THE SQUIDOO BESTSELLER BOOKLIST (2007)

Combat Rock

The final album by the Clash's original Strummer/Jones incarnation is also their most inconsistent. There were musical and ideological rifts developing within the band, and it shows: the experimentation is almost as wild as Sandanista!'s (and the biggest experiment is heading away from their punk shiftiness and into a commercial rock sound), but they seem to be enjoying it less. The band's stabs at funk and poetry aren't terribly successful, but it all came together for two massive hits: "Should...1 point

2

Music for the Masses

This album is a culmination of Depeche Mode's middle-period experimentation. More informed by Goth than techno, it is still anchored by plenty of the larger-than-life-baritone melodrama so distinctive of David Gahan's vocals. The most experimental track is "Pimpf"--a song that heave-hoes along with the synthesized emulation of a Russian men's choir. Although nowhere near fast enough to be danceable, the commanding "Never Let Me Down" ranks as the best single on the track, with the most hummable....1 point

3

The Joshua Tree

Having nearly exhausted their capacity for pop-song politics on War and The Unforgettable Fire, U2 turned toward themes of personal identity and complex relationships on The Joshua Tree. Not that the group was willing to come down off the barricades entirely: "Mothers of the Disappeared" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" turned a jaundiced eye toward Central America and the United States' role there. But the predominant mood here is one of self-discovery and the hunger for something more on tracks like....1 point

4

True Colours

1 point

5

Peepshow

1 point

6

The Queen Is Dead

This is the value of working at cross-purposes: The Smiths were Morrissey's excuse to undulate his wry, disaffected lyrics, and Johnny Marr's vehicle for his sharp, chiming, pop songs. Their favorite kind of compromise made them essentially a singles band, and The Queen Is Dead has a couple of their best (notably "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side," one of the greatest pop expressions of the Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name). But it also has some wonderful compromises of different kinds: the b...0 points

7

Document

Singer Michael Stipe finally confesses that even he doesn't know what he's trying to say--among the lines flying by are "tryin' to tell you something we don't know" and "there's something going on that's not quite right." But R.E.M.'s roar is at its sharpest, as Peter Buck's guitars twist up surf riffs and the Bill Berry-Mike Mills rhythm section captures the force of forebears Big Star and the Byrds. After half a decade of college-rock heroism, R.E.M. achieved its first hit album thanks to the....0 points

8

Express

This expanded edition has been remastered from the studio digital tapes by producer John A. Rivers, giving the music a new depth and clarity. The release features the original uk album, various B sides and remixes as well as 2 short instrumentals discovered during remastering and expanded artwork.0 points

9

Daydream Nation

The essential New York rock band of the post-punk era, Sonic Youth care as much about the quasi-symphonic, microtonal art-guitar music of composers like Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca as they do about the rock-song form, and with Daydream Nation, they struck their greatest balance between the two. The songs hover gorgeously for extended lengths, letting guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo intertwine fragile tonalities as carefully as it's possible to do at wall-shaking volume, while Moore a...0 points

10

Nothing's Shocking

Though the songs aren't quite as good as those on Ritual De Lo Habitual, this album is much more consistent, with a heavy rock-funk-punk mix that's a pleasure to hear. The slower songs (especially "Summertime Rolls" and "Jane Says") work well, while the up-tempo material--in particular the closer "Pig's in Zen"--is both catchy and ambitious. It's a fine album overall, and if the band's Zeppelin-ward aspirations don't quite work, their music is still quite good in its own right. --Genevieve Willi...0 points

11

Treasure

0 points

12

Violent Femmes

Emerging, literally, from the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they gained notoriety through busking, this strange trio led by guitarist-vocalist Gordon Gano became a cult favorite with their self-titled debut album in 1983. Influenced greatly by Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, the Femmes' minimalist sound pitted Gano's low-volume electric guitar against Brian Ritchie's acoustic bass guitar and Victor De Lorenzo's ashcanlike homemade drum kit--all of which only served to make Gano's angs...0 points

13

Surfer Rosa

Before the Breeders and Frank Black, there was this Boston quartet, playing hardcore's rush and terseness against the acoustic grit and the minor-key flourish of Latin pop. Their first full-length album is their starkest, harsh and trebly, with the drums right in your face, and songs edited to eliminate any note that's not absolutely necessary. Singer Black Francis yelping away about destroyed bodies and the river Euphrates, alternately acting cryptic and crazed. Kim Deal, then calling herself "...0 points

14

Staring at the Sea: The Singles

Amazon.com

Big and moody, Staring at the Sea compiles some hits and near misses of these excavators of the dark soul. Beginning with their earliest hits--the sparse "Killing an Arab," the aptly tedious "10:15 Saturday Night," and the charming "Boys Don't Cry"--this collection stops before the comparative giddiness of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

Musicians first, brooding art types second, The Cure's unique instrumentation doesn't get the credit it rightfully deserves. The thrashy, trash-can brea...0 points

