I asked 1,000 people what their favourite book is 👀 here are the top 20 novels!
hi! welcome to a list of your favourite books!! very excited to see the comments and find you from your fave and why you love these books - I also hope you find some wonderful book recommendations!
Books Mentioned
The Bell Jar tidd.ly/3uZUAYU
Norwegian Wood tidd.ly/3tFnwFn
Call Me By Your Name tidd.ly/3drgPkt
The Night Circus tidd.ly/3drv6Ob
The Great Gatsby tidd.ly/3snxx8p
Rebecca tidd.ly/3mX0ZB7
Crime and Punishment tidd.ly/2RAqEE4
1984 tidd.ly/3akIodg
100 Years of Solitude tidd.ly/3twBp8z
Little Women tidd.ly/3mUJwt0
The Song of Achilles tidd.ly/3smpXLm
Jane Eyre tidd.ly/32kFe4S
The Book Thief tidd.ly/3wXfvxk
Frankenstein tidd.ly/3tnCq2J
The Secret History tidd.ly/3dsHXja
A Little Life tidd.ly/3dt9VLs
Wuthering Heights tidd.ly/3mTU1wT
Harry Potter
Pride and Prejudice tidd.ly/3tuEmGC
The Picture of Dorian Gray tidd.ly/2Q4REvg
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Bro how do people choose a favorite book?? I'm so indecisive, I can't choose between what cereal to eat and I only own one type of cereal
🤣brilliant
Be proud to be a living paradox
We could not agree more with this! Our favorite changes every day!
For me, it's the book I go back and reread the most.
I can only narrow it down to a top 3😭
I love that there's a solid mix of classics, modern classics, and books that actually came out in the past ten years. We have range.
Yeah I was thinking that too! Like I was glad to see a mixture and a couple books to add to my list to read!
@Noname Atall well she does speak English so I'm not surprised.....
@Noname Atall well if you think about it, most schools in America and England focus on english literature and many of the books on this list are books people read in high school. They're cheaper for schools to get as well. Majority of her audience are from english speaking countries I assume, so that's why
@@misomar7193 What of of America are you referring to? Canada? Guatemala? Argentina?
@@issbelvillastella5063 use context clues
Anne of Green Gables is one of my most favorite books ever. I love it with my entire heart and soul. It's just such a warm comforting read.
I've recently read the series, and while I have enjoyed it, I won't lie. The rambling nature of the author's writing style isn't really my favorite. And I guess I'm more accustomed to books with a bit more plot.
Anne of Green Gables was my child hood favourite
YES. Anne of Green Gables and the '80s miniseries will live in my heart forever.
That would have been my answer.
I love the movie with Megan Follows more than the book but it’s a great story!!
I adore the book thief. It's so heart-wrenching. It's about war but it also isn't. It is about growing up, childhood, grief and the power of words. I've never cried more at a novel.
Oh The Song of Achilles and A Little Life. Apparently bookworms enjoy suffering... Just like me. Loved those two. 😅😊
I know. A Little Life is one of my favourites. 😭
Righttttt! Even though I didn't participate i agree with the results 😂🤩
@@Erika-pq7ip same 😂
haha, not me being one of the 19 who picked tsoa, i love it so muchhh
same
20. The bell jar - Sylvia Plath 19. Norwegian wood - Haruki Murakami 18. Call Me by Your Name - Andre Aciman 17. Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern 16. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald 15. Rebecca - Daphne de Maurier 14. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky 13. 1984 - George Orwell 12. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez 11. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott 10. The Song of Achillies - Madeline Miller 9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 8. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak 7. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley 6. The secret history - Donna Tart 5. A little life - Hanya Yanagihara 4. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 3. Harry Potter 2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 1. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
i love the way harry potter just wrote itself. as it should 😌😙
#2 and 4 will forever be my favorites
Isn't it Wuthering Heights?
thanks u
thank you!!
I’m not much of a reader, but 1984 got me into reading. I think it has an absolutely oppressive atmosphere and it’s brilliantly morbid at times. My favorite book over 1984 is Brave New World. It’s another dystopian that is densely packed with brilliant ideas about life, and the narrative is crafted incredibly well.
I always wanted to meet someone who's favorite book is 1984. Like you, I'm a casual reader and when I read it I just couldn't finish the book. I read maybe 3-4 pages and I had to put it down cause it was just depressing to me. It's one of those books that you have to be in he right mental space to read it for your sake. 😅
YESS the 1984 is such an amazing book
Hey 1984 got me into reading again aswell. Its a damn good book.
Brave New World! The most terrifying dystopian novel for me - it really got into my head.
@@frugalkitty thats on my list for sure
Jane Eyre is my favorite book. "I am no bird, and no net ensnares me" is framed on my wall.
you should def do the least popular ones !!
ooh yes this would be interesting!
yes i would love to see the niche books people picked!
Omg yes. I have a special kind of hatred for Pamela and I have yet to find a booktuber who validates my spite for it
Honestly I thought that was what the video was gonna be about and I was a bit disappointed
But how do you figure that out ?
it's really fascinating for me how our generation love The picture of Dorian Gray and just Wilde generally, because every time when I'm talking to any older regular person or my professors at uni they like 'yeah, that book is ok' and when i bring this topic with people in their 20s they speaking about Wilde like he's a some sort of god and I love it
perhaps the older peeps read it a super long time ago and they don't remember much? (i mean, one should remember their impression at least but maybe they forgot that too who knows :)) )
I didn't like Dorian Gray that much. I think it was rather boring read. I was surprised it was the first one on this list. It's just full of repetitive monologue or dialogue and all the thrilling moments when Dorian does something are described very shortly. Then we're back to the monologue.
