Best Books of the Decade: 1960s

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4.10 avg rating — 1,404,437 ratings
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4.20 avg rating — 749,271 ratings
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4.13 avg rating — 1,425,975 ratings
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3.99 avg rating — 848,404 ratings
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6

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4.16 avg rating — 876,869 ratings
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7

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3.98 avg rating — 1,231,094 ratings
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8

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4.12 avg rating — 1,011,449 ratings
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9

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4.06 avg rating — 1,051,328 ratings
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10

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4.28 avg rating — 1,472,761 ratings
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11

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4.09 avg rating — 684,279 ratings
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12

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4.31 avg rating — 800,299 ratings
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13

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4.25 avg rating — 1,023,286 ratings
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14

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 733,414 ratings
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15

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4.39 avg rating — 435,983 ratings
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16

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4.38 avg rating — 1,165,744 ratings
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17

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4.29 avg rating — 376,035 ratings
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18

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4.15 avg rating — 415,293 ratings
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19

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4.33 avg rating — 523,268 ratings
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20

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4.09 avg rating — 472,558 ratings
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21

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4.03 avg rating — 488,644 ratings
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22

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3.87 avg rating — 339,304 ratings
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23

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4.17 avg rating — 321,987 ratings
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24

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4.08 avg rating — 115,647 ratings
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25

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3.92 avg rating — 318,213 ratings
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25

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3.98 avg rating — 118,296 ratings
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27

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4.20 avg rating — 294,327 ratings
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28

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3.91 avg rating — 140,916 ratings
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29

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4.01 avg rating — 332,217 ratings
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30

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4.10 avg rating — 195,299 ratings
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31

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4.12 avg rating — 418,833 ratings
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32

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4.16 avg rating — 214,170 ratings
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33

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4.04 avg rating — 90,849 ratings
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34

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3.92 avg rating — 252,517 ratings
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35

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4.30 avg rating — 547,857 ratings
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36

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3.96 avg rating — 228,730 ratings
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37

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4.04 avg rating — 147,859 ratings
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38

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4.36 avg rating — 275,325 ratings
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39

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3.91 avg rating — 261,579 ratings
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40

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3.93 avg rating — 90,247 ratings
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41

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3.84 avg rating — 71,617 ratings
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42

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3.95 avg rating — 99,987 ratings
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43

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3.88 avg rating — 53,963 ratings
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44

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4.16 avg rating — 115,122 ratings
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45

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4.04 avg rating — 50,587 ratings
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46

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3.60 avg rating — 220,871 ratings
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47

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4.02 avg rating — 156,864 ratings
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48

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4.06 avg rating — 71,157 ratings
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49

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4.07 avg rating — 94,916 ratings
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50

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3.98 avg rating — 113,184 ratings
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51

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4.15 avg rating — 133,903 ratings
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52

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4.08 avg rating — 99,176 ratings
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53

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4.23 avg rating — 72,034 ratings
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54

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3.70 avg rating — 70,262 ratings
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55

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3.70 avg rating — 57,105 ratings
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56

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4.45 avg rating — 32,421 ratings
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57

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4.08 avg rating — 139,658 ratings
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58

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3.59 avg rating — 97,526 ratings
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59

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4.11 avg rating — 65,018 ratings
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60

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4.31 avg rating — 65,631 ratings
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61

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3.59 avg rating — 61,455 ratings
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62

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3.69 avg rating — 90,089 ratings
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63

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3.97 avg rating — 84,637 ratings
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64

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3.87 avg rating — 29,227 ratings
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65

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3.99 avg rating — 115,521 ratings
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66

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4.05 avg rating — 60,412 ratings
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67

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4.23 avg rating — 98,431 ratings
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68

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4.21 avg rating — 247,039 ratings
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69

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3.98 avg rating — 80,642 ratings
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70

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4.18 avg rating — 79,183 ratings
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71

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4.11 avg rating — 113,396 ratings
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71

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4.17 avg rating — 53,279 ratings
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73

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3.89 avg rating — 35,138 ratings
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74

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4.23 avg rating — 21,296 ratings
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75

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3.92 avg rating — 76,844 ratings
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76

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4.01 avg rating — 49,929 ratings
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77

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4.05 avg rating — 39,883 ratings
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78

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4.09 avg rating — 91,958 ratings
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79

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4.16 avg rating — 33,585 ratings
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80

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3.95 avg rating — 49,927 ratings
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81

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4.19 avg rating — 83,062 ratings
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82

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4.16 avg rating — 52,005 ratings
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83

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4.20 avg rating — 117,146 ratings
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84

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3.96 avg rating — 10,215 ratings
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85

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3.77 avg rating — 23,628 ratings
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86

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4.18 avg rating — 208,166 ratings
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87

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4.25 avg rating — 17,073 ratings
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88

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4.08 avg rating — 66,698 ratings
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89

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4.21 avg rating — 33,681 ratings
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90

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4.15 avg rating — 28,939 ratings
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91

