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The English Teacher Reflects: Books That Exceeded His Expectations - Page 2

Whenever I start a book, be it fiction or non-fiction, literary or popular, heavy or light, I go in with certain expectations. Occasionally I'm disappointed, but most of the time I pretty much get what I figured I would. Sometimes, however, I am surprised(and pleased) when the book I'm reading turns out to be much more than I had expected, often in ways I never even considered. Often I will then seek out other works by the same author(s). [Case in point - Emily St. John Mandel. After having been blown away by "Station Eleven ", I sought out her other books. I have been surprised and moved by all of them.] Here are 125 books , all of which have far exceeded expectations. Some have left me pleasantly surprised while others have left me gob-smacked. I would (and in many cases already have) reread them again. And again. And…
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made by James Loranger
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Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (M R James)
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
41
M R James
The Glass Hotel (Emily St. John Mandel)
The Glass Hotel
42
Emily St. John Mandel
The Good German (Kanon)
The Good German
43
Kanon
Good News From Outer Space (John Kessel)
Good News From Outer Space
44
John Kessel
Good Omens (Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett)
Good Omens
45
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Gravity (Gerritsen)
Gravity
46
Gerritsen
The Great Warming (Fagan)
The Great Warming
47
Fagan
The Greek Passion (Kazantzakis)
The Greek Passion
48
Kazantzakis
Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)
Heart of Darkness
49
Joseph Conrad
Hell House (Richard Matheson)
Hell House
50
Richard Matheson
The Hemingway Hoax (Joe Haldeman)
The Hemingway Hoax
51
Joe Haldeman
I Know a Secret (Tess Gerritsen)
I Know a Secret
52
Tess Gerritsen
I Married a Dead Man (Cornell Woolrich)
I Married a Dead Man
53
Cornell Woolrich
Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free
Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free
54
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (Italo Calvino)
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
55
Italo Calvino
The Inspector (Jan De Hartog)
The Inspector
56
Jan De Hartog
Islands in the Stream (Hemingway)
Islands in the Stream
57
Hemingway
John Dies at the End (Parting)
John Dies at the End
58
Parting
The Last Good Kiss (James Crumley)
The Last Good Kiss
59
James Crumley
Last Night in Montreal (Emily St. John Mandel)
Last Night in Montreal
60
Emily St. John Mandel
The Last Stand (Nathaniel Philbrick)
The Last Stand
61
Nathaniel Philbrick
The Little Ice Age (Brian Fagan)
The Little Ice Age
62
Brian Fagan
The Lola Quartet (Emily St. John Mandel)
The Lola Quartet
63
Emily St. John Mandel
The Long Ships (Bengtsson)
The Long Ships
64
Bengtsson
Longitude (Dava Sobel)
Longitude
65
Dava Sobel
Los Alamos (Joseph Kanon)
Los Alamos
66
Joseph Kanon
Ludwig's Room (Hotschnig)
Ludwig's Room
67
Hotschnig
The Manchurian Candidate (Richard Condon)
The Manchurian Candidate
68
Richard Condon
The Men Who Stare at Goats (Jon Ronson)
The Men Who Stare at Goats
69
Jon Ronson
Mona Lisa Overdrive (William Gibson)
Mona Lisa Overdrive
70
William Gibson
The Moonstone (Collins)
The Moonstone
71
Collins
Morality Play (Unsworth)
Morality Play
72
Unsworth
A More Perfect Heaven (Dava Sobel)
A More Perfect Heaven
73
Dava Sobel
Mother Night (Kurt Vonnegut Jr.)
Mother Night
74
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
The Name of the Rose (Eco)
The Name of the Rose
75
Eco
A Night in the Lonesome October (Roger Zelazny)
A Night in the Lonesome October
76
Roger Zelazny
The Night of the Generals (Kirst)
The Night of the Generals
77
Kirst
The Nightmare Years, 1930-1940 (William L. Shirer)
The Nightmare Years, 1930-1940
78
William L. Shirer
Nine Hundred Grandmothers (Lafferty)
Nine Hundred Grandmothers
79
Lafferty
No Blade of Grass (John Christopher)
No Blade of Grass
80
John Christopher
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