tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90315632188834758152024-03-18T10:06:10.307-05:00Writ by WhitDave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-52050856356173497042021-07-12T15:04:00.001-05:002021-07-12T15:05:45.359-05:00Classic Novels Book Club: Expectations and Guidelines<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple}</style>
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<p>
In our first meeting (July 2018) the group sketched out some reasons for wanting to be part of the book club and expectations they have. Here’s what we came up with:
<p>
1. <b>Motivation.</b> Why did people join this group? It will hopefully inspire all of us to read the classics!
<p>
2. <b>Rant/Share.</b> This should be a place where people can rant about books (or aspects of books) which they don’t like as well as share what they enjoy.
<p>
3. <b>To Finish or Not to Finish…</b> While everyone is encouraged to finish books before book club meetings, we also understand people have busy lives or may have lost motivation to finish certain books. Everyone is welcome, regardless of how far along they got in the book. Just don’t expect the group to keep quiet regarding spoilers!
<p>
4. <b>Help.</b> Another big factor in being part of a book club is the assistance we can offer each other in reaching a greater understanding of books, whether it be unpacking a complicated plot, understanding characters’ motivations, or delving into the themes behind a story.
<p>
5. <b>Social/Talk About Books.</b> A book club offers a chance to make connections with others. We want the chance to gather with others who enjoy reading and discussing what they’ve read.
<p>
6. <b>Movies.</b> We also agreed it is perfectly acceptable to watch the movie adaptations of books. Part of our discussions may even be about the differences between a book and its movie version.
<p>
7. <b>Agree to Disagree.</b> It is important that people can express their honest opinions about the books and the feelings they evoke. We must understand that we won’t always agree and that it is okay to have these differences of opinion.
<p>
8. <b>Author Background.</b> We also talked about the value of knowing some background about a book’s author and the possible motivations and context in which the book was written.
<p>
9. <b>The Discussion Board.</b> Members are encouraged to use the comments section on the meetup page in between meetings to ask questions, post links or videos, give insights about the author and the background of the book, and share observations and thoughts about the book.
<p>
10. <b>The Meeting Space.</b> As of this writing, our meetings have always been at one of the Johnson County public libraries. Know that you are permitted to bring food and drink, but the library does not allow alcohol or any kind of cooking.
<p>
<hr>
Last updated 7/12/2021. For more information about the Classic Novels Book Club, go to <a href="https://www.meetup.com/Mission-Book-Club-Meetup/">the meetup site</a>.
<hr>Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-31193729056807889592020-07-05T06:43:00.000-05:002020-07-05T06:43:55.586-05:00The All-Time Top 100 Works of Fiction<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/26/2018; updated 7/5/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
Fiction:</h1><I><h2>
Top 100 Novels</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
These are the best fiction books of all-time, according to an aggregate of more than 20 <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#fiction">lists focused specifically on fiction books</a> and another 50+ <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#general">general book lists</a>.
<p>
Note: this list was originally posted in June 2018 and that version was used as the springboard for the Classic Novels Book Club. <a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html">Check out the original list here</a>.
<p><ol>
<li>F. Scott Fitzgerald <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/f-scott-fitzgerald-great-gatsby.html">The Great Gatsby</a></i> (1925)
<li>Harper Lee <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1970/05/to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></i> (1960)
<li>J.D. Salinger <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/07/jd-salinger-catcher-in-rye-published-20.html">The Catcher in the Rye</a></i> (1951)
<li>George Orwell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1974/06/1984-by-george-orwell-published-25.html">1984</a></i> (1949)
<li> Miguel de Cervantes <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/miguel-de-cervantes-don-quixote.html">Don Quixote</a></i> (1615)
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/10/jrr-tolkien-lord-of-rings-last-book.html">The Lord of the Rings</a></i> (trilogy: 1954-55)
<li>Joseph Heller <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/11/joseph-heller-catch-22-published-10.html">Catch-22</a></i> (1961)
<li>Vladimir Nabokov <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/01/vladimir-nabokov-lolita-published-20.html">Lolita</a></i> (1955)
<li>John Steinbeck <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/04/john-steinbeck-grapes-of-wrath.html">The Grapes of Wrath</a></i> (1939)
<li>Lewis Carroll <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/11/lewis-carroll-alices-adventures-in.html">Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</a></i> (1865)
<p>
<li>James Joyce <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/02/james-joyce-ulysses-published-50-years.html">Ulysses</a></i> (1922)
<li>Gabriel García Márquez <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/11/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred.html">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a></i> (1967)
<li>Jane Austen <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/01/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice.html">Pride and Prejudice</a></i> (1813)
<li>Herman Melville <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2001/10/herman-melvilles-moby-dick-published.html">Moby-Dick</a></i> (1851)
<li>William Golding <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2004/09/william-goldings-lord-of-flies.html">Lord of the Flies</a></i> (1954)
<li>Emily Brontë <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1997/12/emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-was.html">Wuthering Heights</a></i> (1847)
<li>Leo Tolstoy <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/leo-tolstoy-war-and-peace.html">War and Peace</a></i> (1869)
<li>Mark Twain <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1984/12/mark-twains-adventures-of-huckleberry.html">The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</a></i> (1885)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/07/jk-rowling-harry-potter-novels-released.html">Harry Potter</a></i> (series: 1997-2007)
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/12/there-and-back-again-lessons-learned.html">The Hobbit</a></i> (1937)
<p>
<li>Fyodor Dostoyevsky <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/09/fyodor-dostoyevsky-crime-and-punishment.html">Crime and Punishment</a></i> (1866)
<li>Joseph Conrad <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/joseph-conrad-heart-of-darkness.html">Heart of Darkness</a></i> (1899)
<li>Charlotte Brontë <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/01/jane-eyre-by-charlotte-bronte.html">Jane Eyre</a></i> (1847)
<li>Toni Morrison <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1987/09/toni-morrisons-beloved-is-published.html">Beloved</a></i> (1987)
<li>Aldous Huxley <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/aldous-huxley-brave-new-world.html">Brave New World</a></i> (1932)
<li>Margaret Mitchell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1986/06/margaret-mitchells-gone-with-wind.html">Gone with the Wind</a></i> (1936)
<li>Homer <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/homer-odyssey.html">The Odyssey</a></i> (800 B.C.)
<li>E.B. White <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/10/eb-white-charlottes-web-published-20.html">Charlotte’s Web</a></i> (1952)
<li>C.S. Lewis <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2006/09/the-final-narnia-book-published-50.html">The Chronicles of Narnia</a></i> (series: 1950-1956)
<li>Jack Kerouac <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2007/09/jack-kerouacs-on-road-published-50.html">On the Road</a></i> (1957)
<p>
<li>Leo Tolstoy <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1977/01/leo-tolstoys-anna-karenina-published.html">Anna Karenina</a></i> (1877)
<li>Charles Dickens <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2011/07/charles-dickens-great-expectations.html">Great Expectations</a></i> (1861)
<li>Charles Dickens <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/01/charles-dickens-tale-of-two-cities.html">A Tale of Two Cities</a></i> (1859)
<li>William Faulkner <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/10/william-faulkners-sound-and-fury.html">The Sound and the Fury</a></i> (1929)
<li>George Orwell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1995/08/george-orwells-animal-farm-published-50.html">Animal Farm</a></i> (1945)
<li>Kurt Vonnegut <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/03/kurt-vonneguts-slaughterhouse-five.html">Slaughterhouse-Five</a></i> (1969)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1976/12/ernest-hemingways-sun-also-rises.html">The Sun Also Rises</a></i> (1926)
<li>Ralph Ellison <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/04/ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-published.html">Invisible Man</a></i> (1952)
<li>Marcel Proust <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1977/01/marcel-prousts-final-book-in-in-search.html"><i>In Search of Lost Time</i>, aka <i>Remembrance of Things Past</i> (<i>A La Recherche du Temps Perdu</i>)</a> (series: 1913-1927)
<li>Louisa May Alcott <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/12/little-women-yet-another-movie-version.html">Little Women</a></i> (1869)
<p>
<li>Mary Shelley <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/mary-shelley-frankenstein.html">Frankenstein</a></i> (1818)
<li>Antoine de Saint-Exupéry <i> <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1993/04/the-little-prince-published-50-years.html">The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)</a></i> (1943)
<li>Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1980/11/fyodor-m-dostoyevskys-brothers.html">The Brothers Karamazov</a></i> (1880)
<li>Margaret Atwood <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1985/12/margaret-atwoods-handmaids-tale.html">The Handmaid’s Tale</a></i> (1986)
<li>Gustave Flaubert <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2006/01/gustave-flauberts-madame-bovary.html">Madame Bovary</a></i> (1857)
<li>Douglas Adams <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/10/douglas-adams-hitchhikers-guide-to.html">The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</a></i> (1979)
<li>Alice Walker <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1982/12/alice-walkers-color-purple-published.html">The Color Purple</a></i> (1982)
<li>Homer <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/homers-iliad.html">The Iliad</a></i> (800 B.C.)
<li>Ray Bradbury <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1973/10/fahrenheit-451-by-ray-bradbury.html">Fahrenheit 451</a></i> (1953)
<li>Nathaniel Hawthorne <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2000/01/nathaniel-hawthornes-scarlet-letter.html">The Scarlet Letter</a></i> (1850)
<p>
<li>Dante Alighieri <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/dante-alighieris-divina-commedia-divine.html">The Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia)</a></i> (1320)
<li>Virginia Woolf <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1977/05/virginia-woolf-s-to-lighthouse.html">To the Lighthouse</a></i> (1927)
<li>George Eliot <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/01/george-eliots-middlemarch-published-100.html">Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life</a></i> (1872)
<li>Daphne Du Maurier <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1988/08/daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-published-50.html">Rebecca</a></i> (1938)
<li>Charles Dickens <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2000/01/charles-dickens-david-copperfield.html">David Copperfield</a></i> (1850)
<li>Frank Herbert <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/08/frank-herberts-dune-published-10-years.html">Dune</a></i> (1965)
<li>Jonathan Swift <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1976/10/jonathan-swifts-gullivers-travels.html">Gulliver’s Travels</a></i> (1726)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1990/10/ernest-hemingways-for-whom-bell-tolls.html">For Whom the Bell Tolls</a></i> (1940)
<li>Richard Adams <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/11/richard-adams-watership-down-published.html">Watership Down</a></i> (1972)
<li>Ayn Rand <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2007/10/ayn-rands-atlas-shrugged-published-50.html">Atlas Shrugged</a></i> (1957)
<p>
<li>Chinua Achebe <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/chinua-achebe-things-fall-apart.html">Things Fall Apart</a></i> (1958)
<li>James Joyce <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2016/12/james-joyces-portrait-of-artist-as.html">A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man</a></i> (1916)
<li>Anthony Burgess <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/01/anthony-burgess-clockwork-orange.html">A Clockwork Orange</a></i> (1962)
<li>Salman Rushdie <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1981/01/salman-rushdies-midnights-children.html">Midnight’s Children</a></i> (1981)
<li>Kenneth Grahame <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/04/kenneth-grahames-wind-in-willows.html">The Wind in the Willows</a></i> (1908)
<li>Albert Camus <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1992/01/albert-camus-stranger-published-50.html"><i>L’Etranger (The Stranger</i>, aka <i>The Outsider</i>)</a> (1942)
<li>Ken Kesey <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/02/ken-keseys-one-flew-over-cuckoos-nest.html">One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest</a></i> (1962)
<li>John Steinbeck <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1987/11/john-steinbecks-of-mice-and-men.html">Of Mice and Men</a></i> (1937)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/09/ernest-hemingways-old-man-and-sea.html">The Old Man and the Sea</a></i> (1952)
<li>Victor Hugo <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/01/victor-hugos-les-miserables-published.html">Les Misérables</a></i> (1862)
<p>
<li>Philip Pullman <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1995/07/philip-pullmans-golden-compass-aka.html"><i>The Golden Compass</i> (aka <i>Northern Lights</i>)</a> (1995)
<li> A.A. Milne <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1976/10/aa-milne-winnie-pooh-published-50-years.html">Winnie-the-Pooh</a></i> (1926)
<li>Edith Wharton <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/edith-wharton-age-of-innocence.html">The Age of Innocence</a></i> (1920)
<li>Jack London <i>The Call of the Wild</i> (1903)
<li>Suzanne Collins <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/09/suzanne-collins-hunger-games-published.html">The Hunger Games</a></i> (2008)
<li>L.M. Montgomery <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1908)
<li>Zora Neale Hurston <i>Their Eyes Were Watching God</i> (1937)
<li>Paulo Coelho <i>O Alquimista (The Alchemist)</i> (1987)
<li>Alexandre Dumas <i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> (1844)
<li>Oscar Wilde <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i> (1891)
<p>
<li>Daniel Defoe <i>Robinson Crusoe</i> (1719)
<li>Lois Lowry <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/12/lois-lowrys-giver-what-does-your.html">The Giver</a></i> (1993)
<li>Robert Louis Stevenson <i>Treasure Island</i> (1883)
<li>Madeleine L’Engle <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> (1962)
<li>Richard Wright <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1990/03/richard-wrights-native-son-published-50.html">Native Son</a></i> (1940)
<li>Sir Arthur Conan Doyle <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1992/10/the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes.html">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> (1887)
<li>Virginia Woolf <i>Mrs. Dalloway</i> (1925)
<li>E.M. Forster <i>A Passage to India</i> (1924)
<li>Geoffrey Chaucer <i>The Canterbury Tales</i> (1387)
<li>Markus Zusak <i>The Book Thief</i> (2005)
<p>
<li>William Faulkner <i>As I Lay Dying</i> (1930)
<li>John Irving <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/12/john-irving-prayer-for-owen-meany.html">A Prayer for Owen Meany</a></i> (1989)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i>A Farewell to Arms</i> (1929)
<li>Erich Maria Remarque <i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> (1929)
<li>S.E. Hinton <i>The Outsiders</i> (1967)
<li>Franz Kafka <i>The Trial</i> (1925)
<li>Dan Brown <i>The Da Vinci Code</i> (2004)
<li>William Shakespeare <i>Hamlet</i> (1603)
<li>Stephen King <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1978/09/stephen-kings-stand-published-this-month.html">The Stand</a></i> (1978)
<li>Bram Stoker <i>Dracula</i> (1897)
</ol>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li>Writ by Whit “<a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#fiction">Best Book Lists: Fiction</a>”
<li>Writ by Whit “<a href="https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/books-that-shaped-america/overview.html">Best Book Lists: General</a>”
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-47246868247723930912020-07-01T23:45:00.000-05:002020-07-01T23:45:46.167-05:00Muhammad - the Qur’an<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 7/1/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
<!—Image --><center> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ENGLISH-TRANSLATION-COMMENTARY-English-Arabic/dp/0913321052/ref=as_li_ss_il?dchild=1&keywords=Muhammad+%E2%80%93+Qur%E2%80%99an&qid=1593663060&sr=8-9&linkCode=li2&tag=davesmucom-20&linkId=22123dc3f07b14fd65e86a21fa601383&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0913321052&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=davesmucom-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=davesmucom-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0913321052" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><p>
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<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><i><h1>
Qur’an</h1></I><h2>
Muhammad</h2><p>
</TD></TR></table>
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<p><font color=purple><B>Written:</B></font> year 609 to 632 CE
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> religion
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 800 million
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Accolades</b> <i>(click on badges to see full lists): </i></font><center>
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<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
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<!—Non-Fiction: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/non-fiction-books-top-100.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/nonfiction.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
The Qur’an is the religious text of Islam described within as a book of guidance for mankind. Muslims view it as the culmination of divine messages and the liteal word of God (Allah) as orally revealed to the prophet Mohammad through the angel Gabriel.
<p>
Islamic tradition says the first revelation happened in 609 CE in the Cave or Hira during one of Muhammad’s isolated retreats to the mountains. He continued to receive revelations until his death in 632 CE. The Qur’an is considered of proof of Muhammad’s prophethood and his most important miracle.
<p>
Muhammad himself didn’t know how to write, but his companions served as scribes and memorized large chunks of Muhammad’s revelations. After his death, his companions compiled it and a standard version was established by Uthman. It assumes some familiarity with events already recounted in other scriptures, such as the Bible, and presents some alternative accounts and interpretations of some events.
<p>
During prayer, the Qur’an is recited only in Arabic and in the month of Ramadan, Muslims typically recite the Qur’an in its entirety. It has been a tradition that children memorize the more than 6200 verses. Those who succeed are given the title of Hafiz.
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ENGLISH-TRANSLATION-COMMENTARY-English-Arabic/dp/0913321052/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=Muhammad+%E2%80%93+Qur%E2%80%99an&qid=1593663060&sr=8-9">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>WK</sup> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran">Wikipedia</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1QubL8q84es" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-39817903966345452952020-06-29T11:19:00.000-05:002020-06-29T11:19:59.467-05:00Top 100 Novels for Children and Teens<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 2/19/2019; updated 6/29/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/young-adult.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
Novels for Children and Teens:</h1><I><h2>
The Top 100 of All Time</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
<p>
This is a consolidation of two previous lists: “The Top 50 Children’s Novels” and “The Top 50 Young Adult Books.” It aggregates a dozen lists specific to <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#young_adult">young adult books</a>, more than 25 <a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#children">general children’s book lists</a>, and another 50+ <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#general">general book lists</a>.
