Pick-a-Shelf discussion

1. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
9. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
11. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
12. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
13. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
14. 1984 by George Orwell
15. Where the Sidewalk ends by Shel Silverstein
16. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
17. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
18. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
19. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
20. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
21. Animal Farm by George Orwell
22. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
23. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
24. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
25. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
26. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
27. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
28. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
29. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
30. The Giver by Lois Lowry
31. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
32. The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
33. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
34. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
35. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
36. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
37. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
38. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
39. Midllesex by Jeffrey Euginides
40. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
41. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
42. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
43. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
44. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
45. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
46. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
47. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
48. Naked by David Sedaris
49. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
50. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

How many of the above list have you read?
Which ones have you been wanting to read but just haven't? How many are there?
Which book do you think don't deserve this popularity?
What book have you read, really liked, and you would expect it to be on the list but isn't?

I have read 12 of these books. I cant wait to start the Twilight series. To me, WICKED was a complete waste of my time. I felt obligated to finish it. That is just my opinion though. I think SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN should be on this list. It is a great book.

I've read 31 from the 50. Quite surprised to not see any Neil Gaiman books up there cause I think he's brilliant.

I was going to point out how silly it is to have Twilight, or any of Meyer's books, up there, but then I saw that it's a Popular list as opposed to Best list. I didn't find the series good at all, and can't comprehend how it got to be so popular and even get compared to the Harry Potter books. But I guess if Eragon could sell, anything can happen.

Way to go Mitzie! I've only read 19 of those.

Agree with your comment on Twilight. I only read the first book and don't really feel the compulsion to read the rest. I wish North & South made the list - my fave next to P&P.

I've read 15 and I'm currently reading another one. Many have been on my TBR list for a while, too (about 15 more). Of those, I've been looking forward to A Thousand Splendid Suns the most. I'm surprised that Angels and Demons is included here - I personally didn't think it was very good at all. It's odd to me that Gone with the Wind isn't listed, and I'd love to see Persuasion on there.

I'm loving the Twilight series right now - hope you like it, SouthernBelle!

I've read 33 and am currently reading Jane Erye for #34

I've read 20.5 of them, lol (am only halfway through Eclipse). There are several on there that are on my To Read list and I'm not sure there are any that I want to read particularly bad. But, I kind of have to agree with the Twilight comments. They're not the best, but I guess since it's a popularity list . . . I dunno. lol I'm certainly going to finish the series, just because I feel I've committed.

I have read 7 of these books. There are probably another 30 or so that I would like to read. I wish The Book Thief was on the list.

Yes, Book Thief!

I have read 25. Didn't finish another 3. Got maybe 6 or so on TBR

The fact that this is from GR makes all the sense in the world about how the list was created.

I've read 29, 9 are on Mt TBR, 3 I'll never read and the rest--maybe. I agree with everyone else, there are some GREAT books missing from this list.

I have read 20. Not too bad I guess. Once I get into the TWILIGHT series, that will add a few more.

I've read 23. I'm glad to see WATER FOR ELEPHANTS on here. It is a lovely book. Also, KITE RUNNER and LOVELY BONES are beyond riveting, but difficult subject matter. I do want to read the Twilight series to see what all the excitement is about. I would add to this list THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS by Isabel Allende. These are simply great books that you will get lost in.

I have read 19 of these books even if a miss some nice books,

I read twenty-one out these fifty. I've been thinking of reading Khaled Hosseini's books, Jeffrey Eugenides' "Middlesex" (have the book at home, but haven't had the chance to read it). Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" and "Memoirs of a Geisha".

I'm with MItzie in wondering why Stephenie Meyer's books (note the plural) make it in this list, while Tolkien's The Two Towers and The Return of the King didn't. I suppose it indicates that Goodreads users are predominantly young, female, internet-savvy (since the Twilight series used a number of internet promotion strategies to ace the market) and US-based, but then again I could be wrong.

