Oh my goodness! I thought I was the only person who counts 'East of Eden' as my favorite book! I re-read it every few years. Changed my life as well. Timshel lives in my heart as a guiding light.
I read East of Eden this year and it has quickly become one of if not my favourite book of all time. Some great books in this one, but the Steinbeck #1 knocked it out of the park!
@@ianthereader Yes, you should do it! It's less stress for sure.. there is not so much weight on place "eleven" and youo have the possibility to sneak in a few "weirder" choices, books that you do not actually consider be the best by classical standards, but nevertheless left an indistinguishable impression.
I’m new to your channel, Ian, and am really appreciating your thoughtful and sincere content. This is a great list-I’ve read several of them already, and have added the rest to my GR TBR!
I'm sure the fact that fewer and fewer people are avid readers these days is contributing to the lower-than-deserved numbers here. But it seems like his popularity has jumped by almost 400 subs since your comment. Hopefully it's a trend that will propel him to a status worthy of a gold YT plaque.
I am 71 and you have made me want to read Lonesome Dove and East of Eden. I am just trying to get back to reading more and have watched a few Booktubes and this is the first time I hit subscribe. Good job!
Wow, thank you so much for your comment! I’m honored that you decided to subscribe. Please come back and let me know what you think of Lonesome Dove and East of Eden if you read either. They are truly life changing!
I love East of Eden! It’s very profound. Theme: “Here is the choice each of the characters in East of Eden face-as does, ultimately, every human being. No matter how deep-rooted the sin, there is always a chance for redemption.” You’ll love it.
SHADOW OF THE WIND!!! I absolutely love this book so much, I rarely see people talk about it (I only read it because my aunt gave me her copy and said "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK"). I also remember reading the sequel and it rented an entire apartment in my head for weeks.
So glad you loved The Shadow of the Wind!! I’ve read the second and third one in the series. I enjoyed those, but there was something extra special about the first one!!
I read I know this much is true over 20 years ago and it still holds one of my all time favorites spots. She’s come undone and the hour I first believed are also very good! All 5 star reads for me. Your number one is on my shelf and it has been calling me this past month. This solidifies that I need to pick it up asap!
I own both of those other Wally Lamb books, but this is the first I’ve heard someone else recommend them! I’ll definitely pick one up soon! Hope you love East of Eden. Happy reading!!
Hi Ian! Your channel just popped up on my feed. I really appreciate how you talk about the books you’ve read so I have subscribed from Canada! Thank you for this great list. I own a few of them. Congratulations on your book tube anniversary! 🇨🇦😀👏
Omg i finally found a booktuber who has my taste in books! I have just gotten back into reading and really needed recomendations, i will read all of the books you mentioned that I haven’t read already :)))) My favourite book of all time is a swedish fantasy called The Brothers Lionheart. Its short and sweet and yet very impactful. It haunts me sometimes when i least expect it 😅 I’ve been wanting to read Stephen King, do you think IT would be a good one to start on? P.S your dad sounds amazing!!
Thank you so much for your comment!! I have never heard of The Brothers Lionheart but I looked it up and it sounds delightful! I’ll definitely check it out, thank you for the recommendation! I hope you love any of the books you read from this list! Please come back and let me know your thoughts if you do! Happy reading!! 😊
I couldn’t agree with you more on all your picks! I just ordered Shadow of the Wind. I love your channel and thanks so much for creating it, have you read Shogun? Or Travels with Charley by Steinbeck? Good ones too! Yaay, so happy to find your channel!!!🙋♀️👏👏👏
Thank you so much for your comment!! I hope you love The Shadow of the Wind!! Shogun is very high on my radar! I’ll have to pick up Travels with Charley from my used bookstore, I see it all the time!! Happy reading!!
I love your list! Several of your choices would probably on my list too. Grapes of Wrath is one of my all time favorite books. I haven’t read East of Eden yet.
Thank you!! Do you have an absolute favorite book?? If we have similar tastes like it seems, I would love to know so I can read it!! The Grapes of Wrath is the one book I have sworn to ABSOLUTELY read before the year is up!! I’m sure it will be excellent, and I hope you enjoy East of Eden if you ever read it!
Yes! The Bluest Eye is an amazing book. I've had Lonesome Dove and East of eden on my TBR for ages. About time I get to them. Thanks for the video and the recommendations.
You are my favorite booktuber with such positive energy who reads such wide variety of books and that is amazing! So many books on this list I'm dying to read! Your shirt is cool btw! 🥰
You are excellent! Instant subscribe here. It gives me so much hope to see young people reading with passion. ❤ And wow ! I've read 10,6,5,2,and 1 from your list and loved them all in the same order as you, and I also have East of Eden as my all time favourite !!! ❤❤❤
I just found your channel and have now subscribed! I am currently reading East of Eden, I’m about halfway through and I’m loving it so far. I know what you mean about the annotating 😂 The chapter where Lee, Adam and Samuel discuss Cain and Abel just made you think so much about life. I’m also rereading LOTR at the moment, currently on The Two Towers. I relate so much to what you said about feeling like you’d found your friends there. I was 8 when the first movie came out and I seen them all in the cinema, then I read the books for the first time around 11/12 years old. It’s such a big part of my life. You’ve also convinced me to read It. The only Stephen King I’ve read is The Mist and I’ve been trying to decide where to go next and now I have. Sorry about the long comment 😂
So glad you found this video, as we seem to have very similar tastes!! Reading East of Eden and LOTR at the same time is peak! And YES, all of Lee’s scenes are full of gold, but particularly when he is talking with Adam and Samuel. SO GOOD. I do hope you love It when you read it! I also recommend 11/22/63 if you want something a bit less “horroresque” and The Dead Zone or Misery if you want something that won’t take a long time to read!
New sub, Just found your channel, 🤩 I love it and your personality. The Shadow of the Wind- you are the first BookTuber who has spoken of this book. My favorite book of all time! It was my intro to literature. ❤ Fantastic list of books.
@@ianthereader you know, I’ve read a couple of novels by Graham Norton this year. They were surprisingly effective for me. Check him out. Also I like John Irving, particularly A Prayer for Owen Meany.
A great list, Ian! East of Eden is really high on my list as well. Our top 2 King books are the same, albeit flipped in order. I loved hearing you talk about Donna Tartt - she's a great writer and the Goldfinch and The Secret History are both great. Thanks for the video!
I honestly go back and forth on It and 11/22/63 so much. I think ultimately I will have the more concrete opinion once I do a reread of both! Glad to hear you love East of Eden and Donna Tarrt also! Thanks for watching, my friend!
Speaking of re-reading a book, howz about doing a video of the books you have re-read? I read “Stranger In A Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein twice and each time I cried as I read the last ten pages. Weird reading a book as you wipe away tears so you can keep reading…..
Just stumbled on your channel-LOVE your energy, your enthusiasm, & substantive takes on the books/authors you enjoy. I've read most of the books you recommend & agree 💯. Sugestion: Try Toni Morrison's "Sula" & "Beloved", Colette's "Break of Day", Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude", Tolstoy's "War & Peace" & "Anna Karenina", some Dickens, & Austen's "Pride & Prejudice". Enjoy the new worlds you're about to explore!! Keep up the awesome work ❤
Thank you so much for the recs! I have read Beloved, Ana Karenina, and Pride and Prejudice, and Great Expectations from Dickens. Will definitely try to get to the rest soon!
Oh my goodness, I loved this video so much! Looks like we have very similar reading tastes! I just subscribed 😊 great job! I love the way you described each book so beautifully.
I just stumbled upon this video, and of all your recommendations The Shadow of the Wind spoke to me the loudest, so I fired up Libby and checked it out for the ole Kindle. I'm about 9% in, and I gotta say, I'm hooked! You did not oversell here. It sinks its claws into you right from the offing and stacks pretty sentence after pretty sentence. I'd love to develop my Spanish skills to the point where I could read it in its original tongue, but the translation is beautiful in its own right.
East of Eden is one of my all time favorites as well. Interestingly I inadvertently named my sons Aaron and Caleb long after I read the book without realizing what I'd done. Talk about subconscious influence. I recommend reading Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence. It's a classic character driven book that I think you will like. Also loved I Know This Much is True and I need to reread it. I read She's Come Undone by Lamb but I didn't like it as much, although it is good. Thanks for the book suggestions.