<p><ol>
<li>J.K. Rowling <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/07/jk-rowling-harry-potter-novels-released.html">Harry Potter</a></i> (series, 1997-2007)
<li>E.B. White <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/10/eb-white-charlottes-web-published-20.html">Charlotte’s Web</a></i> (1952)
<li>C.S. Lewis <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2006/09/the-final-narnia-book-published-50.html">The Chronicles of Narnia</a></i> (series: 1950-1956)
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/12/there-and-back-again-lessons-learned.html">The Hobbit</a></i> (1937)
<li>Madeleine L’Engle <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> (1962)
<li>Roald Dahl <i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> (1964)
<li>Lois Lowry <i>The Giver</i> (1994)
<li>Katherine Paterson <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-bridge-to-terabithia-connecting.html">The Bridge to Terabithia</a></i> (1977)
<li> A.A. Milne <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1976/10/aa-milne-winnie-pooh-published-50-years.html">Winnie-the-Pooh</a></i> (1926) / <i>The House at Pooh Corner</i> (1928)
<li>Suzanne Collins <i>The Hunger Games</i> (trilogy: 2008-10)
<p>
<li>Louis Sachar <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/08/holes-how-to-convert-book-to-movie.html">Holes</a></i> (2000)
<li>Lewis Carroll <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/11/lewis-carroll-alices-adventures-in.html">Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</a></i> (1865)
<li>Antoine de Saint-Exupéry <i> <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1993/04/the-little-prince-published-50-years.html">The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)</a></i> (1943)
<li>S.E. Hinton <i>The Outsiders</i> (1968)
<li>Philip Pullman <i>His Dark Materials</i> (trilogy: 1995-2000)
<li>Frances Hodgson Burnett <i>The Secret Garden</i> (1987)
<li>L.M. Montgomery <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1908)
<li>Norton Juster <i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i> (1961)
<li>E.L. Konigsburg <i>From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler</i> (1967)
<li>Lois Lowry <i>Number the Stars</i> (1990)
<p>
<li>Elizabeth George Speare <i>The Witch of Blackbird Pond</i> (1959)
<li>Gary Paulsen <i>Hatchet</i> (1987)
<li>Astrid Lingren <i>Pippi Longstocking</i> (1945)
<li>Shel Silverstein <i>Where the Sidewalk Ends</i> (1974)
<li>Harper Lee <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1970/05/to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></i> (1960)
<li>Daniel Handler as Lemony Snicket <i>A Series of Unforunate Events</i> (series: 1999-2006)
<li>Louisa May Alcott <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/12/little-women-yet-another-movie-version.html">Little Women</a></i> (1869)
<li>Roald Dahl <i>Matilda</i> (1988)
<li>Mildred D. Taylor <i>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry</i> (1977)
<li>Louise Fitzhugh <i>Harriet the Spy</i> (1964)
<p>
<li>Judy Blume <i>Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret</i> (1972)
<li>Natalie Babbit <i>Tuck Everlasting</i> (1975)
<li>Markus Zusak <i>The Book Thief</i> (2005)
<li>Scott O’Dell <i>Island of the Blue Dolphins</i> (1961)
<li>John Green <i>Looking for Alaska</i> (2005)
<li>Laura Ingalls Wilder <i>Little House</i> (series: 1932-1971)
<li>Frank L. Baum <i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</i> (1900)
<li>Kate DiCamillo <i>Because of Winn-Dixie</i> (2000)
<li>Mark Haddon <i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</i> (2003)
<li>Robert C. O’Brien <i>Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH</i> (1970)
<p>
<li>William Grahame <i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (1908)
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/10/jrr-tolkien-lord-of-rings-last-book.html">The Lord of the Rings</a></i> (trilogy: 1954-55)
<li>William Golding <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2004/09/william-goldings-lord-of-flies.html">Lord of the Flies</a></i> (1954)
<li> J.D. Salinger <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/07/jd-salinger-catcher-in-rye-published-20.html">The Catcher in the Rye</a></i> (1951)
<li>E.B. White <i>Stuart Little</i> (1945)
<li>Wilson Rawls <i>Where the Red Fern Grows</i> (1974)
<li>Sharon Creech <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/12/walk-two-moons-and-art-of-telling-two.html">Walk Two Moons</a></i> (1994)
<li>Ursula K. Le Guin <i>The Earthsea Cycle</i> (series: 1968-2001)
<li>Sherman Alexie <i>The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian</i> (2007)
<li>Roald Dahl <i>James and the Giant Peach</i> (1988)
<p>
<li>Rick Riordan <i>Percy Jackson & the Olympians</i> (series: 2005-2009)
<li>Ellen Raskin <i>The Westing Game</i> (1978)
<li>Esther Forbes <i>Johnny Tremain</i> (1943)
<li>Beverly Cleary <i>Ramona</i> (series: 1955-1999)
<li>Neil Gaiman <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-graveyard-book-location-location.html">The Graveyard Book</a></i> (2010)
<li>Jack London <i>The Call of the Wild</i> (1903)
<li>Mark Twain <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1984/12/mark-twains-adventures-of-huckleberry.html">The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</a></i> (1885)
<li>Stephen Chbosky <i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> (1999)
<li>John Green <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> (2012)
<li>Kate DiCamillo <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-tale-of-despereaux-and-how-to-tell.html">The Tale of Despereaux</a></i> (2003)
<p>
<li>Orscon Scott Card <i>Ender’s Game</i> (1968)
<li>Anne Frank <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1997/06/anne-franks-diary-of-young-girl.html"><i>The Diary of a Young Girl</i> (aka <i>The Diary of Anne Frank)</i></a> (1947)
<li>Patricia MacLachlan <i>Sarah, Plain and Tall</i> (1985)
<li>Richard Adams <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/11/richard-adams-watership-down-published.html">Watership Down</a></i> (1972)
<li>Jerry Spinelli <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/11/maniac-magee-and-fine-art-of-getting.html">Maniac Magee</a></i> (1990)
<li>Robert Louis Stevenson <i>Treasure Island</i> (1883)
<li>Michael Bond <i>A Bear Called Paddington</i> (1960)
<li>Anna Sewell <i>Black Beauty</i> (1877)
<li>Mary Norton <i>The Borrowers</i> (1953)
<li>William H. Armstrong <i>Sounder</i> (1970)
<p>
<li>Pam Munoz Ryan <i>Esperanza Rising</i> (2000)
<li>J.M. Barrie <i>Peter Pan</i> (aka <i>Peter and Wendy</i>) (1911)
<li>Roald Dahl <i>The BFG</i> (1982)
<li>Meg Rosoff <i>How I Live Now</i> (2004)
<li>Judy Blume <i>Forever…</i> (1975)
<li>R.J. Palacio <i>Wonder</i> (2012)
<li>Judy Blume <i>Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing</i> (1972)
<li>Diane Wynne Jones <i>Howl’s Moving Castle</i> (1986)
<li>Laurie Anderson <i>Speak</i> (2011)
<li>Lynne Reid Banks <i>The Indian in the Cupboard</i> (series: 1980-1998)
<p>
<li>Christopher Paolini <i>Inheritance</i> (series: 2003-2011)
<li>Rudyard Kipling <i>The Jungle Book</i> (1894)
<li>Douglas Adams <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/10/douglas-adams-hitchhikers-guide-to.html">The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</a></i> (1979)
<li>William Goldman <i>The Princess Bride</i> (1973)
<li>Richard Atwater <i>Mr. Popper’s Penguins</i> (1938)
<li>Jean Craighead George <i>Julie of the Wolves</i> (1972)
<li>Gene Luen Yang <i>American Born Chinese</i> (2006)
<li>Brian Selznick <i>The Invention of Hugo Cabret</i> (2007)
<li>Johanna Spyri <i>Heidi</i> (aka <i>Heidi’s Years of Wandering and Learning</i>) (<i>Heidis Lehr - und Wnaderjahre</a></i>) (1880)
<li>T.H. White <i>The Sword in the Stone</i> (1938)
<p>
<li>P.L. Travers <i>Mary Poppins</i> (1934)
<li>Jeff Kinney <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i> (series: 2007-)
<li>Sheila Burnford <i>The Incredible Journey</i> (1984)
<li>Shaun Tan <i>The Arrival</i> (2006)
<li>Jane Austen <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/01/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice.html">Pride and Prejudice</a></i> (1813)
<li>Parick Ness <i>A Monster Calls</i> (2011)
<li>Veronica Roth <i>Divergent</i> (series: 2011-2013)
<li>Janette Sebring Lowrey <i>The Poky Little Puppy</i> (1942)
<li>Christopher Paul Curtis <i>Bud Not Buddy</i> (2000)
<li>anonymous <i>Go Ask Alice</i> (1976)
</ol>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#young_adult">young adult book lists</a>
<li><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#children">general children’s book lists</a>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#general">general book lists</a>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/childrens-picture-books-all-time-top-50.html">top children’s picture books</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-27942554431284085602020-06-25T19:04:00.000-05:002020-07-06T10:39:45.859-05:00Homer The Odyssey<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/20/2020; updated 7/6/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
<!—Image --><center> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Homer/dp/150020014X/ref=as_li_ss_il?dchild=1&keywords=homer+the+odyssey&qid=1592712874&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFPWTAzUE44RzZKVkcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4NTY2NTgyRFlCTllLMEdNSk5HJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5NzcxMTkxT1BGTFcyRDcxNzJHJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==&linkCode=li2&tag=davesmucom-20&linkId=09a0f8274cb3d1bc7c8f536f65aa682e&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=150020014X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=davesmucom-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=davesmucom-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=150020014X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://amzn.to/2BqFIvY"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><i><h1>
The Odyssey</h1></i><h2>
Homer</h2><p>
</TD></TR></table>
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<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 800 B.C.
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> historical/epic poetry
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 45 million
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>
Accolades</b> <i>(click on badges to see full lists): </i></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Amazon: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/amazon-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/amazon.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Best-Sellers: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-top-100-best-selling-books-of-all.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/bestseller.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Good Reads--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/12/goodreads-top-150-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/goodreads.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Newsweek: Top 100 Books--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/06/newsweek-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newsweek.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Penguin Classics--><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penguin_Classics"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/penguin-classics.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Telegraph: The Perfect Library--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/04/telegraph-perfect-library.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/telegraph.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“<i>The Odyssey</i> is the original collection of tall traveler’s tales. Odysseus, on his way home from the Trojan War, encounters all kinds of marvels from one-eyed giants to witches and beautiful temptresses. His adventures are many and memorable before he gets back to Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
The epic poem “retells the events of the war between Greece and the city of Troy, focusing on Achilles' quarrel with Agamemnon.” <sup>BN</sup> “Helen, queen of Sparta and the most beautiful woman in the world, is kidnapped by Paris, a Trojan prince. Hungry for revenge, the Greek Army lays siege on Troy. For nine long years they are unsuccessful – until they come up with a plan for their greatest-ever attack on the city. For victory or death, the two armies will collide for the final time.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
“We can never be certain that both these stories belonged to Homer. In fact, ‘Homer’ may not be a real name but a kind of nickname meaning perhaps ‘the hostage’ or ‘the blind one’. Whatever the truth of their origin…these tales… developed around three thousand years ago, may well still be read in three thousand years’ time.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
“Its symbolic evocation of human life as an epic journey homewards has inspired everything from James Joyce’s Ulysses to the Coen brothers' film, <i>O Brother Where Art Thou?</i>” <sup>TG</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Homer/dp/0140268863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527559716&sr=8-1&keywords=homer+the+odyssey">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=kr48khFB9V&isbn=0753457229&itm=2">Barnes & Noble</a>
<li><sup>LN</sup> <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/homer/iliad/">The Literature Network</a> (read online)
<li><sup>TG</sup> <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3672376/110-best-books-The-perfect-library.html">Telegraph: The Perfect Library</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8Z9FQxcCAZ0" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-64589339150467687832020-06-25T19:00:00.001-05:002020-07-06T10:40:59.431-05:00Homer's The Iliad<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/25/2020; updated 7/6/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
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<!—Image --><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Iliad-Homer/dp/154499396X/ref=as_li_ss_il?dchild=1&keywords=homer+the+iliad&qid=1593129375&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE0MVdMN1c1M1FWV1omZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4OTUwMDEyN0czMk1RODg5RUU4JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzMzMwOTcyWFRDUlFLR0JHOUhGJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==&linkCode=li2&tag=davesmucom-20&linkId=be6f9abd78a363f65d9361a71cbe286b&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=154499396X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=davesmucom-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=davesmucom-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=154499396X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://amzn.to/2ZgJuR4"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><i><h1>
The Iliad</h1></i><h2>
Homer</h2><p>
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<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 800 B.C.
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> historical/epic poetry
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> ?
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<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>
Accolades</b> <i>(click on badges to see full lists): </i></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Amazon: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/amazon-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/amazon.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Newsweek: Top 100 Books--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/06/newsweek-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newsweek.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Telegraph: The Perfect Library--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/04/telegraph-perfect-library.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/telegraph.jpg" height=75></a>
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About the Book:</B></font><p>
“<i>The Iliad</i> is the oldest Greek poem and perhaps the best-known epic in Western literature.” <sup>BN</sup> It “recreates a few dramatic weeks near the end of the fabled Trojan War, ending with the funeral of Hector, defender of the doomed city. Through its majestic verses stride…fabled heroes…never far from the center of the story are the quarreling gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
It found “eager new audiences when it was translated into many languages during the Renaissance.” <sup>BN</sup> It has subsequently “inspired countless works” <sup>BN</sup> and become “a beloved fixture of early Greek culture,” <sup>BN</sup> “Its themes of honor, power, status, heroism, and the whims of the gods have ensured its enduring popularity and immeasurable cultural influence.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
The Greek poet Homer is attributed with writing both <i>The Iliad</i> and <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/homer-odyssey.html">The Odyssey</a></i> although there is debate about “whether his works are…by the same hand, or have their origins in the lays of Homer and his followers (Homeridae).” <sup>LN</sup> In addition, this “assemblage of stories and legends shaped into a compelling single narrative” <sup>BN</sup> “was probably recited orally by bards for generations before being written down in the eighth century B.C.” <sup>BN</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-iliad-homer/1116743912?ean=9781593082321#/">Barnes & Noble</a>
<li><sup>LN</sup> <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/homer/iliad/">The Literature Network</a> (read online)
<li><sup>TG</sup> <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3672376/110-best-books-The-perfect-library.html">Telegraph: The Perfect Library</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: summary --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-QPXpCqwHec" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-19031920890476729562020-06-25T09:24:00.000-05:002020-06-25T09:24:21.073-05:00Amazon: Top 100 Books<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/25/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/amazon.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
Amazon:</h1><I><h2>
Top 100 Books</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
This list was created by aggregating six different Amazon lists (see details at bottom of page).
<p><ol>
<li>F. Scott Fitzgerald <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/f-scott-fitzgerald-great-gatsby.html">The Great Gatsby</a></i> (1925)
<li>Jane Austen <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/01/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice.html">Pride and Prejudice</a></i> (1813)
<li>Harper Lee <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1970/05/to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></i> (1960)
<li>George Orwell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1974/06/1984-by-george-orwell-published-25.html">1984</a></i> (1949)
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/10/jrr-tolkien-lord-of-rings-last-book.html">The Lord of the Rings</a></i> (trilogy: 1954-55)
<li>J.D. Salinger <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/07/jd-salinger-catcher-in-rye-published-20.html">The Catcher in the Rye</a></i> (1951)
<li>Suzanne Collins <i>The Hunger Games</i> (trilogy: 2008-2010)
<li>Ray Bradbury <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1973/10/fahrenheit-451-by-ray-bradbury.html">Fahrenheit 451</a></i> (1953)
<li>John Green <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> (2012)
<li>George R.R. Martin <i>A Game of Thrones</i> (1996)
<p>
<li>Gillian Flynn <i>Gone Girl</i> (2012)
<li>Laura Hillenbrand <i>Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival</i> (2010)
<li>Kurt Vonnegut <i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i> (1969)
<li>William Golding <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2004/09/william-goldings-lord-of-flies.html">Lord of the Flies</a></i> (1954)
<li>J.K. Rowling <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1997/06/first-harry-potter-book-published.html"><i>Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone</a></i> (aka <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)</i></a> (1997)
<li>Markus Zusak <i>The Book Thief</i> (2005)
<li>Joseph Heller <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/11/joseph-heller-catch-22-published-10.html">Catch-22</a></i> (1961)
<li>Vladimir Nabokov <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/01/vladimir-nabokov-lolita-published-20.html">Lolita</a></i> (1955)
<li>Margaret Atwood <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1985/12/margaret-atwoods-handmaids-tale.html">The Handmaid’s Tale</a></i> (1986)
<li>Barbara Kingsolver <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i> (1998)
<p>
<li>Cormac McCarthy <i>The Road</i> (2007)
<li>Veronica Roth <i>Divergent</i> (2011)
<li>R.J. Palacio <i>Wonder</i> (2012)
<li>Mark Twain <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1984/12/mark-twains-adventures-of-huckleberry.html">The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</a></i> (1885)
<li>Paula Hawkins <i>The Girl on the Train</i> (2015)
<li>E.L. James <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i> (trilogy: 2011-2012)
<li>Liane Moriarty <i>The Husband’s Secret</i> (2013)
<li>Kathyrn Stockett <i>The Help</i> (2009)
<li>Todd Burpo & Lynn Vincent <i>Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back</i> (2010)
<li>Joseph Conrad <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/joseph-conrad-heart-of-darkness.html">Heart of Darkness</a></i> (1899)
<p>
<li>Miguel de Cervantes <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/miguel-de-cervantes-don-quixote.html">Don Quixote</a></i> (1615)
<li>Homer <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/homer-odyssey.html">The Odyssey</a></i> (800 B.C.)