@@lumiukko4296I love this book but I totally get your point. so what's your personal favourite?
@@edytastadnik3692 There are so many good ones. Interview with the vampire, The three musketeers and all Harry Potter are probably my top 3. Ps. Well, technically third Harry Potter is my favourite of the seven.
I've just started the picture of Dorian gray...I hope I like it!
“Gone With The Wind” by Margaret Mitchell is my favorite book of all time. And I’m so surprised that it isn’t even on the list. I reread it every year and still find it perfect. The film is also amazing❤
While it's in my top 5 books, its depiction of the slaves is problematic for today's audience and this will mean it will no longer be on 'most popular' lists.
There’s a lot of books to pick from by the way I loved Gone with the Wind read it quite a while back.
@@carokat1111you’re a 🤡
Rebecca is so haunting! You really get lost inside the narrator’s head, and the atmosphere is exquisite! I love it! The Hitchcock film adaptation is much better than the Netflix version (which isn’t bad, but messes up the ending). It’s definitely a fave. My all time fave would have to be Dracula.
You should do a reading vlog just for the books that you haven’t read yet, would be cool to see if you agree with the voters or not
Yeah, it's a wonderful idea!
i second!
love this!
amazing idea!
'The Kite Runner' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini were life-altering.
Yes!! The Kite Runner was one of the few books I actually finished for school. I really struggled to love reading in high school, but I remember I read this one on a road trip. I think if I picked it back up I'd be transported back to those places. What an amazing book. It literally changed me as a person.
Those books are so sad 😓
the amount of crying i did for those books.. whew
I cried out of places I didn't know I could cry out of
the kite runner is so good
i absolutely adore the way u talk about all the different books in this list! you really make me want to read them all!!
This was so fascinating! Thanks for putting the list together. And your reading voice is just lovely.
First sentence of the missing books :) Call Me By Your Name: “Later!” The word, the voice, the attitude. Rebecca: Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. 1984: It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Little Women: “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
I read 1984 in class as a sophomore and ever since then that first line is one of the two opening lines in books I can quote word for word.
call me in the morning
Heaven
Little Women was so immersive and cozy to me. I'm so glad I read it and I'm really tempted to pick up a physical copy and reread it.
Thank you Shelby! 😃
Pride and Prejudice itself is not one of my favorites, but I loved the fact that this is a book published in 1813 and how modern de actions, thoughts and dialogues are specially those involving elisabeth. she's an icon 😌
Austen knew the ways of the heart like no other. Her bookes are timeless
@RainHuffle rob literally
Same here I agree with u
MY TOP BOOKS 0) "The Holy Bible: King James Version" copyright 1967 1) "Verbal Behavior" by Dr. B. F. Skinner 2) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 3) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 5) Myth Adventures - series by Robert Asprin 6) The Chronicles of Narnia - series by C. S. Lewis 7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 8) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 9) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 10) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 11) "Roots" by Alex Haley 12) The Silmarillion - The Hobbit, or there and back again - The Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien 13) Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov 14) "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky And where ones you listed fell on my list are the following: 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 18) "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 37) "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott 57) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 60) “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley 150) "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald has been read by me, but I would never bother to stick the thing anywhere on my top 200 books.
Afraid I'd have all of Austen's books at the top of my list. Just glad there weren't a crowd of Russian authors in the list
I can't necessarily choose a very favorite book, but "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is definitely a Top 5! I also love the sequel that didn't come out a very long time ago entitled "Go Set A Watchman!"
I think that was a prequel, or, at least Harper wrote or conceived it before TKAM. 🤷♀️
My favorite book is “The Master and Margarita” by Mihkail Bulgakov, I’m sorry that not many foreign readers know and love it
Seconded! A brilliant book!
Terrific novel. And fun.
Okay, another book to add to my TBR pile 😫
I'm not from Russia and it's one of my favourite books, it actually inspired me to learn Russian so that I can read the original copy!
Really? I love this book
You should record audiobooks. Your voice is perfect for it. 🌸
I differently agree because here voice is so relaxing and beautiful
Very true
I was thinking the exact same thing.
But I kept looking her face. I was imagining how she is more beautiful.
The way she says the first sentence of each book is ART
Got the first sentence of Pride & Prejudice wrong!
Not a book, but rather a series of books. Anne of Green Gables was my comfort series during lockdown. I was pretty lonely, not being able to see my friends, and I related to the characters so much it was like they could jump out of the page and play with me. It helped me to stay entertained and sane during COVID, and I've reread them quite a few times since. My favourites are the first one and the last one.
I know it was a small sampling; however, I was surprised Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird was not on the list. Love your channel! Keep up the good work. I just subscribed.
the song of achilles is definitely one of my favorites. it is haunting and it describes the love of the two main characters in such way that you forgive their flaws and their (sometimes) stupid acts. it definitely makes you fall in love with the love they have and the ending is beautiful
I agree so hard with this. I cried so hard from literally the middle of the book to the end because I was already familiar with the myth of Achilles and Patroclus and I knew what would happen 🥲
@@annasolberg8944 really? I didn’t cry it was just a bit boring for me idk i guess it’s a good book but it’s def not mine all time fav
@@annasolberg8944 same.