Wow, that’s so funny how you ended up naming your sons Aaron and Caleb! I don’t know how old they are, but I’d be curious to hear if they have any thoughts on those characters if they ever read East of Eden. Thank you so much for these recommendations! I have yet to read a D H Lawrence book, but I will definitely check out Sons and Lovers! Thank you!!
Great list❤ just found your channel. Great to see some new books. Enjoyed Goldfinch. LOTR is so wonderful. I reread every few years. I just bought It to reread. Oh my gosh Pillars rocks! I saw mini series first then had to read it. You reminded me to read Shadow of the Wind. Bought it but haven’t read. Very interested in This I know for sure 👍 oh man Lonesome Dove❤❤❤
What a list! The way you talked about The Bluest Eye is how I felt about The Color Purple by Alice Walker, so I am definitely picking that up soon. Loved Pillars of the Earth, my only complaint with that book is that I could've done without the pages and pages of super detailed description of the engineering behind the construction of a cathedral, I got to a point where I mostly just skimmed those sections, but it has my most hated antagonist that I have read. I read Boy Swallows Universe when I was a judge for The Booktube Prize a few years ago with my old channel. I think I ranked it second in the six books I read for that first round, Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn ranked above it for me. Have you watched the series that they did of it on Netflix? I've been curious but afraid that it just can't capture the magic of the book.
Thank you for your comment! I still need to get to The Color Purple, so I guess I’ll have to read that one ASAP!! I have yet to watch the Boy Swallows Universe yet for the same reason. I will say, the trailer makes it look good, though!
I've only read a couple of the books on your list including 'Lonesome Dove' which I adore and would probably place in my top 5 too. I've been struggling to get back into reading again, but your enthusiasm has made me want to read every other book on your list, so thanks. One of my book obsessions is the Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantell. Wolf Hall would definitely be in my top 5, maybe even number 1.
I’m probably in the wrong place, since I only read nonfiction, but this video inspired me to come up with my own top 10 list: 1. Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens 2. Brilliant Green by Stefano Mancuso 3. Age of Reason by Thomas Paine 4. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker 5. Einstein by Walter Isaacson 6. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk 7. Atomic Habits by James Clear 8. Children Who Remember Previous Lives by Ian Stevenson 9. Origin of Species by Charles Darwin 10. Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
Ok, when you said East of Eden was your number one book, I subscribed. My book group recently read this book and I totally fell in love with Steinbeck’s writing. So much so that I suggested we read every one of Steinbeck’s books. Everyone agreed and we are now up to The Red Pony. I also loved The Goldfinch. Have you read The Secret History. I recommend. I’m trying to get to Tolkien…why haven’t I read him yet? He’s definitely on my list. Enjoyed this so much. Thank you and congrats on three years.
Thank you so much for subscribing!! I feel the similar urge to read all of Steinbeck’s works- I’m planning a channel read-along of all of his fiction for next year. I can’t wait! The Secret History is amazing! That was my first of her books, but I give The Goldfinch a slight edge over it. I still need to read The Little Friend! I hope you love Tolkien’s works when you get to them. Some truly magical reads! Happy reading!
@@ianthereader I haven’t read The Little Friend either. I will be very curious to follow your Steinbeck read next year. It will take us quite awhile to finish this reading project because we meet once a month only and he has lots of books! We are even thinking about a field trip to the Salina’s Valley where he focused so much of his work.
Steinbeck is my favorite author! Since I read my first Steinbeck novel in childhood. Ive read everything he’s ever written. Enjoy!! I’ve loved Steinbeck even more since researching his biography and visiting the Steinbeck Museum in California in the town where he lived most of his early life. He was so committed to telling the stories about the lives of the common person. Personalizing them and showing their humanity.
I just found you today October 1, 2024. You are really gifted in the way that you can summarize a book and share your enthusiasm. I have read all but two of your top ten and I share your love of them. The two that I still need to read are Pillars of the Earth and Lonesome Dove. Just recently I have been considering picking up a copy of Lonesome Dove and now I will. Is it available on Audible? I will be checking out your back list and get caught up with you
Congrats on 3 years, East of Eden is on my tbr and can't wait to read it. Have you seen the movie? Some of my favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird, 11/22/63 & Boy's Life.
You have great taste! I gave all three of those 5⭐️ and all three of them were considered for this list! I haven’t seen the East of Eden movie, but I’ve heard good things! Although, if I remember correctly, the film focuses primarily on the second half of the story. It makes sense, but I hope there is a miniseries or something one day that adapts the whole thing!
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb is really good! I read it years ago and remember being impressed with how well he wrote from a woman’s point of view, from adolescence through adulthood.
I have met Trent Dalton early days of his Boy Swallows Universe release at my local Library...he is a great bloke. I was a fan of his journalism originally and just went and saw his book "Love Stories" at QPAC as a play. As a born and breed Queenslander and Brisbane bayside person I could not be prouder of Trent Dalton, it is wonderful reading is very Queensland stories.
New subscriber!!! Congratulations on 3 years. We share many favorites. I go back and forth between 'It' and the Stand for my favorite SK novel but 'It wins because of the characters; I feel like every one of them are close personal friends.The Fellowship tops my LOTR list because it is such a wonderful introduction to the whole world; the scene of the Nazgul rising out of the dark after running and waiting so long was electric) I will be on the look out for all the titles I have not read. Perhaps you have already talked about this, but have you read 'The Damnation Game by Clive Barker? That was my first CB novel and it is one of my tops. Thanks for the info and again congrats!!!
Thanks for subbing! Yes, It is definitely a step above the rest due to the characters. You just can’t beat the Losers Club!! I will have to check out The Damnation Game! I actually just got my hands on two Clive Barker books- The Thief of Always & Coldheart Canyon. Have you read either?
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Part of me feels bad for that test, but another part does not!!! Also - great picks!! The books I have read from your list are amazing!
Wow! Sure glad you came across my feed so I could subscribe today 😊 While not all of your top ten are in my top 10 favorites, three are and the rest are in my top 40! And, I have read all your top seven, and eight out of 10. Pretty amazing. And ,I’ve added the missing two books to my library reading list! I’ve read East of Eden, but I think I was somewhere around 20 when I did, so I’m gonna go back and reread it based upon what you said as well as other commenters. For a large number of your top ten authors, as is my pattern if I really like a book, I’ve read most or even all of the author’s oeuvre. That includes Lamb, King, McMurtry, Zafon, and Steinbeck on your list. I haven’t watched any of your other material yet, so maybe you’ve already read some of these, but since our tastes seem so highly aligned, I’d think you might enjoy some of these books or authors. All of these are in my top ten: - anything written by Haruki Murakami - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald - All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren, my #1 Anyways, great job, and looking forward to seeing your next episode, as well as catching up on the past three years 😊Be well 🙏
Thank you so much for your comment and recommendations! I own All the Kings Men but it was low on my priorities- it just shot to the top! I’ll definitely pick it up soon. Thank you again!!
I loved this video so much that I subscribed and saved the video to review again later. Also I just bought East of Eden. I haven’t read most of the books that you mentioned. But I have read Pillars and it’s definitely in my current top 10.
Oof the fact that I have only read two of these pains me deeply, I need to know what made you fall in love with these stories!! Toni Morrison and IT are highest up on my list to try, but you also really sold me on your top 3!
What a list! 🥰 I love how passionate you are about all these books. Love your videos! Love your book recommendations! To many more years of your videos!!! 🥳🥳🥳📚
Just found you. Think your a very good presenter and should pursue in future. I plan to read Lomesome Dove due to your great recommendation! Thank you🙏🇦🇺
I will be reading It for the first time this month. We have a tiny used book store in my small town, that is owned by a man in his 80s, he opened it just because he loves books so much, and It is on his favorites lists too, and he will argue with anyone to defend it. He told me in his opinion It, The Stand and Hearts In Atlantis are the greatest Stephen King books of all time. Though he wished there was less horror bits in the last. So I am hoping I love It as much as everyone else seems to. :)
@@ianthereader Oh interesting. This gentleman also has Swan Song and I believe East of Eden on his books he is ready to defend shelf as well. I have never read either at this point though.