<li>Rick Riordan <i>The Lightning Thief</i> (2005)
<li>Lewis Carroll <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/11/lewis-carroll-alices-adventures-in.html">Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</a></i> (1865)
<li>Emily Brontë <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1997/12/emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-was.html">Wuthering Heights</a></i> (1847)
<li>Lois Lowry <i>The Giver</i> (1994)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/09/ernest-hemingways-old-man-and-sea.html">The Old Man and the Sea</a></i> (1952)
<li>Gabriel García Márquez <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/11/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred.html">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a></i> (1967)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i>The Sun Also Rises</i> (1926)
<li>Jack Kerouac <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2000/10/the-lion-witch-and-wardrobe-published.html">On the Road</a></i> (1957)
<p>
<li>Mary Shelley <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/mary-shelley-frankenstein.html">Frankenstein</a></i> (1818)
<li>Richard Adams <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/11/richard-adams-watership-down-published.html">Watership Down</a></i> (1972)
<li>Ralph Ellison <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/04/ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-published.html">Invisible Man</a></i> (1952)
<li> J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/12/there-and-back-again-lessons-learned.html">The Hobbit</a></i> (1937)
<li>Chris McDougall <i>Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen</i> (2009)
<li>Abraham Verghese <i>Cutting for Stone</i> (2009)
<li>Brené Brown <i>Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead</i> (2012)
<li>Frank Herbert <i>Dune</i> (1965)
<li>Kate Atkinson <i>Life After Life</i> (2013)
<li>John Steinbeck <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/04/john-steinbeck-grapes-of-wrath.html">The Grapes of Wrath</a></i> (1939)
<p>
<li>Viktor Frankl <i>Man’s Search for Meaning</i> (1946)
<li>Doris Kearns Goodwin <i>Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln</i> (2005)
<li>Erik Larson <i>The Devil in the White City</i> (2003)
<li>Rebecca Skloot <i>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</i> (2010)
<li>Stephen King <i>The Shining</i> (1977)
<li>Gabriel García Márquez <i>Love in the Time of Cholera</i> (1985)
<li>Fyodor Dostoyevsky <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/09/fyodor-dostoyevsky-crime-and-punishment.html">Crime and Punishment</a></i> (1866)
<li>Erich Maria Remarque <i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> (1929)
<li>Stieg Larsson <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> (2005)
<li>Louisa May Alcott <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/12/little-women-yet-another-movie-version.html">Little Women</a></i> (1869)
<p>
<li>Neil Gaiman <i>American Gods</i> (2001)
<li>Anne Frank <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1997/06/anne-franks-diary-of-young-girl.html"><i>The Diary of a Young Girl</i> (aka <i>The Diary of Anne Frank)</i></a> (1947)
<li>Charles Dickens <i>Great Expectations</i> (1861)
<li>Truman Capote <i>In Cold Blood</i> (1966)
<li>Salman Rushdie <i>Midnight’s Children</i> (1981)
<li>Stephen Hawking <i>A Brief History of Time</i> (1988)
<li>Roald Dahl <i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> (1964)
<li>Hunter S. Thompson <i>Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i> (1971)
<li>Donna Tartt <i>The Secret History</i> (1992)
<li>Oliver Sacks <i>The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat</i> (1985)
<p>
<li>C.S. Lewis <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2006/09/the-final-narnia-book-published-50.html">The Chronicles of Narnia</a></i> (series: 1950-1956)
<li>George Orwell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1995/08/george-orwells-animal-farm-published-50.html">Animal Farm</a></i> (1945)
<li>Stephenie Meyer <i>Twilight</i> (2005)
<li>John Steinbeck <i>The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights</i> (1976)
<li>Andy Weir <i>The Martian</i> (2011)
<li>Edwin A. Abbott <i>Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions</i> (1884)
<li>Rick Yancey <i>The First Book of the 5th Wave</i> (2013)
<li>James Joyce <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/02/james-joyce-ulysses-published-50-years.html">Ulysses</a></i> (1922)
<li>Herman Melville <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2001/10/herman-melvilles-moby-dick-published.html">Moby-Dick</a></i> (1851)
<li>Homer <i>The Iliad</i> (800 B.C.)
<p>
<li>Gustave Flaubert <i>Madame Bovary</i> (1857)
<li>Niccolo Machiavelli <i>The Prince</i> (1532)
<li>John Steinbeck <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1987/11/john-steinbecks-of-mice-and-men.html">Of Mice and Men</a></i> (1937)
<li>Stephen Chbosky <i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> (1999)
<li>Aldous Huxley <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/aldous-huxley-brave-new-world.html">Brave New World</a></i> (1932)
<li>C.S. Lewis <i>The Screwtape Letters</i> (1942)
<li>Charles Dickens <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1843)
<li>Ayn Rand <i>Atlas Shrugged</i> (1957)
<li>Sarah J. Maas <i>Throne of Glass</i> (2013)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i> (2007)
<p>
<li>John Green <i>Looking for Alaska</i> (2005)
<li>Spencer Johnson <i>Who Moved My Cheese?</i> (1998)
<li>Tom Rath <i>Strengths Finder 2.0</i> (2007)
<li>Zora Neale Hurston <i>Their Eyes Were Watching God</i> (1937)
<li>Kristin Hannah <i>The Nightingale</i> (2015)
<li>Albert Camus <i>The Stranger (L’Etranger)</i> (1942)
<li>James Dashner <i>The Maze Runner</i> (2009)
<li>Nathaniel Hawthorne <i>The Scarlet Letter</i> (1850)
<li>Anthony Doerr <i>All the Light We Cannot See</i> (2015)
<li>Ayn Rand <i>The Fountainhead</i> (1943)
</ol>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li>Amazon Books editors’ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8192263011">100 Books to Read in a Lifetime</a>
<P style="margin-left: 30px; font-size: 8pt">The link above goes directly to Amazon, but can also be found at <a href="https://thegreatestbooks.org/lists/100">thegreatestbooks.org</a>.
<li>Amazon UK (1/15/2018). “<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?node=4656884031">100 Books to Read in a Lifetime</a>”
<P style="margin-left: 30px; font-size: 8pt">Amazon UK editors picked 100 essential books – mostly fiction, but some non-fiction. Includes children’s books. A slightly different version of the list was posted at <a href="https://thegreatestbooks.org/lists/162">thegreatestbooks.org</a>.
<li>Amazon.com “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_17_nr_n_4?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A%211000%2Cn%3A17%2Cn%3A10399&bbn=17&ie=UTF8&qid=1527249472&rnid=17">Classic Literature and Fiction</a>”
<li>Amazon “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/142646.Amazon_most_reviewed">Most Reviewed</a>”
<P style="margin-left: 30px; font-size: 8pt">This is a top 100 ranked list on GoodReads of books on Amazon with at least 3000 reviews.
<li>Amazon “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Must-Read-Books-All-Time-ebook/dp/B013RX5ROU">Must Read Books of All Time</a>”
<P style="margin-left: 30px; font-size: 8pt">A Kindle edition on Amazon of 11 classics.
<li>Amazon “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=11913537011">Top 20 Best-selling Books of All Time</a>”
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-36210521196377992382020-06-24T04:54:00.000-05:002020-06-24T04:54:06.571-05:00The Best-Selling Book of All-Time: The Holy Bible: King James Version<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/24/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
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<!—Image --><center> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/KJV-Holy-Bible-Standard-Leather/dp/1432132660/ref=as_li_ss_il?dchild=1&keywords=holy+bible+king+james+bible&qid=1592992106&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTlRYNFFEUFZTVkg5JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODM1NjAzMTFMTDdERVpaSFFVVyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzM0MzA0MlE2UTRXWlpRVTRMMyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=&linkCode=li2&tag=davesmucom-20&linkId=4eec8720b59fbc2599c38c39fb2ecfcc&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1432132660&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=davesmucom-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=davesmucom-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1432132660" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://amzn.to/2NseMyB"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><h1>
The Holy Bible: King James Version</h1><I><h2>
Various writers</h2></i><p>
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4>
<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 1610
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> religion
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 6.7 billion (estimated)
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>
Accolades</b> <i>(click on badges to see full lists): </i></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Best-Sellers: Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/bestseller.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Good Reads--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/12/goodreads-top-150-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/goodreads.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Newsweek: Top 100 Books--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newsweek.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Non-Fiction: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/non-fiction-books-top-100.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/nonfiction.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“Shortly after inheriting the throne of England in the midst of violent religious strife, King James I called together the country’s leading churchmen and theologians at Hampton Court, ‘for the hearing, and for the determining, of things pretended to be amiss in the Church.’” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
“Out of that conference came the memorable decision to commission a new translation of the Holy Scriptures. King James I eagerly approved the idea in the hope that this new translation might help avert civil war by uniting the religious factions within his country. The uniform translation, since called the ‘King James Version,’ dramatically affected the course of development of the English-speaking world.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
“When the King James translation of the Bible was first published in 1611, it was the first time that many people throughout the English-speaking world were able to read the Old and New Testaments in their native tongue. It proved so wildly popular, in fact, that it was the only book that many families owned. The majestic scope and poetry of the King James translation’s language made an incomparable impact on Western religion, culture, and literature that still resonates today.” <sup>BN</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bible-King-James-Version-ebook/dp/B078588P4C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527301406&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=holy+bible+king+james+version&psc=1">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-holy-bible-gustave-dore/1119356295?ean=9781435167933#/">Barnes & Noble</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: How did the KJV come about?--><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KPrnizmSGrI" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-80082544988191372622020-06-22T00:21:00.000-05:002020-06-22T00:21:23.219-05:00The Top 100 Non-Fiction Books of All Time<center><img src="https://marketing.prowritingaid.com/Nonfiction.jpg" width=500> <p><i>image from prowritingaid.com</i></center><p>
<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 5/26/2018; updated 6/21/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/nonfiction.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
Non-Fiction:</h1><I><h2>
Top 100 All-Time</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
These are the best non-fiction books of all-time, according to an aggregate of more than 30 <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#nonfiction">lists focused specifically on non-fiction books</a> and another 60+ <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#general">general book lists</a>.
<p><ol>
<li>Various writers <i>The Holy Bible: King James Version</i> (1451)
<li>Mao Zedong <i>Quotations from Mao Tse-tung</i> (1966)
<li>Anne Frank <i>The Diary of a Young Girl</i> (aka <i>The Diary of Anne Frank)</i> (1947)
<li>Muhammad <i>Quran</i> (632 A.D.)
<li>Niccolo Machiavelli <i>The Prince</i> (1532)
<li>Charles Darwin <i>The Origin of Species</i> (1859)
<li>Henry David Thoreau <i>Walden, or Life in the Woods</i> (1854)
<li>Truman Capote <i>In Cold Blood</i> (1966)
<li>Plato <i>The Republic</i> (380 B.C.)
<li>Stephen Hawking <i>A Brief History of Time</i> (1988)
<p>
<li>Rachel Carson <i>Silent Spring</i> (1962)
<li>Sigmund Freud <i>The Interpretation of Dreams</i> (1900)
<li>Alex Haley & Malcolm X <i>The Autobiography of Malcolm X</i> (1965)
<li>Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels <i>The Communist Manifesto</i> (1888)
<li>Simone de Beauvoir <i>The Second Sex</i> (1948)
<li>Elie Weisel <i>Night (Un di Velt Hot Geshvign)</i> (1958)
<li>Virginia Woolf <i>A Room of One’s Own</i> (1929)
<li>Maya Angelou <i>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings</i> (1970)
<li>Hunter S. Thompson <i>Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i> (1971)
<li>St. Augustine of Hippo <i>The Confessions</i> (400 A.D.)
<p>
<li>Wei Jiangong (editor) <i>Xinhua Zidian (Xinhua Dictionary)</i> (1953)
<li>William Strunk & E.B. White <i>The Elements of Style</i> (1959)
<li>Adam Smith <i>Wealth of Nations</i> (1776)
<li>Dale Carnegie <i>How to Win Friends and Influence People</i> (1936)
<li>James D. Watson <i>The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA</i> (1968)
<li>Michel de Montaigne <i>Essays</i> (1580)
<li>Sun Tzu <i>The Art of War</i> (5th century B.C.)
<li>John Maynard Kenyes <i>General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money</i> (1936)
<li>Robert Pirsig <i>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</i> (1974)
<li>Marcus Aurelius <i>Meditations</i> (167 A.D.)
<p>
<li>Thucydides <i>The History of the Peloponnesian War</i> (5th century B.C.)
<li>Herodotus <i>The Histories</i> (5th century B.C.)
<li>Jean-Jacques Rousseau <i>Confessions</i> (1781)
<li>Henry Adams <i>The Education of Henry Adams</i> (1918)
<li>George Orwell <i>Homage to Catalonia</i> (1938)
<li>Dr. Benjamin Spock <i>The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care</i> (1946)
<li>W.E.B. DuBois <i>The Souls of Black Folks</i> (1903)
<li>Thomas Paine <i>The Rights of Man</i> (1791)
<li>Betty Friedan <i>The Feminine Mystique</i> (1963)
<li>Albert Einstein <i>Relativity: The Special and the General Theory</i> (1916)
<p>
<li>Thomas S. Kuhn <i>The Structure of Scientific Revolutions</i> (1962)
<li>Thomas Hobbes <i>Leviathan</i> (1651)
<li>Confucious <i>The Analects</i> (4th century B.C.)
<li>Howard Zinn <i>A People's History of the United States</i> (2005)
<li>Edward Gibbon <i>The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire</i> (1787)
<li>Frederick Douglass <i>Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave</i> (1845)
<li>Robert Graves <i>Goodbye to All That</i> (1929)
<li>Alexis de Tocqueville <i>Democracy in America</i> (1840)
<li>Mary Wollstonecraft <i>A Vindication of the Rights of Women</i> (1792)
<li>Karl Marx <i>Das Kapital (Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Vol. 1: The Process of Production of Capital)</i> (1867)
<p>
<li>Frank McCourt <i>Angela’s Ashes</i> (1996)
<li>Thomas Paine <i>Common Sense</i> (1776)
<li>Edward Said <i>Orientalism</i> (1978)
<li>Tom Wolfe <i>The Right Stuff</i> (1979)
<li>William James <i>The Varieties of Religious Experience</i> (1902)
<li>Viktor Frankl <i>Man’s Search for Meaning</i> (1946)
<li>Publius (Alexander Hamilton/James Madison/John Jay) (edited by Clinton Rossiter) <i>The Federalist Papers</i> (1788)
<li>Friedrich Nietzsche <i>Thus Spake Zarathustra</i> (1885)
<li>William James <i>Pragmatism</i> (1907)
<li>Oxford University Press <i>The Oxford English Dictionary</i> (1948)
<p>
<li>Noah Webster <i>Webster’s Dictionary</i> (1783)
<li>Vladimir Nabokov <i>Speak, Memory</i> (1951)
<li>Lao Tzu <i>The Way and Its Power (Tao Te Ching)</i> (4th century B.C.)
<li>Jean-Paul Sartre <i>Being and Nothingness</i> (1943)
<li>John Stewart Mill <i>On Liberty</i> (1859)
<li>Stephen R. Covey <i>7 Habits of Highly Effective People</i> (1989)
<li>Richard Dawkins <i>The Selfish Gene</i> (2006)
<li>Primo Levi <i>If This Is a Man</i> (1947)
<li>Napoleon Hill <i>Think and Grow Rich</i> (1937)
<li>Jared Diamond <i>Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies</i> (2005)
<p>
<li>Mark C. Young <i>The Guinness Book of Records</i> (1955)
<li>John Hersey <i>Hiroshima</i> (1946)
<li>Michael Herr <i>Dispatches</i> (1977)
<li>John Kenneth Galbraith <i>The Affluent Society</i> (1958)
<li>James Boswell <i>The Life of Samuel Johnson</i> (1791)
<li>James Agee & Walker Evans <i>Let Us Now Praise Famous Men</i> (1941)
<li>René Descartes<i>Discourse on Method (Discours sur la Méthode)</i> (1637)
<li>Joan Didion <i>The Year of Magical Thinking</i> (2005)
<li>Henry David Thoreau <i>Civil Disobedience</i> (1849)
<li>Euclid <i>Euclid’s Elements</i> (280 B.C.)
<p>
<li>Dee Brown <i>Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee</i> (1970)
<li>Paul Kalanithi <i>When Breath Becomes Air</i> (2016)
<li>Winston Churchill <i>The Second World War</i> (series: 1948-1953)
<li>Thomas Cranmer <i>The Book of Common Prayer</i> (1549)
<li>Joseph Smith <i>The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ</i> (1830)
<li>Galileo <i>Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems</i> (1632)
<li>Ralph Waldo Emerson <i>Essays</i> (1841)
<li>Shelby Foote <i>The Civil War</i> (1974)
<li>Art Spiegelman <i>Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History</i> (1980)
<li>Mitch Albom <i>Tuesdays with Morrie</i> (1997)
<p>
<li>Benjamin Franklin <i>The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin</i> (1793)
<li>Karen Blixen (as Isak Dinesen) <i>Out of Africa</i> (1937)
<li>Robert Baden-Powell <i>Scouting for Boys</i> (1908)
<li>Bill Wilson & Dr. Bob Smith <i>Alcoholic’s Anonymous Big Book</i> (1939)
<li>Aleksander Solzhenitsyn <i>The Gulag Archipelago</i> (1973)
<li>Tom Wolfe <i>The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test</i> (1968)
<li>Elizabeth Gilbert <i>Eat Pray Love</i> (2010)
<li>Gertrude Stein <i>The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas</i> (1993)
<li>Eric Schlosser <i>Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal</i> (2001)
<li>Jack Canfield & Victor Hansen <i>Chicken Soup for the Soul</i> (1993)
</ol>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li>Writ by Whit “<a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#nonfiction">Best Book Lists: Non-Fiction</a>
<li>Writ by Whit “<a href="https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/books-that-shaped-america/overview.html">Best Book Lists: General</a>”
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-16973790880788854832020-06-20T22:26:00.000-05:002020-07-05T13:43:36.940-05:00Leo Tolstoy War and Peace<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/10/2020; updated 7/5/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
<!—Image --><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHagWWGI5IvEn0dAHqmrs3GNnr3obIOdvcY9-yeR1yo5r0wWLu4SmXcIkuFJ5jzl9QeJB2QLcYhtzK9_U_Q0V_NbcvyPuoT1_xLlv6oCMMIJSasyuQBylTqELS75KUOJJjBdY9Qi-I8pY/s1600/war_and_peace.jpg" border=0 width=175><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://amzn.to/30Gqlub"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><h1>
War and Peace</h1><I><h2>
Leo Tolstoy</h2></i><p>
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4>
<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 1869
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> historical novel
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 36 million
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>Accolades: </b></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—BBC: The Big Read --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2003/04/bbcs-big-read-top-100.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/bbc-big-read.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Best-Sellers: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-top-100-best-selling-books-of-all.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/bestseller.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Good Reads--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/12/goodreads-top-150-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/goodreads.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Great American Read--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-great-american-read.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/great-american-read.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Newsweek: Top 100 Books--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/06/newsweek-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newsweek.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Penguin Classics--><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penguin_Classics"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/penguin-classics.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Telegraph: The Perfect Library--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/04/telegraph-perfect-library.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/telegraph.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“The most famous – and perhaps greatest – novel of all time,” <sup>BN</sup> <i>War and Peace</i> is “both an intimate study of individual passions and an epic history of Russia and its people.” <sup>BN</sup> The novel is “noted for its mastery of realistic detail and variety of psychological analysis” <sup>LN</sup> as it details “the metamorphosis of five families, some peasant, some aristocratic” <sup>AZ</sup> struggling for survival during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
“The theme of war, however, is subordinate to the story of family existence, which involves Tolstoy’s optimistic belief in the life-asserting pattern of human existence.” <sup>LN</sup> “Each individual is immersed in experiences and conversations elucidating Tolstoy’s themes of self-sacrifice and self-indulgence, anguish and ecstasy, diplomacy and deception, and religion and perdition. The complexities of character and plot are sometimes enigmatic, and names are often exhausting to recollect, but the genius of this book is everlasting.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
The impressive dialog sparkles with humor and wit, and the vivid scenes of battle are riveting.” <sup>AZ</sup> “The novel also sets forth a theory of history, concluding that there is a minimum of free choice; all is ruled by an inexorable historical determinism.” <sup>LN</sup> “<i>War and Peace</i> is nothing more or less than a complete portrait of human existence.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
The book is well known for its length. “Even the author said it couldn't be described as a novel. But the characters of Andrei, Pierre and Natasha – and the tragic and unexpected way their lives intersect – grip you for all 1,400 pages.” <sup>TG</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140444173/102-4752771-4676923?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance">Amazon</a> (review from <i>Library Journal</i> by Barbara Mann)
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/war-and-peace-barnes-noble-classics-series-leo-tolstoy/1106017536?ean=9781593080730#/">Barnes & Noble</a>
<li><sup>LN</sup> <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/war_and_peace/">The Literature Network</a>
<li><sup>TG</sup> <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3672376/110-best-books-The-perfect-library.html">Telegraph: The Perfect Library</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: Why should you read War and Peace? --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4dn7TEjnbPY" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-1444397652815410752020-06-20T21:42:00.000-05:002020-06-20T21:50:17.451-05:00All Time Best Books: Top 100<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 5/26/2018; updated 6/20/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
All-Time Books:</h1><I><h2>
Top 100</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
Inspired by the 2018 PBS special <i><a href="https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/">The Great American Read</a></i>, I assembled more than 170 best-of-books lists (<a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html">see sources here</a>) and aggregated them to create one master list of the all-time books. While these are mostly novels, there are some non-fiction books and even a few children’s picture books. Here are the results:
<p><ol>
<li>Various writers <i>The Holy Bible: King James Version</i> (1451)
<li>Mao Zedong <i>Quotations from Mao Tse-tung</i> (1966)
<li>J.D. Salinger <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/07/jd-salinger-catcher-in-rye-published-20.html">The Catcher in the Rye</a></i> (1951)
<li>F. Scott Fitzgerald <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/f-scott-fitzgerald-great-gatsby.html">The Great Gatsby</a></i> (1925)
<li>Miguel de Cervantes <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/miguel-de-cervantes-don-quixote.html">Don Quixote</a></i> (1615)
<li>Harper Lee <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1970/05/to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></i> (1960)
<li> George Orwell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1974/06/1984-by-george-orwell-published-25.html">1984</a></i> (1949)
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/10/jrr-tolkien-lord-of-rings-last-book.html">The Lord of the Rings</a></i> (trilogy: 1954-55)
<li>Vladimir Nabokov <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/01/vladimir-nabokov-lolita-published-20.html">Lolita</a></i> (1955)
<li>Lewis Carroll <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/11/lewis-carroll-alices-adventures-in.html">Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</a></i> (1865)
<p>
<li>James Joyce <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/02/james-joyce-ulysses-published-50-years.html">Ulysses</a></i> (1922)
<li>Joseph Heller <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/11/joseph-heller-catch-22-published-10.html">Catch-22</a></i> (1961)
<li>John Steinbeck <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/04/john-steinbeck-grapes-of-wrath.html">The Grapes of Wrath</a></i> (1939)
<li>Gabriel García Márquez <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/11/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred.html">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a></i> (1967)
<li>Leo Tolstoy <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/leo-tolstoy-war-and-peace.html">War and Peace</a></i> (1869)
<li> J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/12/there-and-back-again-lessons-learned.html">The Hobbit</a></i> (1937)
<li>E.B. White <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/10/eb-white-charlottes-web-published-20.html">Charlotte’s Web</a></i> (1952)
<li>Charlotte Brontë <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/01/jane-eyre-by-charlotte-bronte.html">Jane Eyre</a></i> (1847)
<li>Herman Melville <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2001/10/herman-melvilles-moby-dick-published.html">Moby-Dick</a></i> (1851)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter</i> (series, 1997-2007)
<p>
<li>Jane Austen <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/01/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice.html">Pride and Prejudice</a></i> (1813)
<li>William Golding <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2004/09/william-goldings-lord-of-flies.html">Lord of the Flies</a></i> (1954)
<li>Mark Twain <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1984/12/mark-twains-adventures-of-huckleberry.html">The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</a></i> (1885)
<li>C.S. Lewis <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2000/10/the-lion-witch-and-wardrobe-published.html">The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</a></i> (1950)
<li>Joseph Conrad <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/joseph-conrad-heart-of-darkness.html">Heart of Darkness</a></i> (1899)
<li>Margaret Mitchell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1986/06/margaret-mitchells-gone-with-wind.html">Gone with the Wind</a></i> (1936)
<li>Homer <i>The Odyssey</i> (800 B.C.)
