#104. "Misery" by Stephen King

One of the most popular tropes in Stephen King's bibliography is focusing on writers in mental distress. With the case of "Misery," he finds Paul Sheldon stuck in a compromised state following a car crash in Colorado. His "number one fan" Annie Wilkes has rescued him and will do anything to get him to get back to writing. The only catch is that he must write about her beloved character Misery, whom Sheldon had recently killed off. In order to appease the increasingly unstable host, he abides and does everything to keep her happy. The only catch is that things get from bad to worse quickly in typical King fashion before diving into a fairly deranged third act that makes it one of the most uneven King classics from the 80s. It's a story with plenty of his engrossing prose and moments of sheer brilliance, but it's also the same old song and dance, keeping it from being something more. 

#103. "Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout

It makes sense that for an unconventional protagonist that Elizabeth Strout would take an unconventional approach. For "Olive Kitteridge," she explores the life of an aging librarian as she watches the world change around her. The 21st century brings with it more chaos as well as understanding, and her weariness makes handling all of it more difficult. She is someone with old school values, an old way of thinking that clashes with everyone around her. While this is theoretically her story, Strout decides to dedicate as much time to explore her perspective as she does those around Olive, creating a unique perspective that is at times humorous and others insightful and even dark. While she may not necessarily be the most interesting character in her own narrative, there's enough substance to at least keep one curious to know what happens next.

#102. "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

There are a lot of reasons to enjoy Agatha Christie's writing style. As someone who revels in mystery, she's capable of controlling the reader's attention through even the most mundane of passages, believing that something greater is lying in an innuendo, a poorly planned decision. She perfectly crafts her narratives to reflect an interactive nature that is addictive. With "Murder on the Orient Express," she finds ways to do so not just with the plot, but with a protagonist who is one of her most animated, otherworldly figures. Hercule Poirot doesn't feel like a real person, and yet his existence as the master detective is strangely fitting for these pages, finding him not leaving any stone unturned and doing so with a mustache-twirling flamboyance that is compulsory. What this story lacks in a satisfying mystery it more than makes up for with approach, consistently serving as an entertaining look into the ensemble drama that serves as its own worthwhile experience. It's a great story that at times feels anticlimactic and underwhelming, but like the best of writers, she makes it count where necessary.

#101. "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie

Often considered the master of suspense, Agatha Christie made an impressive career bending the mystery genre to her will. As one of the best-selling authors in history, it's impressive that her best work remains as appealing given that they sometimes hinge on a simple reveal, a fact that is waiting to be revealed. With "And Then There Were None," she takes the gimmick even further by choosing to slowly eliminate every potential suspect, finding them in compromising positions until none are left. She dubs it the unsolvable murder, and it's difficult for anyone to claim that title. And yet, for those who enter this story it quickly becomes clear why she was the master. Her ability to turn a paragraph onto a different suspect, filling the reader with uncertainty and bias only helps to amplify that her writing wasn't always about the reveal, but the sense of insecurity of not knowing, of needing to have a satisfying conclusion even if nobody knows what that is. It's a brilliant crux and one that serves this book very well.

#100. "Election" by Tom Perrotta

 

Every few years, society gathers to participate in political campaigns. On the surface, they're straightforward votes for one or the other party. However, the more that these events become publicized, the more likely they are to have an air of absurdity to them. It's full of name-calling and attempts to look bigger than the other. Tom Perrotta has taken this to its ultimate extreme with one of his best novels "Election." By turning these tropes into a high school election full of petty characters, he has managed to create a perspective that is addictive and entertaining. It's amazing how much tension and humor he drags from a situation that arguably shouldn't have as high of stakes as they do. His ability to earnestly explore them is the ultimate achievement, and a big reason that this isn't just an ode to 90s-era politics, but to the hubris many of us face in an attempt to be universally accepted by others.

#99. "Mrs. Fletcher" by Tom Perrotta

For most people, the experience of a child going off to college is a daunting one. It'll be their first experience out on their own. The empty nest syndrome is a well-worn trope that has been explored from both perspectives. One has to wonder what Tom Perrotta has to add to the conversation. The author behind "Election" and "The Leftovers" has done plenty to explore contemporary American life and continues that journey here. In an age where everyone is online and progressive politics are moving faster than ever, how does "Mrs. Fletcher" seek to find her own voice? The results may feel dated now, but are a perfect encapsulation of Obama-era ideologies, so full of optimism and potential. It may be a messy read, but encapsulates an era in one's life of reinvention very well. 

