List: My 25 favorite books from the last 25 years

Whitney Matheson, USA TODAY | USATODAY

Following my lists of favorite films, TV shows and albums from the last 25 years, today the series wraps with a countdown of my favorite books.

This may have been the most difficult piece to write, partly because I include all genres: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, graphic novels. It also occurred to me that I spent most of the '90s reading classic literature in high school and college, so perhaps I have some catching up to do.

In any case, I hope you enjoy it and perhaps discover a few titles to add to your must-read list. Feel free to share your own picks in the comments!

25. King Dork by Frank Portman. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard one of my favorite musicians — Dr. Frank from The Mr. T Experience — had written a young-adult novel. The result is smart, funny and perfectly crafted, and I can only hope the film adaptation doesn't disappoint.

24. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. For those of us who will never walk the Appalachian Trail ourselves (but wish we could), Bryson offers a satisfying and laugh-out-loud substitute.

23. Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw. The cartoonist's breakout 2008 graphic novel moved me so much I told everyone I knew to pick it up.

22. Actual Air by David Berman. Speaking of musicians who write, this book of poetry from the Silver Jews front man came out shortly after I graduated college and needed some inspiration.

21. Sarah by JT LeRoy. I realize LeRoy never actually existed — he was a persona created by writer Laura Albert — but that doesn't take away from this vivid novel about an abused boy and his "lot lizard" mother.

20. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Eggers wasn't a household name when he published this 2000 memoir about losing both his parents. In the years since, he has published and aided thousands of other writers and been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

19. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. I'm a fan of many of Didion's books, but I think Magical Thinking is her best from the last quarter-century. It's difficult to name another memoir that has such raw and devastating honesty.

18. No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin. If I could have dinner with anyone famous, I might choose Goodwin, whose historical knowledge blows me away. Published in 1995, this Pulitzer Prize-winning book made me obsessed with a figure I previously knew very little about.

17. Just Kids by Patti Smith. The subject matter alone is riveting — Smith details her years with Robert Mapplethorpe — yet the way Smith tells her story is a sheer pleasure to read.

16. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. Although Less Than Zero is my fave Ellis novel, this one comes very close.

15. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. It was very hard to chose one Sedaris book, but I'm going with the one that includes tales of the Rooster and midget guitar teacher.

14. Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith. I read this back when I lived in Tennessee and still think it's one of the best epistolary novels ever published.

13. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Many books for writers feel condescending or unnecessary, but Anne's is truly helpful and amusing, and a very worn copy still sits within arm's reach of my desk.

12. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This young-adult novel won the National Book Award, and deservedly so. Alexie's story of a Native American teen should be required reading in schools.

11. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. Just because you've seen the movie doesn't mean you should ignore the excellent book, which is very different from the John Cusack film (and perhaps even better, though I love them both).

10. Bee Season by Myla Goldberg. The first time I read this novel, I think I barely slept, because I absolutely couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Don't you love it when that happens?

9. McSweeney's Issue 13. The perfectly curated comics hardcover includes pretty much all my favorites: Daniel Clowes, Chris Ware, Lynda Barry, Adrian Tomine, Jeffrey Brown, Julie Doucet. It helped many small press/indie creators get noticed, and it also helped destroy the ridiculous notion that comics are just for kids.

8. Darkness Visible by William Styron. A few years ago I suffered from a very debilitating depression. My doctor recommended I read this book as part of my treatment, and it helped enormously. I have no doubt Styron's memoir has saved many, many lives since it was published more than 20 years ago.

7. The Andy Warhol Diaries edited by Pat Hackett. I thought I kept a pretty detailed journal until I read this enormous tome, published after Warhol's death. Each page reads like a who's who of pop culture. (It also illustrates how cheap things were back in the '70s and '80s, as Andy kept track of all of his receipts!)

6. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. I have many favorite graphic memoirs, but I don't think this one can ever be topped.

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. My only complaint about this touching and lovely 1999 young-adult novel is that it came out a few years after my own adolescence.

4. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I remember being in high school English class and absolutely hating whatever it was we were being forced to read. I had a student teacher at the time who confessed he didn't like it, either, and he thought I might enjoy Owen Meany instead. I loved it and have recommended the novel to many others since.

3. Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Pia Guerra (artist). Anytime someone says something like, "I want to get into comics, but I don't know where to start!" I just loan them my first trade of this series. They always come back for more.

2. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. I was just a wee woman during punk's heyday, so I must rely on others to tell me just how crazy and history-making the scene really was. Fortunately, these authors created an excellent resource on the subject that sheds light on punk rock in the musicians' own words.

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. OK, so I didn't name one title here ... but I just can't. Looking back, some of the most pleasurable times I've had as a reader were when I was engrossed in one of Rowling's novels or discussing it with another fan. I love that kids will be discovering the timeless tale for generations to come.

OK, your turn: What are your favorite books from the last 25 years? Please share in the comments, and I'll name a few of my "honorable mentions" as well!