<li>Emily Brontë <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1997/12/emily-brontes-wuthering-heights-was.html">Wuthering Heights</a></i> (1847)
<li>Toni Morrison <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1987/09/toni-morrisons-beloved-is-published.html">Beloved</a></i> (1987)
<li>Jack Kerouac <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2000/10/the-lion-witch-and-wardrobe-published.html">On the Road</a></i> (1957)
<p>
<li>Aldous Huxley <i>Brave New World</i> (1932)
<li>George Orwell <i>Animal Farm</i> (1954)
<li>Leo Tolstoy <i>Anna Karenina</i> (1877)
<li>Fyodor Dostoyevsky <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/09/fyodor-dostoyevsky-crime-and-punishment.html">Crime and Punishment</a></i> (1866)
<li>Anne Frank <i>The Diary of a Young Girl</i> (aka <i>The Diary of Anne Frank)</i> (1947)
<li>William Faulkner <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/10/william-faulkners-sound-and-fury.html">The Sound and the Fury</a></i> (1929)
<li>Charles Dickens <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1859)
<li>Kurt Vonnegut <i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i> (1969)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i>The Sun Also Rises</i> (1926)
<li>Antoine de Saint-Exupéry <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1993/04/the-little-prince-published-50-years.html">The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)</a></i> (1943)
<p>
<li>Homer <i>The Iliad</i> (800 B.C.)
<li>Muhammad <i>Quran</i> (632 A.D.)
<li>Louisa May Alcott <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/12/little-women-yet-another-movie-version.html">Little Women</a></i> (1869)
<li>Douglas Adams <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/10/douglas-adams-hitchhikers-guide-to.html">The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</a></i> (1979)
<li>Charles Dickens <i>Great Expectations</i> (1861)
<li>Dante Alighieri <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/dante-alighieris-divina-commedia-divine.html">Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy)</a></i> (1304)
<li>Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky <i>The Brothers Karamazov</i> (1880)
<li>Gustave Flaubert <i>Madame Bovary</i> (1857)
<li>Alice Walker <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1982/12/alice-walkers-color-purple-published.html">The Color Purple</a></i> (1982)
<li>Ralph Ellison <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/04/ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-published.html">Invisible Man</a></i> (1952)
<p>
<li>Ray Bradbury <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1973/10/fahrenheit-451-by-ray-bradbury.html">Fahrenheit 451</a></i> (1953)
<li>Mary Shelley <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/mary-shelley-frankenstein.html">Frankenstein</a></i> (1818)
<li>Jonathan Swift <i>Gulliver’s Travels</i> (1726)
<li>George Eliot <i>Middlemarch, a Study of Provincial Life</i> (1872)
<li>Virginia Woolf <i>To the Lighthouse</i> (1927)
<li>Nathaniel Hawthorne <i>The Scarlet Letter</i> (1850)
<li>William Grahame <i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (1908)
<li>Maurice Sendak <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> (1964)
<li>A.A. Milne <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1976/10/aa-milne-winnie-pooh-published-50-years.html">Winnie-the-Pooh</a></i> (1926)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i>For Whom the Bell Tolls</i> (1940)
<p>
<li>Charles Dickens <i>David Copperfield</i> (1850)
<li>James Joyce <i>A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man</i> (1916)
<li>L.M. Montgomery <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1908)
<li>Richard Adams <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/11/richard-adams-watership-down-published.html">Watership Down</a></i> (1972)
<li>Margaret Atwood <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1985/12/margaret-atwoods-handmaids-tale.html">The Handmaid’s Tale</a></i> (1986)
<li>John Steinbeck <i>Of Mice and Men</i> (1937)
<li>Anthony Burgess <i>A Clockwork Orange</i> (1962)
<li>Ken Kesey <i>One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest</i> (1962)
<li>Jack London <i>The Call of the Wild</i> (1903)
<li>Daphne Du Maurier <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1988/08/daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-published-50.html">Rebecca</a></i> (1938)
<p>
<li>Frank Herbert <i>Dune</i> (1965)
<li>Chinua Achebe <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/chinua-achebe-things-fall-apart.html">Things Fall Apart</a></i> (1958)
<li>Niccolo Machiavelli <i>The Prince</i> (1532)
<li>Marcel Proust <i>In Search of Lost Time</i> (1913)
<li>Salman Rushdie <i>Midnight’s Children</i> (1981)
<li>Georges Simenon <i>Maigret</i> (series, 1931-1972)
<li>Ayn Rand <i>Atlas Shrugged</i> (1957)
<li>Albert Camus <i>The Stranger</i> (1942)
<li>Oscar Wilde <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i> (1891)
<li>Charles Darwin <i>The Origin of Species</i> (1859)
<p>
<li>Victor Hugo <i>Les Misérables</i> (1862)
<li>Geoffrey Chaucer <i>The Canterbury Tales</i> (1387)
<li>Robert Louis Stevenson <i>Treasure Island</i> (1883)
<li>Daniel Defoe <i>Robinson Crusoe</i> (1719)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/09/ernest-hemingways-old-man-and-sea.html">The Old Man and the Sea</a></i> (1952)
<li>Zora Neale Hurston <i>Their Eyes Were Watching God</i> (1937)
<li>William Faulkner <i>As I Lay Dying</i> (1930)
<li>Lois Lowry <i>The Giver</i> (1994)
<li>Alexandre Dumas <i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> (1844)
<li>Henry David Thoreau <i>Walden, or Life in the Woods</i> (1854)
<p>
<li>Madeleine L’Engle <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> (1962)
<li>Paulo Coelho <i>O Alquimista (The Alchemist)</i> (1987)
<li>Franz Kafka <i>The Trial</i> (1925)
<li>Plato <i>The Republic</i> (380 B.C.)
<li>Roald Dahl <i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> (1964)
<li>Edith Wharton <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/edith-wharton-age-of-innocence.html">The Age of Innocence</a></i> (1920)
<li>Walt Whitman <i>Leaves of Grass</i> (1855)
<li>Richard Wright <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1990/03/richard-wrights-native-son-published-50.html">Native Son</a></i> (1940)
<li>Rachel Carson <i>Silent Spring</i> (1962)
<li>Truman Capote <i>In Cold Blood</i> (1966)
</ol>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#general">General (non-specific genre lists)</a>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#writbywhit">Writ by Whit (lists specially assembled by Dave Whitaker)</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#general">General (non-specific genre lists)</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#fiction">Fiction</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#nonfiction">Non-Fiction</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#picture_books">Children’s Picture Books and Read-Alouds</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#children">Children’s Novels</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#young_adult">Young Adult Novels</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#reviews">Reviews/Where to Buy and Download Books</a><br>
<li><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#sales">Sales</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-45987250111104147102020-06-16T19:06:00.000-05:002020-06-16T19:37:52.952-05:00National Book Award for Fiction<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/16/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/national_book_award.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
National Book Award for Fiction:</h1><I><h2>
1950-2019</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
The award was established in 1950 as awards to be given by writers to writers with “general fiction” as one of the categories. In the 1980s, there were several awards in the fiction category including hardcover, paperback, first novel or first work of fiction, hardcover children’s fiction, and paperback children’s fiction.
<p><ul>
<li>2019: Susan Choi <i>Trust Exercise</i>
<li>2018: Sigrid Nunez <i>The Friend</i>
<li>2017: Jesmyn Ward <i>Sing, Unburied, Sing</i>
<li>2016: Colson Whitehead <i>The Underground Railroad</i>
<li>2015: Adam Johnson <i>Fortune Smiles</i>
<li>2014: Phil Klay <i>Redeployment</i>
<li>2013: James McBride <i>The Good Lord Bird</i>
<li>2012: Louis Erdrich <i>The Round House</i>
<li>2011: Jesmyn Ward <i>Salvage the Bones</i>
<li>2010: Jamiy Gordon <i>Lord of Misrule</i>
<p>
<li>2009: Colum McCann <i>Let the Great World Spin</i>
<li>2008: Peter Matthiessen <i>Shadow Country</i>
<li>2007: Denis Johnson <i>Tree of Smoke</i>
<li>2006: Richard Powers <i>The Echo Maker</i>
<li>2005: William T. Vollmann <i>Europe Central</i>
<li>2004: Lily Tuck <i>The News from Paraguay</i>
<li>2003: Shirley Hazzard <i>The Great Fire</i>
<li>2002: Julia Glass <i>Three Junes</i>
<li>2001: Jonathan Franzen <i>The Corrections</i>
<li>2000: Susan Sontag <i>In America</i>
<p>
<li>1999: Ha Jin <i>Waiting</i>
<li>1998: Alice McDermott <i>Charming Billy</i>
<li>1997: Charles Frazier <i>Cold Mountain</i>
<li>1996: Andrea Barrett <i>Ship Fever and Other Stories</i>
<li>1995: Philip Roth <i>Sabbath’s Theater</i>
<li>1994: William Gaddis <i>A Frolic of His Own</i>
<li>1993: E. Annie Proulx <i>The Shipping News</i>
<li>1992: Cormac McCarthy <i>All the Pretty Horses</i>
<li>1991: Norman Rush <i>Mating</i>
<li>1990: Charles Johnson <i>Middle Passage</i>
<p>
<li>1989: John Casey <i>Spartina</i>
<li>1988: Pete Dexter <i>Paris Trout</i>
<li>1987: Larry Heinemann <i>Paco’s Story</i>
<li>1986: E.L. Doctorow <i>World’s Fair</i>
<li>1985: Don DeLillo <i>White Noise</i>
<li>1984: Ellen Gilchrist <i>Victory Over Japan: A Book of Stories</i>
<li>1983: Alice Walker <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1982/12/alice-walkers-color-purple-published.html">The Color Purple</a></i> (hardcover)
<li>1983: Eudora Welty <i>The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty</i> (paperback)
<li>1982: John Updike <i>Rabbit Is Rich</i> (hardcover)
<li>1982: William Maxwell <i>So Long, See You Tomorrow</i> (paperback)
<li>1981: Wright Morris <i>Plains Song: For Female Voices</i> (hardcover)
<li>1981: John Cheever <i>The Stories of John Cheever</i> (paperback)
<li>1980: William Styron <i>Sophie’s Choice</i> (hardcover)
<li>1980: John Irving <i>The World According to Garp</i> (paperback)
<p>
<li>1979: Tim O’Brien <i>Going After Cacciato</i>
<li>1978: Mary Lee Settle <i>Blood Tie</i>
<li>1977: Wallace Stegner <i>The Spectator Bird</i>
<li>1976: William Gaddis <i>J.R.</i>
<li>1975: Robert Stone <i>Dog Soldiers</i>
<li>1975: Thomas Williams <i>The Hair of Harold Roux</i>
<li>1974: Thomas Pynchon <i>Gravity’s Rainbow</i>
<li>1974: Isaac Bashevis Singer <i>A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories</i>
<li>1973: John Edward Williams <i>Augustus</i>
<li>1973: John Barth <i>Chimera</i>
<li>1972: Flannery O’Connor <i>The Complete Stories</i>
<li>1971: Saul Bellow <i>Mr. Sammler’s Planet</i>
<li>1970: Joyce Carol Oates <i>Them</i>
<p>
<li>1969: Jerzy Kosiński <i>Steps</i>
<li>1968: Thornton Wilder <i>The Eighth Day</i>
<li>1967: Bernard Malamud <i>The Fixer</i>
<li>1966: Katherine Anne Porter <i>The Collected Stories</i>
<li>1965: Saul Bellow <i>Herzog</i>
<li>1964: John Updike <i>The Centaur</i>
<li>1963: J.F. Powers <i>Morte d’Urban</i>
<li>1962: Walker Percy <i>The Moviegoer</i>
<li>1961: Conrad RIchter <i>The Waters of Kronos</i>
<li>1960: Philip Roth <i>Goodbye, Columbus</i>
<p>
<li>1959: Bernard Malamud <i>The Magic Barrel</i>
<li>1958: John Cheever <i>The Wapshot Chronicle</i>
<li>1957: Wright Morris <i>The Field of Vision</i>
<li>1956: John O’Hara <i>Ten North Frederick</i>
<li>1955: William Faulker <i>A Fable</i>
<li>1954: Saul Bellow <i>The Adventures of Augie March</i>
<li>1953: Ralph Ellison <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/04/ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-published.html">Invisible Man</a></i>
<li>1952: James Jones <i>From Here to Eternity</i>
<li>1951: William Faulkner <i>Collected Stories of William Faulkner</i>
<li>1950: Nelson Algren <i>The Man with the Golden Arm</i>
<p>
<li>1941: George Sessions Perry <i>Hold Autumn in Your Hand</i> (Bookseller Discovery: Novel)
<li>1940: Richard Llewellyn <i>How Green Was My Valley</i> (Favorite Fiction)
<li>1939: Dalton Trumbo <i>Johnny Got His Gun</i> (Most Original Book: Novel)
<li>1939: Elgin Groseclose <i>Ararat</i> (Bookseller Discovery: Novel)
<li>1939: John Steinbeck <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/04/john-steinbeck-grapes-of-wrath.html">The Grapes of Wrath</a></i> (Favorite Fiction)
<li>1938: Daphne Du Maurier <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1988/08/daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-published-50.html">Rebecca</a></i> (Favorite Fiction)
<li>1937: Lawrence Watkin <i>On Borrowed Time</i> (Bookseller Discovery: Novel)
<li>1937: A.J. Cronin <i>The Citadel</i> (Favorite Fiction)
<li>1936: Norah Lofts <i>I Met a Gypsy</i> (Bookseller Discovery: Short Stories)
<li>1936: Margaret Mitchell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1986/06/margaret-mitchells-gone-with-wind.html">Gone with the Wind</a></i> (Most Distinguished Novel)
<li>1935: Rachel Field <i>Time Out of Mind</i> (Most Distinguished Novel)
<li>1935: Charles G. Finney <i>The Circus of Dr. Lao</i> (Most Original Book: Novel)
</ul>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li>National Book Foundation: “<a href="https://www.nationalbook.org/national-book-awards/">National Book Awards</a>”
<li>Wikipedia.org: “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Book_Award_for_Fiction">National Book Award for Fiction</a>”
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-69256918710563511402020-06-16T17:44:00.000-05:002020-07-06T09:32:41.532-05:00Edith Wharton The Age of Innocence<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/16/2020; updated 7/6/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
<!—Image --><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Age-Innocence-Edith-Wharton/dp/1508475571/ref=as_li_ss_il?dchild=1&keywords=Edith+Wharton+-+The+Age+of+Innocence&qid=1592346985&s=books&sr=1-2&linkCode=li2&tag=davesmucom-20&linkId=ae88f1493c72f2dd8649f3129dd78879&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1508475571&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=davesmucom-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=davesmucom-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1508475571" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://amzn.to/37EPOWi"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><i><h1>
The Age of Innocence</h1></i><h2>
Edith Wharton</h2><p>
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4>
<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 1920
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> novel
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> ?