#98. "The Revenant" by Michael Punke

 

One detail that gets lost in the shuffle is how mankind has become less connected to nature. On some level, this is a significant conflict impacting environmental disasters and a general misunderstanding of an ecosystem. Other times, like in Michael Punke's historical fiction novel "The Revenant," one can be thankful that they weren't a fur trapper during the 19th century. With an unrepenting heart worthy of Jack London, the story explores the journey of Hugh Glass as he seeks revenge after being left for dead. What follows is a journey that is harrowing, full of amazing and bleak details that show a man fending for his life against the cruel nature of winter. While many of the passages blister with miserablist language, it's still a compelling look into history and a perfect cat and mouse game that reflects the pettiness of mankind and the efforts to right the most foolish of wrongs.

#97. "Dog Man: Mothering Heights" by Dav Pilkey

It seems impossible, but Dav Pilkey's "Dog Man" series has officially hit its 10th novel. On the one hand, it's not terribly surprising given its bi-annual release schedule and worldwide charm among readers. However, the bigger question is what exactly is there to say for a story of a character who is half dog/half policeman after so many issues? Well, following the events of "Grime and Punishment," it's not abundantly clear. At most, central character Petey continues his redemptive arc on a quest to be seen as a good person. Meanwhile, chaos ensues with the familiar fever-pitch madness that most of these books do. It's business as usual, and it continues the trend of having subplots that are often more substantial than the main one.

#96. "From Here to Eternity" by James Jones

In times of crisis, it is often encouraged that people "man up." The idea of masculinity has been one of the driving forces in society and has been the backbone especially in times of war. There need to be tough leaders who make important decisions. There's no room for sissies or women who are precious with their emotions. It's a theme that is so baked into the ethos that most of World War II is defined by muscle-clad heroes facing danger in the face. What James Jones posits is the idea not of how to survive a war, but what exactly makes a soldier masculine. What even is masculinity and how does one use it authentically? In this towering epic, he uses the events of Pearl Harbor to reflect on a group of reserve officers trying to stay ready while questioning every facet of their lives. The results are rather impressive, especially for late-50s gender politics, and create a side of war that is immediately boring but also more engrossing than just about any battlefield.

#95. "Flowers in the Attic" by V.C. Andrews

For centuries now, nothing has drawn as much immediate attention as the phrase "based on a true story," especially in the case of crime stories. There is a morbid fascination that most humans have to see the very worst of society and revel in moral superiority, feeling not only shock that something can happen, but that it did. How could this happen in a just world? For V.C. Andrews, her ability to turn the story of The Dollangangers into page-turning fodder is an achievement unto itself. "Flowers in the Attic" is a tale full of sick taboos alongside a family so dysfunctional that one can't help but be relieved that their absent parent hasn't bothered them in years. It's a story that exploits psychological abuse in ways that play into every reader's vulnerable need for sympathy, a need to find a light at the end of a very dark, messed up tunnel. What Andrews creates may be nothing more than a pulpy novel with some unbelievable imagery, but it's still one of the most impressive feats of its kind.

#94. "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce

There are few authors who have helped shape 20th century English literature quite as impactfully as James Joyce. With his debut novel, he decided to throw out conventions in favor of a story that was highly experimental. The results favored a story that didn't rely on classical prose, instead turning to characters who evolved with the language. Starting at a juvenile stage, his language has a humorous ring to it as he reflects his youth in Ireland and connection to Catholicism. The details are at first jarring but slowly become more formed and recognizable, creating the vision of growth that only works in a lyrical way. The results are an entertaining read that helped set the stage for what books would look like in the century to follow. It's weird, sometimes even free-formed, but nevertheless an example of how language evolves and informs readers' understanding of characters as well as themselves. 