@@miamikulski4207 it's good that everyone has their own preference !! :) i just heard that it would make me cry, and i really enjoy the writing style of madeline miller, so it was a good fit for me personally hehe
i've heard some really bad things about "Cirse" (written by the same author). how it was sold as a very feminist book and it was all the contrary. like in a insufferable way. but i LOVE tragic love books. so im a little indecisive on reading this one.. aaaaaah don't know what to do
Sis I really need to know what those 50+ completely lone votes were bc that sounds really interesting and a diff kind of hell loving a book with such a niche base
I agree. Would love to know the outliers!
My favorite book was not on the list !I'd have been an outlier .The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough .
@@claudialegault6937 same, my favorite is either The Shipping News by Annie Proulx or Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson.
@@oliviabirmingham7007 both of those I've read are very good too.
@@claudialegault6937 thats my favourite book too!
I was so sad to see that A Tree Grows in Brooklyn didn't make the list :( I adored that book!
Totally agree! That is my favorite book. The ending is absolutely heartbreaking. Thanks for mentioning it.
Oh, yes!!
I read it a long time ago. Loved it. I will read it again. Soon.
i looked for many book recomendation butttttt the method she has used is just so cool, was very helpful thank you.
The Kite Runner is so emotionally devastating I'm surprised it didn't make this list! Definitely one of my favorites
Yeah, it's literally made me cry and one of my favourite book and also not to mention ' A thousand splendid sun'
Big fan of Khaled Hosseini. Love the world he creates!
SWEAR! I SURELY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ON HERE! Especially since there was so many school books on the list 🙄
I read the Kite Runner earlier this month. That scene in the alley fucked me up, so disturbing.
@@johnwilkins11 it had me fucked up my freshman year of hs
Do you guys think that we should differentiate favourites books from comfort books? I have trouble making a distinction between the two
that is an interesting point Or a book you keep returning to (well, i'm being redundant: comfort book says it all) and one you think everyone should read cause the story and message are super important
Good point! because there are books that were not the best but still we had good experience with them and lots of good memories so we keep returning to them for nostalgia and comfort.
I think favorite vs highest quality is a worthwhile distinction for sure, but favorite vs comfort not so much
Hot take, but I don't think so! I think that the fact that there's so many things that define people's favorites (like some people may choose a comfort book, others may choose one that has great writing but maybe isn't enjoyable) is what makes these lists so diverse. It really shows the range of humanity, and shows why people read. Some people read for fun, others for comfort, others to challenge themselves!
this is such a good question
This video really made me want to pick up a book again and dive into reading! Thank you so much, it’s a great idea
I remember reading Norwegian Wood last year in June or July and since then it has become one of the best books I have read. I can't really capture which aspect of this novel has made me love it so much, I just enjoyed everything so much. There is something so calming and quiet about Murakami's story that I cannot quite get behind.
The Book Thief holds a very special place in my heart, so moving. I recommend getting the book because of the illustrations
The book thief is incredible!
What makes Mary Shelly's Frankenstein a real masterpiece is that she wrote it at 17.
Sometimes it feels like women do that a lot. SE Hinton was possibly as young as 14 when she started writing The Outsiders, though I'm not sure how old she was when she finished her final draft. Shelley's husband was also an incredibly well regarded poet in his own right. This is fairly well known up to the present day, but I, not being particularly knowledgeable or well read, just appreciate that Frankenstein is so ubiquitous it's fair to refer to him as "Mary Shelley's husband" to newcomers of his life and legacy
19. But still :)
It's one of the few classics I know of that has gorgeous and refined prose yet isn't too hard for a non native English speaker :)
that doesn't make it a masterpiece, I mean maybe it is a masterpiece, but being 17 doesn't account into it lol, her age doesn't make the book better or worse
@@greyfox4838 17 year olds typically lack the life experiences of older people. The book doesn't reflect such inexperience that one would expect from someone so young. This makes it a bit more impressive. If a 5 year old wrote your favorite book wouldn't that be an impressive feat in itself?
I would have voted "Song of Achilles" too. That book is amazing and the author is so brilliant!
I recently got into books lately, I tried to dive into it years ago but it kinda felt that it wasn't really a good time. Now, I love to dissociate with the world and wrap my mind into books which just fits perfectly now than I thought. I have a lot books to read on GoodReads and you are the first book -centered content creator on KZhead that I subscribed to! I can't wait to check out your other videos and it's just therapeutic! I never knew how big the book lover community until few months ago and I love it. Thank you for sharing this!
personally, my favorite is the little prince. it may be rather short and seem simple, but it's such a beautiful story about love, loss, and grief. it's so gentle. if you've never read it, you absolutely should. you can finish it within like 3 hours. definitely read it though instead of listening to an audio book!! there are so many pretty illustrations that really add to it :)
Have you seen the Netflix animated movie? I love the Little Prince & was worried they would ruin it, but the rake was true to the book and beautifully done.
@@erinmccleary919 yes i have seen it! and yeah i thought they did a good job! i was unsure at first because they used a story inside another story format, but i think it worked!
The Little Prince is my favorite classic of all time. It's absolutely heartbreaking but also so beautiful and the illustrations have so much meaning.
U should read "The missing Rose" by Serdar Oskan, surely it's one of those u'd appreciate. 🙂
Yes, I cried so much reading Little Prince. I consider it a masterpiece
The song of achilles ripped my heart out, stepped on it, then burned it- but i loved every second of it. this book made me want to live the heart breaking tragedy just because of the warm, true love they shared. i honestly dont know what else to say, I killed me inside but I've never felt more alive reading a book. A true stunner. I would sell my soul to read it for the first time again.
