Recommend the 20 best books you've read in the last five years

gypsysmom : Did not like this book but I realize I am in a minority

donutage: It's a "classic" for a reason. Ambitious, profound, playful, at times bizarre. Like many, I read this back in high school and was somewhat flummoxed by the "boring" "digressions" about whale anatomy and sailing ships. When I re-read it a couple years ago, I was more willing to take the sprawling narrative on its own terms and found it infinitely enjoyable.

lordcharles: I read this for a book report in fourth grade and suddenly understood complexity in a novel and that for some things to make sense I had to do research.