Time to update my reading obsession. Unlike January, when I managed to read 12 short books, February had only two (neither terribly interesting), but this led to a landmark: I'd reached half-way through the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" list. I don't know of anyone else who's done that. That's a lot of books! And, of course, since I started it, the list has been revised and now I'm below the half-way mark again.
http://1001beforeyoudie.com/
There are more manageable lists, however. There's the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels Written in English since 1900. I've read all of them.
http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/
There was a lot of argument over that list, so there's a Radcliffe Rival List, also at the same site - I've read all of those, too.
Then, there's Time Magazine's 100 Best English Language Novels Since 1923. I've read 82.
http://entertainment.time.com/2005/10/16/all-time-100-novels/
And there's the London Observer's 100 Greatest Novels of All Time. I've read 81.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/oct/12/features.fiction
.......................................
We're far enough into the century that it's possible to make a good list of the novels of the last century. While I enjoy a wide variety of books (I'm still the only person I know who regularly reads poetry), and my all-time best list would look like "Anthony Trollope: The List," what I'm really interested in from the 20th century is the dark-themed cooler-than-thou novels. I'm thinking of making a list.
First nominees:
Blood Meridian
The Killer Inside Me
The Watchmen
Wise Blood
Riddley Walker
That's the start of one scary bookshelf.
Never ending rain
3 days ago
7 comments:
I have a shit memory, because I have very little recollection of what I read while in school. I also can't remember what I started but didn't finish reading. Then there's all the films based on novels which have muddied the waters of my sad little mind. From what I can remember, I don't do well on any of the lists.
First you write and say Alicia is coming to Denmark, then you say none of your friends reads poetry!! When will the lies stop?! :)
Those are fun lists, you know. Thanks. I had to check - I've only read 20 of the Modern Library's top 100. Would love to read them all. Which one should I start with?
@SLG: Mea culpa on the first one, but do you really "regularly" read poetry?
Mea culpa. You are silly.
I come here hoping for a personalized book recommendation and instead I get accused of not reading poetry. Well, I do. "Regularly", well. I guess it comes in waves. But I find myself remembering lines of poems all of the time- must be part of having majored in English and French lit - that I just HAVE to find again. Plus, it is hard not to wander into the poetry section at the library. Always been a fun diversion for me.
@SLG: I know your taste in music, but I don't think I can make recommendations on books for you. Without looking at the list again, the first book that comes to mind is "Winesburg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson; I need to reread that one.
Hmmmm....Love book lists. Right now I seem to be on a nonfiction, foodie tear. Seems like you might be a candidate for "The Imperfectionists," by Tom Rachman. I've recommended to a few people, and everyone hated it. I'm hoping to find a kindred spirit :)
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