#93. "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova

 

One of the greatest fears that one can face in life is memory loss. The idea of everything being upturned due to some cognitive issues can create a horrifying consequence not only for those who are experiencing it, but those around them. In Lisa Genova's "Still Alice," she explores this perspective from an especially tragic standpoint, in which Alice experiences an early on-set Alzheimer's diagnosis and finds a ticking clock forming. There's little she can do to resolve the issue, instead of finding most of the novel an attempt to cope. It's a novel of a life uprooted, in desperate need of some miracle. With a clinical approach that explores it from a tender and loving angle, the novel is a beautiful look into a life slipping away without disappearing. The trick is to hold onto it and cherish the moments while one can.

#92. "Frankenstein in Baghdad" by Ahmed Saadawi

 

When she wrote "Frankenstein" during the 19th century, Mary Shelley turned a story of reanimation into a metaphor for death and playing god. With plenty of emotional peril thrown in, her story ended up becoming one of the cornerstones of literary history and presented a perspective of how one deals with complicated themes of the afterlife. Many have taken the subject and spun it in a variety of ways, but few have found a hook quite like Ahmed Saadawi, whose "Frankenstein in Baghdad" is not a direct update, but one whose existence feels like it exists in the shadow of Shelley's book. As a commentary on war and imperialism, it takes the ideas of decapitated bodies and makes them hold a deeper, more provocative meaning, and creates a story that makes a halfway compelling exploration of a complicated, decades-long debacle.

#91. "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" by Joan Didion

 

There are few states that have had as curious of a trajectory over the 20th century quite like California. Nowadays it's known as the liberal mecca of The United States, but in the 1960s things looked much different. In an era just before the Manson family murders and the Vietnam War, the world was changing. The counterculture was cropping up and the state was experiencing a wave of conservatism. What exactly made this the land of opportunity, where people sang joyfully about coming to start anew? In one of her most acclaimed books, Joan Didion tackles the subject by focusing on everything that made California attractive, from the film industry to murder mysteries and even personal enlightenment. As a compendium of essays written during the era, it's an essential look into a moment in time that feels as alive as it did at the time.

#90. "The Shining" by Stephen King

 

There have been few authors as synonymous with the late 20th century quite like Stephen King. He has the ability to use horror to explore humanity's greatest fears. With a prolific body of work that continues to this day, he has continually found ways to create essential narratives around various genres. In the case of his third book "The Shining," he has pushed himself to create the essential haunted house story, using Jack Torrance as a protagonist with a dark-spirited past of his own, making one wonder if staying isolated for the winter season was the best call. Whatever it may be, the book excels as one of his earliest hits, able to reflect his gift of prose that lingers and carries the audience through his demented thoughts while making it a terrifying portrait of his own alcoholism. The results are one of his best distilled stories, promising decades of crazy ideas to come.

#89. "Cat Kid Comic Club" by Dav Pilkey

 

Almost 25 years later, Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" series is still going strong. While the character was retired, his spin-off "Dog Man" has become a best-seller, itself quickly approaching the 10th entry and establishing some of his most satisfying writing to date. What makes it more impressive is that even in a world that feels like a balloon perpetually expanding, there's something exciting about seeing how much further things will go. With this spin-off to a spin-off, "Cat Kid Comic Club" the series takes an interesting turn by focusing almost exclusively on the creative writing process. There's no bigger point than to suggest that everyone's silly idea is worthy of exploring and, as a result, becomes a delightful and simple introduction to concepts like workshops, brainstorming, and editing. What is lacks in any greater arc it more than makes up for with a wondrous sense of humor 

#88. "Dog Man: Grime and Punishment" By Dav Pilkey

 

With each passing entry, Dav Pilkey has found new ways to make his "Dog Man" series his best work yet. Nobody would guess that a story that centers around a dog with the body of a human police officer would capture so much pathos, reflect the impacts of trauma across three generations, and present it through the guise of a story written by a bunch of juvenile kids. The ninth spin-off from "Captain Underpants" maybe pushes things into something more impressive, landing nicely between the wacky slapstick that has always been the cornerstone of the series and an ending that is downright eviscerating. Most of all, it's evidence that heavy themes are capable of appealing to younger audiences, capturing something human in the absurd. While it may not necessarily be the most memorable story in this series, it's definitely evidence of why Pilkey is so much more than a goofball.