the best books: January 2011

Saturday, January 1, 2011

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.

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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.

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

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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

That Extra Half an Inch by Victoria Beckham

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

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

The Ten Best History Books

Today’s issue of The Independent lists their selection of the Ten Best History books:

Necropolis: London and Its Dead By Catharine Arnold
From Roman burial rites to the horrors of the plague, from the founding of the great Victorian cemeteries to the development of cremation and the current approach of metropolitan society towards death and bereavement — including more recent trends to displays of collective grief and the cult of mourning, such as that surrounding the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. This fascinating blend of archaeology, architecture and anecdote includes such phenomena as the rise of the undertaking trade and the pageantry of state funerals; public executions and bodysnatching. Ghoulishly entertaining and full of fascinating nuggets of information, Necropolis leaves no headstone unturned in its exploration of our changing attitudes to the deceased among us
Warsaw 1920: Lenin’s Failed Conquest of Europe By Adam Zamoyski
The dramatic and little-known story of how, in the summer of 1920, Lenin came within a hair’s breadth of shattering the painstakingly constructed Versailles peace settlement and spreading Bolshevism to western Europe.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West By Dee Brown
First published in 1970, this extraordinary book changed the way people thought about the original inhabitants of America. Beginning with the Long Walk of the Navajos in 1860 and ending 30 years later with the massacre of Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in South Dakota, it tells how the American Indians lost their land and lives to a dynamically expanding white society. It is a truism that “history is written by the victors”; for the first time, this book described the opening of the West from the Indians’ viewpoint. Accustomed to stereotypes of Indians as red savages, many white people were shocked to read the reasoned eloquence of Indian leaders and learn of the bravery with which they and their peoples endured suffering.
A People’s History of the World By Chris Harman
From earliest human society to the Holy Roman Empire, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the millennium, Chris Harman provides a brilliant and comprehensive history of the planet.Eschewing the standard histories of “Great Men,” of dates and kings, Harman offers a groundbreaking counter-history, a breathtaking sweep across the centuries in the tradition of “history from below.” In a fiery narrative, he shows how ordinary men and women were involved in creating and changing society and how conflict between classes was often at the core of these changes.While many pundits see the victory of capitalism as now safely secured, Harman explains the rise and fall of societies and civilizations throughout the ages and demonstrates that history never ends.
Empires of the Sea: the Final Battle for the Mediterranean, 1521-1580 By Roger Crowley
“Empires of the Sea” shows the Mediterranean as a majestic and bloody theatre of war. Opening with the Ottoman victory in 1453, it is a breathtaking story of military crusading, Barbary pirates, white slavery and the Ottoman Empire - and the larger picture of the struggle between Islam and Christianity. Coupled with dramatic set piece battles, a wealth of riveting first-hand accounts, epic momentum and a terrific denouement at Lepanto, this is a work of history at its broadest and most compelling.
Liberation: The Bitter Road to Freedom, Europe 1944-1945 By William I Hitchcock
The traditional image of Europe in 1945 is of grateful civilians showering soldiers with flowers and dancing in the streets. In reality, liberation was an extraordinarily violent and chaotic process. Using first-hand accounts, Hitchcock describes the catastrophic effects of invasion on Northern France, Belgium and Holland, the huge civilian death tolls from indiscriminate bombing, with towns destroyed and crops burnt. He shows that the motives and behaviour of the Allied forces were far from noble; they frequently abused power and authority, looted homes and sexually assaulted women. Hitchcock also writes about the discovery of the major concentration camps, and the often shocking lack of empathy shown by its liberators. Lucid and compelling, Liberation explores the paradoxes of ‘the good war’, its glories and its horrific human costs.
The Ascent of Money: a Financial History of the World By Niall Ferguson
Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance.
Clean: An Unsanitised History of Washing By Katherine Ashenburg
‘I return to Paris in five days. Stop washing.’ So wrote Napoleon to Josephine in an age when body odour was considered an aphrodisiac. In stark contrast, the Romans used to bath for hours each day. Ashenburg’s investigation of history’s ambivalence towards personal hygiene takes her through plague-ridden streets, hospitals and battlefields. From the bizarre prescriptions of doctors to the eccentricities of famous bathers, she presents us with all the twists and turns that have led us to our own, arbitrary notion of ‘clean’.
Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town By Mary Beard
The ruins of Pompeii destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79 offer the best evidence we have of life in the Roman empire. This book will rise to the challenge of making sense of its remains.
Henry: The Virtuous Prince By David Starkey
The first installment of the highly anticipated biography of Henry VIII, written by one of the UK’s most popular, established and exciting historians. Published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne, ‘Henry: Virtuous Prince’ is a radical re-evaluation of the monarchy’s most enduring icon. Henry VIII was Britain’s most powerful monarch, yet he was not born to rule. Thrust into the limelight after the sudden death of his elder brother, Prince Arthur, Henry ascended the throne in 1509, marking the beginning of a reign that altered the course of English history. David Starkey gives a radical and unforgettable portrait of the man behind the icon; the Renaissance prince turned tyrant, who continues to tower over history.

