1) Catch-22 - Joseph Heller : A satirical take on war, its absurdity, and one man's attempt to figure out why thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. Hilarious, slightly horrifying, and deeply affecting.
2) Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy : A poetic and gruesome account of the relationship between white men and indian nations out west in the late 1800s.
3) 100 Years Of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez : Magical realism is style that combines illogical scenarios in ordinary settings. Marquez's imagery is entrancing.
4) Mystic River - Denis Lehane : Three boys have their friendship shattered by one event. Twenty-five years later the death of a daughter brings their families back together. The movie was great. The book is better.
5) Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut : This is a satirical take on Vonnegut's experience during the second World War, and how pathetic it is when humans don't use their free will to prevent atrocity. He uses humor to deal with hardship.