Don't know why this video popped in my recommendation but I'm glad it did. I do like these kind of lists because if somebody liked so much I dunno maybe I'm missing something. I'm not American but Brazilian (and 54 so fairly old haha) but those books are pretty much universal. My all time favorite is George Orwell's 1984. I begrudgingly read it in 1985 just because it was required in my highschool but to my surprise I loved it! It's bleak as it can be but my country was re-democratizing after 2 decades of military regime and the Eurhythmics' movie soundtrack that came out around the same time made it so much more compelling. Wow Lonesome Dove that good? I always thought it must be a feel good book with a catchy title (like Thorn Birds haha. I know I know totally different genre but you know what I mean.) Anyway I'm gonna give it a try. Cheers!
Thank you so much for watching!! It must have been an interesting experience to read 1984 in 1985. I wonder if the content was more reminiscent of society then or today. Thank you so much for watching!! Please come back and let me know what you think of Lonesome Dove if you read it. It is perhaps the most shocking for me on this list as well- by all accounts it shouldn’t be as good as it is, but the novel is stunning.
@@ianthereader Just finished "Lonesome Dove." And OMG it's quite long (or I should say thick but I read it in my kindle so sign of the times haha.) Anyway it's crazy fun adventure. Great plot, memorable characters and most of all great dialogues. Then oh okay he wrote the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain. Then I checked who's playing who in the TV series and ohhh the naturally stone-faced Tommy Lee Jones as Call is just perfect (and hilariously enough indie darling Steve Buscemi is there.) I just wonder how many countless books there are around that is this good but somehow you miss. Steinbeck's "East of Eden" maybe one of them. One of those that the movie is so famous you just fed up to go check the source (Gone with the wind anyone?) Next on my list. Cheers!
@ thank you so much for returning and sharing your thoughts! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 😄 Gone with the Wind is one I still need to get to. Happy reading!!
Well, I couldn't agree more about Lonesome Dove -- what an amazing book. I hate westerns, but it is also on my list of favorite books ever. (Greg from Supposedly Fun read it this year and was blown away by it.) I loved Shadow of the Wind as well -- such an unusual, beautiful book. I was surprised by so many things in that book! I put Boy Swallows Universe on my wishlist -- that really does sound great! I'm moving East of Eden from my classics bookshelf to the stack of books that I'm hoping to read before I die -- so chances are I'll probably read it. 😂 I did read Goldfinch, and am a big fan of it, but I would bet money that The Devil All the Time is far, far better than The Goldfinch. I don't know how to prove that, but that's my position! 🤪
So glad you enjoyed the ones you have read!! And if you get to East of Eden and Boy Swallows Universe, PLEASE let me know what you think!!! I actually considered having a small portion at the start of the video where I listed some books that I have either read very recently or need to reread that I think could move on to the list, and The Devil All the Time would have made that list!! Just need a little more distance from it to gage its lasting impact. 😂
@ianthereader ok, that makes sense. Sometimes it takes a while to figure it out. Will definitely let you know if I manage to get to those two -- will be a while, but I really want to! This is a great video!
@ianthereader also, I did really like The Lord of the Ring, even though it's not really my thing, and I'm grabbing The Bluest Eye from my bookshelf as well.
I have not read either of these! I have heard of the Hemingway, but haven’t heard of the other! I will definitely check them out- thank you for the recommendations!!
Great choices, especially, I especially loved 'The Pillars of the Earth' and 'I Know This Much Is True' with the latter being one that no one seems to mention enough. 'I Know This Much Is True' is an amazing novel. It may seem long with the number of pages in it but it is so engaging that you barrel right through it in no time. I couldn't put it down! 'It' is waiting on my shelf to be read (I'll be getting to it soon) and 'East of Eden' is one that I've heard great things about. I hope to get a copy of it soon. Thanks for sharing!
I love your list - the only one I haven’t read is your no 3 but I added it to my kindle list- all 900+ pages 🤞it’s not cut. I love that you aren’t a ‘book snob’. I love The Goldfinch but I have to say I liked The Secret History by Donna Tart better. Otherwise I could have written this list myself. I could never narrow down to top 10! I have just found you so here is another new subscriber.
I love that we have similar taste! I hope you enjoy I Know This Much is True. It is a true masterpiece. Also, I definitely enjoyed The Secret History a lot- just slightly less than The Goldfinch. Happy reading!
My first viewing of one your videos. Excellent job. I could not agree more with you first two choices. Truly great American novels. Have you read Wolf Hall? That trilogy is strongly recommended.
Hi Ian , your video popped up on my Booktube and I'm so glad it did!...it's a little scary, it seems like it can read minds. It's interesting that you mentioned reading one of your favorites only once because I feel the same way about a few of mine...they were so mind boggling for me that I really didn't want to take a chance that a reread might change some part of my experience or opinion. We share a few books that I've only read once because I really fear changing my opinion on, they were so magical to me at the time I read them: Lonesome Dove, Pillars of the Earth and Lord of the Rings. I do go back and read some of my favorite sections, but I've never reread cover to cover. Maybe I will some day! I love your LOR family history!❤...Wish I could say the same, but I didn't read until I was THIRTY!..some how I broke down and read a 25c copy of The Hobbit and then I was off to the races. All that time wasted when I could've known that world! Hope you don't mind the long comments...but don't get me started about books!😂
I’m always a fan of a long comment!! Glad to hear we share some favorites- you have great taste! Any books not on this list that you would recommend to me? 😄
Yeah, that was mainly why I kept putting it off. I have about 4-5 books I wanted to reread and see if they would make the list. I’ll just do an updated version at some point and see if they make it then!
I agree with you about East of Eden. I read it in my twenties, and I remember thinking, "This is the best writing I have ever read and can even imagine." I'm in my early sixties now and have not had that thought again about any other work. I felt the last two hundred pages lost a little luster, compared to the first four hundred, but East of Eden has stood the test of time as my favorite novel.
I definitely agree as far as you enjoying the first 400 pages the most! It’s a perfect novel in my eyes, but I truly adored the set up the most. Thanks for your thoughts!
Finally ! Someone who loves Pillars! World without End is also amazing Ok I have to share how I came to read Pillars. About 26 yrs ago I was traveling home from visiting family. I had a small tote bag I was carrying around the airport. Got on the plane and this book had found it’s way into my bag. No idea how although that was before the airport restrictions we have now so maybe I left my bag for a second or just wasn’t paying attention. I had only really read King and Koontz but I was so weirded out at the time that I read it convinced the universe gave it to me for a reason and I loved it. TH-cam recommends so many book reviews to me and this is the first I’ve seen Pillars on anyone’s list So GOOD!
That Lord of the Rings test story is awesome. I read it in my first year of college over Christmas break and I read the gigantic bind up mass market paperback. I do not recommend that. 😅
I Know This Much is True has been on my shelf, unread, for years. I will have to put it higher on my TBR. I recently thrifted a hardcover of Lonesome Dove and will have to put that at the top of the pile too.
Most of your top 10 are also in mine… I’m curious to know if you’ve read Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon because we have similar taste, and it’s the only one that tops East of Eden for me
Yes!! I love Boys Life. I listened to it on audio though which, while I did enjoy, felt like the wrong medium for me. I think upon reread I could rank it even higher, though I did give it 5 stars! Any others on your list of favorites you recommend?
@@ianthereader funny, I did the same thing but half way through realized I wanted to underline a bunch of great quotes even though I never annotate books so I re read it in paperback and loved it so much more. The only others on my list that didnt make yours were A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci / Sycamore Row by John Grisham (those two are so similar they slot in the same spot in my top ten and then Project Hail Mary and instead of IT i have the stand. havent read 11/22/63 yet
Amped for you to read the 4th Cemetery of forgotten books. I don’t know if you will beat out shadow of the wind for you but it should at least make you as the question
My nominee: One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The most perfect two opening sentences and the most perfect ending I’ve ever read, and the part in the middle is spectacular, too.
Love the Pillars of the Earth. #1 on my list for sure. What a great forst sentence! I read the prequel a few years ago and it was great too. Guess I should really get to those sequels!