I really wish that I loved it this much, it just felt so bittersweet and tragic though. I only really got into the book in the last 150 pages which probably dimmed my experience too. If I had read this 4 years earlier though, I guarantee it would have made me feel similar to you.
im about 100 pages into the book and absolutely bored to death what
@Vanessa D. yeah i get it, maybe i liked it this much bc im still pretty young. but i loved the writing style and i loved the dynamic between the two main characters, and maybe bc i love mythology and stuff like that. but do far its the only book that rlly made me cry.
@@smileyface8434 RLLY?? i agree that its a slow burn but i got rlly into it from page 50 or so. i loved the writing style and the description and the dynamic between the characters. Maybe you should put it down and then come back to it? i dont know i rlly enjoyed it, but to each his own. Do you like the friends to lovers trope? or are you into smth else?
@@abooklover3611 yeah i ended up dropping it bc it didnt seem to be getting anywhere and i was losing my patience. i enjoyed the story and all, the friends to lover thing was bearable, but the main thing that irked me was the NARRATION. what couldve been an epic heroic adventure had to be narrated by some wimp named patroclus, who has to be one of the most monotonous, one-note and mediocre main characters ive ever read about lol. like bro really lived out the story of ACHILLES and still made it sound freaking boring. ughh
my favorite book is "where the crawdads sing". it's a tragic yet so beautiful story about loss and loneliness, love and heartbreak, the beauty of nature with all its different facets... the story follows a young girl named kya through her life, from the strict, moral 1940s to the early 2000s. the story shapes the reader and takes you into a unique world. but honestly no words can do this book justice. i just love it!!
My fave!
I thought it was a mediocre read.
I hated it. Didn't get very far with it. So unbelievable.
The author being wanted for murder ruined it for me lol
Emmie, I enjoyed your recent post about people's favorite books---I've seen many such rosters of favorites over the years, and yours was one of the best, ever! I have read only nine of the books on your list, but you can be sure I will seek out and read the other eleven. Thank you for your diligence!
You really should read The Book Thief from the physical copy! The way it's formatted adds to the experience!
Exactly!
I love how there are bits where it is formatted more like poetry than a novel
Hmm maybe I should take another look at it then bc I listened to it on audio and the storyline was very slow and I had a hard time staying interested.
I have this book on my table for more than 3 months ..but haven't started yet ..
I really loved the movie…..I think better than the book, which is rare!
I'm forever in love with Song of Achilles. it's a romance, it's haunting. it has mythology which I adore and is the ultimate tragedy where you can see the sad ending and are still heartbroken about it
Yes yes yes, it's honestly one of the best books I've ever read. I finished it yesterday morning, the ending made me cryy. When lockdown ends I'm going to go to the book store and by "Circe" by Madeline Miller because it is considered to be the "sequel" but it's based around the odyssey instead of the Illiad, I don't know if you read that one too but it sounds good :)
@@carlie4964 Yes I actually started reading it but I haven't finished it yet 😅
@@jennyflrs6143 Do you like it so far??
@@carlie4964 so far yes!
@@jennyflrs6143 Okay, that's good! I plan on getting it soon
“Rebecca” is amazing! My sister and I read it together, and we could not put it down.
I just read The Night Circus (and aim to read a bunch from this list) on the back of seeing this video a month or so ago and I have to say that it's become an instant favourite. I can understand some people saying it was slow (it was, at times) but it really evoked a feeling of awe and wonder and a sort of dark mystery at times. I loved it and would heartily recommend.
Personally heartbroken that “A Thousand Splendid Suns” did not appear 💔😂
Kite runner too like everyone and their mothers love it where I live
@@aimun5255 legit!
right?
A Thousand Splendid Suns is my favourite book of all times and it hit me so hard because I was becoming a young woman at the time I was reading it. That was definitely the right time to read that book and I will also read it again when i am older bcs i am curious what will i feel and will i have the same reaction or not.
My favorite book
As a Colombian who is currently reading 100 years of solitude for school (in Spanish though) I was excited to see it here but also surprised because I can’t imagine this book in English
Jajaja sii debe ser un trabalenguas para los de habla inglesa. Disfrutalo mucho, es extraordinario.
I read it in Arabic and loved it
I read it in English and thought it was incredible, I would love to read it in Spanish tho
I agree! ¿Hasta qué punto la escritura de Gabo puede tener el mismo impacto al ser traducida? Al parecer sigo surtiendo el mismo efecto 🤗
Also really excited and proud to see a latin book i here
This was an amazing video! Thank you for all of the work that you put into this. It was so much fun to watch.
this is the first video i watch from you and im immediately leaving a follow! your voice is so relaxing and just the way you speak made me feel so comfortable :D also i love the idea, i think its crazy how much time and effort you put into collecting the data!
"If this is your favorite book, are you okay?" Oh boy, she got me, Crime and Punishment is one of my favorites
No, literally hahah. It was so hard to get through and I didn't finish in highschool, but after graduating I so badly wish I finished it and read it more. At the very least it isn't Hemingway..... in my personal opinion lmao
Dostoevsky yes, Crime and Punishment no. Dostoevsky is probably my favourite author, but Crime and Punishment was honestly underwhelming. Maybe that's just because I got into Dostoevsky with The Karamazov Brothers, but I find his other books like Idiot and Notes from a Dead House much more entertaining. The plot isn't as great as his other books, nor are the characters as entertaining. Raskolnikov was much more boring than I had hoped he would be. I couldn't really bring myself to care about him. With The Karamazov Brothers, on the other hand, I found myself getting invested in every character's individual story and all the side plots.