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>Accolades: </b></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Guardian--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-guardian-top-100-novels.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/guardian.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Modern Library: 100 Best Novels--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1998/10/modern-library-100-best-novels.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/modern-library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Newsweek: Top 100 Books--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/06/newsweek-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newsweek.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Penguin Classics--><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penguin_Classics"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/penguin-classics.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Pulitzer Prize for Fiction--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/pulitzer-prize-for-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/pulitzer.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“<i>The Age of Innocence</i> is Edith Wharton’s twelfth novel, initially serialized in four parts in the <i>Pictorial Review</i> magazine in 1920, and later released by D. Appleton and Company as a book in New York and in London. It…[was] the first novel written by a woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
“The story is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s.” <sup>AZ</sup> It is a “masterful portrait of desire and betrayal during the sumptuous Golden Age of Old New York, a time when society people “dreaded scandal more than disease.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
“This is Newland Archer’s world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage, Archer falls deeply in love with her. Torn between duty and passion, Archer struggles to make a decision that will either courageously define his life – or mercilessly destroy it.” <sup>BN</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Age-Innocence-Edith-Wharton/dp/1508475571/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527351917&sr=1-1&keywords=the+age+of+innocence">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-age-of-innocence-edith-wharton/1116685664?ean=9781593081430">Barnes & Noble</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
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Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-83624622786184822652020-06-16T13:25:00.000-05:002020-06-16T17:48:07.086-05:00Pulitzer Prize for Fiction<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/16/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/pulitzer.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction:</h1><I><h2>
1918-2020</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
Pulitzer.org explains that the prize is given “for distinguished fiction published in book form during the year by an American author, preferably dealing with American life.” It is one of seven Pulitzer prizes given annually. The Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, now for Fiction, was one of the inaugural awards when established in 1917.
<p><hr><b><center>Pulitzer Prize for Fiction</center></b><hr><ul>
<li>2020: <i>The Nickel Boys</i> by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
<li>2019: <i>The Overstory</i> by Richard Powers (W.W. Norton)
<li>2018: <i>Less</i> by Andrew Sean Greer (Lee Boudreaux Books/Little, Brown and Company)
<li>2017: <i>The Underground Railroad</i> by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
<li>2016: <i>The Sympathizer</i> by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Grove Press)
<li>2015: <i>All the Light We Cannot See</i> by Anthony Doerr (Scribner)
<li>2014: <i>The Goldfinch</i> by Donna Tartt (Little, Brown)
<li>2013: <i>The Orphan Master's Son</i> by Adam Johnson (Random House)
<li>2012: no award given
<li>2011: <i>A Visit from the Goon Squad</i> by Jennifer Egan (Alfred A.. Knopf)
<li>2010: <i>Tinkers</i> by Paul Harding (Bellevue Literary Press)
<p>
<li>2009: <i>Olive Kitteridge</i> by Elizabeth Strout (Random House)
<li>2008: <i>The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</i> by Junot Diaz (Riverhead Books)
<li>2007: <i>The Road</i> by Cormac McCarthy (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>2006: <i>March</i> by Geraldine Brooks (Viking)
<li>2005: <i>Gilead</i> by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar)
<li>2004: <i>The Known World</i> by Edward P. Jones (Amistad/ HarperCollins)
<li>2003: <i>Middlesex</i> by Jeffrey Eugenides (Farrar)
<li>2002: <i>Empire Falls</i> by Richard Russo (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>2001: <i>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay</i> by Michael Chabon (Random House)
<li>2000: <i>Interpreter of Maladies</i> by Jhumpa Lahiri (Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin)
<p>
<li>1999: <i>The Hours</i> by Michael Cunningham (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
<li>1998: <i>American Pastoral</i> by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin)
<li>1997: <i>Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer</i> by Steven Millhauser (Crown)
<li>1996: <i>Independence Day</i> by Richard Ford (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>1995: <i>The Stone Diaries</i> by Carol Shields (Viking)
<li>1994: <i>The Shipping News</i> by E. Annie Proulx (Charles Scribner's Sons)
<li>1993: <i>A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain</i> by Robert Olen Butler (Henry Holt)
<li>1992: <i>A Thousand Acres</i> by Jane Smiley (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>1991: <i>Rabbit at Rest</i> by John Updike (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>1990: <i>The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love</i> by Oscar Hijuelos (Farrar)
<p>
<li>1989: <i>Breathing Lessons</i> by Anne Tyler (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>1988: <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1987/09/toni-morrisons-beloved-is-published.html">Beloved</a></i> by Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>1987: <i>A Summons to Memphis</i> by Peter Taylor (Alfred A. Knopf)
<li>1986: <i>Lonesome Dove</i> by Larry McMurtry (Simon & Schuster)
<li>1985: <i>Foreign Affairs</i> by Alison Lurie (Random House)
<li>1984: <i>Ironweed</i> by William Kennedy (Viking)
<li>1983: <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1982/12/alice-walkers-color-purple-published.html">The Color Purple</a></i> by Alice Walker (Harcourt Brace)
<li>1982: <i>Rabbit Is Rich</i> by John Updike (Knopf)
<li>1981: <i>A Confederacy of Dunces</i> by John Kennedy Toole (Louisiana State U. Press)
<li>1980: <i>The Executioner's Song</i> by Norman Mailer (Little)
<p>
<li>1979: <i>The Stories of John Cheever</i> by John Cheever (Knopf)
<li>1978: <i>Elbow Room</i> by James Alan McPherson (Atlantic Monthly Press)
<li>1977: no award given
<li>1976: <i>Humboldt's Gift</i> by Saul Bellow (Viking)
<li>1975: <i>The Killer Angels</i> by Michael Shaara (McKay)
<li>1974: no award given
<li>1973: <i>The Optimist's Daughter</i> by Eudora Welty (Random)
<li>1972: <i>Angle of Repose</i> by Wallace Stegner (Doubleday)
<li>1971: no award given
<li>1970: <i>Collected Stories</i> by Jean Stafford (Farrar)
<p>
<li>1969: <i>House Made of Dawn</i> by N. Scott Momaday (Harper)
<li>1968: <i>The Confessions of Nat Turner</i> by William Styron (Random)
<li>1967: <i>The Fixer</i> by Bernard Malamud (Farrar)
<li>1966: <i>Collected Stories</i> by Katherine Anne Porter (Harcourt)
<li>1965: <i>The Keepers of the House</i> by Shirley Ann Grau (Random)
<li>1964: no award given
<li>1963: <i>The Reivers</i> by William Faulkner (Random)
<li>1962: <i>The Edge of Sadness</i> by Edwin O'Connor (Little)
<li>1961: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1970/05/to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></i> by Harper Lee (Lippincott)
<li>1960: <i>Advise and Consent</i> by Allen Drury (Doubleday)
<p>
<li>1959: <i>The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters</i> by Robert Lewis Taylor (Doubleday)
<li>1958: <i>A Death in the Family</i> by James Agee (McDowell, Obolensky)
<li>1957: no award given
<li>1956: <i>Andersonville</i> by MacKinlay Kantor (World)
<li>1955: <i>A Fable</i> by William Faulkner (Random)
<li>1954: no award given
<li>1953: <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2002/09/ernest-hemingways-old-man-and-sea.html">The Old Man and the Sea</a></i> by Ernest Hemingway (Scribner)
<li>1952: <i>The Caine Mutiny</i> by Herman Wouk (Doubleday)
<li>1951: <i>The Town</i> by Conrad Richter (Knopf)
<li>1950: <i>The Way West</i> by A. B. Guthrie (Sloane)
<p>
<li>1949: <i>Guard of Honor</i> by James Gould Cozzens (Harcourt)
<li>1948: <i>Tales of the South Pacific</i> by James A. Michener (Macmillan)
</ul><p>
<p><hr><b><center>Pulitzer Prize for the Novel</center></b><hr><ul>
<li>1947: <i>All the King's Men</i> by Robert Penn Warren (Harcourt)
<li>1945: <i>A Bell for Adano</i> by John Hersey (Knopf)
<li>1944: <i>Journey in the Dark</i> by Martin Flavin (Harper)
<li>1943: <i>Dragon's Teeth</i> by Upton Sinclair (Viking)
<li>1942: <i>In This Our Life</i> by Ellen Glasgow (Harcourt)
<li>1941: no award given
<li>1940: <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1979/04/john-steinbeck-grapes-of-wrath.html">The Grapes of Wrath</a></i> by John Steinbeck (Viking)
<p>
<li>1939: <i>The Yearling</i> by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Scribner)
<li>1938: <i>The Late George Apley</i> by John Phillips Marquand (Little)
<li>1937: <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1986/06/margaret-mitchells-gone-with-wind.html">Gone with the Wind</a></i> by Margaret Mitchell (Macmillan)
<li>1936: <i>Honey in the Horn</i> by Harold L. Davis (Harper)
<li>1935: <i>Now in November</i> by Josephine Winslow Johnson (Simon & Schuster)
<li>1934: <i>Lamb in His Bosom</i> by Caroline Miller (Harper)
<li>1933: <i>The Store</i> by T. S. Stribling (Doubleday)
<li>1932: <i>The Good Earth</i> by Pearl S. Buck (John Day)
<li>1931: <i>Years of Grace</i> by Margaret Ayer Barnes (Houghton)
<li>1930: <i>Laughing Boy</i> by Oliver Lafarge (Houghton)
<p>
<li>1929: <i>Scarlet Sister Mary</i> by Julia Peterkin (Bobbs)
<li>1928: <i>The Bridge of San Luis Rey</i> by Thornton Wilder (Boni)
<li>1927: <i>Early Autumn</i> by Louis Bromfield (Stokes)
<li>1926: <i>Arrowsmith</i> by Sinclair Lewis (Harcourt)
<li>1925: <i>So Big</i> by Edna Ferber (Doubleday)
<li>1924: <i>The Able McLaughlins</i> by Margaret Wilson (Harper)
<li>1923: <i>One of Ours</i> by Willa Cather (Knopf)
<li>1922: <i>Alice Adams</i> by Booth Tarkington (Doubleday)
<li>1921: <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/edith-wharton-age-of-innocence.html">The Age of Innocence</a></i> by Edith Wharton (Appleton)
<li>1920: no award given
<p>
<li>1919: <i>The Magnificent Ambersons</i> by Booth Tarkington (Doubleday)
<li>1918: <i>His Family</i> by Ernest Poole (Macmillan)
</ul>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li>The Pulitzer Prizes: “<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-category/219">Fiction</a>” (1948-present)
<li>The Pulitzer Prizes: “<a href="https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-category/219">Novel</a>” (1918-1947)
<li>Wikipedia: “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Fiction">Pulitzer Prize for Fiction</a>”
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-44870702163596573292020-06-16T02:38:00.000-05:002020-06-16T02:38:03.548-05:00Newbery-Winning Books<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>Last updated 6/16/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newbery.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
Newbery Medal Winners:</h1><I><h2>
1922-2020</h2></i></TD></TR></table><table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0><p>
The Newbery Medal is an annual award given to a single book deemed representative of excellence in children's literature for that year. Because I have written middle-grade fiction, I delved into the Newbery list a few years ago and started reading them. For an assessment of what I've learned, check out <a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-ive-learned-from-reading-newbery.html">my blog post from October 2014</a>.
<p>
Here is a full list of the Newbery winners. Note: the year is when the book won the award, not necessarily its year of publication. Links go to my personal reviews of the books - and what I learned from them as a writer. I've read books marked with an asterisk, but have not reviewed them.
<p><ul>
<li>2020: <i>New Kid</i> by Jerry Craft
<li>2019: <i>Merci Suárez Changes Gears</i> by Meg Medina
<li>2018: <i>Hello, Universe</i> by Erin Entrada Kelly
<li>2017: <i>The Girl Who Drank the Moon</i> by Kelly Barnhill
<li>2016: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2016/06/last-stop-on-market-street-has-newbery.html">Last Stop on Market Street</a></i> by Matt de la Peña
<li>2015: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-crossover-by-kwame-alexander.html">The Crossover</a></i> by Kwame Alexander
<li>2014: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/06/flora-ulysses-vs-otter-and-arthur-which.html">Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures</a></i> by Kate DiCamillo
<li>2013: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-one-and-only-ivan-making-characters.html">The One and Only Ivan</a></i> by Katherine Applegate
<li>2012: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/07/dead-end-in-norvelt-avoiding-story.html">Dead End in Norvelt</a></i> by Jack Gantos
<li>2011: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/05/musing-over-moon-over-manifest.html">Moon Over Manifest</a></i> by Clare Vanderpool
<li>2010: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/05/when-you-reach-me-making-sure-you-reach.html">When You Reach Me</a></i> by Rebecca Stead
<p><center><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/05/musing-over-moon-over-manifest.html"><img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51C%2BDw33fXL._SX341_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="100"></a><p><i>This was the first one I read, the one which started me on this journey.</i></center><p>
<hr>
<li>2009: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-graveyard-book-location-location.html">The Graveyard Book</a></i> by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Dave McKean
<li>2008: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/05/good-masters-sweet-ladies-voices-from.html">Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village</a></i> by Laura Amy Schlitz
<li>2007: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-higher-power-of-lucky-are-newbery.html">The Higher Power of Lucky</a></i> by Susan Patron
<li>2006: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/08/criss-cross-unanswered-dreams-of.html">Criss Cross</a></i> by Lynne Rae Perkins
<li>2005: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/09/kira-kira-what-gives-book-its-glitter.html">Kira-Kira</a></i> by Cynthia Kadohata
<li>2004: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-tale-of-despereaux-and-how-to-tell.html">The Tale of Despereaux</a></i> by Kate DiCamillo
<li>2003: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/05/crispin-and-other-stories-of-boys-of.html">Crispin: The Cross of Lead</a></i> by Avi
<li>2002: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-single-shard-building-character-one.html">A Single Shard</a></i> by Linda Sue Park
<li>2001:<i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-year-down-yonder-and-another-novel.html">A Year Down Yonder</a></i> by Richard Peck
<li>2000: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/08/bud-not-buddy-wanna-win-newbery-write.html">Bud, Not Buddy</a></i> by Christopher Paul Curtis
<p><center><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-single-shard-building-character-one.html"><img src="https://goldsea.com/Bookview/Kids/Shard/shard.jpg" width="100"></a><p><i>Possibly my favorite yet.</i></center><p>
<hr>
<li>1999: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/08/holes-how-to-convert-book-to-movie.html">Holes</a></i> by Louis Sachar
<li>1998: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/09/out-of-dust-importance-of-research.html">Out of the Dust</a></i> by Karen Hesse
<li>1997: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-view-from-saturday-making-your.html">The View from Saturday</a></i> by E.L. Konigsburg
<li>1996: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-midwifes-apprentice-role-of-mentor.html">The Midwife's Appprentice</a></i> by Karen Cushman
<li>1995: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/12/walk-two-moons-and-art-of-telling-two.html">Walk Two Moons</a></i> by Sharon Creech
<li>1994: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/12/lois-lowrys-giver-what-does-your.html">The Giver</a></i> by Lois Lowry
<li>1993: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/12/missing-may-and-how-to-be-careful-not.html">Missing May</a></i> by Cynthia Rylant
<li>1992: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/06/shiloh-and-moral-choices-characters-face.html">Shiloh</a></i> by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
<li>1991: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/11/maniac-magee-and-fine-art-of-getting.html">Maniac Magee</a></i> by Jerry Spinelli
<li>1990: <i>Number the Stars</i> by Lois Lowry *
<p><center><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2013/12/lois-lowrys-giver-what-does-your.html"><img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51R8AA8QEVL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="100"></a><p><i>The most thought-provoking. Sort of a George Orwell '1984' for kids.</i></center><p>
<hr>
<li>1989: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/01/joyful-noise-except-that-books-dont.html">Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices</a></i> by Paul Fleischman
<li>1988: <i>Lincoln: A Photobiography</i> by Russell Freedman
<li>1987: <i>The Whipping Boy</i> by Sid Fleischman *
<li>1986: <i>Sarah, Plain and Tall</i> by Patricia MacLachlan *
<li>1985: <i>The Hero and the Crown</i> by Robin McKinley *
<li>1984: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/02/dear-ms-cleary-thanks-for-reminding.html">Dear Mr. Henshaw</a></i> by Beverly Cleary
<li>1983: <i>Dicey's Song by</i> Cynthia Voigt *
<li>1982: <i>A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers</i> by Nancy Willard
<li>1981: <i>Jacob Have I Loved</i> by Katherine Paterson *
<li>1980: <i>A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832</i> by Joan W. Blos
<hr>
<li>1979: <i>The Westing Game</i> by Ellen Raskin
<li>1978: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-bridge-to-terabithia-connecting.html">The Bridge to Terabithia</a></i> by Katherine Paterson
<li>1977: <i>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry</i> by Mildred D. Taylor
<li>1976: <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-grey-king-navigating-grey-area.html">The Grey King</a></i> by Susan Cooper
<li>1975: <i>M. C. Higgins, the Great</i> by Virginia Hamilton
<li>1974: <i>The Slave Dancer</i> by Paula Fox
<li>1973: <i>Julie of the Wolves</i> by Jean Craighead George
<li>1972: <i>Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH</i> by Robert C. O'Brien
<li>1971: <i>Summer of the Swans</i> by Betsy Byars
<li>1970: <i>Sounder</i> by William H. Armstrong
<hr>
<li>1969: <i>The High King</i> by Lloyd Alexander
<li>1968: <i>From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler</i> by E.L. Konigsburg
<li>1967: <i>Up a Road Slowly</i> by Irene Hunt
<li>1966: <i>I, Juan de Pareja</i> by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
<li>1965: <i>Shadow of a Bull</i> by Maia Wojciechowska
<li>1964: <i>It's Like This, Cat</i> by Emily Neville
<li>1963: <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> by Madeleine L'Engle
<li>1962: <i>The Bronze Bow</i> by Elizabeth George Speare
<li>1961: <i>Island of the Blue Dolphins</i> by Scott O'Dell
<li>1960: <i>Onion John</i> by Joseph Krumgold
<hr>
<li>1959: <i>The Witch of Blackbird Pond</i> by Elizabeth George Speare
<li>1958: <i>Rifles for Watie</i> by Harold Keith
<li>1957: <i>Miracles on Maple Hill</i> by Virginia Sorensen
