Amazon Editors Reveal Curated List of 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime

Posted on February 9, 2014

Amazon editors have revealed a curated list of 100 books to read in a lifetime. The list was hand-selected by the Amazon Books editorial team and can be found here on Amazon.com. Amazon calls the list a "bucket list of books to create a well-read life."

Sara Nelson, Editorial Director of Print and Kindle Books at Amazon.com, said in a statement, "With 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime, we set out to build a roadmap of a literary life without making it feel like a homework assignment. Over many months, the team passionately debated and defended the books we wanted on this list. In other words, we applied plenty of the bookish equivalent of elbow-grease, and we can't wait to hear what customers have to say about our final picks."

Here are some highlights of the list:

• The list ranges from children's picture books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, to hard science, A Brief History of Times by Stephen Hawking.
• Stephen King has just one book on the list, The Shining.
• There are no novels by bestsellers Nora Roberts, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Agatha Christie, Dean Koontz, Dr. Seuss or Michael Crichton on the list.
• The oldest book on the list is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) and the most recent book is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (2013).
• The editors say 1984 by George Orwell, which is listed, inspired the most internal debate.
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams did not made the list by editor Robin Rothman wanted it to.