Great list! These are all great books. I love Donna Tartt. I highly recommend The Secret History if you haven't read it. I love Toni Morrison, but she breaks my heart everytime. But i highly recommend Beloved. Lonesome Dove is my all time favorite right now. I also have to recommend Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton if you haven't read it. Also Circe by Madeline Miller. I also loved Song of Achilles by her. 😊❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@@ianthereader I thought of a couple more you might like since you like Wally Lamb. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Still trying to get over this one several years later. We Were The Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. This one broke my heart. Hope you try my recs and enjoy them. Happy reading! ☺️
Thank you!! I own The Poisonwood Bible but still need to get to it. I’ve also been wondering for ages where to start with Joyce Carol Oates, so this helps a ton!
I really enjoyed The Gargoyle! I actually read that one as part of a reading vlog way back when I first started my channel. More people need to read that one! The Night Film has been one I’ve been wanting to get to for ages, but I honestly forgot about it! I will definitely move it back onto the TBR!!
I have read Lonesome Dove this year it was very powerful. Read Pillars of the earth way back and others in that series it was very good. Loved IT was a runner in those days and and to stop running near large gutters early in the morning! Love Toni Morrison but have never read The Bluest Eyes. Tolkien is the best your family testing your knowledge sooo funny! Had to laugh when I got to your no 1 East of Eden, one of my current novels that I'm reading. Enjoyed your reviews.
Boy Swallows Universe is wonderful, isn't it! I found it difficult to get into at first because of the subject matter, but boy, is it worth it! I live in Brisbane, and everyone here loves Trent Dalton!
It truly does have a lasting impact! I’m curious, did you ever reread it? I wonder if it means different things to people at different times in their life.
I just found your channel, and don't yet know your taste, but I have a suggestion nevertheless: The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. It is a story within a story: a novice writer is hired to write the life story of a famously-reclusive, mysterious novelist. It is an homage to 19th-century literature, especially gothic, mystery, etc. Personally, I found the prose beautiful, although I know that some people find the descriptiveness a little bit overdone. I also think the characters are beautifully drawn. Setterfield did a good job (IMO) of establishing the mood and tone of the setting itself as well as the atmosphere under which the young writer must operate, in order to get the aged novelist's true life story. Also, the unabridged audiobook is probably the best audiobook I've ever listened to. The voices of two actresses chosen for the audiobook couldn't be a more perfect match for the two personalities they are portraying.
East of Eden transcends fiction. I have a compulsion that I must buy a copy of East of Eden if I see it. I just buy them and immediately leave them at bus stops, park benches, train stations, pretty much anywhere. The next time I walk by that place the book is always gone. If you are in Australia and have picked up a random discarded copy of East of Eden, I hope it has left a mark on you. Timshel, my friend, the only word that truly matters. Use it wisely.
Oh my gosh. You get it. I do the exact same thing- if I see a copy of East of Eden at a thrift store or used book store, I can’t not buy it. I just get it and shove it into the hands of anyone who will take it. Thanks for making me feel seen! Thou mayest, my friend.
@@ianthereaderthe only thing I’ve read of Steinbeck was The Log of the Sea of Cortez. Basically non-fiction. I loved it very much. Humorous, compassionate. Been hearing a lot about East of Eden. Will have to have a look.
Read “She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb. This is one of my favorites of all time, but “I Know This Much Is True” has been on my list since it was published.
I would love a recommendation on what to read next from him! I don’t know if I am going to read the other books in the Lonesome Dove series, but what about any others?
Both Ken Follet trilogies are the best! And Carlos Ruiz Zafon, is one of the best Spanish writer, and the book you read is part of a trilogy… great trilogy!
You are correct about East of Eden but how have none of the classics cracked your top 10? Have you read War and Peace? You seem to have all the right criteria for analyzing books so I’m surprised you don’t have a second classic in your list. You might try The Master and Margarita.
To be honest, while I have read a handful of classics, there are still quite a few I need to get to! I have read Anna Karenina but have yet to read War and Peace. Hoping to get to it early next year! Any other classics you would recommend?
Oh my goodness! I thought I was the only person who counts 'East of Eden' as my favorite book! I re-read it every few years. Changed my life as well. Timshel lives in my heart as a guiding light.
Yes! East of Eden is absolutely the literary equivalent of a guiding light. Timshel!
I read East of Eden this year and it has quickly become one of if not my favourite book of all time. Some great books in this one, but the Steinbeck #1 knocked it out of the park!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! A true masterpiece, if there ever was one!
Dang, Ian! This video is awesome! Maybe a second video with your # 11-20 books? I'm moving so many of these higher on my TBR.
Don’t tempt me! 😂 Making my top 10 was hard, but in some ways I feel like narrowing down my 11-20 would be harder!!
@@ianthereader Yes, you should do it! It's less stress for sure.. there is not so much weight on place "eleven" and youo have the possibility to sneak in a few "weirder" choices, books that you do not actually consider be the best by classical standards, but nevertheless left an indistinguishable impression.
your top 2 are also my top 2! reading The Goldfinch currently too and loving it… looks like I need to pick up everything else on your list asap
You have great taste!! Hope you enjoy any of the other if you read them, and would love to hear your other favorites!!
Same here..!
Crazy, my top two as well.
I’m new to your channel, Ian, and am really appreciating your thoughtful and sincere content. This is a great list-I’ve read several of them already, and have added the rest to my GR TBR!
Thanks for your comment! I’m glad you found some books to add to your TBR! Thanks for watching! 😊
Why, after 3 years, do you only have 1400 followers? The you tube algorithm helped me find your channel, just now, and I’m so glad it did!
Hahaha my ugly mug is bad for the algorithm, it seems. 😂 Happy to have you here!! 😊
Me too! Just subscribed!
@@annamarieh333 thank you so much!! 😊
I just found you too! Subscribed!
I'm sure the fact that fewer and fewer people are avid readers these days is contributing to the lower-than-deserved numbers here. But it seems like his popularity has jumped by almost 400 subs since your comment. Hopefully it's a trend that will propel him to a status worthy of a gold YT plaque.
I am 71 and you have made me want to read Lonesome Dove and East of Eden. I am just trying to get back to reading more and have watched a few Booktubes and this is the first time I hit subscribe. Good job!
Wow, thank you so much for your comment! I’m honored that you decided to subscribe. Please come back and let me know what you think of Lonesome Dove and East of Eden if you read either. They are truly life changing!
I love East of Eden! It’s very profound. Theme: “Here is the choice each of the characters in East of Eden face-as does, ultimately, every human being. No matter how deep-rooted the sin, there is always a chance for redemption.” You’ll love it.
SHADOW OF THE WIND!!! I absolutely love this book so much, I rarely see people talk about it (I only read it because my aunt gave me her copy and said "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK"). I also remember reading the sequel and it rented an entire apartment in my head for weeks.
So glad you loved The Shadow of the Wind!! I’ve read the second and third one in the series. I enjoyed those, but there was something extra special about the first one!!
I read I know this much is true over 20 years ago and it still holds one of my all time favorites spots. She’s come undone and the hour I first believed are also very good! All 5 star reads for me. Your number one is on my shelf and it has been calling me this past month. This solidifies that I need to pick it up asap!
I own both of those other Wally Lamb books, but this is the first I’ve heard someone else recommend them! I’ll definitely pick one up soon! Hope you love East of Eden. Happy reading!!
Hi Ian! Your channel just popped up on my feed. I really appreciate how you talk about the books you’ve read so I have subscribed from Canada! Thank you for this great list. I own a few of them. Congratulations on your book tube anniversary! 🇨🇦😀👏
Thank you so much for your comment! I hope you enjoy some of these if you read them! 😊
Your energy is great Ian. Amazing video! 😊😊
Thanks for your kind words!! 😄
Omg i finally found a booktuber who has my taste in books! I have just gotten back into reading and really needed recomendations, i will read all of the books you mentioned that I haven’t read already :))))
My favourite book of all time is a swedish fantasy called The Brothers Lionheart. Its short and sweet and yet very impactful. It haunts me sometimes when i least expect it 😅
I’ve been wanting to read Stephen King, do you think IT would be a good one to start on?
P.S your dad sounds amazing!!
Thank you so much for your comment!! I have never heard of The Brothers Lionheart but I looked it up and it sounds delightful! I’ll definitely check it out, thank you for the recommendation!
I hope you love any of the books you read from this list! Please come back and let me know your thoughts if you do! Happy reading!! 😊
@@ianthereader thank you I will!