15

Burning from the Inside

The essential Goth band Bauhaus was already starting to splinter by the time of this final album, so Burning from the Inside is a rickety bridge between fiery, arty intimations of darkness, and the two paths bandmembers later took: singer Peter Murphy's intense new-wave drama, and the more playful dance-club rock groove favored by the others (who went on to Tones On Tail and to Love and Rockets). David J.'s guitar sound, sour and sharp, and the band's dubby production tricks, define these songs....0 points

16

The Stone Roses

Some albums really can change the world, and in 1989 this was one of them. The psychedlic dance extravaganza that was The Stone Roses ushered in the era of Madchester, baggy trousers, Kangols, and the Hacienda. From the magnificent protracted opening of "I Wanna Be Adored" (where, for once, the arrogance wasn't overdone) to the dying seconds of "Fools Gold," every note was perfect. Jon Squire's guitarwork was a thing of magic, a new hero for a new age, Ian Brown sang with gusto, and the rhythm s...0 points

17

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Singer Annie Lennox and guitarist Dave Stewart first received notice in the Tourists, scoring a big U.K. hit in 1979 with a cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be With You." Emerging as the Eurythmics in 1981, Lennox's cabaret-tinged vocal style and Stewart's left-of-center songs took a while to mesh, but when they finally did, with the haunting, hook-filled 1983 No. 1 single, "Sweet Dreams" (accompanied by one of the most striking videos ever made), the two found themselves rocketing t...0 points

18

Dead Can Dance [Re-Mastered]

This 1984 release set the pace for the band's career, helped define the tone of the 4AD label, and opened the door for a genre that includes Delirium, Deep Forest, and Enigma. While much less dense and textural than more recent DCD, this album begins the group's study of combining global rhythms and instrumentation from various musical eras with contemporary sounds. Here they explore the somewhat Gothic electronic and rock instrumentation of post-punk European pop. Featuring the lush, sonorous v...0 points

19

Kick

Throughout the early 1980s, INXS kept threatening to go big league, and with 1987's Kick they broke wide open, sENDing a sharp quartet of singles--"New Sensation," "Devil Inside," "Need You Tonight," and the shimmering ballad "Never Tear Us Apart"--right to the charts. The rest of Kick, especially the strutting "Guns in the Sky" and the groovy "Wild Life," is of similar quality; all of it is marked by the band's Stones-y guitars and angular, funk-tinged rhythms. Vocalist Michael Hutchence's MTV....0 points

20

Starfish

0 points

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Authors who have lenses get found more online than authors who don't.

Authors, isn't it time that you started lenses for your books? Talk about your ideas, point to your blog, highlight great blurbs you've gotten, link to your publisher, say thanks to people who inspired you, and, of course, spotlight your book for sale on Amazon. What are you waiting for? (Heck, get your editor or your publicist to make lenses, too).

Readers and authors, show off your best book lenses

I'll start the list with a few of my favorites, but you should post yours...

Book lenses and author lenses only, please.

1

Make Money Taking Surveys

Discover How to Make as Much Money as You
Want, Just By Having an Internet Connection,
Some Spare Time, and an Opinion!5 points

2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Book 7

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is the last book in J.K. Rowling's magical series. In this seventh and final book, Harry Potter discovers what...4 points

3

If God Made the Universe, Then Who Made God?

Who made God? How did God make the world? Why does God let bad things happen? Does God love me? If God Made the Universe, Then Who Made God? is a chil...4 points

4

The Osgoode Trilogy - Award Winning Legal Mystery Thrillers

When Mary E. Martin said goodbye to changing diapers and saw a lull in her legal practice, she put pen to paper and discovered an outlet to her endles...4 points

5

In Defense Of Food

In In Defense of Food the author, Michael Pollan, expands on something most of us already know but might have forgotten. We should be eating real food...3 points

6

Who is John Galt?

The inspiring main character from Ayn Rand's epic novel, Atlas Shrugged.3 points

7

Tom Clancy

Perhaps one of the best Military Fiction Authors in History3 points

8

My Son's Favorite Children's Picture Books

Book reviews of my son's favorite picture books. Plus, download a free e-book edition of my new children's picture book, Squirt Swims with the Stars....3 points

9

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini's second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, is a story of two women and their lifes in Afghanistan over the past 40 years. Mariam was bo...2 points

10

Book List from "The Colbert Report" with Stephen Colbert

"I don't trust books. They're all fact, no heart."' ~ Stephen ColbertWhile this may be true, Stephen has a lot of authors on his show who have written...2 points

11

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

Can you imagine Steve Martin being called a wallflower? Me neither. But that's the exact word he uses when describing himself in Born Standing Up.The...2 points

12

Wizard's Daughter

It is the latest release from Coulter as part of her Sherbrooke series of historical romance novels, with a magical twist.It involves a woman with no...2 points

13

The Handmaid's Tale

This is one of Margaret Atwood's best works, showcasing a world where women have lost all of their rights in society, and those who are fertile become...2 points

14

S.M. Stirling

S.M. Stirling is a US author who has written several series' in the apocalyptic near future and alternative history genres. His books are very excitin...2 points

15

Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged is the story of a world that has grown tired of Capitalism. It is no longer a place where achievement or work is rewarded. Instead, Cap...2 points

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Any tips for how to make a really stellar book lens?