<li>1956: <i>Carry On, Mr. Bowditch</i> by Jean Lee Latham
<li>1955: <i>The Wheel on the School</i> by Meindert DeJong
<li>1954: <i>...And Now Miguel</i> by Joseph Krumgold
<li>1953: <i>Secret of the Andes</i> by Ann Nolan Clark
<li>1952: <i>Ginger Pye</i> by Eleanor Estes
<li>1951: <i>Amos Fortune, Free Man</i> by Elizabeth Yates
<li>1950: <i>The Door in the Wall</i> by Marguerite de Angeli
<hr>
<li>1949: <i>King of the Wind</i> by Marguerite Henry
<li>1948: <i>The Twenty-One Balloons</i> by William Pène du Bois
<li>1947: <i>Miss Hickory</i> by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
<li>1946: <i>Strawberry Girl</i> by Lois Lenski
<li>1945: <i>Rabbit Hill</i> by Robert Lawson
<li>1944: <i>Johnny Tremain</i> by Esther Forbes
<li>1943: <i>Adam of the Road</i> by Elizabeth Janet Gray
<li>1942: <i>The Matchlock Gun</i> by Walter Edmonds
<li>1941: <i>Call It Courage</i> by Armstrong Sperry
<li>1940: <i>Daniel Boone</i> by James Daugherty
<hr>
<li>1939: <i>Thimble Summer</i> by Elizabeth Enright
<li>1938: <i>The White Stag</i> by Kate Seredy
<li>1937: <i>Roller Skates</i> by Ruth Sawyer
<li>1936: <i>Caddie Woodlawn</i> by Carol Ryrie Brink
<li>1935: <i>Dobry</i> by Monica Shannon
<li>1934: <i>Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women</i> by Cornelia Meigs
<li>1933: <i>Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze</i> by Elizabeth Lewis
<li>1932: <i>Waterless Mountain</i> by Laura Adams Armer
<li>1931: <i>The Cat Who Went to Heaven</i> by Elizabeth Coatsworth
<li>1930: <i>Hitty, Her First Hundred Years</i> by Rachel Field
<hr>
<li>1929: <i>The Trumpeter of Krakow</i> by Eric P. Kelly
<li>1928: <i>Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon</i> by Dhan Gopal Mukerji
<li>1927: <i>Smoky, the Cowhorse</i> by Will James
<li>1926: <i>Shen of the Sea</i> by Arthur Bowie Chrisman
<li>1925: <i>Tales from Silver Lands</i> by Charles Finger
<li>1924: <i>The Dark Frigate</i> by Charles Hawes
<li>1923: <i>The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle</i> by Hugh Lofting
<li>1922: <i>The Story of Mankind</i> by Hendrik Willem van Loon
</ul>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li>American Library Association: “<a href="http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal">Newbery Medal Home Page</a>”
<li>Writ by Whit (10/14/2014). “<a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-ive-learned-from-reading-newbery.html">What I’ve Learned from Newbery Award-Winning Books</a>”
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-29373417242473689542020-06-12T12:17:00.000-05:002020-06-26T07:03:24.717-05:00Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy)<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/12/2020; updated 6/26/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
<!—Image/Buy --><center> <iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=davesmucom-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=0451208633&asins=0451208633&linkId=2b538ea88ef4c293fa3e6ae9cb3b82b5&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><i><h1>
The Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia)</h1></I><h2>
Dante Alighieri</h2><p>
</TD></TR></table>
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<p><font color=purple><B>Completed:</B></font> 1320
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> poetry
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 12 million
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>Accolades: </b></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Newsweek: Top 100 Books--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newsweek.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Penguin Classics--><a href=" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penguin_Classics"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/penguin-classics.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Telegraph: The Perfect Library--><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3672376/110-best-books-The-perfect-library.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/telegraph.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
<i>The Divine Comedy</i> is a narrative poem begun around 1308 and completed in 1320 It is widely considered “the pre-eminent work in Italian literature.” <sup>WK</sup> Its “imaginative vision of the afterlife is representative of the medieval world-view as it had developed in the Western Curch by the 14th century.” <sup>WK</sup>
<p>
The poem consists of three parts: <i>Inferno</i>, <i>Purgatorio</i>, and <i>Paradiso</i>, focused respectively on Dante’s journeys through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. “Allegorically, the poem represents the soul’s journey towards God, beginning with the recognition and rejection of sin (<i>Inferno</i>), followed by the penitent Christian life (<i>Purgatorio</i>), … [and] the soul’s ascent to God (<i>Paradiso</i>).” <sup>WK</sup>
<p>
“Crystallizing the power and beauty inherent in the great poet’s…conception of the aspiring soul,” <sup>AZ</sup> this “poetic masterpiece…is a moving human drama” <sup>AZ</sup> and “a dazzling work of sublime truth and mystical intensity” <sup>AZ</sup> “belonging in the immortal company of the great works of literature.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
“Its intense recreation of the depths and the heights of human experience has become the key with which Western civilization has sought to unlock the mystery of its own identity.” <sup>BN</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Comedy-Inferno-Purgatorio-Paradiso/dp/0451208633/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527301178&sr=1-1&keywords=dante+the+divine+comedy">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-divine-comedy-dante-alighieri/1115409382?ean=9780679433132#/">Barnes & Noble</a>
<li><sup>WK</sup> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy">Wikipedia</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: Why should you read it? --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YbCEWSip9pQ" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-1404037403840026952020-06-12T04:28:00.000-05:002020-07-05T12:52:36.866-05:00Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 6/12/2020; last updated 7/5/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
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<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><h1>
Things Fall Apart</h1><I><h2>
Chinua Achebe</h2></i><p>
</TD></TR></table>
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<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 1958
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> poetic fiction/children’s novel
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 20 million
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>Accolades: </b></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Great American Read--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-great-american-read.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/great-american-read.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Guardian--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-guardian-top-100-novels.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/guardian.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Newsweek: Top 100 Books--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2009/06/newsweek-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/newsweek.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Time: All-Time 100 Novels--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2005/12/time-magazine-top-100-all-time-novels.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/time-magazine.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“<i>Things Fall Apart</i> is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe’s critically acclaimed African Trilogy.” <sup>AZ</sup> “Its story chronicles pre-colonial life in the south-eastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of the Europeans during the late nineteenth century.” <sup>WK</sup> “The title of the novel was borrowed from W. B. Yeats’ 1919 poem ‘The Second Coming.’” <sup>WK</sup>
<p>
The story is “told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior” <sup>AZ</sup> “and local wrestling champion in the fictional Nigerian clan of Umuofia.” <sup>WK</sup> “The work is split into three parts, with the first describing his family, personal history, and the customs and society of the Igbo, and the second and third sections introducing the influence of British colonialism and Christian missionaries on the Igbo community.” <sup>WK</sup>
<p>
<i>Things Fall Apart</i> explores one man’s futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political andreligious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.” <sup>AZ</sup> The book “provides one of the most illuminating and permanent monuments to African experience. Achebe does not only capture life in a pre-colonial African village, he conveys the tragedy of the loss of that world while broadening our understanding of our contemporary realities.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
The book has been translated into 57 languages <sup>AZ</sup> and “is a staple book in schools throughout Africa and is widely read and studied in English-speaking countries around the world.” WZ
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Things-Fall-Apart-Chinua-Achebe/dp/0385474547/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527383195&sr=1-1&keywords=things+fall+apart">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>WK</sup> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_Fall_Apart">Wikipedia</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JHF_w0gkyiI" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-56517411217541210492020-06-11T02:18:00.000-05:002020-06-11T02:18:13.974-05:00Best-Selling Books of All-Time: Top 100<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: white} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>Last updated 6/11/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table><table border=0 width=564 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD bgcolor=purple>
<!—Image --><img src="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/bestseller-promotional-sign-gold-star-wit-17637766.jpg" border=0 width=200></TD><TD bgcolor=purple><h1>
Best-Selling Books:</h1><I><h2>
All-Time Top 100</h2></i></TD></TR></table>
<table width=540 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 border=10 bordercolor="purple"><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0>
While it would seemingly be an easy task to find a list of the top-selling books of all-time, there are multiple sources and varying estimates. By assembling a variety of sources (noted at the bottom of the page), here’s what I’ve come up with as the list of the best-selling books of all-time.
<p>
Note: with the exception of <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/10/jrr-tolkien-lord-of-rings-last-book.html">The Lord of the Rings</a></i> (which was intended as one book, but published in three parts), series are not included. However, individual titles can make the list. For example, the <i>Harry Potter</i> series collectively sold 500 million copies, but is listed by individual titles since all 7 books made the list on their own accord.
<p>
There are also numerous cases of books, especially references and religious texts, where they have been reprinted and reproduced in multiple editions. The first year of publication is the one cited.
<p>
When multiple titles are estimated to have sold the same amount, the books are listed in order of which have the most overall points in my database.
<p>
Enough talk. Here are the results:
<hr>
<ol>
<li>6.7 billion: various writers <I>The Holy Bible: King James Version</i> (1451)
<li>6.5 billion: Mao Zedong <i>Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung</i> (1966)
<li>800 million: Muhammad <i>Quran</i> (632 A.D.)
<li>500 million: Miguel de Cervantes <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/miguel-de-cervantes-don-quixote.html">Don Quixote</a></i> (1615)
<li>400 million: Wei Jiangong (editor) <i>Xinhua Zidian/Xinhua Dictionary</i> (1957)
<li>200 million: Charles Dickens <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1859)
<li>150 million: J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/10/jrr-tolkien-lord-of-rings-last-book.html">The Lord of the Rings</a></i> (trilogy: 1954-55)
<li>150 million: Robert Baden-Powell <i>Scouting for Boys</i> (1908)
<li>142 million: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry <i>The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)</i> (1943)
<li>140.6 million: J.R.R. Tolkien <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/12/there-and-back-again-lessons-learned.html">The Hobbit</a></i> (1937)
<p>
<li>125 million: John Bunyan <i>The Pilgrim’s Progress</i> (1678)
<li>125 million: John Foxe <i>Foxe’s Book of Martyrs</i> (1563)
<li>125 million: Thomas Cranmer <i>The Book of Common Prayer</i> (1549)
<li>123 million: Joseph Smith <i>The Book of Mormon</i> (1830)
<li>120 million: J.K. Rowling <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1997/06/first-harry-potter-book-published.html"><i>Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone</i> (aka <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)</i></a> (1997)
<li>120 million: Jehovahs’ Witnesses <i>The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life</i> (1982)
<li>115 million: Mark C. Young <i>The Guinness Book of Records</i> (1955)
<li>105 million: Jehovah’s Witnesses <i>You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth</i> (1982)
<li>100 million: Lewis Carroll <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/11/lewis-carroll-alices-adventures-in.html">Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</a></i> (1865)
<li>100 million: Agatha Christie <i>And Then There Were None</i> (1939)
<p>
<li>100 million: Ts’ao Hsueh-ch’in <i>The Dream of the Red Chamber</i> (1791)
<li>100 million: Noah Webster <i>The American Spelling Book/Webster’s Dictionary</i> (1783)
<li>100 million: H. Rider Haggard <i>She: A History of Adventure</i> (1887)
<li>85 million: C.S. Lewis <i>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</i> (1950)
<li>80 million: Dan Brown <i>The Da Vinci Code</i> (2004)
<li>80 million: Carlo Collodi <i>The Adventures of Pinocchio</i> (1881)
<li>80 million: World Almanac editors <i>World Almanac</i> (1868)
<li>80 million: Ved Prakash Sharma <i>Vardi Wala Gunda</i> (1992)
<li>79 million: Kazuko Hosoki <i>Rokusei Senjutsu (Six-Star Astrology Tells Your Fortune)</i> (1986)
<li>77 million: J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</i> (1998)
<li>70 million: Napoleon Hill <i>Think and Grow Rich</i> (1937)
<p><i>65 million:</i><p>
<li> J.D. Salinger <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/07/jd-salinger-catcher-in-rye-published-20.html">The Catcher in the Rye</a></i> (1951)
<li>Paulo Coelho <i>O Alquimista (The Alchemist)</i> (1987)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</i> (1999)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</i> (2000)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i> (2007)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</i> (2003)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</i> (2005)
<p><i>60 million:</i><p>
<li>Sir Arthur Conan Doyle <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1992/10/the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes.html">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</a></i> (1887)
<li>Jules Verne <i>Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea</i> (1870)
<li>Robert James Waller <i>The Bridges of Madison County</i> (1992)
<li>Ellen G. White <i>Steps to Christ</i> (1892)
<p><i>50-55 million:</i><p>
<li>Merriam-Webster <i>Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary</i> (1898)
<li>Vladimir Nabokov <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1975/01/vladimir-nabokov-lolita-published-20.html">Lolita</a></i> (1955)
<li>Gabriel García Márquez <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/11/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred.html">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a></i> (1967)
<li>E.B. White <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1972/10/eb-white-charlottes-web-published-20.html">Charlotte’s Web</a></i> (1952)
<li>L.M. Montgomery <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1908)
<li>Richard Adams <i>Watership Down</i> (1972)
<li>Umberto Eco <i>The Name of the Rose (Il Nome della Rosa)</i> (1980)
<li>Dr. Benjamin Spock <i>The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care</i> (1946)
<p>
<li>Anna Sewell <i>Black Beauty</i> (1877)
<li>Johanna Spyri <i>Heidi (Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning) (Heidis Lehr - und Wnaderjahre)</i> (1880)
<li>Lew Wallace <i>Ben-Hur</i> (1880)
<li>J.P. Donleavy <i>The Ginger Man</i> (1955)
<li>Shere Hite <i>The Hite Report on Female Sexuality</i> (1976)
<li>Louise Hay <i>You Can Heal Your Life</i> (1984)
<li>Jack Higgins <i>The Eagle Has Landed</i> (1975)
<li>Johnston McCulley <i>The Curse of Capistrano (aka “The Mark of Zorro”)</i> (1919)
<p><i>40-45 million:</i><p>
<li>Homer <i>The Odyssey</i> (800 B.C.)
<li>Beatrix Potter <i>The Tale of Peter Rabbit</i> (1901)
<li>Richard Bach <i>Jonathan Livingston Seagull</i> (1970)
<li>Eric Carle <i>The Very Hungry Caterpillar</i> (1969)
<li> Harper Lee <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1970/05/to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></i> (1960)
<li>E.L. James <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i> (2011)
<li>Elbert Hubbard <i>A Message to Garcia</i> (1899)
<li>V.C. Andrews <i>Flowers in the Attic</i> (1979)
<li>Jostein Gaardner <i>Sophie’s World (Sofies Verden)</i> (1991)
<li>Hong Sung-Dae <i>The Principle of Mathematics</i> (1966)
<li>Peter Mark Roget <i>Roget’s Thesaurus</i> (1852)
<p><i>36-39 million:</i><p>
<li>Dan Brown <i>Angels and Demons</i> (2000)
<li>Jeffrey Archer <i>Kane and Abel</i> (1979)
<li>Nikolai Ostrovsky <i>How the Steel Was Tempered (Kak Zaalyalas' stal)</i> (1932)
<li>Leo Tolstoy <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/leo-tolstoy-war-and-peace.html">War and Peace</a></i> (1869)
<p><i>32-35 million:</i><p>
<li>Anne Frank <i>The Diary of a Young Girl</i> (aka <i>The Diary of Anne Frank)</i> (1947)
<li>Hal Lindsey and C.C. Carlson <i>The Late Great Planet Earth</i> (1970)
<li>Wayne Dyer <i>Your Erroneous Zones</i> (1976)
<li>Margaret Mitchell <i>Gone with the Wind</i> (1936)
<li>Colleen McCullough <i>The Thorn Birds</i> (1977)
<li>Khaled Hosseini <i>The Kite Runner</i> (2003)
<li>Jacqueline Susann <i>The Valley of the Dolls</i> (1966)
<p><i>30 million:</i><p>
<li>George Orwell <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1974/06/1984-by-george-orwell-published-25.html">1984</a></i> (1949)
<li>Oxford University Press <i>The Oxford English Dictionary</i> (1948)
<li>Stieg Larsson <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> (2005)
<li>Reverend Charles Monroe Sheldon <i>In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?</i> (1896)
<li>Bill Wilson <i>Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book</i> (1939)
<li>Rick Warren <i>The Purpose Driven Life</i> (2002)
<li>William Bradford Huie <i>The Revolt of Mamie Stover</i> (1951)
<li>various authors <i>The Michelin Guide: France</i> (1900)
<li>Dan Brown <i>The Lost Symbol</i> (2009)
<p><i>25-26 million:</i><p>
<li>Spencer Johnson <i>Who Moved My Cheese?</i> (1998)
<li>Alexander Alexandrovich Fadeyev <i>The Young Guard</i> (1945)
<li>F. Scott Fitzgerald <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/f-scott-fitzgerald-great-gatsby.html">The Great Gatsby</a></i> (1925)
<li>Ayn Rand <i>Atlas Shrugged</i> (1957)
<li>William Grahame <i>The Wind in the Willows</i> (1908)
<li>Stephen R. Covey <i>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</i> (1989)
<p><i>22-24 million:</i><p>
<li>Mikhail Sholokhov <i>Virgin Soil Upturned</i> (1935)
<li>Suzanne Collins <i>The Hunger Games</i> (2008)
<li>John Green <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> (2012)
<li>James Refield <i>The Celestine Prophecy</i> (1993)
<li>William P. Young <i>The Shack</i> (2007)
</ol>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li>Russell Ash (2002). “The Top 10 Bestselling Books of All Time.” Now dead link.
