Musing Mondays (18)

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page...

There’s been some discussion on my blog this week about what should or shouldn’t make a ‘best books’ list. What elements do you think lands a book in that ‘best’ category? Think of your top 5 best books and tune in next week to see the collated list.

This is a really tough question. It's so subjective!

I do know what books shouldn't make a "best books" list, though. Just because a book is popular doesn't mean it's the best, well-written, or even appropriate for its age group (ahem... I'm sure you can guess what I'm talking about here).

I guess for a book to make it onto a "best books" list, I'd like to see it fulfill the following criteria:

• It's well-written.
• It's entertaining.
• It makes you think.
• It makes you want to force your friends to read it so you can discuss it with them.

As for my top five "best books"... Well, that's tricky. Best books for adults? Best books for young adults? Best books for kids? Best recent reads? Best classics? Best books overall? It's so hard to pick just five! Let's see...

1. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
2. Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
4. The Light Princess by George MacDonald
5. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Of course, I'll probably think of a whole bunch of others later. But these five books I would definitely recommend to readers; they're all well-written, entertaining, thought-provoking, and would spawn some interesting discussions.