Congrats on 3 years, Ian! The Shadow of the Wind has been one that's been intriguing me for a while. I hope to read it soon!
Thank you!! I hope you love The Shadow of the Wind when you get to it!!
Great list bro! Congrats on 3 years!!! I'm glad I found your channel and that we are booktube buds💪 You rock, man!
YOU rock man!! Thanks for watching and for being so rad!!
How blessed to have a dad and an aunt who gave you something that will live on in your memory! :)
Yeah, I give them a hard time about it, but it actually is a very special memory for me.
I couldn’t agree with you more on all your picks! I just ordered Shadow of the Wind. I love your channel and thanks so much for creating it, have you read Shogun? Or Travels with Charley by Steinbeck? Good ones too! Yaay, so happy to find your channel!!!🙋♀️👏👏👏
Thank you so much for your comment!! I hope you love The Shadow of the Wind!! Shogun is very high on my radar! I’ll have to pick up Travels with Charley from my used bookstore, I see it all the time!! Happy reading!!
I love your list!
Several of your choices would probably on my list too.
Grapes of Wrath is one of my all time favorite books.
I haven’t read East of Eden yet.
Thank you!! Do you have an absolute favorite book?? If we have similar tastes like it seems, I would love to know so I can read it!!
The Grapes of Wrath is the one book I have sworn to ABSOLUTELY read before the year is up!! I’m sure it will be excellent, and I hope you enjoy East of Eden if you ever read it!
Yes! The Bluest Eye is an amazing book. I've had Lonesome Dove and East of eden on my TBR for ages. About time I get to them. Thanks for the video and the recommendations.
The Bluest Eye truly is amazing. I hope you enjoy those when you get to them!!
You are my favorite booktuber with such positive energy who reads such wide variety of books and that is amazing! So many books on this list I'm dying to read! Your shirt is cool btw! 🥰
Thank you so much for the support!
You are excellent! Instant subscribe here. It gives me so much hope to see young people reading with passion. ❤ And wow ! I've read 10,6,5,2,and 1 from your list and loved them all in the same order as you, and I also have East of Eden as my all time favourite !!! ❤❤❤
Thank you so much for your kind words! Would love any book recommendations you have based on my favorites! 😊
I just found your channel and have now subscribed! I am currently reading East of Eden, I’m about halfway through and I’m loving it so far. I know what you mean about the annotating 😂 The chapter where Lee, Adam and Samuel discuss Cain and Abel just made you think so much about life.
I’m also rereading LOTR at the moment, currently on The Two Towers. I relate so much to what you said about feeling like you’d found your friends there. I was 8 when the first movie came out and I seen them all in the cinema, then I read the books for the first time around 11/12 years old. It’s such a big part of my life.
You’ve also convinced me to read It. The only Stephen King I’ve read is The Mist and I’ve been trying to decide where to go next and now I have.
Sorry about the long comment 😂
So glad you found this video, as we seem to have very similar tastes!! Reading East of Eden and LOTR at the same time is peak! And YES, all of Lee’s scenes are full of gold, but particularly when he is talking with Adam and Samuel. SO GOOD.
I do hope you love It when you read it! I also recommend 11/22/63 if you want something a bit less “horroresque” and The Dead Zone or Misery if you want something that won’t take a long time to read!
New sub, Just found your channel, 🤩
I love it and your personality.
The Shadow of the Wind- you are the first BookTuber who has spoken of this book. My favorite book of all time! It was my intro to literature. ❤ Fantastic list of books.
Welcome!! Yes, The Shadow of the Wind is such a beautiful book. Thanks for watching! 😊
I absolutely love videos that list favorites! Thank you.
Thank you for watching!! 💕
Good list. I've read 5 of those 10 books. Good recommendations.
Excellent!! Any books you would recommend since we seem to have similar taste?
@@ianthereader you know, I’ve read a couple of novels by Graham Norton this year. They were surprisingly effective for me. Check him out. Also I like John Irving, particularly A Prayer for Owen Meany.
A great list, Ian! East of Eden is really high on my list as well. Our top 2 King books are the same, albeit flipped in order. I loved hearing you talk about Donna Tartt - she's a great writer and the Goldfinch and The Secret History are both great. Thanks for the video!
I honestly go back and forth on It and 11/22/63 so much. I think ultimately I will have the more concrete opinion once I do a reread of both! Glad to hear you love East of Eden and Donna Tarrt also! Thanks for watching, my friend!
@@ianthereader I think it's okay for these things to be fluid!
Speaking of re-reading a book, howz about doing a video of the books you have re-read?
I read “Stranger In A Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein twice and each time I cried as I read the last ten pages. Weird reading a book as you wipe away tears so you can keep reading…..
Just stumbled on your channel-LOVE your energy, your enthusiasm, & substantive takes on the books/authors you enjoy.
I've read most of the books you recommend & agree 💯. Sugestion: Try Toni Morrison's "Sula" & "Beloved", Colette's "Break of Day", Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude", Tolstoy's "War & Peace" & "Anna Karenina", some Dickens, & Austen's "Pride & Prejudice".
Enjoy the new worlds you're about to explore!! Keep up the awesome work ❤
Thank you so much for the recs! I have read Beloved, Ana Karenina, and Pride and Prejudice, and Great Expectations from Dickens. Will definitely try to get to the rest soon!
Oh my goodness, I loved this video so much! Looks like we have very similar reading tastes! I just subscribed 😊 great job! I love the way you described each book so beautifully.
Thank you so much!! Since we have similar tastes, are there any books you would recommend?
Great list. I have read many of them. 'Shadow of the Wind' really struck a chord with me. A truely fantastic book!
Yes, Shadow of the Wind was unforgettable!!
I just stumbled upon this video, and of all your recommendations The Shadow of the Wind spoke to me the loudest, so I fired up Libby and checked it out for the ole Kindle. I'm about 9% in, and I gotta say, I'm hooked! You did not oversell here. It sinks its claws into you right from the offing and stacks pretty sentence after pretty sentence. I'd love to develop my Spanish skills to the point where I could read it in its original tongue, but the translation is beautiful in its own right.
So glad you loved The Shadow of the Wind! Such a gorgeous novel. I agree about wishing to read it in the original language!
Wow! A great list! It, Shadow of the Wind and East of Eden are in my top list as well.
Wonderful! You have great taste! Any other favorites you’d recommend given what I like from this list?
East of Eden is one of my all time favorites as well. Interestingly I inadvertently named my sons Aaron and Caleb long after I read the book without realizing what I'd done. Talk about subconscious influence. I recommend reading Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence. It's a classic character driven book that I think you will like. Also loved I Know This Much is True and I need to reread it. I read She's Come Undone by Lamb but I didn't like it as much, although it is good. Thanks for the book suggestions.
Wow, that’s so funny how you ended up naming your sons Aaron and Caleb! I don’t know how old they are, but I’d be curious to hear if they have any thoughts on those characters if they ever read East of Eden.
Thank you so much for these recommendations! I have yet to read a D H Lawrence book, but I will definitely check out Sons and Lovers! Thank you!!
Great list❤ just found your channel. Great to see some new books. Enjoyed Goldfinch. LOTR is so wonderful. I reread every few years. I just bought It to reread. Oh my gosh Pillars rocks! I saw mini series first then had to read it. You reminded me to read Shadow of the Wind. Bought it but haven’t read. Very interested in This I know for sure 👍
oh man Lonesome Dove❤❤❤
I hope you read I Know This Much is True! Let me know if you like it!
what a list, have books from all over!! very nice
What a list! The way you talked about The Bluest Eye is how I felt about The Color Purple by Alice Walker, so I am definitely picking that up soon. Loved Pillars of the Earth, my only complaint with that book is that I could've done without the pages and pages of super detailed description of the engineering behind the construction of a cathedral, I got to a point where I mostly just skimmed those sections, but it has my most hated antagonist that I have read. I read Boy Swallows Universe when I was a judge for The Booktube Prize a few years ago with my old channel. I think I ranked it second in the six books I read for that first round, Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn ranked above it for me. Have you watched the series that they did of it on Netflix? I've been curious but afraid that it just can't capture the magic of the book.
Thank you for your comment! I still need to get to The Color Purple, so I guess I’ll have to read that one ASAP!! I have yet to watch the Boy Swallows Universe yet for the same reason. I will say, the trailer makes it look good, though!
