Nico's Journal

From communicator, the Telegraph's 50 best cult books. I gather their criterion is that all have the power to inspire, and I quote one paragraph:

Cult books include some of the most cringemaking collections of bilge ever collected between hard covers. But they also include many of the key texts of modern feminism; some of the best journalism and memoirs; some of the most entrancing and original novels in the canon.

From kerravonsen: Grab the nearest book, open to page 123, find the fifth sentence. Then post the next three sentences.

From Autumn Term by Antonia Forest:

She said hopefully: "I thought, you see, that you might be Falsely Accused and that I, as the Headmistress's Niece, could Exert my Influence to Clear Your Name."
Despite herself, Nicola grinned.
"Well, I'm not and you can't and I don't want to talk about it."

Yep, it's the latest book meme, copied from several people by now.

This is a list of the books most often tagged "unread" on LibraryThing. The rules are: bold what you have read, italicize what you started but didn't finish, and strike through what you couldn't stand. The number after each title is the number of LT users who used the tag of that book.

An interesting book rec meme from norda. I'm putting quite a few of the books listed so far on my reading list.

Once the shock of reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the fifth time in a row wears off, some readers may be wondering what they can read next. So why not start a meme of suggestions?

Copy and paste the directions and the list so far, and then add three (and only three) new fantasy or SF books to the top of the list that that those who enjoyed Harry Potter may also enjoy. Label the books as either YA (young adult, suitable for the younger fans of Harry Potter) or A (adult,suitable for the not-so-younger fans of Harry Potter). It will be understood that anything labelled YA is also recommended for A.

vilakins

Before I go to bed (after far too much to eat at Café Jazz for our anniversary), here's another one of those book lists, this one from kernezelda.
The most significant SF and Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years (1953-2002) according to the Science Fiction Book Club.

( 50 books; you know the drill )

From several people, the latest of whom is astrogirl2

1. Grab the nearest book.
   
2. Open the book to page 123.
   
3. Find the fifth sentence.
   
4. Post the text of the next 4 sentences on your LJ along with these instructions.
   
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

Exit the wealthy worker 12345/c nye molesworth and all the machines go:

A puff-a grab - sizzle - grunt - scree - ow - gosh - sizzle - screeeeeee - ect.

From communicator, 30 books every adult should have read, voted for by some British librarians. I take exception to being told I should have read anything, but I've managed over half of them. Admittedly a couple were because I was forced to at school. I still wish I hadn't been made to read Lord of the Flies at 14.

I've bolded the ones I've read and italicised the ones I've only read parts of.

( Book list )

The Times 'top 100 novels of the past 83 years', copied from communicator. Bold = read, italics = started but not finished.

( The list )

From communicator, China Mieville's list of 50 SF and fantasy stories a socialist must read (worth cheeking out for his comments). Three of my all-time favourites are on there:

Mikhail Bulgakov—The Master and Margarita
Ursula K. Le Guin—The Dispossessed
Mervyn Peake—The Gormenghast Novels

Gacked from redstarrrobot:

Under the cut is the list of the top 110 books that have been banned based on political, religious, sexual, or social grounds. Go through and bold the ones that you've read, and italicize the ones that you've read part of. (And no, seeing the movie doesn't count.)

( 110 once-banned books )