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4.26 avg rating — 22,999 ratings
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92

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3.76 avg rating — 22,027 ratings
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93

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4.17 avg rating — 63,671 ratings
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94

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3.99 avg rating — 15,008 ratings
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95

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4.16 avg rating — 26,956 ratings
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96

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4.34 avg rating — 189,891 ratings
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97

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3.98 avg rating — 51,397 ratings
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98

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 19,325 ratings
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99

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3.89 avg rating — 14,376 ratings
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100

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3.91 avg rating — 27,205 ratings
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1,344 books · 1,774 voters · list created June 13th, 2008 by deleted user.
240 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jessica 8467 books
1446 friends
Nancy 5357 books
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Dahlila 147 books
37 friends
Allison 2233 books
16 friends
Margaret 1201 books
737 friends
Jay 1458 books
31 friends
Heather 998 books
165 friends
Wealhtheow 4761 books
699 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-30 of 30 (30 new)

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message 1: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Apr 28, 2010 10:20AM) (new)

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) How did "The Bluest Eye" make it onto this list? It's from 1970 ...

ETA: Ditto Lenin's "What Is to Be Done?" (1929!)

Removed both.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads The first publication dates on books are sometimes very wonky.


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Yes, so I noticed when I started to add books to the lists for individual years that you and Bettie have so meticulously begun to put together! ;)


message 4: by Black (new)

Black Guy hi booo


message 5: by Chris (new)

Chris Johnson There hasn't been a book of such mainstream influence while having the ARTISTIC edge attached to it as well, as Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" a top 10 book for me. It took the mantle of "America's Book" which "The Catcher In The Rye" held that title for a decade or so until Ms. Lee's book in the 60's.


message 6: by ebru (new)

ebru where is "The Catcher In The Rye" ?


Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) It was published in 1951, so it doesn't belong on this particular list. It IS on the list for "Best Books of the 1950s," though! See http://www.goodreads.com/list/best_of...


message 8: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie there are several repeat books on this list...i don't know if you want to fix that or not...

to kill a mockingbird (it's voted as #1 and #186, for instance), charlies and the chocolate factory, rosemary's baby...to name a few


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads I made it check for duplicates; that should have resolved the repeats.


message 10: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie Susanna wrote: "I made it check for duplicates; that should have resolved the repeats."

cool, thanks! :D


message 11: by Paul (new)

Paul Bowes Removed 'Love in the time of Cholera', published 1985.


message 12: by Paul (new)

Paul Bowes Removed 'A Suitable Boy', published 1993.


message 13: by Paul (new)

Paul Bowes Removed Sartre 'Huis Clos'; published 1944.


message 14: by John (last edited Nov 14, 2014 08:05AM) (new)

John Morison Its sad we try to hide what our future is heading for two of those books not listed here are 1984 and a brave new world. Read these two books and then open your mind get informed and see the direction we are moving. When I first read them I was amazed at the similarities. Our children and their children are in for a bumpy ride. They will never know the freedoms we enjoyed they will only know the comfort of their cages and the nice choices they have not freedoms.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Neither 1984 or Brave New World were first published in the 1960s, which is why they are not on this list.


message 16: by Paul (new)

Paul Bowes Checked for duplicates: 1 book removed.


message 17: by Rosa (new)

Rosa Funny; I consider Valley of the Dolls one of the worst books of the 60's.


message 18: by Rose (new)

Rose Flowers for Algernon was published 1959. It currently shows up on both best of 50s & 60s list.


message 19: by Kathi (new)

Kathi I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou Autobiography was published in 1993


message 20: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Jan 10, 2020 02:19PM) (new)

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads That is incorrect. She first published I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969. It belongs on this list.

Your edition, or the most popular edition, may have been published in 1993. This list is for "first publication date," however.


message 21: by Heidi (new)

Heidi This list is not allowing me to add several
books that I know were published in the
1960's.


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Heidi wrote: "This list is not allowing me to add several
books that I know were published in the
1960's."


Is the publishing date mentioned with the book(s)?


message 23: by Heidi (new)

Heidi Yes, it is. And I have also checked
out the correct dates on Worldcat.


message 24: by Heidi (new)

Heidi I will just accept the situation.
I am not going to fight it.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Is the *original publication date* on the book from the 1960s? If it's not, it won't let you add it. (A librarian can change the date if it's inaccurate.)


message 26: by Heidi (new)

Heidi Yes, it is from the 1960s.

There were several I was looking at.
But the main one is the Wild Heart
by Helen Griffiths.

It was originally published in 1963.
I have checked both Worldcat and
goodreads. It is listed is being published
in 1963 on goodreads . And it is
listed as being originially published in 1963
on Worldcat.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads It lacked "original publication date" - that's why it wouldn't add, I suspect.

Does it add now?


message 28: by Heidi (new)

Heidi Susanna

I added it and it worked.

Thank you

Heidi


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads No problem!


message 30: by Sally (new)

Sally duplicates removed


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