Recommend the 20 best books you've read in the last five years

pechmerle: A combination of East Asian history, historical romance, suspense, and writing style that is irresistible. A little knowledge of Japanese history before reading makes it a much richer reading experience.

donutage: It's a "classic" for a reason. Ambitious, profound, playful, at times bizarre. Like many, I read this back in high school and was somewhat flummoxed by the "boring" "digressions" about whale anatomy and sailing ships. When I re-read it a couple years ago, I was more willing to take the sprawling narrative on its own terms and found it infinitely enjoyable.

lordcharles: Opened my eyes to a number of things - and possibilities. Frightening. On pet.

aulsmith : It's a long, meandering fantasy book, not likely to appeal to a general reader.