It would be hard to decide which of my favorite books I would want to see on this list. William S. Maugham's "Of Human Bondage" would be one, I suppose. And "Good Omen" (Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman), is another. Then there's Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes". And at least one or two books from LeGuin's Earthsea cycle, "A Wizard of Earthsea" or "Tehanu", maybe.

I have read 25 of the books above.
I want to pretty much read every book on the list that I haven't already read. I was surprised by some of the books. "To Kill a Mockingbird" was number 2? Hmm, interesting.

I have also read 21 books on the list...

I've read 21 and there are another 12 on my TBR list. I'd also like to see The Book Thief up there.

I've read 11. That's not very many!:(

Maybe I will make it my personal goal to read all of the books on this list by the end of the year (2009). 21 down, 29 to go!

But this is the list of the 50 most popular all-time books on Goodreads. It is what we, as users, tend to have the most, not necessarily what is the best...

I have read 16 out the 50, but I have a good chunk of the rest on my tbr pile. So We shall see.

Twilight isn't bad. My daughter read all of them and suggested I try one. I consider those (and Harry Potter)more of a "fun" read when I don't feel like concentrating too hard.

I've read 20, want to read another 20, and refuse to even think about reading the last 10... As has already been stated, the most popular books are not always the best books.

I've read 28 of these ... and there are about 10 or so more I'd want to read, including The Kite Runner and The Alchemist!

I really enjoyed the Twilight series. They seem to be either a love it or hate it thing.

The Kite Runner is one of my all-time favorite books! It is great! You should definitely read it!

I've read 22 of them, and have several more (The Glass Castle and The Time Traveler's Wife are on my current TBR pile) that I'd like to read.

Angels and Demons is on the list? My goodness. That book so did not grab me that I couldn't finish it. I knew it was popular, but no idea it was THAT popular.

I'm surprised Gone with the Wind is not on there.

1. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
9. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - ON TBR
11. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger - WANT TO READ
12. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
13. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
14. 1984 by George Orwell
15. Where the Sidewalk ends by Shel Silverstein
16. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
17. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - ON TBR
18. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - ON TBR
19. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
20. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - READ AT SCHOOL
21. Animal Farm by George Orwell - READ AT SCHOOL
22. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - ON TBR
23. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - READ AND LIKED IT
24. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - ON TBR
25. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
26. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
27. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon - ON TBR
28. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
29. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer - ON TBR
30. The Giver by Lois Lowry
31. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
32. The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - ON TBR
33. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
34. Life of Pi by Yann Martel - ON TBR
35. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
36. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
37. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer - ON TBR
38. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
39. Midllesex by Jeffrey Euginides
40. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - READ WHEN I WAS A KID
41. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - LOVED IT
42. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
43. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - ANOTHER BOOK I LOVED
44. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
45. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
46. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult - GEAT BOOK
47. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - ON TBR
48. Naked by David Sedaris
49. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
50. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

I've read 33 of these, have started 2 of them and have 4 more of them at home so I guess that means I've had some contact with 39 of the 50! I'm not sure if I should feel proud of that or not! It kind of makes me feel like a sheep!

Wow only read 16 but there are many that I intend to read.

I've read 18. And there are some I want to read, and some I have no intention to read at all, and I haven't enjoyed all the read books either though. :P

I've read 14 of these
I own 11 more that I haven't read yet

Little Women, The Time Travelers Wife and The Lovely Bones are overrated in my book...

Most of the books I love seem to be less popular than most. My tastes seem to be different from most people. That's OK.

lol Kellie! Little Women, The Time Travelers Wife and the Lovely Bones are amongst my all-time favourite books! It always amazes me how different people find books! It's a good thing though!!

I've read 28.
Harry Potter gets the percentages pretty high right off the bat, 9 of 10.
I have to read Catcher in the Rye.

