These are the books that we've all either HAD to read, or chose to read to see if we could. Some of these selections are re-reads; a new perspective gained with each page. These books run the gamut from confusing to difficult. Feel free to add your personal "nightmare" reading material!
1

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3.76 avg rating — 139,443 ratings
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2

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3.43 avg rating — 565,348 ratings
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3

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4.03 avg rating — 1,068,588 ratings
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4

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3.44 avg rating — 928,960 ratings
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5

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3.90 avg rating — 2,212,342 ratings
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6

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4.17 avg rating — 370,622 ratings
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7

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3.53 avg rating — 239,533 ratings
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8

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3.93 avg rating — 7,052 ratings
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9

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3.68 avg rating — 13,723 ratings
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10

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4.03 avg rating — 209,036 ratings
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11

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3.93 avg rating — 519,375 ratings
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12

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3.91 avg rating — 240,148 ratings
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13

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4.11 avg rating — 945,923 ratings
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14

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3.86 avg rating — 184,762 ratings
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15

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3.84 avg rating — 305,213 ratings
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16

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3.86 avg rating — 198,106 ratings
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17

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3.99 avg rating — 48,518 ratings
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18

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3.50 avg rating — 350,649 ratings
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19

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3.46 avg rating — 99,470 ratings
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20

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3.89 avg rating — 339,096 ratings
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21

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4.05 avg rating — 30,608 ratings
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22

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3.96 avg rating — 282,319 ratings
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23

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3.84 avg rating — 225,116 ratings
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24

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4.02 avg rating — 49,090 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 341,465 ratings
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26

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4.39 avg rating — 397,768 ratings
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27

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3.98 avg rating — 2,107,695 ratings
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28

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4.44 avg rating — 663,260 ratings
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29

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3.38 avg rating — 183,262 ratings
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30

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4.21 avg rating — 223,129 ratings
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31

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4.10 avg rating — 553,612 ratings
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32

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4.45 avg rating — 322,539 ratings
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33

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4.09 avg rating — 205,407 ratings
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34

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3.57 avg rating — 623,254 ratings
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35

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4.03 avg rating — 1,006,634 ratings
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36

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4.10 avg rating — 1,500,260 ratings
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37

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3.98 avg rating — 126,677 ratings
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38

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3.91 avg rating — 1,940,762 ratings
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39

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3.96 avg rating — 22,112 ratings
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40

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3.98 avg rating — 134,575 ratings
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41

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3.69 avg rating — 409,155 ratings
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42

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4.20 avg rating — 5,584,333 ratings
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43

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4.07 avg rating — 382,563 ratings
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44

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3.94 avg rating — 67,301 ratings
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45

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3.77 avg rating — 99,719 ratings
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46

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3.89 avg rating — 369,836 ratings
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47

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3.19 avg rating — 19,860 ratings
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48

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4.14 avg rating — 463,577 ratings
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49

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4.10 avg rating — 53,965 ratings
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50

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4.17 avg rating — 29,034 ratings
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51

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,867,153 ratings
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52

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3.84 avg rating — 11,354 ratings
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53

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4.15 avg rating — 441,861 ratings
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54

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3.87 avg rating — 258,152 ratings
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55

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3.98 avg rating — 107,164 ratings
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56

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4.28 avg rating — 431,970 ratings
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57

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3.86 avg rating — 11,998 ratings
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58

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3.47 avg rating — 159 ratings
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59

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3.52 avg rating — 8,137 ratings
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60

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4.28 avg rating — 362,153 ratings
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61

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3.42 avg rating — 8,484 ratings
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62

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3.72 avg rating — 23,118 ratings
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62

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4.02 avg rating — 8,784 ratings
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64

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4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
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64

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4.13 avg rating — 65,136 ratings
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64

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4.83 avg rating — 112 ratings
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64

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3.47 avg rating — 2,872 ratings
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68

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4.17 avg rating — 94,923 ratings
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69

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3.87 avg rating — 959,452 ratings
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70

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3.78 avg rating — 12,764 ratings
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71

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3.77 avg rating — 151,247 ratings
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72

