#113. "Petals on the Wind" by V.C. Andrews

With "Flowers in the Attic," V.C. Andrews created one of the best firecrackers in trashy, pulpy novel history. The Dollangangers were a family whose trust issues are slowly revealed in ways that are increasingly bizarre but somehow rationalized thanks to how Andrews wrote the prose in very manipulative and compelling ways. Some may argue that its themes are at times too uncomfortable or exist solely for shock value, but from a prose standpoint, it was riveting and relied on what the audience needs in a good book. It needs to stay hooked, and she found a way to keep the plot moving even as the characters remained trapped in an attic, constantly struggling with sanity. They felt real and vulnerable, where even their slow dive into a controversial legacy felt warranted. This was the epitome of a true crime tale crossed with the most delicious of soap opera scenery chewing.

It included a cliffhanger where "Petals on the Wind" immediately picks up. With an undeniable hook going in, the reader has to wonder what will happen next. What is amazing is not so much that Andrews has continued to churn out surprise after surprise, but how her second outing is not structurally the same as what came before. From beginning to end, decades play out and characters experience twists and turns that are even soapier and may be less satisfying. It's at times too self-aware of the legacy it must live up to, but even then leaves questions as to how Andrews thought to continue this journey for several more books. It feels like she burns through the plot so quickly that there's nothing left to say. Even then, "Petals on the Wind" is a novel that gives a fist pump of an ending, playing into the reader's worst tendencies and rewarding their desire for moments driven by big, irrational emotion. It may not be the pristine follow-up Andrews could've written, but it's far from a boring continuation.

#112. "Ulysses" by James Joyce

"Ulysses" is often considered one of the greatest novels of the English language not only in terms of quality, but potential. James Joyce sought to chronicle life over a single day in Ireland while playing with every potential literary form. Taking years to craft and full of symbolism that would take longer to unpack, the novel is a challenging bugger that blends fantasies and reality in such a way that the reader is often struggling to figure out where one is in the text. As a scholarly work, it reflects Joyce's greatest contributions to the novel and presents something that even a century later remains memorable in its absurdity and deeply felt emotion. This may not be like any other book written, even by Joyce, but it symbolizes so much of what would come after in the Modernist and even Post-Modern movements, capturing a way of conveying emotion and intellect in ways that are immersive and interactive. It's a book that may be a chore to get through at times, but it's ultimately one of the most rewarding experiences ever put to the page.

#111. "Dubliners" by James Joyce

Of the writers who kicked off the Modernist literary movement, few did it with such efficiency as James Joyce. While his later books would push the English language to its breaking point, his early anthology "Dubliners" presented an even more interesting proposition when it hypothesized that the Irish city of Dublin was in a state of paralysis, refusing to grow and evolve with the times. Even if these stories do not overlap often, they present a thorough and complete portrait of turn of the century culture in a country that was in need of some fresh perspective. From the opening story detailing the death of a priest to the ending focusing around a universal death, Joyce found an entertaining way to discuss heavy and controversial themes in entertaining ways that drop the reader into a time and place where, even a century later, feels so lived in. Don't be fooled by the brevity. It's so full of minor details that one can't help but feel like they're there witnessing these events in all of their entertaining, tragic detail.

#110. "The English Patient" by Michael Ondaatje

When thinking about World War II, the common image is one of death and carnage. There are soldiers lifting their rifles in defense against a terrible foe. These stories have been told ad nauseum and the idea of the hero has been etched into stone. However, Michael Ondaatje had a different idea of how to project WWII. In "The English Patient," he decides instead to focus on the human component of war, specifically that of a romance between four individuals trying to survive in a war-torn Africa. In a decaying landscape, a nurse takes care of the soldier known as the English patient, fragile from a plane crash. He slowly gains life and every day she patiently waits for him to get better, keeping him company in order to survive. As she does this, there is a greater sense of the world, creating something ethereal and spiritual. 

#109. "Unprotected" by Billy Porter

Like most artists, Billy Porter had big aspirations. From his youth watching Dreamgirls perform on The Tony Awards, he knew that he wanted to be up there singing and dancing. As someone from a lower-class family who had an inherent queerness in everything he did, the effort to stand out and get away fueled him, driving him to be the hard worker he is today. But the journey isn't that simple. While hard work paid off as evident by his work in Kinky Boots and Pose, it was decades in the making, where a fraught home life only added to personal issues of valuing himself. Throughout his memoir "Unprotected," Porter opens up as only he can, presenting every conflict in his life with raw honesty and hard truths that helped to shape him into a better person. It's as much a fascinating look into how a singular artist evolved through a society that sought to oppress him as it is a chance to psychoanalyze how that impacts him personally. It's witty, heartbreaking, and beautiful all in one. 

#108. "Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel" by Val Emmich

In this modern age, everything needs to be made into a franchise. By some luck, the Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen has taken advantage of its popularity in some profound ways. From inescapable covers of the hit "You Will Be Found" to a divisive film, the story has been everywhere. In one of the stranger moves, they even have moved into the world of young adult fiction, having Val Emmich expand upon the original story by Steven Levenson. Given that Broadway shows cater to exclusivity, it's interesting to see them spread themselves this thin. Though the question comes back to is this any good? Was this even necessary? To be totally honest, it's one of the rare shows that feels catered to the Y.A. genre and thus its transition isn't totally egregious. It may not be a work that overshadows the original, but for hardcore fans, it's something worth considering.

#107. "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

There are few books in the 20th century American literary canon as mythic as "A Confederacy of Dunces." While the story itself is an entertaining romp through 1960s New Orleans, the journey of author John Kennedy Toole is a more curious affair, both reflective of the "never give up" mentality that authors continually face and the tragedy of never seeing your success come to fruition. Over a decade after committing suicide, the book was published, presenting the author with acclaim and recognition that had been rejected continually, possibly leading to several mental health problems. Thanks to a passionate mother, it finally got into the hands of Walker Percy ("The Moviegoer") and change was made. But still, one has to wonder what would've happened if this happened in Toole's lifetime, able to be recognized for his perceived brilliance.

Because it is easy to see both sides of the argument. On the one hand, his book has a deft control of prose that is compulsory and entertaining. It's also deceptively complex, requiring the audience to empathize with a physically repugnant protagonist named Ignatius Riley and tackle such unflattering stories as sex work and disgruntled hot dog vendors. So much of the book is challenging you to like it, and the irony is the greater commentary. This is a story about someone who lacks value socially trying to find it. At times it may seem like Ignatius is doomed to live in his mother's house, falling victim to her alcoholic tendencies. He's far from perfect but, in its own strange way, Toole makes you like him by the end. All it required was patience and faith that he wasn't given in his own life. It's the epitome of dramatic irony, of a success that could never be built upon.