You're the expert. Share your tips.

beachbum_gabby wrote...

I'm voting for 50 HIKES IN THE ADIRONDACKS, by Barbara McMartin, looks pretty helpful for my hobby. :)

Fantastic lens!

Posted May 13, 2008

RaymondLeBlanc wrote...

Thanks Megan for this great lens!

Posted May 10, 2008

BFuniv.com wrote...

All of my lenses have an Amazon module or plexo or two. How To Raise Money For Charity and maybe some other lenses have three or more. Beyond sales they help paint a picture backing up your presentation.

Posted May 02, 2008

osgoodetrilogy wrote...

What a wonderful lens! So many great books. Your Top 15 list is a very interesting mix of titles. Please feel free to visit my lens -- The Osgoode Trilogy -- and say hi. I'd love to hear from you.

Posted April 25, 2008

FoxMusic wrote...

Great Lens!! My New Lens is on Andy Warhol

Jackies by Warhol go to Dallas. This Squidoo Pop Art Lens on Andy Warhol Contains Tons of Videos, Books, Art Auctions and a whole lot more. Stop in "Take a Walk on the Wild Side". When your finished sign the guest book for your 15 minutes of Pop Art Fame, Then Sign up and Create Your Lens Squidoo Today, I Squidoo, Do You??

Posted April 25, 2008

Frankster wrote...

Great information. Thanks and bear hugs, Frankie

Posted April 15, 2008

funwithtrains wrote...

Interesting lens -- great information. 5 stars and a favorite! Please visit my Marklin Trains lens.

Posted April 14, 2008

whytedove wrote...

This is a great lens. I found several new authors that have made their way onto my "to read" list. One new author that I didn't see on the list is Susan Walerstein. I read her Dancing Above The Waves in a marathon session on the weekend. I couldn't put it down!

Posted April 08, 2008

Retro_Loco wrote...

As if my "books I want to read" list wasn't long enough! I just found more on your lens I want to read. I like the idea of "The 4-Hour Workweek", but I would be lost if I didn't work 16 hours a day! Terrific lens, Megan!

Posted April 06, 2008

ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...

I;ve written book reviews for my website, amazon, and writing.com. Now I'm writing them for squidoo. I just published The Weekend Reader.
Great Lens *****

Posted April 06, 2008

ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...

I've written book reviews and posted them on my webpage, amazon, and writing.com. I just published a lens called The Weekend Reader. I love to read and I love to write. Writing reviews accomplishes both.
Great lens!
Liz

Posted April 06, 2008

BradKamer wrote...

This is a pretty solid list. I do have to check out Web Analytics. Great lens.

Posted April 06, 2008

purplelady wrote...

I love books and I love your lens. Great job. I can remember when as a child I would go to the library (within biking distance) during the summer reading program and could check out 10 books at a time. Lucky for me I had a basket on the front of my pink and white Schwinn bike. I would take them home and sit in Father's favorite chair with my legs over the edge and read and read. Depending on which books I got I would finish them very quickly and immediately go back and get 10 more.

How sad I was to read just the other day that in a recent survey, 61% of people polled indicated that they had not been in a library for years.

Don't get me wrong; I love the Internet. I am just concerned that some of the things about my childhood are being usurped. There is something really cool about still going to the library and realizing that even if a book is difficult "to get into", I only have two weeks to do so or it have to go back to the library.

Thanks for the lists. 5 library cards!

Posted March 30, 2008

Lakota429 wrote...

Yet another great lens by the infamous Megan!!! Smiles :) !! Great job on this one, too! Come one over again and see what I've done since last year's LOTD and your eBay ebook! Cheers! Annie~

Posted March 29, 2008

MythRider wrote...

Now this is a place I've got to come back to.

Malcolm

Posted March 28, 2008

tastybreakfast wrote...

Hi great lens! Pls do check out mine =)

Posted March 28, 2008

Aztar99 wrote...

Awesome Book page you did a great job. Always nice to meet a another book lover :) I have a book page as well if you would like to have a look its brand new but I just love books, I don't know what I would do without a good story to bring that element of blazing adventure into my life.

Check out my page if you like I'd appreciate any advise :)

Posted March 26, 2008

dual-shock-3 wrote...

thanks for the information.

dual shock 3

Posted March 25, 2008

StacymomBiz wrote...

Awesome lens - so much great information, 5 stars! Keep up the great work :-)

-Stacy

Posted March 22, 2008