Yes
I was literally sweating with anger reading the dream where the horse was being beat in town.. "have you no fear in God?!" What a great, educational, perspective increasing read. A true time traveling experience.
@@venus8545 exactly
This is how book awards should be done. Gods, I never knew I wanted something like this
Ok, my fav is 100 years of solitude. And the way you presented, that was instant, your channel just got me. Great work, thanks
i like how you split the timeline between different books. Easy to look it back even after i have watched the video but sometimes just want to refresh my memory of your review about a certain book~👍
Frankenstein will always hold a special place in my heart - it’s just so good!!
Yes! My favorite as well!
I personally really hated Frankenstein
@@Busha69 interesting. Why’s that?
@@brucebowen5122 Mostly because of the characters...it's a pain to go through a book when you just want everyone in it dead hah, sorry to be blunt.
I'm currently reading it ! I'm not fluent in English, but I found a version that helps a lot with the vocabulary, and so far I'm loving it !!
I'm blown away that Wuthering Heights ranked so high, always felt quite alone in my love for that book. Glad we are many!
my favouite
My favourite! Filled with characters I both love to hate and grudgingly love! ❤️
My absolute favorite classic!
You’re not really glad though are you?
I prefer Jane eyre
I love your voice ✨it’s so calming and inspiring 💗
Loved listening to you. Some of the books I've already read. I guess I'm gonna have to have all of the in my books collection. Thanks for this vid.
Norwegian Wood was the book that made me realize I love reading! Such a wonderful, deep cut of a book. Not my fav but really a must-read
Wow! So does it happen with Kafka on the shore for me😊 Eversince I love Murakami so much♥️
@@toliyeptho3313 Me too! I picked up Kafka on a whim and the sheer Weirdness just pulled me in so far. Since then I've read tons of Murakami. He was my gateway to Japanese lit in general which I'm so grateful for.
That is actually the book that made me realize i can never be a fan of murakami's works 😅 too slow paced and too many unnecessary words for me
@@SereneJazz yep, i hated it 😂
I kind of want you to read The Book Thief and not listen to it, it's just that there's some illustrations in the book that make a great impact on the story. That's what I think at least, and of course you do what you think it'll be better ❤️
Absolutely!
Same! I was kinda scared to read because of it being over 500 pages (I think). Usually a book like that would take me a few days to read but I had it finished in a day. A really amazing book. And it’s so fast paced you just don’t get bored. Also the little bits that are added into the book are truly something an audio book wouldn’t do justice!
Exactly what I was going to say! I’m definitely not as well-read as I would like to be, but The Book Thief would likely be my favorite book (and one of very few I have reread). I think what sticks with me is that the narration and perspective is so uniquely beautiful.
This is probably the book I most often choose when asked to pick my favorite book (even though there are MANY), and a part of it was the experience I had when I picked up the physical book and saw the first page and read the first paragraph. The Book Thief is just such a powerful and cleverly written take on a period of time that has been covered often in historical fiction genre, but never lost in it - miraculously so - is a certain sense of beauty that hasn’t left me since I first picked it up in my local bookstore.
@@natalies8498 you just described perfectly. And same as you, this is the book that always comes to my mind when I'm asked what my favorite book is. I think we can all agree here that this book has been an incredible experience to us. I can't always describe how precious this story is for me but I feel like you all can understand what I mean.
WOW. This was the coolest and most humble little book review video I have ever watched. I am also shocked haha! I need more!
This video was recommended to me by KZhead. I checked it out, and I was absolutely enchanted by you. As a child, I used to read a lot of books. In my twenties and early thirties, my book reading time was almost nonexistent. I am now in my late thirties and very much wanting to build up my reading muscle. I will be reading all the books on this list (a few will be a re-read), and I am looking forward to watching your book recommendation videos.
I found a great podcast called "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text". They dive chapter by chapter in the Harry Potter series and analyze/relate them to themes such as loyalty, trauma, pride, etc. It's really fun to read a chapter, then listen to the corresponding podcast. I highly recommend if you want to dig deeper and analyze the Harry Potter series.
Where can i find this podcast?? Is it on spotify?
Another good potter pod for this purpose is Binge Mode! They do different series but I’ve listened to their Harry Potter series twice. It’s my favorite potter pod of all time! Sacred Text is next on my list!
@@elenakyu yes it’s on Spotify and on Stitcher
Sacred text is my all time fav podcast I recommend for anyone who loves harry potter
Just found this podcast on Spotify and I’m loooooving it! Thanks for recommending it :)
Seeing Wuthering Heights rank higher than Jane Eyre gave me a nice sense of validation I didn’t know I wanted. I always felt alone in my love of wuthering heights so it’s nice to see it ranked so highly.
I have always loved Wuthering Heights and I watched this video just to see if it was on here!!
Wuthering Heights is far superior to boring ass Jane Eyre. Still surprised it’s higher but it’s a much more entertaining novel if you’re the type of person that can actually have fun.
oh i liked jane eyre more..
Personally it's one of my favorite's but it does have a lot of competition with others, if not like it, that era of story telling with female protagonist in England's Country Side of Love and Loss, pain, tragedy, miscommunication. Some happy endings... depending what author you're reading (AKA J. Austen) but overall that's really what it is, in terms of the story that's unfolding that you relate to and/or well... like... prefer.