Don't be afraid to watch the Netflix series - it's excellent! A really good adaptation of the book!
I've only read a couple of the books on your list including 'Lonesome Dove' which I adore and would probably place in my top 5 too. I've been struggling to get back into reading again, but your enthusiasm has made me want to read every other book on your list, so thanks. One of my book obsessions is the Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantell. Wolf Hall would definitely be in my top 5, maybe even number 1.
Wolf Hall has been recommended to me a couple times in the comments of this video. It is now very high on my TBR! Thank you!!
I’m probably in the wrong place, since I only read nonfiction, but this video inspired me to come up with my own top 10 list:
1. Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens
2. Brilliant Green by Stefano Mancuso
3. Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
4. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
5. Einstein by Walter Isaacson
6. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
7. Atomic Habits by James Clear
8. Children Who Remember Previous Lives by Ian Stevenson
9. Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
10. Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
THANK YOU for this!! I have been wanting to read more non-fiction, so your list is greatly appreciated!!
“Understanding the F-Word: American Fascism and the Politics of Illusion” by David McGowan
Ok, when you said East of Eden was your number one book, I subscribed. My book group recently read this book and I totally fell in love with Steinbeck’s writing. So much so that I suggested we read every one of Steinbeck’s books. Everyone agreed and we are now up to The Red Pony. I also loved The Goldfinch. Have you read The Secret History. I recommend. I’m trying to get to Tolkien…why haven’t I read him yet? He’s definitely on my list. Enjoyed this so much. Thank you and congrats on three years.
Thank you so much for subscribing!! I feel the similar urge to read all of Steinbeck’s works- I’m planning a channel read-along of all of his fiction for next year. I can’t wait!
The Secret History is amazing! That was my first of her books, but I give The Goldfinch a slight edge over it. I still need to read The Little Friend!
I hope you love Tolkien’s works when you get to them. Some truly magical reads! Happy reading!
@@ianthereader I haven’t read The Little Friend either. I will be very curious to follow your Steinbeck read next year. It will take us quite awhile to finish this reading project because we meet once a month only and he has lots of books! We are even thinking about a field trip to the Salina’s Valley where he focused so much of his work.
Steinbeck is my favorite author! Since I read my first Steinbeck novel in childhood. Ive read everything he’s ever written. Enjoy!! I’ve loved Steinbeck even more since researching his biography and visiting the Steinbeck Museum in California in the town where he lived most of his early life. He was so committed to telling the stories about the lives of the common person. Personalizing them and showing their humanity.
I just found you today October 1, 2024. You are really gifted in the way that you can summarize a book and share your enthusiasm.
I have read all but two of your top ten and I share your love of them. The two that I still need to read are Pillars of the Earth and Lonesome Dove. Just recently I have been considering picking up a copy of Lonesome Dove and now I will. Is it available on Audible?
I will be checking out your back list and get caught up with you
Thank you so much!! It seems we have similar taste. Yes, Lonesome Dove is on Audible and the audiobook is excellent! I hope you enjoy!
Congrats on 3 years, East of Eden is on my tbr and can't wait to read it. Have you seen the movie? Some of my favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird, 11/22/63 & Boy's Life.
You have great taste! I gave all three of those 5⭐️ and all three of them were considered for this list! I haven’t seen the East of Eden movie, but I’ve heard good things! Although, if I remember correctly, the film focuses primarily on the second half of the story. It makes sense, but I hope there is a miniseries or something one day that adapts the whole thing!
Your collection looks impressive
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb is really good! I read it years ago and remember being impressed with how well he wrote from a woman’s point of view, from adolescence through adulthood.
Thank you for the recommendation! I need to get to more Wally Lamb ASAP!!
Loved! First
Wally Lamb book I read
I just love your choices! Trent Dalton is a wonderful writer, lives not far from me here in Brisbane, Australia.
I have met Trent Dalton early days of his Boy Swallows Universe release at my local Library...he is a great bloke. I was a fan of his journalism originally and just went and saw his book "Love Stories" at QPAC as a play. As a born and breed Queenslander and Brisbane bayside person I could not be prouder of Trent Dalton, it is wonderful reading is very Queensland stories.
He is amazing! A one of a kind writer.
Jealous that you got to see Love Stories!
New subscriber!!! Congratulations on 3 years. We share many favorites. I go back and forth between 'It' and the Stand for my favorite SK novel but 'It wins because of the characters; I feel like every one of them are close personal friends.The Fellowship tops my LOTR list because it is such a wonderful introduction to the whole world; the scene of the Nazgul rising out of the dark after running and waiting so long was electric) I will be on the look out for all the titles I have not read. Perhaps you have already talked about this, but have you read 'The Damnation Game by Clive Barker? That was my first CB novel and it is one of my tops. Thanks for the info and again congrats!!!
Thanks for subbing! Yes, It is definitely a step above the rest due to the characters. You just can’t beat the Losers Club!!
I will have to check out The Damnation Game! I actually just got my hands on two Clive Barker books- The Thief of Always & Coldheart Canyon. Have you read either?
So many great books out there and so much to choose one. Best wishes.
Yes indeed! If only I could stop time and get to them all.
This is my first time coming across your channel. I loved your reviews. Instant subscribe.
Thank you and welcome!!
Ian! As a new booktuber, you're an inspiration! :) Maybe I'll also get to three years someday. LOL!
New subscriber. Thanks for the video! :)
Congratulations on your TH-cam channel!! I hope you have fun with it!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Part of me feels bad for that test, but another part does not!!!
Also - great picks!! The books I have read from your list are amazing!
Hahaha I wish I knew where the test was!!
Wow! Sure glad you came across my feed so I could subscribe today 😊 While not all of your top ten are in my top 10 favorites, three are and the rest are in my top 40! And, I have read all your top seven, and eight out of 10. Pretty amazing. And ,I’ve added the missing two books to my library reading list!
I’ve read East of Eden, but I think I was somewhere around 20 when I did, so I’m gonna go back and reread it based upon what you said as well as other commenters. For a large number of your top ten authors, as is my pattern if I really like a book, I’ve read most or even all of the author’s oeuvre. That includes Lamb, King, McMurtry, Zafon, and Steinbeck on your list.
I haven’t watched any of your other material yet, so maybe you’ve already read some of these, but since our tastes seem so highly aligned, I’d think you might enjoy some of these books or authors. All of these are in my top ten:
- anything written by Haruki Murakami
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
- Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren, my #1
Anyways, great job, and looking forward to seeing your next episode, as well as catching up on the past three years 😊Be well 🙏
Thank you so much for your comment and recommendations! I own All the Kings Men but it was low on my priorities- it just shot to the top! I’ll definitely pick it up soon. Thank you again!!
I loved this video so much that I subscribed and saved the video to review again later. Also I just bought East of Eden. I haven’t read most of the books that you mentioned. But I have read Pillars and it’s definitely in my current top 10.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope you love East of Eden!
Oof the fact that I have only read two of these pains me deeply, I need to know what made you fall in love with these stories!! Toni Morrison and IT are highest up on my list to try, but you also really sold me on your top 3!
I hope you love The Bluest Eye and It when you read them and the others if you ever get around to them!!
You won’t regret Lonesome Dove or Shadow of the Wind if you try them. They are definitely worth the time to read.
3 years 😮 wow!!!! That’s amazing 🥳🥳🥳🥳
What a list! 🥰 I love how passionate you are about all these books. Love your videos! Love your book recommendations! To many more years of your videos!!! 🥳🥳🥳📚
Thank you, Fine!!
Excellent list!!❤❤
Thanks 💕
Just found you.
Think your a very good presenter and should pursue in future.
I plan to read Lomesome Dove due to your great recommendation!
Thank you🙏🇦🇺
I hope you love Lonesome Dove! Thanks for your kind words. 😄
I think you nailed the top two books! Also, I strongly recommend you read Song of Solomon.
Song of Solomon is the next Toni Morrison I want to read!
I will be reading It for the first time this month. We have a tiny used book store in my small town, that is owned by a man in his 80s, he opened it just because he loves books so much, and It is on his favorites lists too, and he will argue with anyone to defend it. He told me in his opinion It, The Stand and Hearts In Atlantis are the greatest Stephen King books of all time. Though he wished there was less horror bits in the last. So I am hoping I love It as much as everyone else seems to. :)
I am not crazy about The Stand, but Hearts in Atlantis is absolutely stunning and is in my top ten King, for sure. I hope you love It!!!
