’s like having a talk with your most stylish friend (who just happens to be BFF with Roberto Cavalli and married to one of the best-looking athletes in the world.) As a bonus, she lists tons of stores where you can buy everything she talks about in her book. That Extra Half an Inch is truly a style resource you’ll be coming back to again and again.
Influence

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have legions of obsessive fans for a reason – they have serious style. That said, I was a little apprehensive when I first heard that they were writing a book. Luckily, I picked up a copy and was shocked at what a fabulous book it turned out to be.
Essentially, Influence is a book of interviews with the people who have influenced the twins’ style over the years. There are conversations with everyone from Karl Lagerfeld to Diane von Furstenberg, and even Mary-Kate & Ashley interviewing each other! It’s an insightful look into the fashion industry from the celebrity perspective – how often do you get to see that? For more on this book, read my review of Mary-Kate & Ashley’s “Influence.”
The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own

Nina Garcia’s second book is just as informative at her first. In this one, she breaks down the top 100 items that every woman needs in her closet. These include classics like the Plain White Tee (#67), with the addition of some surprising trendy items like Converse (#22). If you’re interested in building a wardrobe that will stay in style for years to come, you need to read this book.
For more on this book, you might want to read my in-depth review of The One Hundred.

Best 100 novels

1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
6. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
7. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
9. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
10. Animal Farm by George Orwell
11. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
12. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
13. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
14. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
15. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
16. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
17. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
18. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
19. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
20. Ulysses by James Joyce
21. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
22. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
23. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
24. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
25. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
26. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
27. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
28. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
30. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
31. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
32. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
33. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
34. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
35. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
36. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
37. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
38. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
39. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
40. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
41. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
42. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
43. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
44. The Stranger by Albert Camus
45. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
46. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
47. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
48. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
49. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
50. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
51. Watership Down by Richard Adams
52. His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
53. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
54. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
55. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
56. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
57. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
58. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
59. Dune by Frank Herbert
60. Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust
61. Dracula by Bram Stoker
62. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
63. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
64. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
65. The Stand by Stephen King
66. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
67. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
68. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
69. Middlemarch by George Eliot
70. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
71. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
72. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
73. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
74. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
75. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
76. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
77. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
78. The Trial by Franz Kafka
79. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
80. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
81. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
82. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
83. Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
84. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
85. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
86. Persuasion by Jane Austen
87. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
88. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
89. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
90. Emma by Jane Austen
91. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
92. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
93. Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
94. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
95. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
96. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
97. Siddharta by Hermann Hesse
98. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
99. Beloved by Toni Morrison
100. Atonement by Ian McEwan

• Other Important Books 
• Previous Lists 
• Other Best 100 Lists 
• Discuss This List In The Forums

Ten Best Nature Books

Well Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet was officially published in the UK on Monday (available at a good price through Amazon.co.uk), and by wonderful chance got its first press outing just two days later. The Independent ran a feature on the 10 best nature books, listing
Heat by George Monbiot
Nature Cure by Richard Mabey
Eating the Sun by Oliver Morton

In the Beat of a Heart by John Whitfield

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
The Secret Life of Trees by Colin Tudge

The Creation by E O Wilson
Wildwood by Roger Deakin
The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane
An Ocean of Air by Gabrielle Walker

Which is all in all extremely nice, as well as exalted, company to be in. I have the pleasure of working with two of the others — Gabrielle and John — from time to time as an editor a Nature, and have been a fan and friend of Colin Tudge‘s for a couple of decades (though see him only scandalously rarely). I haven’t yet read the Mabey and Macfarlane books, though I mean to, but I greatly enjoyed the serialisation of Mabey’s Nature Cure on Radio 4 when I was writing Eating the Sun. I’m reading the Deakin now and like it immensely.
I think I’ll have more to say, in time, about the different attitudes to nature in Mabey, Macfarlane and Deakin, and others such, and in my own work. There’s a contrast there which interest me. (Update: some of this has now been said.)
The little accompanying blurb in the Indy (the whole feature seems to have no home online) says
“Morton’s book explains how biologists discovered photosynthesis, and, by doing so, gained a new understanding of Earth’s history. A surprisingly fascinating read.”
Updated after publication to add a few links, and to take the capital off “nature” — for some reason capitalising it now seems second something-or-other to me…

Best Romantic Books

Are you a bookworm and romantic at the same time? Then turn to the top romantic books of all time to get mushy in romance. Get driven to a world of fantasy with top 10 romantic books and feel the pleasure of love and being loved. Expressive and intense, these books of romance delve deep into the intricacies and complexities of the characters thus describing the feeling of love best. Let your mind be lured away to a dream world far away from the tough realities of life with the books of love that depicts passion and romance like none.

Best Romantic Books

Here is a guide to the list of timeless Top 10 romantic books that will definitely lead romance in your life thus igniting the fire of love.

1. Gone with the Wind: A winner of Pulitzer Prize, 'Gone with the Wind' stole hearts with its publication. A moving tale of Scarlet O' Hara, Gone with the wind made every women dream of becoming like her at least once in a lifetime. The cinematic adaptation of the book also went on to become a huge hit.
2. Summer of Roses: Luanne Rice with her book 'Summer of Roses' brings on to fore the paradox of love and family relations. Emanating romance in every flip of a page, this one leads to a romantic mood instantly.
3. It had to be you: A pleasure read, this romantic book of Susan Elizabeth Philips is a must read for every love and romance struck individual. Considered as an author of romance, Susan delivers sheer magic with this publication.
4. Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen captures the magic of romance in pages with 'Pride and Prejudice'. A loving and emotional tale of love and misunderstandings, this one is a hit in the genre of romantic books.
5. Outlander: A romantic book caught in the mysterious wave of suspense, Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' captures all the emotions of life attached to love. A science fiction, this one captures the element of romance beautifully being adventurous and interesting at the same time.
6. Whitney, My Love: Depicting the love tale of a young girl Whitney Stone, Judith McNaught enticed the readers with 'Whitney, My love'. A favorite book of romance with every romance struck, this one remains a hit.
7. Taken by Surprise: Susan Johnson's, 'Taken by Surprise' is based on the theme of a game that takes an unlikely turn. Depicting the love tale of a man, who is faced with desires and dangers at the same time due to an encounter, this one is interesting at one go.
8. The Bride: 'The Bride' written by Julie Garwood beautifully delivers the message that love knows no boundaries. Capturing the love of two people, who are linguistically different, this one is a winner in the sphere of romantic books.
9. The Game: Brendy Joyce's 'The game' beautifully captures the facets of love and shows to the world how far can one go for his/her love. Set in the backdrop of Elizabethan era, this one is a perfect tale of love, romance, and passion.
10. Lady of Desire: A favorite with all, 'Lady of Desire' delivers the tale of how love can change one person. Gaelen Foley with this particular book says what it feels like to love and be loved.

Flip through the pages and get driven to a world of romance with a pleasure read of these top 10 romantic books of all time.