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51 Books That Exceeded Expectations

Sometimes books take you by surprise. They exceed your already high expectations, or, they're good when you expected otherwise. Included here are 51 books that are worth your time.
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1
Candide (Voltaire)
Candide
Voltaire
2
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
3
The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
4
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith
5
A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
A Fine Balance
Rohinton Mistry
6
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers)
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Carson McCullers
7
Bartleby the Scrivener (Herman Melville)
Bartleby the Scrivener
Herman Melville
8
The Imperfectionists (Tom Rachman)
The Imperfectionists
Tom Rachman
9
Stones From the River
Stones From the River
10
Travels With My Aunt (Graham Greene)
Travels With My Aunt
Graham Greene
11
The Power of the Dog (Thomas Savage)
The Power of the Dog
Thomas Savage
12
House of Sand and Fog (Andre Dubus III)
House of Sand and Fog
Andre Dubus III
13
American Tabloid (James Ellroy)
American Tabloid
James Ellroy
14
Broken Harbor
Broken Harbor
15
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Rebecca Wells)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Rebecca Wells
16
Walking Across Egypt (Clyde Edgerton)
Walking Across Egypt
Clyde Edgerton
17
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Alexander McCall Smith)
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Alexander McCall Smith
18
The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion)
The Rosie Project
Graeme Simsion
19
The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield)
The Thirteenth Tale
Diane Setterfield
20
The Witching Hour (Anne Rice)
The Witching Hour
Anne Rice
21
Rosemary's Baby (Ira Levin)
Rosemary's Baby
Ira Levin
22
The Stepford Wives (Ira Levin)
The Stepford Wives
Ira Levin
23
The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde)
The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
24
Three Blind Mice (Agatha Christie)
Three Blind Mice
Agatha Christie
25
Parable of the Sower (Octavia E Butler)
Parable of the Sower
Octavia E Butler
26
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
27
The Martian Chronicles (Ray Bradbury)
The Martian Chronicles
Ray Bradbury
28
The Chrysalids (John Wyndham)
The Chrysalids
John Wyndham
29
Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)
Winnie the Pooh
A.A. Milne
30
Walk Two Moons (Sharon Creech)
Walk Two Moons
Sharon Creech
31
The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster)
The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster
32
The Great Gilly Hopkins
The Great Gilly Hopkins
33
Maniac Magee (Jerry Spinelli)
Maniac Magee
Jerry Spinelli
34
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Barbara Robinson)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Barbara Robinson
35
New Teeth: Stories (Simon Rich)
New Teeth: Stories
Simon Rich
36
The Anthropocene Reviewed (John Green)
The Anthropocene Reviewed
John Green
37
The Sex Lives of Cannibals (Kiribati) (J. Maarten Troost)
The Sex Lives of Cannibals (Kiribati)
J. Maarten Troost
38
Take the Cannoli (Sarah Vowell)
Take the Cannoli
Sarah Vowell
39
Eight Men Out (Eliot Asinof)
Eight Men Out
Eliot Asinof
40
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (Jared Diamond)
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Jared Diamond
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