@@ianthereader Oh interesting. This gentleman also has Swan Song and I believe East of Eden on his books he is ready to defend shelf as well. I have never read either at this point though.
I didn't like The stand that much either! Overrated for sure!
I really want to read Swan Song- I’ve heard great things!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I will start East of Eden right away. Good job!!!
Ahhh, I hope you love it!! Thank you for your kind words!!
Don't know why this video popped in my recommendation but I'm glad it did. I do like these kind of lists because if somebody liked so much I dunno maybe I'm missing something. I'm not American but Brazilian (and 54 so fairly old haha) but those books are pretty much universal. My all time favorite is George Orwell's 1984. I begrudgingly read it in 1985 just because it was required in my highschool but to my surprise I loved it! It's bleak as it can be but my country was re-democratizing after 2 decades of military regime and the Eurhythmics' movie soundtrack that came out around the same time made it so much more compelling. Wow Lonesome Dove that good? I always thought it must be a feel good book with a catchy title (like Thorn Birds haha. I know I know totally different genre but you know what I mean.) Anyway I'm gonna give it a try. Cheers!
Thank you so much for watching!! It must have been an interesting experience to read 1984 in 1985. I wonder if the content was more reminiscent of society then or today.
Thank you so much for watching!! Please come back and let me know what you think of Lonesome Dove if you read it. It is perhaps the most shocking for me on this list as well- by all accounts it shouldn’t be as good as it is, but the novel is stunning.
@@ianthereader Just finished "Lonesome Dove." And OMG it's quite long (or I should say thick but I read it in my kindle so sign of the times haha.) Anyway it's crazy fun adventure. Great plot, memorable characters and most of all great dialogues. Then oh okay he wrote the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain. Then I checked who's playing who in the TV series and ohhh the naturally stone-faced Tommy Lee Jones as Call is just perfect (and hilariously enough indie darling Steve Buscemi is there.) I just wonder how many countless books there are around that is this good but somehow you miss. Steinbeck's "East of Eden" maybe one of them. One of those that the movie is so famous you just fed up to go check the source (Gone with the wind anyone?) Next on my list. Cheers!
@ thank you so much for returning and sharing your thoughts! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 😄 Gone with the Wind is one I still need to get to. Happy reading!!
Well, I couldn't agree more about Lonesome Dove -- what an amazing book. I hate westerns, but it is also on my list of favorite books ever. (Greg from Supposedly Fun read it this year and was blown away by it.) I loved Shadow of the Wind as well -- such an unusual, beautiful book. I was surprised by so many things in that book! I put Boy Swallows Universe on my wishlist -- that really does sound great! I'm moving East of Eden from my classics bookshelf to the stack of books that I'm hoping to read before I die -- so chances are I'll probably read it. 😂 I did read Goldfinch, and am a big fan of it, but I would bet money that The Devil All the Time is far, far better than The Goldfinch. I don't know how to prove that, but that's my position! 🤪
So glad you enjoyed the ones you have read!! And if you get to East of Eden and Boy Swallows Universe, PLEASE let me know what you think!!!
I actually considered having a small portion at the start of the video where I listed some books that I have either read very recently or need to reread that I think could move on to the list, and The Devil All the Time would have made that list!! Just need a little more distance from it to gage its lasting impact. 😂
@ianthereader ok, that makes sense. Sometimes it takes a while to figure it out. Will definitely let you know if I manage to get to those two -- will be a while, but I really want to! This is a great video!
@ianthereader also, I did really like The Lord of the Ring, even though it's not really my thing, and I'm grabbing The Bluest Eye from my bookshelf as well.
With those being your top two, have you read How Green was my Valley? I also suggest For Whom the Bell Tolls.
I have not read either of these! I have heard of the Hemingway, but haven’t heard of the other! I will definitely check them out- thank you for the recommendations!!
Great choices, especially, I especially loved 'The Pillars of the Earth' and 'I Know This Much Is True' with the latter being one that no one seems to mention enough. 'I Know This Much Is True' is an amazing novel. It may seem long with the number of pages in it but it is so engaging that you barrel right through it in no time. I couldn't put it down! 'It' is waiting on my shelf to be read (I'll be getting to it soon) and 'East of Eden' is one that I've heard great things about. I hope to get a copy of it soon. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, the Wally Lamb book deserves so much more love!!
I cheered when you pulled out East of Eden. I read that exact copy too! Only book to make me hard cry, it certified my love for John Steinbeck.
It is a one of a kind book, it’s true!!
Love that your dad tested you on LOTR.
It’s one of my favorite stories, even though it’s a bit ridiculous. 😂
Thank you for sharing your wonderful list! I would suggest Beloved by Tony Morrison and Circe
I enjoyed Beloved! Still need to get to Circe. Thanks for the recommendations!
Just subscribed,we have very similar taste in books!
Wonderful! Thank you!! Any books you recommend based on our shared taste?
I love your list - the only one I haven’t read is your no 3 but I added it to my kindle list- all 900+ pages 🤞it’s not cut. I love that you aren’t a ‘book snob’. I love The Goldfinch but I have to say I liked The Secret History by Donna Tart better. Otherwise I could have written this list myself. I could never narrow down to top 10! I have just found you so here is another new subscriber.
I love that we have similar taste! I hope you enjoy I Know This Much is True. It is a true masterpiece. Also, I definitely enjoyed The Secret History a lot- just slightly less than The Goldfinch. Happy reading!
Lonesome Dove and East of Eden! I have read both so often that, when listening to either on Audible Books, I can pretty much sing along!
Awesome!! I haven’t listened to the East of Eden audio, but the Lonesome Dove one was excellent! You have great taste!!
My first viewing of one your videos. Excellent job. I could not agree more with you first two choices. Truly great American novels. Have you read Wolf Hall? That trilogy is strongly recommended.
Wolf Hall is one I have wanted to read for ages! Thanks for the rec, it moves it up my TBR!
Hi Ian , your video popped up on my Booktube and I'm so glad it did!...it's a little scary, it seems like it can read minds.
It's interesting that you mentioned reading one of your favorites only once because I feel the same way about a few of mine...they were so mind boggling for me that I really didn't want to take a chance that a reread might change some part of my experience or opinion.
We share a few books that I've only read once because I really fear changing my opinion on, they were so magical to me at the time I read them: Lonesome Dove, Pillars of the Earth and Lord of the Rings. I do go back and read some of my favorite sections, but I've never reread cover to cover. Maybe I will some day!
I love your LOR family history!❤...Wish I could say the same, but I didn't read until I was THIRTY!..some how I broke down and read a 25c copy of The Hobbit and then I was off to the races. All that time wasted when I could've known that world!
Hope you don't mind the long comments...but don't get me started about books!😂
I’m always a fan of a long comment!! Glad to hear we share some favorites- you have great taste! Any books not on this list that you would recommend to me? 😄
i want to do my top 10 books of all time, but i also want to reread some books to see if they still hold up lol
Yeah, that was mainly why I kept putting it off. I have about 4-5 books I wanted to reread and see if they would make the list. I’ll just do an updated version at some point and see if they make it then!
I agree with you about East of Eden. I read it in my twenties, and I remember thinking, "This is the best writing I have ever read and can even imagine." I'm in my early sixties now and have not had that thought again about any other work. I felt the last two hundred pages lost a little luster, compared to the first four hundred, but East of Eden has stood the test of time as my favorite novel.
I definitely agree as far as you enjoying the first 400 pages the most! It’s a perfect novel in my eyes, but I truly adored the set up the most. Thanks for your thoughts!
Finally ! Someone who loves Pillars! World without End is also amazing
Ok I have to share how I came to read Pillars. About 26 yrs ago I was traveling home from visiting family. I had a small tote bag I was carrying around the airport. Got on the plane and this book had found it’s way into my bag. No idea how although that was before the airport restrictions we have now so maybe I left my bag for a second or just wasn’t paying attention. I had only really read King and Koontz but I was so weirded out at the time that I read it convinced the universe gave it to me for a reason and I loved it. TH-cam recommends so many book reviews to me and this is the first I’ve seen Pillars on anyone’s list So GOOD!
