#129. "Ghost Singer" by Anna Lee Walters

Throughout the course of American history, few things have been as shamefully ignored as the treatment of indigenous communities. Throughout Anna Lee Walters' "Ghost Singer," she focuses on the fact that this is a problem that doesn't exist only in life, but in death and through centuries of history. With emphasis on the unfair treatment of human remains, she creates a ghost story thats seeks to contemporize the conflict by making a figure whose presence symbolizes the disconnect between indigenous and white communities who try to find any way to maintain a beautiful harmony. The results is a powerful commentary on how even as time has gone on, there's still some things that are not close to being resolved and whose haunting present may be more difficult to lay to rest than initially believed. 

#128. "The BFG" by Roald Dahl

Of every character Roald Dahl created, there are few that jump off the page quite like "The BFG." Named the big, friendly giant, he is a figure who is immediately likeable thanks to his very specific vernacular and worldview that finds him willing to embrace the familiar Dahl logic of a world not as it seems. It's a curious book and one that finds the protagonist Sophie entering a giant world to discover that things that have scared the public for decades isn't as scary as many believed. The BFG may be hard to understand and sometimes a bit eclectic, but what results is a charming tale that shows the value of embracing one's differences and not being afraid to be a bit silly sometimes.

#127. "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt

For most people, there's something mysterious about visiting an art gallery. It's a place where one stares at paintings and tries to understand what they mean. In Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch," the concept gets uprooted with one of the most firecracker premises imaginable, finding a childhood tragedy paving the way for a mix of intellectual pursuits and juvenile pleasures. The results create a fantastic character study that explores the variables that make someone who they are. As a lengthy read, it maneuvers some unexpected corners and results in a book that starts perfectly in its provocation before becoming something more pulpy and less thrilling. As a result, it's a great book that loses steam by the end, though it's a nice fit for the protagonist, whose journey is anything but conventional.

#126. "Working on a Song" by Anais Mitchell

Over the past decade, few Broadway musicals have been released to as much acclaim as Hadestown. The modernization of the Orpheus & Eurydice mythology comes with an impressive songbook that has kept fans singing ever since. Now that it's touring, the Tony-winning show has developed a legacy that will hopefully be passed on for generations to come. Still, to think that Hadestown was an overnight success is to miss the decade of time it took to get there. Along with various stagings, Anais Mitchell even released it as a concept and later live album with various versions. This isn't a story that came fully formed, and "Working on a Song" does a fantastic job of showing how the effort to keep improving the show until it finally all made sense is the most important thing in the world. For fans of the show, this is an essential read that helps to enhance the lore of a show that is likely to only continue growing. 

#125. "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James

For better or worse, E.L. James stumbled upon a winning formula. With her pop-fiction, she took S&M and turned it into a multi-million best selling series that tapped into the taboo fantasies of older conservative women. The appeal of a book being dirty and not for public discourse is exciting and one that likely drew many to the book, finding this perverse curiosity of just what the big deal was. For those who have made it to the other side and seen past the titillation, it will be difficult to really appreciate what this story is doing. Even for those who might find the sexuality of the book thrilling, it's difficult to not notice the redundancy that keeps James from making either protagonist a fascinating subject to latch onto. There's little evolution over the course of 500 pages and by the cliffhanger ending, the only one who feels screwed over is the reader's time. 

#124. "The Wayward Bus" by John Steinbeck

Throughout John Steinbeck's "The Wayward Bus," he finds several characters stuck at a crossroads. As they await the repair of a bus, they begin to discuss their diverse backgrounds with others and try to make sense of why they are on the voyage together. As one of the great ethnographers of early 20th century American literature, Steinbeck's biggest gift is being able to take these diverse backgrounds and give each of them a humanity that shows the ecosystem of coastal California's bordering lifestyles. What results is a story that's full of humor, meaning, and heartbreak in equal measure, creating a snapshot of how everyone is striving to survive and the various ways they work towards that goal.

#123. "On Writing" by Stephen King

For several generations, Stephen King has been one of the most influential authors when it comes to genre fiction. Both in terms of quantity and quality, he has released a great amount of work that has reshaped pop culture and has made him one of the most respected voices. Given that he's also one of the most accessible famous authors from the 20th century, it makes sense that he would want to write a book sharing some of his secrets. While it's far from the academic aura of other texts, King manages to break down "On Writing" to a language that connects him to his reader by showing that everyone is capable of becoming an author with enough hard work. As someone who used to write schlocky horror stories for b-movie magazines, he knows very well the struggle to be accepted. The results are at times insight, others soporific, but overall it's one of his most staggering works in his career for how it tears back the curtain of what one would expect and shows the humanity that goes into a fairly daunting process.

#122. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

While he only wrote one novel in his lifetime, Oscar Wilde made every line count in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" with one of the most elegantly written explorations of vanity and death. Every line is treated as one of the most important things ever done, and in doing so not only captures the characters' high sense of self, but reflects a dark romanticization that Wilde has with life itself. As an artist, he can't help but look at this story through several media, whether it be art or performance, and understand their functions within our lives. With an opening chapter that centers around deconstructing the concept of criticism, this is a highly intellectual experience that still allows for emotions to strike fiercely when necessary. For a man who knew how to provoke, his balance of humor and tragedy here makes for one of the most satisfying 20th century reads one can have.