Catherine and Heathcliff. And you thought Bella and Edward were bad... I haven't read Wuthering Heights. I'm guessing.
My favorite is To Kill a Mockingbird! I was expecting it to be on this list and a little surprised it wasn’t but I’m sure it’s on your spreadsheet somewhere! You make cool videos. :)
Very interesting! Thank you for all of your work and for sharing. Best & cheers, Sean
OMG finally someone that spills the tea on One Hundred Years Of Solitude in booktube!. It gets a lot of like, academic praise, but the absolute expirience of reading it is mind blowing, I feel like it significantly raised my standards for calling a book a great read. People have this idea that it's one of those classics that gets talked about just because it inspired authors and is "fine literature", but it is simply, I think, the best written book of all time. Subscribed without hesitation.
the only book that ever grabbed me in a similar way was Roberto Bolano's 2666. You finish it, and you're like, WTF did I just read but wow that was good, like really good.
"significantly raised my standards for calling a book a great read" ABSOLUTELY!
You never get tired of reading it. I've read it three times at this point (in the span of about 6 years) and every single time is like the first.
Best book of all times...
I totally agreed a real literature genius I love all his books.
Idk why but The picture of Dorian Grey and Songs of Achilles are so so similar yet different in their beautiful writings... So pure. Currently reading The songs of Achilles !! 🤝🏻
Omg yes! I had the same feeling and I wasn't sure if it was because The picture of Dorian Gray was the last book I read before The song of Achilles but I think that they do have something similar
The video was the one that got me into reading. Thank youuu😍
Very happy to see Crime and Punishment on this list! It is one of my favorites, though I've talked to a lot of people who had to read it and thought it was boring, so I feel very validated. It really pulled me in. It's probably my second favorite, right behind Good Omens, though it is hard to compare them since they are so drastically different.
MY TOP BOOKS 0) "The Holy Bible: King James Version" copyright 1967 1) "Verbal Behavior" by Dr. B. F. Skinner 2) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 3) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 5) Myth Adventures - series by Robert Asprin 6) The Chronicles of Narnia - series by C. S. Lewis 7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 8) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 9) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 10) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 11) "Roots" by Alex Haley 12) The Silmarillion - The Hobbit, or there and back again - The Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien 13) Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov 14) "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky And where ones you listed fell on my list are the following: 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 18) "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 37) "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott 57) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 60) “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley 150) "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald has been read by me, but I would never bother to stick the thing anywhere on my top 200 books.
Great choices both.
Hearing you talk about One Hundred Years of Solitude was so heartwarming. I'm from Colombia and it's incredible to see how foreigners discover the country through literature. Definitely my #1 as well. I'm so glad I found this video and your channel!
I honestly thought Love in the time of Cholera was better but I can see why it’s most beloved Marquez book internationally.
desde que me lo leí tengo unas ganas INCREÍBLES de ir a colombia! es un libro maravilloso, de estos que te hacen volver a enamorarte de leer ❤️
I am one of the people who said the Secret History! I really just felt that when I read it I was completely enveloped by the characters, writing and story. I read it in a week and every day I would come home and just sit and read because I couldn’t do anything else until the book was finished. I just feel like the writing of the book is truly genius.
I had to read the book for an english lit class in uni and had no idea what it was going to be about. Was blown away by how beautiful and lyrical the writing was. I'm also very into psychological suspense in general so loved the intrigue of it
I didn't have super expectations for it cause I think her Moment had passed a bit by the time I read it but damn, it was a good time. Couldn't bear The Goldfinch though, and was so sad about that
I read it back in the 90s & remember liking it. Felt it was overwritten but interesting enough to keep me reading. I'm in the middle of The Goldfinch & I'm having similar feelings. Thinking about rereading SH just to see how I wld react to it now. (Also have The Little Friend on my shelf.)
@@qazedc3 yes i loved it so much. It is one of the few books that i have read that I literally could not put down. This is quite rare for me when reading but this one I genuinely felt like I needed to keep reading it until it was finished and I felt utterly consumed by it.
@@storageheater I keep putting off the goldfinch because I know I will be so sad when it inevitably disappoints
Thank you for your recommendations! Added several books o my audible list
i recently bought the complete works of oscar wilde and i am so excited to receive it, and especially to read the picture of dorian gray!!! i've heard so many great things about it and the way your face just lights up when you talk about it is enough to convince me it's a phenomenal book!!
2 things: 1, I just found your channel and something about you and your voice is just so comforting. I feel like I'm sitting in front of a fireplace with my best friend while watching this. 2, where did you get that butterfly skull that sits behind you, because it's absolutely beautiful.
ah to answer your second question, she mentioned in another video that it’s thrifted! :)
I agree with you: the señorita's voice is mellifluous.
@@jaysterling26 Momento latam
bruh same lol
me slowly realising i've never had an original thought in my life 💀why have practically all of these been my "favourite" book at some point
My favorite book is The shadow of the wind by The Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I'm surprised it hasn't made to the top 20. The story is amazing. Maybe it was more popular when I was younger .
Mine too ❤
I love the late Zafon's writing and started with his book Marina.
I absolutely loved 100 Years of Solitude!! I read that book in Spanish but I want to read it again in English! Love this list!
my heart is breaking over the lack of woolf on this list
True!
I was feeling the same, and so many to choose from! My favorite writer of all time (well, tied w/ Proust).