What an odd and wonderful story! That book was truly meant to find you (or you were meant to find it, I suppose). Thank you for sharing!!
I’m a huge Steinbeck fan. I have accumulated 13 first edition books of his by going to estate sales. A few Hemingways, as well.
Ooo estate sales for first editions is a great idea!
That Lord of the Rings test story is awesome. I read it in my first year of college over Christmas break and I read the gigantic bind up mass market paperback. I do not recommend that. 😅
Wow, that must have been HUGE!!
I Know This Much is True has been on my shelf, unread, for years. I will have to put it higher on my TBR. I recently thrifted a hardcover of Lonesome Dove and will have to put that at the top of the pile too.
Both are incredible books!!
have you read the poppy war its my fav book series. I really want to read more so thanks for the recommendations!
I have read the first book, but it has been a long time. Definitely need to revisit that series!!
So compelling! Subscribed by #8.
😊 📚
Woohoo!! Thank you so much!! 💕
@ianthereader Thank you!
i will eventually read Lonesome Dove
I would say you won’t regret it, but you didn’t like East of Eden, so WHO KNOWS
@@ianthereader what are you talking about? East of Eden was great! Best book I’ve ever read in my life 😏
….so, have you started Lonesome Dove, yet? It will take your life over.
Most of your top 10 are also in mine… I’m curious to know if you’ve read Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon because we have similar taste, and it’s the only one that tops East of Eden for me
Yes!! I love Boys Life. I listened to it on audio though which, while I did enjoy, felt like the wrong medium for me. I think upon reread I could rank it even higher, though I did give it 5 stars! Any others on your list of favorites you recommend?
@@ianthereader funny, I did the same thing but half way through realized I wanted to underline a bunch of great quotes even though I never annotate books so I re read it in paperback and loved it so much more. The only others on my list that didnt make yours were A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci / Sycamore Row by John Grisham (those two are so similar they slot in the same spot in my top ten and then Project Hail Mary and instead of IT i have the stand. havent read 11/22/63 yet
Amped for you to read the 4th Cemetery of forgotten books. I don’t know if you will beat out shadow of the wind for you but it should at least make you as the question
It’ll be tough to best, but we’ll see!!
My nominee: One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The most perfect two opening sentences and the most perfect ending I’ve ever read, and the part in the middle is spectacular, too.
Love the Pillars of the Earth. #1 on my list for sure. What a great forst sentence!
I read the prequel a few years ago and it was great too. Guess I should really get to those sequels!
I still need to read the rest- glad the prequel was a hit for you!
Great list! These are all great books. I love Donna Tartt. I highly recommend The Secret History if you haven't read it. I love Toni Morrison, but she breaks my heart everytime. But i highly recommend Beloved. Lonesome Dove is my all time favorite right now. I also have to recommend Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton if you haven't read it. Also Circe by Madeline Miller. I also loved Song of Achilles by her. 😊❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for watching! I haven’t read Jurassic Park or any Madeline Miller- thank you for the recommendations!!
@@ianthereader I thought of a couple more you might like since you like Wally Lamb. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Still trying to get over this one several years later. We Were The Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. This one broke my heart. Hope you try my recs and enjoy them. Happy reading! ☺️
Thank you!! I own The Poisonwood Bible but still need to get to it. I’ve also been wondering for ages where to start with Joyce Carol Oates, so this helps a ton!
as soon as you said “its kind of a cheat but not really considering the authors intent” i knew it was LOTR 😂
Yuuuup. Had to.
Two of my favorite books that you might like are The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson and Night Film by Marisha Pessl.
I really enjoyed The Gargoyle! I actually read that one as part of a reading vlog way back when I first started my channel. More people need to read that one!
The Night Film has been one I’ve been wanting to get to for ages, but I honestly forgot about it! I will definitely move it back onto the TBR!!
Super interesting list. Nothing is trite or predictable about it.
Thank you!
I have read Lonesome Dove this year it was very powerful. Read Pillars of the earth way back and others in that series it was very good. Loved IT was a runner in those days and and to stop running near large gutters early in the morning! Love Toni Morrison but have never read The Bluest Eyes. Tolkien is the best your family testing your knowledge sooo funny! Had to laugh when I got to your no 1 East of Eden, one of my current novels that I'm reading. Enjoyed your reviews.
I hope you ended up loving East of Eden!!
Boy Swallows Universe is wonderful, isn't it! I found it difficult to get into at first because of the subject matter, but boy, is it worth it! I live in Brisbane, and everyone here loves Trent Dalton!
Trent Dalton is a treasure! I can’t wait to read his newest Lola in the Mirror- it just released in the states!
East of Eden is my favorite book of all time too!! I read it probably 50 yrs ago now..... I read a lot, nothing compares to it.
It truly does have a lasting impact! I’m curious, did you ever reread it? I wonder if it means different things to people at different times in their life.
@@ianthereader I read it twice back then, within 3 years. I plan to read again.
Pillars of the Earth is my favorite book. We used to read 28 books a month, so I have no idea how many I've read.
Pillars is truly amazing!
I just found your channel, and don't yet know your taste, but I have a suggestion nevertheless: The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. It is a story within a story: a novice writer is hired to write the life story of a famously-reclusive, mysterious novelist. It is an homage to 19th-century literature, especially gothic, mystery, etc. Personally, I found the prose beautiful, although I know that some people find the descriptiveness a little bit overdone. I also think the characters are beautifully drawn. Setterfield did a good job (IMO) of establishing the mood and tone of the setting itself as well as the atmosphere under which the young writer must operate, in order to get the aged novelist's true life story. Also, the unabridged audiobook is probably the best audiobook I've ever listened to. The voices of two actresses chosen for the audiobook couldn't be a more perfect match for the two personalities they are portraying.
I’ve heard of this book but you have absolutely sold me on it! Thank you!!
East of Eden transcends fiction. I have a compulsion that I must buy a copy of East of Eden if I see it. I just buy them and immediately leave them at bus stops, park benches, train stations, pretty much anywhere. The next time I walk by that place the book is always gone. If you are in Australia and have picked up a random discarded copy of East of Eden, I hope it has left a mark on you. Timshel, my friend, the only word that truly matters. Use it wisely.
Oh my gosh. You get it. I do the exact same thing- if I see a copy of East of Eden at a thrift store or used book store, I can’t not buy it. I just get it and shove it into the hands of anyone who will take it. Thanks for making me feel seen!
Thou mayest, my friend.
@@ianthereaderthe only thing I’ve read of Steinbeck was The Log of the Sea of Cortez. Basically non-fiction. I loved it very much. Humorous, compassionate. Been hearing a lot about East of Eden. Will have to have a look.
Read “She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb. This is one of my favorites of all time, but “I Know This Much Is True” has been on my list since it was published.
I’ll be reading it soon! I’m actually currently reading “The Hour I First Believed” by him. It is excellent!
I read Lonesome Dove and then most of what McMurtry wrote. A wonderful writer.
I would love a recommendation on what to read next from him! I don’t know if I am going to read the other books in the Lonesome Dove series, but what about any others?
Interesting list. I have read 7 1/2 of 10. There was a DNF. Have you read The Grapes of Wrath? I personally think it’s better than East of Eden
Still need to read Grapes of Wrath, but hoping to soon! That makes me very excited to read it, though!
We have similar tastes. I'm going to read the ones I haven't!
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy and would also love any recommendations you have based on what you know of my taste!
Both Ken Follet trilogies are the best! And Carlos Ruiz Zafon, is one of the best Spanish writer, and the book you read is part of a trilogy… great trilogy!
I can’t wait to read more Follett!!
You are correct about East of Eden but how have none of the classics cracked your top 10? Have you read War and Peace? You seem to have all the right criteria for analyzing books so I’m surprised you don’t have a second classic in your list. You might try The Master and Margarita.
To be honest, while I have read a handful of classics, there are still quite a few I need to get to! I have read Anna Karenina but have yet to read War and Peace. Hoping to get to it early next year! Any other classics you would recommend?
Have you read "Tomb of sand?" A book i have started reading just now and is so great, each lines says a lot.
I haven’t read it, but I am interested! Moving it up the TBR!
Profound choices!
They are amazing books!
Lonesome dove is everything!
Yes!! Absolutely!