Holy Books of the World

he Analects A collection of Confucius' teachings thought to have been recorded by his students. They are considered the only sayings that can safely be attributed to him.
Bhagavad Gita A Sanskrit poem that is part of the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata . It describes, in a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna, the Hindu path to spiritual wisdom and the unity with God that can be achieved through karma (action), bhakti (devotion), and jnana (knowledge). The Bhagavad-Gita was probably written sometime between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200.
Five Classics Five works traditionally attributed to Confucius that form the basic texts of Confucianism. They are the Spring and Autumn Annals, a history of Confucius's native district; the I Ching (or Book of Changes ), a system of divining the future; the Book of Rites , which outlines ceremonies and describes the ideal government; the Book of History ; and the Book of Songs , a collection of poetry. Together they promulgate a system of ethics for managing society based on sympathy for others, etiquette, and ritual. Although the dates of these books are uncertain, they were probably written before the third century B.C.
Koran (Arabic, al-Qur'an) The primary holy book of Islam. It is made up of 114 suras, or chapters, which contain impassioned appeals for belief in God, encouragement to lead a moral life, portrayals of damnation and beatitude, stories of Islamic prophets, and rules governing the social and religious life of Muslims. Believers maintain that the Koran contains the verbatim word of God, revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. Some of the suras were written during Muhammad's lifetime, but an authoritative text was not produced until c. A.D. 650.
New Testament The second portion of the Christian Bible, which contains 27 books that form the basis of Christian belief. These books include the sayings of Jesus, the story of his life and work, the death and resurrection of Jesus now celebrated as Easter, the teachings and writings of the apostles, and instruction for converting nonbelievers and for performing baptisms, blessings, and other rituals. The New Testament is believed to have been written c. A.D. 100, some 70 to 90 years after the death of Jesus.
Old Testament The Christian name for the Hebrew Bible. It is the sacred scripture of Judaism and the first portion of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish teachings, it is made up of three parts: the Law (also known as the Torah or Pentateuch), comprising the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), which describes the origins of the world, the covenant between the Lord and Israel, the exodus and entry into the promised land, and the various rules governing social and religious behavior; the Prophets , including the former prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel 1-2, Kings 1-2) and the latter prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 12 minor prophets), which describes the history of the Israelites, the stories of heroes, kings, judges, and wars, and the choosing of David as leader of the Israelites; and the Writings (including Psalms, Job, Song of Solomon, and Ruth, among others), which describes the reactions of the people to the laws and covenants, as well as prayers and praises of the covenant. Some books of the Old Testament regarded as sacred by the Jews are not accepted as such by Christians; among Christians there are differences between Roman Catholics and Protestants about the inclusion of some books, the order of the books, and the original sources used in translating them. Scholars generally agree that the Old Testament was compiled from c. 1000 B.C. to c. 100 B.C.
Talmud A compilation of Jewish oral law and rabbinical teachings that is separate from the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. It is made up of two parts: the Mishna , which is the oral law itself, and the Gemara , a commentary on the Mishna . The Talmud contains both a legal section (the Halakah ) and a portion devoted to legends and stories (the Aggada ). The authoritative Babylonian Talmud was compiled in the sixth century.
Tao-te-ching (The Way and Its Power) The basic text of the Chinese philosophy and religion known as Taoism. It is made up of 81 short chapters or poems that describe a way of life marked by quiet effortlessness and freedom from desire. This is thought to be achieved by following the creative, spontaneous life force of the universe, called the Tao. The book is attributed to Lao-tzu, but it was probably a compilation by a number of writers over a long period of time.
Upanishads The basis of Hindu religion and philosophy that form the final portion of the Veda . The 112 Upanishads describe the relationship of the Brahman , or universal soul, to the atman , or individual soul; they also provide information about Vedic sacrifice and yoga. The original texts of the Upanishads come from various sources and were written beginning c. 900 B.C.
Veda The sacred scripture of Hinduism. Four Vedas make up the Samhita , a collection of prayers and hymns that are considered to be revelations of eternal truth written by seer-poets inspired by the gods. The Rig-Veda , the Sama-Veda , and the Yajur-Veda are books of hymns; the Atharva-Veda compiles magic spells. These writings maintain that the Brahman , or Absolute Self, underlies all reality and can be known by invoking gods through the use of hymns or mantes. The Vedic texts were compiled between c. 1000 B.C. and c. 500 B.C., making them the oldest known group of religious writings.

