100 Best Books of All Time Pt. II

In honor of World Book Day, here is what Reader's Digest thinks are the 100 Best Books of All Time. The way it's set up on that site, it actually only comes to about 99. There are ads included in the slideshow of books

26. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012)

-No one wants to hear that they have the big C, cancer. Hazel Lancaster thinks this is a death sentence, but when she meets Augustus Waters, it changes her mind on life in general

27. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll (1865)

-The 1951 Disney film had been made safe for children, but the original novels will astound anyone who reads them. They're zany, dreamlike and simply different from the Disney film. These books are told through the eyes of a child. And what a lot of people do not know is that Lewis Carroll was addicted to opium at the time of the book's writings. That's why so many of the things in both books seem so strange

28. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952)

-This book is told from the perspective of a young, nameless black man who has to navigate the 1950s, which is filled with hate and segregation. The 581 page book is a bit much for younger readers, but it will introduce the subjects or race and equality to children

29. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1967)

-This novel tells the story of a fictitious town called Macondo. Through the various tales of its residents, the author paints a picture of the beauty and pain of the human race

30. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

-This dark comedy is about a member of an Italian bomber crew during WWII. Yossarian, the member of the crew, is desperate to get out of the increasingly dangerous missions his commanders force him and the other members of his crew to do. The "catch" comes when he realizes that the rule, the "Catch-22" is ruling him as sane-and thus unable to be excused from his duties

31. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (2000)

-Despite being a graphic novel, the author tells what it is like to grow up in Tehran, Iran during the overthrowing of the Shah, the rising up of the Islamic Revolution and the destruction left behind from the Iran-Iraq War

32. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (1952)

-A much beloved book for children that has had at least two film adaptations, this much beloved books tells the story of a small pig named Wilbur, who is spared from death. A barn spider named Charlotte is desperate to help the young piglet and she makes plans to help him

33. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)

-A sci-fi anti-war novel following American soldier Billy Pilgrim. The main plot is the bombing of the German city of Dresden. The soldier starts seeing things happening in his every day life as punishment for that deadly bombing. This book has been threatened with being listed as a banned book because of the heavy use of sex and profanity. No one ever said war was pretty

34. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2009)

-Various lines of secrets, love, betrayal and redemption come together to form this novel. Marion and Shiva Stone are two children born of an Indian nun and British surgeon. They are left as orphans at a young age following the death of their mother at a young age and their father disappearing. Bound by blood relations, they leave their war-torn home of Ethiopia and head for New York City. Later on, when they return to their homeland, they find that their fates and futures intertwine

35. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X and Alex Haley (1965)

-Malcolm X was considered a controversial figure of the 1960s. While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted nothing more than everyone to be seen as equals and treat each other as such, to attain equality with non violence, Malcolm X wants the opposite. A Muslim, anti-integration supporter, he has opinions and ideas that radically differ from Dr. King

36. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson (1971)

-This kooky writer was known for his outlandish style of writing. This book will have you wondering if you've taken a hallucinogenic drug and not realized it. This drug-hazed book tells of a wild weekend in Las Vegas where Hunter S. Thompson and his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, are sent to a biker's race in the Nevada deserts. While they never got the story, their road trip is reminiscent of bygone eras

37. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpra Lahiri (1999)

-A collection of short stories, the author shows the dynamic relationships that can be created when Indian traditional culture meets American culture that doesn't offer respect for cultures of other countries that is not understood

38. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947)

-Perhaps one of the most well known books about The Holocaust, this book tells the story of Anne Frank and her family hiding from the Nazis, who are determined to rid the world, through violence and destruction, of any one they deem to be not of the "master race" or the Aryan race. It's a day to day account of what the Frank family goes through while their family must hide

39. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

-This book was considered highly erotic by many. It gained fame and notoriety for the main character's erotic preferences. It tells about love and lust and the many forms they come in

40. Love Medicine by Louise Eldrich (1984)

-The story of Romeo & Juliet, with their warring families the Montagues and Capulets, are nothing compared to the warring families of this book, the Kashpaws and Lamartines. It centers in and around a North Dakota Ojibwe reservation. It centers on two families and includes the topics of injustice, betrayal, magic

41. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (2000)

-This collection of short stories will have you laughing until you cry. The author was able to take events from life growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina and put a hysterical spin on them. The book continues on to France, where the author lived for a time, and the adventures he had living abroad

42. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2002)

-The book centers on Calliope Helen Stephanides, born to an average Greek-American family in Detroit, 1960. When she moves out of the city, she realizes she's not like most girls. It takes uncovering a family secret hidden for years to understand why she is not like other girls

43. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)

-On August 15, 1947, Saleem Sinai was born. That is the moment India gained independence and freedom. Fireworks and fanfare greet her and the other 1,000 "midnight children" who were born across India. They soon discover that it seems their health, well being, thoughts, capabilities are linked to one another. And also to their country's national history, health, power

44. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (1952)

-You'll see a battle between good and evil told over three generations between the Trask and Hamilton families. You'll see biblical similarities to Cain and Abel

45. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis (2003)

-The Oakland Athletics were written off and ignored, basically a joke. Somehow, they became one of the biggest and most successful teams in Major League Baseball. As the author reveals, the secret to their success was more with statistics than skills

46. Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham (1915)

-The main character is Philip Carey, an orphan, and he's itching for and adventure. But he's dealing with short stays in Heidelberg and Paris. Soon, after landing in London, he is eager to get out and explore the sights. He comes up Mildred, with whom he carries on a wild, but tortured affair

47. On The Road by Jack Kerouac (1957)

-A cross country road trip with friends after WWII, Jack Kerouac and friend Neal Cassidy set out to do a cross country road trip. They find adventures along the way, having drug-fueled mishaps and the burgeoning counterculture movement

48. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (1937)

-This author's name is really a pen name for Danish author Karen Blixen. She recounts life in a series of short stories growing up in East Africa, in the years following WWII. It gives an open eyed look into a region of the world largely ignored

49. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)

-The master of the classic "whodunit" mysteries, Agatha Christie captivates readers with a classic whodunit story about ten strangers invited to a beautiful mansion on a remote island. Once arrived, each guest suspects one of the others of murder

50. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth (1969)

-This book was considered extremely explicit and controversial when it was first published. This book takes an honest look at sexuality, obscenities, identity. It's a sort of day to day look at the life of a man who is lustful and is searching for some form of identity. It's awkward, cringe-inducing