My favourite book of all time is Anne of green gables. It's just so comforting and avonlea is just so familiar to me, through the years it has become my happy place 💕
This is my favorite book as well! It’s so magical and comforting.
I read the first three books as an adult and the tension between Gil and Anne had me quaking. I was like “stop playing with my heart”
Romina - and Anne is such a great character. She's full of the old Nick as my Mum would say. The movies they've made about her are wonderful too. Have you seen the one with the actress Anne Shirley? You'd love it!
Believe it or not I've never actually watched any on screen adaptations 😅 I'll definitely give it a watch though 😊
@@rominasarmadi8278 Actually I would watch the 3 versions with Megan Follows who is iconic as Anne. Absolutely wonderful! The First was made in 1985 and these are Canadian produced. Just extraordinary versions!
Great video idea! Its helpful to see everyones favorites all in one place. :D
I got flashbacks and goosebumps as you recite the first line of One Hundred Years of Solitude by heart.
I feel like The Book thief is definitely the kind of book to read by yourself. It is however told from the point of view of one character who is the narratof so if you happen upon a good audiobook, give it a shot. It's so beautiful, I couldn't recommend it more. I've gone back to it time and time again over the years and it still retains its beauty.
I started reading The Book Thief after seeing it rated so highly on lists and I just couldn’t get into it! I didn’t like the writing style and I felt like I wasn’t “in” the story if that makes sense. And it kept jumping over the place. And some of the metaphors just didn’t make sense. I only got about a quarter through it and couldn’t do it. Maybe I need to go back to it and keep going.
I’m so happy “ The Book Thief”, was there! I had no clue other people loved it as well! I read it when I was 12 and it has been on my mind ever since (im 21), it is perfect. I need to reread it now! Emma, you should definitely read it!!
Yeah, also would have been good if she read the last line too. If it's as I remember, it's a beauty.
MANY people I know have The Book Thief on their favs list. So good! One of my favs, too!
THANK YOUU!! This is the sign!! Im actually thinking if i should read the book thief and this is the sign!!
First time watching one of your videos. Your dead pan humor was so refreshing. It was like a remedy for homesickness I didn't know I needed
Where the red fern grows is my favorite book given by my English teacher to get me to read more, didn't read it till few years later instantly becoming my favorite and have now read over 50 books due to lack of time
"Anna Karenina" is my favorite by the moment ❤️ It's so beautifully written, touching, shrewd and witty!
It’s definitely one of the best novels. What’s interesting I don’t remember the characters from that book as characters but people I once knew. ♥️
I’ve been wanting to read that book but it always seems so daunting since it’s so long…maybe I’ll just go for it and read it anyway
@@vasilisa1866 i promise you wont regret it!!
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Great first sentence!!
Little women and jane eyre have my whole heart!! The March sisters feel like family to me and Jane eyre is one of my favourite Characters of all time and the atmosphere is stunning!!!
there my favourite so far tooooo
I love Jane Eyre SO MUCH!!!
I’m reading little women at the moment and the vibe is gorgeous
@@menyanesushestvyet MY TOP BOOKS 0) "The Holy Bible: King James Version" copyright 1967 1) "Verbal Behavior" by Dr. B. F. Skinner 2) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 3) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 5) Myth Adventures - series by Robert Asprin 6) The Chronicles of Narnia - series by C. S. Lewis 7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 8) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 9) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 10) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 11) "Roots" by Alex Haley 12) The Silmarillion - The Hobbit, or there and back again - The Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien 13) Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov 14) "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky And where ones you listed fell on my list are the following: 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 18) "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 37) "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott 57) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 60) “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley 150) "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald has been read by me, but I would never bother to stick the thing anywhere on my top 200 books.
I did not know about your channel when this survey happened, but my favorite book is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It’s the most fascinating novel I’ve ever read. So many fascinating lenses - feminist, psychoanalytic, environmental, historical, biblical - I just can’t get enough of it. It’s a true work of art if I’ve ever read one.
Great video Emma, thank you. I love many of the books listed esp. Crime & Punishment, 1984 and Gatsby, I was surprised not to find Anna Karenina on the list - a beautiful journey into the pitted path of love. My favourite book was missing: Perfume:Diary of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind. The writing is astonishingly beautiful (even in the English translation).
I loved, loved "Anna Karenina" and I read "Perfume..." many years ago. The writing is beautiful.
I love Perfume! So incredibly written
Anything in the top 50 books I've ever read is good and so thank you for your comment on Leo Tolstoy. 48) "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy MY TOP BOOKS 0) "The Holy Bible: King James Version" copyright 1967 1) "Verbal Behavior" by Dr. B. F. Skinner 2) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 3) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 5) Myth Adventures - series by Robert Asprin 6) The Chronicles of Narnia - series by C. S. Lewis 7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 8) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 9) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 10) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 11) "Roots" by Alex Haley 12) The Silmarillion - The Hobbit, or there and back again - The Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien 13) Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov 14) "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky And where ones you listed fell on my list are the following: 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 18) "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 37) "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott 57) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 60) “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley 150) "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald has been read by me, but I would never bother to stick the thing anywhere on my top 200 books.
The Book Thief has been my favorite for years and I definitely recommend physically reading it rather than listening to the audiobook simply due to the fact that Zusak uses a lot of creative sentence structure, as well as a few illustrations, that really add to the story. (Love your video by the way and I hope you enjoy it when you do get the chance to read it!)