<li>James Clear: <a href="https://jamesclear.com/best-books/best-selling">25 Best-Selling Books of All-Time</a>
<li>James Henry Burke Hackett and Alice Payne (1977). <a href="http://www.gnupooh.org/earlybestsellers.html">Early Best Sellers,” excerpt from book <i>Eighty Years of Best Sellers</i></a>
<li>HowStuffWorks.com: <a href="https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/literature/21-best-sellers.htm">The 21 Best-Selling Books of All Time</a> by Ed Grabianowski
<li>IPL.org: <a href="http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/bestsellerFARQ.html">All-Time Bestselling Books and Authors</a>
<li>ListChallenges.com: <a href="https://www.listchallenges.com/101-best-selling-books-of-all-time/checklist/3">101 Best Selling Books of All Time</a>
<li>MentalFloss.com (2007). a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/16406/all-time-best-selling-books">The All Time Best Selling Books</a>
<li>Wikipedia.org: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books">List of Best-Selling Books</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-89046197244813615642019-12-25T04:10:00.000-06:002020-07-06T09:13:27.145-05:00Little Women: Yet Another Movie Version Released<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>Last updated 7/6/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
<!—Image --><center><img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CbUZ70s1L._SX355_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" border=0 width=175><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-Women-Louisa-May-Alcott/dp/1514640805/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=little+women&qid=1578391149&s=books&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFBMkxMRDdCNDhPMk4mZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA3ODQ2NzgzNzRNOFNNNlJUREdPJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwNjI4MDMySUpZRzBDMFBJOFhHJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ=="><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><i><h1>
Little Women</h1></i><h2>
Louisa May Alcott</h2><p>
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4>
<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 1868
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> coming-of-age novel
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 1 million
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>Accolades: </b></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Amazon: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/amazon-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/amazon.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—BBC: The Big Read --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2003/04/bbcs-big-read-top-100.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/bbc-big-read.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Children/Teen Novels: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/young-adult-books-top-50.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/young-adult.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Good Reads--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/12/goodreads-top-150-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/goodreads.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Great American Read--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-great-american-read.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/great-american-read.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Guardian--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-guardian-top-100-novels.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/guardian.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Library of Congress--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/06/library-of-congress-books-that-shaped.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/library-of-congress.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Penguin Classics--><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penguin_Classics"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/penguin-classics.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters,” <sup>BN</sup> “united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.” <sup>BN</sup> “Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
Although <i>Little Women</i> is set in a very particular place and time in American history, the characters and their relationships have touched generations of readers and still are beloved.” <sup>LC</sup> “Far from being the ‘girl’s book’ her publisher requested, it explores such timeless themes as love and death, war and peace, the conflict between personal ambition and family responsibilities, and the clash of cultures between Europe and America.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
“The novel is a classic coming of age story which follows the development of the young women into adulthood.” <sup>AZ</sup> “Central to the theme of the novel is the issue of overcoming one’s character flaws. For Meg it is vanity; Jo, temper; Beth, shyness; and Amy, selfishness. Through the various activities of the four sisters told throughout the novel lessons are learned of the consequences of these particular flaws.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
“The story begins to unfold during Christmastime. With their father away at war, the family must endure great poverty induced hardship, often times going hungry.” <sup>AZ</sup> “It is no secret that Alcott based <i>Little Women</i> on her own early life. While her father, the freethinking reformer and abolitionist Bronson Alcott, hobnobbed with such eminent male authors as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, Louisa supported herself and her sisters with ‘woman’s work,’ including sewing, doing laundry, and acting as a domestic servant. But she soon discovered she could make more money writing.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
“<i>Little Women</i> brought her lasting fame and fortune.” <sup>BN</sup> “This first edition…was published in 1868 when Louisa was thirty-five years old. Based on her own experiences growing up as a young woman with three sisters, and illustrated by her youngest sister, May, the novel was an instant success, selling more than 2,000 copies immediately. Several sequels were published, including <i>Little Men</i> (1871) and <i>Jo’s Boys</i> (1886).” <sup>LC</sup>
<p>
The book has been adapted seven times for film, first in 1917 and most recently a 2019 version directed by Greta Gerwig. It starred Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, and Eliza Scanlen as Beth. The cast also included Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, and Chris Cooper. Some critics called it “the definitive adaptation.” <sup>WK</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Little-Women-Louisa-May-Alcott/dp/1420951084/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527324147&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=little+women&psc=1">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-women-louisa-may-alcott/1116668150?ean=9781593081089#/">Barnes & Noble</a>
<li><sup>LC</sup> Library of Congress (2012). “<a href="https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/books-that-shaped-america/exhibititems.html">Books That Shaped America</a>”
<li><a href="https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/littlewomen/">SparkNotes</a> (study guide)
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Women">Wikipedia</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!— Video : trailer for 2019 movie version --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AST2-4db4ic" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
<!—Book Club --><p><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><img src="http://nopl.s3.amazonaws.com/spec_600x0/BookClub_2017-07-28-19-13-27.jpg" border=0 width=100></TD>
<TD>In July 2018, I became the organizer of the Classic Novels Book Club. Check out the <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/book-club.html">Book Club tab here</a> or <a href="https://www.meetup.com/Mission-Book-Club-Meetup/">Meetup</a> for more information. This is our March 2020 book.
</TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-7466472867716431652019-04-25T08:57:00.000-05:002020-07-06T08:58:29.691-05:00Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe published 300 years ago today!<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First posted 7/6/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
<table border=10 bordercolor=purple width=558 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><TR><TD>
<!—Image --><center> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Robinson-Crusoe-Signet-Classics-Daniel/dp/0451530772/ref=as_li_ss_il?dchild=1&keywords=Daniel+Defoe+-+Robinson+Crusoe&qid=1594043472&s=books&sr=1-3&linkCode=li2&tag=davesmucom-20&linkId=710d39cf677bc5f731f1668e5da6e9a1&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0451530772&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=davesmucom-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=davesmucom-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=0451530772" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://amzn.to/2C6eTh0"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><i><h1>
Robinson Crusoe</h1></I><h2>
Daniel Defoe</h2><p>
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4>
<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> April 25, 1719
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> adventure novel
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 1 million
</TD></TR></table>
<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>
Accolades</b> <i>(click on badges to see full lists): </i></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Guardian--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-guardian-top-100-novels.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/guardian.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Penguin Classics--><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penguin_Classics"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/penguin-classics.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“<i>Robinson Crusoe</i> is one of the most popular and influential adventure stories of all time” <sup>BN</sup> and “a pioneering work of realist fiction.” <sup>AZ</sup> “This classic tale of shipwreck and survival on an uninhabited island was an instant success when first published in 1719 and has inspired countless imitations.” <sup>BN</sup> “Inspired by the real life story of Alexander Selkirk, a castaway who lived on an island in the Pacific for four years,” <sup>AZ</sup> “it was widely believed to be a true account of actual events.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
“At the beginning of the novel we find Robinson Crusoe desiring a life at sea, despite the wishes of his parents for him to pursue a more sensible career. Despite numerous disasters and misadventures at sea he is not to be deterred from his life choice. Ultimately he finds himself stranded on a deserted island when his ship is destroyed in a storm.” <sup>AZ</sup>
<p>
Forced to overcome despair, doubt, and self-pity, he struggles to create a life for himself in the wilderness.” <sup>BN</sup> “He makes do with the supplies that he has salvaged from the wreckage and the resources he finds on the island.” <sup>AZ</sup> “His many adventures are recounted in vivid detail, including a fierce battle with cannibals and his rescue of Friday, the man who becomes his trusted companion.” <sup>BN</sup>
<p>
“Full of enchanting detail and daring heroics, <i>Robinson Crusoe</i> is a celebration of courage, patience, ingenuity, and hard work.” <sup>BN</sup>
<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Robinson-Crusoe-Illustrated-N-Wyeth/dp/1420953141/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527301985&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=robinson+crusoe&psc=1 ">Amazon</a>
<li><sup>BN</sup> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/robinson-crusoe-daniel-defoe/1116668149?ean=9781593083601#/">Barnes & Noble</a>
</ul></TD></TR></table>
<!—Video: --><table><TR><TD><p><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="540" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6smaVgHrA8s" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></center></TD></TR></table>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-28272365072258416282019-02-19T18:40:00.000-06:002020-06-29T10:22:08.772-05:00Children’s Novels: Top 50<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple}</style><i>First posted 2/19/2019.</i><p>
This list has been moved. It has been consolidated with the list of top young adult novels to create a new list, "<a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/young-adult-books-top-50.html">The Top 100 Novels for Children and Teens</a>."
<hr>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-82118303069409115712019-02-19T16:31:00.000-06:002019-02-19T16:34:34.145-06:00Children’s Picture Books: All-Time Top 50<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple}</style><i>First posted 2/17/2019; updated 2/19/2019.</i><p>
<center><img src="https://www.delawarelibrary.org/sites/default/files/images/Classic%20Picture%20Books.jpg" width=500> <p><i>image from delawarelibrary.org</i></center><p>
<p>These are the top 50 children’s pictures books based on an aggregate of titles’ appearances on more than a dozen <a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#picture_books">best-of lists specifically about children’s picture books</a>, 25+ more <a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#children">general children’s book lists</a>, and another 50+ <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/best-of-lists.html#general">general book lists</a>. Words and pictures are both by the same person unless noted otherwise (w = words, p = pictures).
<ol>
<li>Maurice Sendak <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> (1964)
<li>Eric Carle <i>The Very Hungry Caterpillar</i> (1969)
<li>Margaret Wise Brown (w)/ Clement Hurd (p) <i>Goodnight Moon</i> (1947)
<li>Dr. Seuss <i>The Cat in the Hat</i> (1957)
<li>Dr. Seuss <i>Green Eggs and Ham</i> (1960)
<li>Shel Silverstein <i>The Giving Tree</i> (1964)
<li>Beatrix Potter <i>The Tale of Peter Rabbit</i> (1901)
<li>Ezra Jack Keats <i>The Snowy Day</i> (1962)
<li>Shel Silverstein <i>Where the Sidewalk Ends</i> (1974)
<li>Judith Viorst (w)/Ray Cruz (p) <i>Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day</i> (1972)
<p>
<li>H.A. & Margaret Rey <i>Curious George</i> (1941)
<li>P.D. Eastman <i>Go, Dog, Go!</i> (1961)
<li>Robert McCloskey <i>Make Way for Ducklings</i> (1941)
<li>Crockett Johnson <i>Harold and the Purple Crayon</i> (1955)
<li>Don Freeman <i>Corduroy</i> (1976)
<li>Laura Numeroff (w)/Felicia Bond (p) <i>If You Give a Mouse a Cookie</i> (1985)
<li>Dr. Seuss <i>The Lorax</i> (1971)
<li>Ludwig Bemelmans <i>Madeline</i> (1939)
<li>Robert Munsch (w)/Sheila McGraw (p) <i>Love You Forever</i> (1986)
<li>Jon Scieszka (w)/Lane Smith (p) <i>The True Story of the Three Little Pigs</i> (1989)
<p>
<li>Esphyr Slobdkina <i>Caps for Sales</i> (1947)
<li>Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault (w)/Lois Ehlert (p) <i>Chicka Chicka Boom Boom</i> (1989)
<li>Russell Hoban (w)/Lillian Hoban (p) <i>Bread and Jam for Frances</i> (1964)
<li>Harry Allard (w)/James Marshall (p) <i>Miss Nelson Is Missing!</i> (1977)
<li>Ian Falconer <i>Olivia</i> (2000)
<li>Munro Leaf (w)/Robert Lawson (p) <i>The Story of Ferdinand</i> 1936)
<li>Sam McBratney (w)/Anita Jeram (p) <i>Guess How Much I Love You</i> (1994)
<li>Dr. Seuss <i>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</i> (1964)
<li>Chris Van Allsburg <i>The Polar Express</i> (1985)
<li>Bill Martin Jr. (w)/Eric Carle (p) <i>Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?</i> (1967)
<p>
<li>William Steig <i>Sylvester and the Magic Pebble</i> (1969)
<li>Watty Piper (w)/George & Doris Hauman (p) <i>The Little Engine That Could</i> (1930)
<li>Dr. Seuss <i>Oh, the Places You’ll Go!</i> (1990)
<li>Jean de Brunhoff <i>The Story of Babar</i> (1933)
<li>Judi Barrett (w)/Ron Barrett (p) <i>Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs</i> (1978)
<li>Virginia Lee Burton <i>The Little House</i> (1942)
<li>David Shannon <i>No, David!</i> (1998)
<li>Arnold Lobel <i>Frog and Toad Are Friends</i> (1970)
<li>Philip C. Stead <i>A Sick Day for Amos McGee</i> (2010)
<li>Chris Van Allsburg <i>Jumanji</i> (1981)
<p>
<li>P.D. Eastman <i>Are You My Mother?</i> (1960)
<li>Dr. Seuss <i>One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish</i> (1960)
<li>Dr. Suess <i>Hop on Pop</i> (1963)
<li>Virginia Lee Burton <i>Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel</i> (1939)
<li>Jan Brett <i>The Mitten</i> (1989)
<li>Gene Zion (w)/Margaret Bloy Graham (p) <i>Harry the Dirty Dog</i> (1956)
<li>Wanda Gag <i>Millions of Cats</i> (1928)
<li>Dr. Seuss <i>Horton Hears a Who!</i> (1954)
<li>Margery Wlliams (w)/William Nicholson (p) <i>The Velveteen Rabbit</i> (1922)
<li>Mo Willems <i>Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!</i> (2003)
</ol><hr>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-88496686299774767052019-02-09T14:26:00.000-06:002019-08-31T16:50:12.647-05:0010 Books Which Impacted Me<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple}</style><i>First posted 2/9/2019.</i><p>
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These are the books which have most inspired me to read, write, imagine, and create. These titles span from childhood to adulthood, presented (as much as I can remember) in the order in which I discovered them.
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<p><hr><center><b>A.A. Milne <i>The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh</i> (1994) </b></center><hr>
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This is a packaging of <i>Winnie-the-Pooh</i> (1926) and <i>House at Pooh Corner</i> (1928), the two classics which introduced the world to Christopher Robin and Pooh, his stuffed-animal bear. Pooh is a self-admitted bear-of-very-little-brain, but his optimism and heart of gold modeled a way of life we should all try to emulate. In fact, Benjamin Hoff’s <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477">The Tao of Pooh</a></i> (1982) is another favorite book of mine because of how well it captures the essence of Pooh in describing a philosophy of life.
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<p><hr><center><b>J.R.R. Tolkien <i>The Hobbit</i> (1937) </b></center><hr>
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In the summer after my sixth grade year, my family went down to Georgia for a week, as we did every summer. My grandmother was bed-ridden and a neighbor, feeling like my brother and I might be bored, brought over a box of books. I plucked <i>The Hobbit</i> from the stack. I’d heard of it, but didn’t know much about it. I devoured it that week – and many times after that throughout junior high and high school. <a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2012/12/there-and-back-again-lessons-learned.html">Read a more in-depth review of the book here</a>.
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<p><hr><center><b>John Steinbeck <i>Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights</i> (1976)</b></center><hr>
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This was Steinbeck’s adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory’s <a href="http://otterandarthur.blogspot.com/2013/03/important-arthurian-works-le-morte.html">Le Morte d’Arthur</a> (1485) and my introduction to King Arthur when I read it in English class in 8th grade. It led to a fascination with King Arthur, even resulting in me writing my middle-grade fiction series, <i><a href="http://otterandarthur.blogspot.com/p/about.html">Otter and Arthur</a></i>, which retold the legends of King Arthur through the eyes of a mouse.
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<p><hr><center><b>Harper Lee <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i> (1960) </b></center><hr>
<TD><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAP22SIcdnJdk-U3qpGpqdlCs7Tru7O5NdNjX9DCaBpEwRCUP_lm9GbrixE6hybyU_kQgDJOd1GmOt_c1wgURDNSka9utvQ4kuFtNwDwt8jFMdmXdWAWHA5MYQIlqzQyRvpZjxpDN6DE/s1600/to+kill+a+mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAP22SIcdnJdk-U3qpGpqdlCs7Tru7O5NdNjX9DCaBpEwRCUP_lm9GbrixE6hybyU_kQgDJOd1GmOt_c1wgURDNSka9utvQ4kuFtNwDwt8jFMdmXdWAWHA5MYQIlqzQyRvpZjxpDN6DE/s320/to+kill+a+mockingbird.jpg" width="150" data-original-width="193" data-original-height="293" /></a></div></TD><TD>
Like millions of others, I was exposed to this book as required reading in high school. Also like millions of others, I was completely drawn in by Lee’s powerful story about Scout, a young girl who comes face-to-face with racial discrimination in her small town – and recognizes her own prejudices in how she judges her reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. Having re-read the book multiple times, I’ve come to be enamored with the story-telling style of the book and how it makes the small-town setting essential to the book. Read a more detailed review of the book <a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1970/05/to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html">here</a>.
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<p><hr><center><b>John Irving <i>The World According to Garp</i> (1978) </b></center><hr>
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I saw the movie version of <i>Garp</i> when I was in high school. I watched it because I was a Robin Williams fan, but fell in love with the movie because of its quirky characters and unique story. I eventually read the book, which led me to devour everything Irving had written prior to that. Since then, <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/12/john-irving-prayer-for-owen-meany.html">A Prayer for Owen Meany</a></i> has supplanted <i>Garp</i> as my favorite John Irving novel and one of my favorite books of all-time, but this was the one which introduced me to him as an author.
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<p><hr><center><b>Joel Whitburn <i>Top Pop Singles 1955-1996</i> (1997)</b></center><hr>
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As a music chart fanatic, I was overjoyed when I found Whitburn’s Record Research company, which published books compiling chart data from <i>Billboard</i> magazine. The granddaddy of them all was this book, which gathered data for all songs to ever hit the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 pop chart and then listed them by the recording acts. Not only have I gone through multiple editions of this book, but I have gone on to line my shelves with other Record Research books covering rock, country, R&B, and album charts.
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<p><hr><center><b>Otto Kroeger and Janet M. Thuesen <i>Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love, and Work</i> (1989)</b></center><hr>
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I dropped out of college in 1989, a semester-shy from graduating. It forced me to go to work and I stumbled into the afterschool arena. I soon realized that was what I wanted to do with my life and within a few years finished my degree. In that second time around, I was reinvigorated by having a career focus and specifically wanting to gain a better insight into personality types and how they affect learning. One of my professors steered me toward the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and whetted an appetite in me for recognizing how people learn differently.
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<p><hr><center><b>Dave Whitaker <i>Games, Games, Games: Creating Hundreds of Group Games and Sports</i> (1996)</b></center><hr>
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Sometime in the mid-‘90s, my supervisor recommended I go to the airport to meet Rich Scofield, a publisher in the afterschool arena. I showed him the game activity book I’d created for work and he told me it could practically be published as it was. This was not only the first of some twenty-something books I’ve now published (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/David-L.-Whitaker/e/B001KMOGJI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1500300514&sr=8-1">see my author page at Amazon</a>), but sowed the seeds for me to start my own company, <a href="http://www.toolboxtrainingonline.com/">Toolbox Training</a>, focused on providing resources, training, and consulting to afterschool programs.