the best books

top 80 best books
1. ULYSSES James Joyce
2. THE GREAT GATSBY F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN James Joyce
4. LOLITA Vladimir Nabokov
5. BRAVE NEW WORLD Aldous Huxley
6. THE SOUND AND THE FURY William Faulkner
7. CATCH-22 Joseph Heller
8. DARKNESS AT NOON Arthur Koestler
9. SONS AND LOVERS D.H. Lawrence
10. THE GRAPES OF WRATH John Steinbeck
11. THE OUTSIDER Colin Wilson
12. CHOG Quentin Crisp
13. 1984 George Orwell
14. I, CLAUDIUS Robert Graves
15. COSMICOMICS Italo Calvino
16. MY LIFE AND HARD TIMES James Thurber
17. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER Carson McCullers
18. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE / BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS Kurt Vonnegut
19. THE HOURS Michael Cunningham
20. NATIVE SON Richard Wright
21. HENDERSON THE RAIN KING Saul Bellow
22. APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA John O'Hara
23. U.S.A. (trilogy) John Dos Passos
24. ACKROYD Jules Feiffer
25. A PASSAGE TO INDIA E.M. Forster
26. THE WINGS OF THE DOVE Henry James
27. THE AMBASSADORS Henry James
28. TENDER IS THE NIGHT F. Scott Fitzgerald
29. THE STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY James T. Farrell
30. THE GOOD SOLDIER Ford Madox Ford
31. ANIMAL FARM George Orwell
32. THE GOLDEN BOWL Henry James
33. SISTER CARRIE Theodore Dreiser
34. A HANDFUL OF DUST Evelyn Waugh
35. AS I LAY DYING William Faulkner
36. ALL THE KING'S MEN Robert Penn Warren
37. THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY Thornton Wilder
38. HOWARDS END E.M. Forster
39. GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN James Baldwin
40. THE HEART OF THE MATTER Graham Greene
41. LORD OF THE FLIES William Golding
42. DELIVERANCE James Dickey
43. A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME (series) Anthony Powell
44. POINT COUNTER POINT Aldous Huxley
45. THE SUN ALSO RISES Ernest Hemingway
46. THE SECRET AGENT Joseph Conrad
47. NOSTROMO Joseph Conrad
48. THE RAINBOW D.H. Lawrence
49. WOMEN IN LOVE D.H. Lawrence
50. TROPIC OF CANCER Henry Miller
51. THE NAKED AND THE DEAD Norman Mailer
52. PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT Philip Roth
53. PALE FIRE Vladimir Nabokov
54. LIGHT IN AUGUST William Faulkner
55. ON THE ROAD Jack Kerouac
56. THE WAPSHOT CHRONICLES John Cheever
57. THE CATCHER IN THE RYE J.D. Salinger
58. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE Anthony Burgess
59. OF HUMAN BONDAGE W. Somerset Maugham
60. HEART OF DARKNESS Joseph Conrad
61. MAIN STREET Sinclair Lewis
62. THE HOUSE OF MIRTH Edith Wharton
63. A FAREWELL TO ARMS Ernest Hemingway
64. BABBITT Sinclair Lewis
65. THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE Muriel Spark
66. FINNEGANS WAKE James Joyce
67. A ROOM WITH A VIEW E.M. Forster
68. BRIDESHEAD REVISITED Evelyn Waugh
69. V. Thomas Pynchon
70. LORD JIM Joseph Conrad
71. RAGTIME E.L. Doctorow
72. TOBACCO ROAD Erskine Caldwell
73. IRONWEED William Kennedy
74. THE MAGUS John Fowles
75. WIDE SARGASSO SEA Jean Rhys
76. UNDER THE NET Iris Murdoch
77. SOPHIE'S CHOICE William Styron
78. THE SHELTERING SKY Paul Bowles
78. THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE James M. Cain
79. THE GINGER MAN J.P. Donleavy
80. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS Booth Tarkington