I actually went to the Holocaust museum in D.C on a band trip and picked up The Book Thief there. Other than Harry Potter it's my favorite fictional book of all time :)
Yesss! The illustrations are so beautifully humble and a good point to read instead of listen the book!
I thought this book was so boringggggg lmaooo. It just dragged on and too slow for me 😅
As a Colombian, I am so happy you love one hundred years of solitude. It makes me so happy to hear someone who knows Colombia from literature. Hopefully, you can read more Colombian and Latin American authors, there are so many beautiful lesser known books.
Do you have any recommendations? 🤩
@@NiinjaKiiwii Yes! You should check out Eartheater by Dolores Reyes, Bad Girls by Camila Sosa, Laura Restrepo's work, Primera Persona by Margarita García Robayo and Cuando éramos felices pero no lo sabíamos by Melba Escobar. Also, Héctor Abad Faciolince's work, one of his memoirs was recently made into a movie. I'm not sure if there is an english edition available for all the books, though. I hope this is helpful!
I would love to read it soon. Last night I read a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and it was so strange and fascinating. It was the kind of story that's rare and lovely , I had been searching for something like it for years. It's called "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World".
@@linamarin11 thank you so much! I'll try and remember to update you once ive read them all! I'm so excited
@@NiinjaKiiwii @Mahita M I hope you enjoy them! I would love to know your opinions
I totally appreciate your work. But of course there are so many fantastic books not mentioned. My all time fave is Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. A close second is All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood. Many others follow. Thank you and wishing you much success! ❤
Thank you for putting this on KZhead, I never know what to read sometimes. I want to read more books this year.
A Little Life was so painful that just hearing the name 'Jude' makes me start to tear up
this. when she read the first sentence my heart dropped
For real. Sometimes a random quote will just pop into my head and I have to take a second
i cant even look at it without starting to spiral I had to hide it from myself lol
Yup same here
@@sophiahunter9125 Sophia gang
"I'm not gonna out anyone that their favourite author is dan brown... 🧐 are you ok thou" 😂😂😂
It’s basically just boomer pulp smut. It’s like any old person fascinated by Alex Cross novels, it’s genre fiction for people who don’t want to admit it essentially
Not my fave author but I enjoyed his books :) I guess every one of us has our own preferences and ain't nothing wrong with it 😊😊😊
I loveeeee Dan brown, read all of his works
His not my favourite author but his books are interesting and so much fun. I don't get the problem with him either haha
Dan Brown can mix reality with fiction very well and as someone who loves architecture his books really speak to me...
This was a good list and got me excited to read some novels I've heard about but not read, to re-read some I've not read in a while and I discovered some I'd never heard of! I used to list 1984 as my favourite but, to be honest, it was very good but I only read it the one time. If I think of novels in terms of ones I've come back to several times, my favourite would be The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (the single funniest book (and radio series!) I've ever come across), the Harry Potter series, Henry Treece's Viking Saga series and maybe To Kill A Mockingbird. I also read Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine recently and loved it. Found it very hard to put down and it's become an instant favourite.
I am happy to see some of my favorites on this list! My all time favorite books are probably The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. And though Harry Potter is not in my favorites, I understand the comfort of reading books from your youth and returning to them. For me, those series are The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod and Twilight. They may be angsty vampire books that aren't the best written, but they really hold a special place in my heart!
I'm surprised To Kill a Mockingbird didn't make the list 🤔
Honestly me too!!
Too many people are traumatised by it from school 😅
I'm not surprised at all. I'm surprised that Martin Eden didn't appear
@@iknowexactlywhoyouare8701 a lot of people loathe that book
That’s my fave! Probably subconsciously inspired me to become a public defender
I am really surprised "To Kill a Mockingbird" wasn't on the list. It discusses prejudice of all kinds but also being heartwarming. Edit: thanks for so many likes and I am happy that we are all so passionate about this wonderful book.
It’s not as commonly known since some schools have started removing it from their curriculum
@@kaixiang5390 Oh I see. I have heard that that is because this book is 'uncomfortable' or 'inappropriate ' to read. But these books are actually great as they force you to get out of the comfort zone.
The American public school system is a travesty and an embarrassment. The only book I was given that "everyone reads in High School" was "Catcher in the Rye." And we only read that because for some reason we started Dracula, but it seemed kind of aimless and after the teacher initiated a vote everybody agreed it was boring. I guess once the decision was made there was no turning back, because there's hardly a book more intentionally directionless than "Catcher in the Rye."
I love that book! It left me on a lot of pondering.
I’m not sure about the demographics of this channel, but To Kill a Mockingbird isn’t that well known outside of anglo countries.
My favorite book of all time is The song of Achilles. And as a person who is very often close to art and artists, I have to say that that book is the closest I've ever come personally to pure art. I was half way through the book and I couldn't wait for the next time I read it. I was in a book store and was so close to buying it again, even if my copy was in my back pack. And I know for a fact that I eventually want to own three copies, all having a different cover.
Its my favorite to so far. The writing is just so beautiful. I knew what the ending would be but i still cried so much. Its just the emptiness i felt in my heart when i read the ending. Its honestly such a beautiful book.
It is also definitely one of my favorite books of all time! The writing is amazing, and if you liked the writing, if we were villains has great writing swell. If we were villains and the song of achilles are my top 2 books this year!
Mine is 100 Days of Sunlight. So poetic, so heart-warming, so aesthetic, so AAAAAAAHHHH PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!