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<p><hr><center><b>Dave Marsh <i>Heart of Rock and Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made</i> (1989)</b></center><hr>
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The Whitburn books fed my interest in charts. This book fed my interest in collecting lists which ranked songs without consideration to chart performance. It led to the creation of my <a href="http://www.davesmusicdatabase.com/">Dave’s Music Database website</a> and <a href="http://davesmusicdatabase.blogspot.com/p/books.html">my own self-published, list-oriented books</a>, including <i>The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, 1954-1999</a></i>, <i>The Top 100 Albums of All Time</i>, and <i>The Top 100 Songs of the Pre-Era, 1890-1953</i>.
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<p><hr><center><b>Howard Gardner <i>Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences</i> (1983)</b></center><hr>
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My undergraduate degree was marked by my fascination with Myers-Briggs. My pursuit of a Masters in Education in the early 2000’s was marked by my discovery of Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Like Myers-Briggs, it had important implications on my understanding of how people learned differently – and deserved to be understood as individuals. My final thesis resulted in my second published book, <i><a href="https://toolboxtraining.blogspot.com/2002/08/book-multiple-intelligences-after.html">Multiple Intelligences & After-School Environments: Keeping All Children in Mind</a></i> (2002).
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Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-82263856633609605242018-10-30T23:59:00.000-05:002020-07-05T12:48:20.329-05:00Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple} H1 {font-family: arial; font-size: 24pt; color: purple} H2 {font-family: arial; font-size: 18pt; color: black} </style><table width=540><TR><TD><i>First published 10/30/2018; last updated 7/5/2020.</i><p></TD></TR></table>
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<!—Image --><center><img src="https://i.pinimg.com/236x/dd/98/c2/dd98c27c3aae4a3d16e639698bbb60de--don-quixote-reading-books.jpg" border=0 width=175><p>
<!—Buy --><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Quixote-Penguin-Classics-Cervantes-Saavedra/dp/0142437239"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/careerenlightenment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/amazon-Button.png?ssl=1" width=150></a></center></TD>
<TD bgcolor=#d0d0d0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0><h1>
Don Quixote</h1><I><h2>
Miguel de Cervantes</h2></i><p>
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<p><font color=purple><B>First Publication:</B></font> 1605 (Part 1), 1615 (Part 2)
<hr color=purple><p><font color=purple><B>Category:</B></font> novel/satire/social commentary
<hr color=purple><P><font color=purple><B>Sales:</B></font> 500 million
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<table width=558 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><P><font color=purple><B>Accolades: </b></font><center>
<!—All-Time Top 100 --><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-top-100-books-of-all-time.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/all-time-books.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Amazon: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2020/06/amazon-top-100-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/amazon.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Best-Sellers: Top 100 --><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-top-100-best-selling-books-of-all.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/bestseller.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Classic Novels Book Club: Top 100--><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/book_club.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Everyman Library Classics--><a href="http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/classics.aspx"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/everyman_library.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Fiction: Top 100--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-all-time-top-100-works-of-fiction.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/fiction.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Good Reads--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2008/12/goodreads-top-150-books.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/goodreads.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Great American Read--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-great-american-read.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/great-american-read.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Guardian--><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-guardian-top-100-novels.html"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/guardian.jpg" height=75></a>
<!—Penguin Classics--><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Penguin_Classics"><img src="http://whitgunn.freeservers.com/writbywhit/book-awards/penguin-classics.jpg" height=75></a>
</center></TD></TR></table><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD bgcolor=#d0d3d4><font color=purple><B>
About the Book:</B></font><p>
“Neither wholly tragedy nor wholly comedy,” <sup>LN</sup> <i>Don Quixote</i> has been called the first modern novel. <sup>LN</sup> It has been translated into English some 20 times” <sup>AZ</sup> since it first “appeared in two parts in 1605 and 1615.” <sup>AZ</sup> The book offers “a panoramic view of the 17th-century Spanish society” <sup>LN</sup> and “has been seen as a veiled attack on the Catholic Church or on the contemporary Spanish politics, or symbolizing the duality of the Spanish character.” <sup>LN</sup> It was “originally conceived as a comic satire against the chivalric romances. However, Cervantes did not destroy the chivalric ideal of the romances he rejected – he transfigured it.” <sup>LN</sup>
<p>
“Central characters are the elderly, idealistic knight, who sets out on his old horse Rosinante to seek adventure, and the materialistic squire Sancho Panza, who accompanies his master from failure to another. Their relationship, although they argue most fiercely, is ultimately founded upon mutual respect. In the debates they gradually take on some of each other's attributes.” <sup>LN</sup>
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“During his travels, Don Quixote’s overexcited imagination blinds him to reality: he thinks windmills to be giants, flocks of sheep to be armies, and galley-slaves to be oppressed gentlemen. Sancho is named governor of the isle of Barataria, a mock title, and Don Quixote is bested in a duel with the Knight of the White Moon, in reality a student of his acquaintance in disguise. Don Quixote is passionately devoted to his own imaginative creation, the beautiful Dulcinea…The hero returns to La Mancha, and only at his deathbed Don Quixote confesses the folly of his past adventures.” <sup>LN</sup>
<hr><!—Video: -->Check out a 2017 movie version here:
<p><center><iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=davesmusicdat-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B0765NDPLJ&asins=B0765NDPLJ&linkId=4a960a946729566e875a9600a3fc01c4&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe></center>
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<hr color=purple width=520><font color=purple><B>Resources and Related Links: </b></font><ul>
<li><sup>AZ</sup> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060934344/102-4752771-4676923?v=glance&n=283155">Amazon</a> (review from <i>Publisher’s Weekly</i>)
<li><sup>LN</sup> <a href="http://www.online-literature.com/cervantes/don_quixote/">The Literature Network</a>
<li><a href="https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/donquixote/summary/">Book 1 Summary</a>
<li><a href="https://www.gradesaver.com/don-quixote-book-ii/study-guide/summary">Book 2 Summary</a>
<li><a href="https://www.gradesaver.com/don-quixote-book-ii/study-guide/character-list">Book 2 Character list</a>
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<!—Book Club --><p><table width=550 border=5 bordercolor="purple" cellpadding=10><TR><TD><img src="http://nopl.s3.amazonaws.com/spec_600x0/BookClub_2017-07-28-19-13-27.jpg" border=0 width=100></TD>
<TD>In July 2018, I became the organizer of the Classic Novels Book Club. Check out the <a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/p/book-club.html">Book Club tab here</a> or <a href="https://www.meetup.com/Mission-Book-Club-Meetup/">Meetup</a> for more information. This is our September/October 2018 book.
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<b>Questions About <i>Don Quixote</i>:</b>
<ol>
<li>Don Quixote is often called the first modern novel. Do you agree? Why or why not?<p>
<li>Why do you think this is, according to most estimates, the best-selling novel of all-time?<p>
<li>Lionel Trilling once claimed that “All prose fiction is a variation of the theme of Don Quixote: . . . the problem of appearance and reality.” Discuss.<p>
<li>What was Miguel de Cervantes’s purpose for writing Don Quixote? Critics have debated the question of whether Cervantes’s intention in Don Quixote was to ridicule the chivalric romances…Do you think the book repudiates chivalry? <p>
<li>What is the cause of Don Quixote’s possible madness? Is he even mad or, as Italian literary critic Giovanni Papini suggests, not mad at all, but merely pretending to be? <p>
<li>How does Don Quixote’s perception of reality affect other characters’ perceptions of the world? Does his disregard for social convention change the rules of conduct for the other characters? <p>
<li>Why do you think Sancho Panza sticks with Don Quixote throughout his adventures? <p>
<li>Is there a moral center in <i>Don Quixote</i>? If so, which character occupies the center? If not, why would Cervantes leave this space absent? <p>
<li>What attitude does the novel take toward social class? How is social class a factor in relationships between characters? <p>
<li>What is the role of women as depicted in Part 1 of Don Quixote?
<li>Is Quixote a tragic figure, a comic figure, or both? <p>
<li>Is Don Quixote insane or merely eccentric? <p>
<li>Why does Sancho Panzo follow and remain loyal to such a bumbler as Don Quixote? <p>
<li>Does Don Quixote need Sancho Panza? <p>
<li>What is the function of the invention of Cide Hamet Benengali? <p>
<li>What is the significance of Sancho's self-lashing? <p>
<li>What is the significance of Dulcinea del Toboso? <p>
<li>What is the relationship between the intercalated novel of "The Curious Impertinent" and the main body of Don Quixote? <p>
<li>What qualities does Cervantes consider most important in literary art? <p>
<li>Consider whether you prefer Part I or Part II and why. <p>
<li>Discuss some differences in Cervantes' treatment of Part I and Part II. <p>
<li>Was Don Quixote lying when he told what had happened in the Cave of Montesinos? <p>
<li>How is the cave used as a symbolic device in Don Quixote? <p>
<li>What kind of attitude does Cervantes (as a voice in the book) have towards the Moor? <p>
<li>What is the relation between madness or foolishness and wisdom in Don Quixote and Sancho Panza? <p>
<li>Is there any way in which they seem wise or virtuous because of their oddities? <p>
<li>How do you react toward those who use Don Quixote as an object of amusement (the Duke and Duchess, Don Antonio Moreno, etc.)? Is this different from or similar to your reactions to characters who did the same in Part One? <p>
<li>What view of chivalry emerges from Don Quixote as a whole? <p>
<li>Consider Don Quixote’s final repentance. What reaction did you have to it? <p>
<li>Is it a fitting ending?
</ol>
<hr><b>Sources for Questions:</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.artsofliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FINAL-Cervantes-study-guide-10.3.13_0.pdf">ArtsOfLiberty.org</a>
<li><a href="https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/d/don-quixote/study-help/essay-topics-and-review-questions">CliffsNotes.com</a>
<li><a href="https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Don-Quixote/discussion-questions/page-1/">CourseHero.com</a>
<li><a href="https://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides5/Quixote.html">CummingsStudyGuides.net</a>
<li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/38511/don-quixote-by-miguel-de-cervantes/9780375756993/readers-guide/">Penguin Random House</a>
<li><a href="https://www.shmoop.com/don-quixote/questions.html">Shmoop.com</a>
<li><a href="https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/donquixote/study-questions/">SparkNotes.com</a>
</ul>
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Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-45587587055767690892018-10-24T09:51:00.000-05:002019-02-07T09:54:40.258-06:00The Great American Read<style> a:hover{color:red} a:link{color:blue} a:visited{color:purple}</style><i>Updated 10/24/2018.</i><p>
<center><img src="https://interactive.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/event_retina/public/TGAR-event2_2018.jpg?itok=0hiLB_9F" width=500> <p><i>image from wttw.com</i></center><p>
From PBS.org: “<i>The Great American Read</i> was an eight-part series with viewer participation to select America’s favorite novel, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels. It investigated writers’ fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what the 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience.”
<p>
The results of the vote are posted here. You can read more about individual books by clicking on titles below or going to the original page at <a href="https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/">PBS.org</a>.
<p><hr>
<ol>
<li>Harper Lee <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/f-scott-fitzgerald-great-gatsby.html">To Kill a Mockingbird</a></i> (1960)
<li>Diana Gabaldon <i>Outlander</i> (series, 1991-2014)
<li>J.K. Rowling <i>Harry Potter</i> (series, 1997-2007)
<li>Jane Austen <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> (1813)
<li>J.R.R. Tolkien <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> (trilogy) (1955)
<li>Margaret Mitchell <i>Gone with the Wind</i> (1936)
<li>E.B. White <i>Charlotte’s Web</i> (1952)
<li>Louisa May Alcott <i>Little Women</i> (1869)
<li>C.S. Lewis <i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i> (series, 1950-1956)
<li>Charlotte Brontë <i>Jane Eyre</i> (1847)
<p>
<li>L.M. Montgomery <i>Anne of Green Gables</i> (1908)
<li>John Steinbeck <i>The Grapes of Wrath</i> (1939)
<li>Betty Smith <i>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i> (1943)
<li>Markus Zusak <i>The Book Thief</i> (2005)
<li>F. Scott Fitzgerald <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2019/02/f-scott-fitzgerald-great-gatsby.html">The Great Gatsby</a></i> (1925)
<li>Kathryn Stockett <i>The Help</i> (2009)
<li>Mark Twain <i>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</i> (1876)
<li>George Orwell <i>1984</i> (1949)
<li>Agatha Christie <i>And Then There Were None</i> (1939)
<li>Ayn Rand <i>Atlas Shrugged</i> (1957)
<p>
<li>Emily Brontë <i>Wuthering Heights</i> (1847)
<li>Larry McMurty <i>Lonesome Dove</i> (1985)
<li>Ken Follett <i>The Pillars of the Earth</i> (1989)
<li>Stephen King <i>The Stand</i> (1978)
<li>Daphne Du Maurier <i>Rebecca</i> (1938)
<li>John Irving <i><a href="http://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/12/john-irving-prayer-for-owen-meany.html">A Prayer for Owen Meany</a></i> (1989)
<li>Alice Walker <i>The Color Purple</i> (1982)
<li>Lewis Carroll <i>Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</i> (1865)
<li>Charles Dickens <i>Great Expectations</i> (1861)
<li>J.D. Salinger <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/1971/07/jd-salinger-catcher-in-rye-published-20.html">The Catcher in the Rye</a></i> (1951)
<p>
<li>Wilson Rawls <i>Where the Red Fern Grows</i> (1974)
<li>S.E. Hinton <i>The Outsiders</i> (1968)
<li>Dan Brown <i>The Da Vinci Code</i> (2004)
<li>Margaret Atwood <i>The Handmaid’s Tale</i> (1986)
<li>Frank Herbert <i>Dune</i> (1965)
<li>Antoine de Saint-Exupéry <i>The Little Prince</i> (1943)
<li>Jack London <i>The Call of the Wild</i> (1903)
<li>Jean M. Auel <i>The Clan of the Cave Bear</i> (1980)
<li>Douglas Adams <i>The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</i> (1979)
<li>Suzanne Collins <i>The Hunger Games</i> (trilogy, 2008-2010)
<p>
<li>Alexandre Dumas <i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> (1844)
<li>Amy Tan <i>The Joy Luck Club</i> (1989)
<li>Mary Shelley <i>Frankenstein</i> (1818)
<li>Lois Lowry <i>The Giver</i> (1994)
<li>Arthur Golden <i>Memoirs of a Geisha</i> (1997)
<li>Herman Melville <i>Moby-Dick</i> (1851)
<li>Joseph Heller <i>Catch-22</i> (1961)
<li>George R.R. Martin <i>The Game of Thrones</i> (series, 1996-2011)
<li>Isaac Asimov <i>The Foundation Trilogy</i> (series, 1951-1953)
<li>Leo Tolstoy <i>War and Peace</i> (1869)
<p>
<li>Zora Neale Hurston <i>Their Eyes Were Watching God</i> (1937)
<li>Michael Crichton <i>Jurassic Park</i> (1990)
<li>Mario Puzo <i>The Godfather</i> (1969)
<li>Gabriel García Márquez <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/11/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred.html">One Hundred Years of Solitude</a></i> (1967)
<li>Oscar Wilde <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i> (1891)
<li>Nicholas Sparks <i>The Notebook</i> (1996)
<li>William P. Young <i>The Shack</i> (2007)
<li>John Kennedy Toole <i>A Confederacy of Dunces</i> (1980)
<li>Tom Clancy <i>The Hunt for Red October</i> (1984)
<li>Toni Morrison <i>Beloved</i> (1987)
<p>
<li>Andy Weir <i>The Martian</i> (2011)
<li>Robert Jordan <i>Wheel of Time</i> (series, 1990-2013)>
<li>Herman Hesse <i>Siddhartha</i> (1922)
<li>Fyodor Dostoyevsky <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/09/fyodor-dostoyevsky-crime-and-punishment.html">Crime and Punishment</a></i> (1866)
<li>Ernest Hemingway <i>The Sun Also Rises</i> (1926)
<li>Mark Haddon <i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</i> (2003)
<li>John Knowles <i>A Separate Peace</i> (1959)
<li>Miguel de Cervantes <i><a href="https://writbywhit.blogspot.com/2018/10/miguel-de-cervantes-don-quixote.html">Don Quixote</a></i> (1615)
<li>Alice Sebold <i>The Lovely Bones</i> (2002)
<li>Paulo Coelho <i>O Alquimista (The Alchemist)</i> (1987)
<p>
<li>Gary Paulsen <i>Hatchet</i> (1987)
<li>Ralph Ellison <i>Invisible Man</i> (1952)
<li>Stephenie Meyer <i>The Twilight Saga</i> (series, 2005-2008)
<li>Armistead Maupin <i>Tales of the City</i> (series, 1978-2014)
<li>Jonathan Swift <i>Gulliver’s Travels</i> (1726)
<li>Ernest Cline <i>Ready Player One</i> (2011)
<li>Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins <i>Left Behind</i> (1995-2007)
<li>Gillian Flynn <i>Gone Girl</i> (2012)
<li>Dean Koontz <i>The Watchers</i> (1987)
<li>John Bunyan <i>The Pilgrim’s Progress</i> (1678)
<p>
<li>James Patterson <i>Alex Cross Mysteries</i> (series, 1993-2018)
<li>Chinua Achebe <i>Things Fall Apart</i> (1958)
<li>Joseph Conrad <i>Heart of Darkness</i> (1899)
<li>Marilynne Robinson <i>Gilead</i> (2005)
<li>V.C. Andrews <i>Flowers in the Attic</i> (1979)
<li>E.L. James <i>Fifty Shades</i> (series, 2011-2012)
<li>Kurt Vonnegut <i>The Sirens of Titan</i> (1959)
<li>Frank E. Peretti <i>This Present Darkness</i> (1986)
<li>Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie <i>Americanah</i> (2013)
<li>James Baldwin <i>Another Country</i> (1962)
<p>
<li>Rudolfo Anaya <i>Bless Me, Ultima</i> (1972)
<li>John Green <i>Looking for Alaska</i> (2005)
<li>Junot Diaz <i>The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</i> (2008)
<li>Robert R. McCammon <i>Swan Song</i> (1987)
<li>Dave Hunt <i>The Mind Invaders</i> (1989)
<li>Zadie Smith <i>White Teeth</i> (2000)
<li>Jason Reynolds <i>Ghost</i> (2016)
<li>Sister Soujah <i>The Coldest Winter Ever</i> (1999)
<li>Colson Whitehead <i>The Intuitionist</i> (1999)
<li>Romulo Gallegos <i>Doña Bárbara</i> (1929)
</ol><hr>
Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.com0