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3.84 avg rating — 36,460 ratings
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72

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4.15 avg rating — 1,863 ratings
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72

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3.77 avg rating — 9,399 ratings
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72

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3.86 avg rating — 3,419 ratings
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76

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3.84 avg rating — 506 ratings
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76

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4.25 avg rating — 2,267 ratings
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76

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4.09 avg rating — 31,683 ratings
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76

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4.02 avg rating — 975 ratings
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80

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3.95 avg rating — 742 ratings
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80

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3.27 avg rating — 706 ratings
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80

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4.11 avg rating — 576 ratings
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80

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3.59 avg rating — 347 ratings
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84

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3.79 avg rating — 24,706 ratings
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84

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3.88 avg rating — 2,786 ratings
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84

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3.39 avg rating — 266 ratings
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87

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3.94 avg rating — 34,701 ratings
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87

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3.83 avg rating — 3,452 ratings
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89

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3.63 avg rating — 6,485 ratings
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90

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3.18 avg rating — 226 ratings
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90

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4.05 avg rating — 18,342 ratings
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90

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3.85 avg rating — 1,685 ratings
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93

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3.98 avg rating — 13,254 ratings
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94

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3.97 avg rating — 14,008 ratings
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95

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3.60 avg rating — 30 ratings
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96

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liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
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97

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4.02 avg rating — 6,379 ratings
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98

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3.84 avg rating — 1,519 ratings
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99

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3.75 avg rating — 7,297 ratings
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100

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3.90 avg rating — 1,253 ratings
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106 books · 100 voters · list created June 18th, 2009 by Tara Lynn (votes) .
36 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Tara 2334 books
192 friends
Cristen 234 books
45 friends
A.M. 1423 books
309 friends
Leslie 2890 books
181 friends
Charlie 154 books
3 friends
Bradley 2370 books
4989 friends
Tamar 760 books
23 friends
Elise 5128 books
241 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by A.M. (new)

A.M. Great list; I always feel so guilty when I don't finish a book, but sometimes it is just impossible!


message 2: by Whitney FI (new)

Whitney FI I finished all the books for which I voted, but all took ample research, contemplation and discussion. It's those books that challenge, which are more rewarding, at least for me, in the end.


message 3: by Andrew (last edited Apr 22, 2014 11:40PM) (new)

Andrew Obrigewitsch Who is voting on this list? The Phantom of the Opera is only hard to read if you think Twilight is high literature.

Same goes for Brave New World, 1984, anything by John Steinbeck, The Shadow of the Torturer (not hard but it is weird), Fahrenheit 451 (this book is super easy to read actually) and I'm sure at least half the books I haven't read on this list are not that hard.

I would say that, "Heart of Darkness and the Congo Diary" is medium difficulty, above those listed above, but I didn't find it difficult either. The only book on hear I didn't finish was The Silmarillion, because it was just boring and felt like reading a really dry history book taken from the Bible.


message 4: by Milo (new)

Milo I agree with The Silmarillion, Andrews, but am surprised anyone found Fahrenheit 451 hard to read. Perhaps the list also includes books people were forced to read in class, when they weren't in the mood.


message 5: by A.M. (new)

A.M. Andrew wrote: "Who is voting on this list? The Phantom of the Opera is only hard to read if you think Twilight is high literature."

I think the list has changed since I last looked at it - just reviewed it all now and there's quite a few titles on there that I've read and not found difficult. But I suppose each person has their own standards of what they find difficult...


message 6: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jun 30, 2019 05:50AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Andrew wrote: "Who is voting on this list? The Phantom of the Opera is only hard to read if you think Twilight is high literature.

Same goes for Brave New World, 1984, anything by John Steinbeck, The Shadow of t..."


I'm sorry to disagree but Nineteen Eighty-Four (#48) was not exactly an 'easy' read for me either. I read books which others found difficult and vice versa. I agree with A.M. on this, what's easy for some isn't easy for another.

Beowulf (#20), for instance, is a great read, but to say it is easy? Not in my opinion....

Besides, the description clearly says These books run the gamut from confusing to difficult.


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