I've read 12 and have 2 on my TBR. I half read 1984 before I was forced to return it to the library as someone else wanted it, so that's on my Want to Read list, which is currently at 5. I don't see why every single Harry Potter and Twilight book has to be on the list, taking up space. Personally, I don't like Harry Potter at all and although I'll admit that the first Twilight book is pretty good for a YA novel in it's portrayal of a teenage girl and her emotions (I'm female and 17 so I should know), it's not on par with To Kill a Mockingbird. No way. Neither is HP.

Have read 37 of these, some were a long time ago though. I think JK Rowling and Stephanie Meyer are over-represented; it doesn't seeem fair that they dominate the listings and perhaps stop some other deserving books from slipping onto the list.

I've read 37 too. I enjoyed reading the Harry Potter books, but it is odd seeing them at the top of the list.

There's only a couple of books I'd like to read on there that I haven't yet...Middlesex by Jeffrey Euginides and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Sunflower and Rora - So you don't think those books are popular enough to be on the list or to be in the position that they are at? The demographics of GoodReads members play a huge role in what is popular here.

Jamie wrote: "Sunflower and Rora - So you don't think those books are popular enough to be on the list or to be in the position that they are at? The demographics of GoodReads members play a huge role in what is..."

I just thought it was odd that out of the top 10, seven are the Harry Potter books. Like I said before, I enjoyed reading the series.

I wonder if they'll be permanently on that list, or if another reading trend will come along and change it.

Interesting question about the permanency - but I think it's a fair representation if the demographics are what I think they are.

Jamie wrote: "Sunflower and Rora - So you don't think those books are popular enough to be on the list or to be in the position that they are at? The demographics of GoodReads members play a huge role in what is..."
Oh I absolutely agree. It is, after all, a "most popular" list, and obviously reflects who they are. I was just having a moan!

I've read 18 and have 7 in my TBR pile. I have heard so many good comments for the Twilight series and Water for Elephants that I'll have to add them at some point.

I was "eh" on Twilight. I liked it OK, I guess, but wouldn't go hunting for the sequels, though I'd probably read them if they were in the house. I think I gave it three stars.

I have the second book: New moon, I think I'll just watch the movie based on the first book and, if I like it, read the one I have. I usually prefer to read the book first, but in this case, I'm sure I won't mind.

E- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG, the book is three million times better then the movie. The movie is utter and complete crap. And the second book is the worst! Please don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've only read 13 of these books, however, i've got quite a few on my to-read lists.
Khaled Hosseini is one writer i haven't gotten a chance to read as yet, together with Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series and Sue Monk Kidd.

The list isn't in order of popularity right, since Stephanie Meyer seems quite a common read to date and should be a bit higher up with the JK Rowlings. Anyway quite interesting list.

Ok, ok, I'll see if I can find the first one. It is unbelievable and outrageous, I can find the second, third and fourth books in the series at the bookstore, but no traces of the first one! That is why I figured I would wait for the movie, I won't do that now and thanks for the warning Kathryn :)



Kathryn wrote: "E- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG, the book is three million times better then the movie. The movie is utter and complete crap. And the second book is the worst! Please don..."

I am sorry, my sister made the mistake of watching the movie first and was then mad that I didn't warn her properly of just how much better the book was (how could I have known, we went to see it at the midnight showing). It is weird how that is. I actually found my copy of the first book in a used book store.

I am now up to 24...wow...

I've read 32 of them and so glad to see several of my all-time faves on the list. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and The Kite Runner are in my top five of all time. I love Marquez, but Love in the Time of Cholera is a better fave of mine.

Of the 32 I've read, all are good!!!!

Now I'm challenged to read a few of these. I really want to read Eat, Pray, Love, and some David Sedaris.

I've read 25 of the most popular - and many are on myTBR list - hoping to knock some off over camping holiday in January - my big binge for the year! My bone to pick is with eat pray love which I thought was very self indulgent and incredibly unenlightening!