Monday, December 29, 2008

Books For The New Year

I'm in list-making mode, so thought I would put together a short list of books I would like to read next year. It will be short because I know I tend to change my mind all the time, but I would like to get these read sometime in the next year. I think. We'll see.

1. Atlas Shrugged. I have read a number of Ayn Rand's books, and I kind of have a thing for her. I really enjoyed The Fountainhead but have never read Atlas Shrugged. About time, don't you think?
2. A Passage to India. A Room With A View is one of my favorite books (and movies) so I think I'll like this one as well.
3. Tropic of Cancer. I keep hearing about this book lately for some reason and although I don't really know anything about it, I do know it was on trial for obscenity, so that's a draw right there.
4. Heart of Darkness. Another classic I somehow missed and can't believe I haven't read all the way through. I've read bits, but not the whole thing. I must rectify this gap in my reading!
5. The Corrections. I know this is on a number of people's Best Books Of 2000's lists and I keep meaning to read it.
6. American Psycho. Let's throw in some brutality for balance.
7. The Name of the Rose. For the third try!
8. Flaubert's Parrot. Stefanie made it sound fun. I'll give it a try.
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Terri really loves Philip Dick and I really loved Blade Runner, so there's two recommendations for the book right there.
10. aaaaand, just for kicks, Anna Karenina, which somehow I also have never read. How have I missed so many great books?

I'd also like to reread The Little Country; Little, Big; and maybe A Prayer For Owen Meany. So, some classics, some new things, some rereads... I can't wait to get started. My goal for this next year is 75 books. I read 73 in 2008, so I think I can do it. I'd like to get to 100 a year but I tend to choose big fat books so maybe it doesn't really matter.

Any recommendations for must-reads?

5 comments:

Kate said...

Read Suite Francaise! You won't regret it.

American Psycho is one of only two books that I have ever - in my entire life - stopped reading on purpose. It gave me nightmares. (The other book - oddly enough - was Tess of the D'Ubervilles.)

Anonymous said...

The only one's I've read on your are Heart of Darkness, but that was in High School so sort of doesn't count, and The Corrections - which I really loved. The rest of my book club was sort of lukewarm - let me know what you think when you get to it.

I really loved the book we just read for book club, Unaccustomed Earth by Jumpha Laihiri (sp?) and we read Grapes of Wrath in book club a couple of years ago and I got so much out reading it as an adult, to the point where I thought it was kind of wasted on my as a 17-year-old....

-Lara

Ana S. said...

I'm working in a list like this too...I'll have to include some E.M Foster. I've actually never read anything by him before. And I've never read Philip K. Dick either! It would be perfect for Carl's sci-fi experience.

The Little Country is on my tbr pile, patiently awaiting its turn...I'll really have to get to it next year.

Daphne said...

Kate: for some reason Suite Francaise is on my "I should read it but I have an irrational resistance to it" list. I will try to get a copy from the library and see if I get sucked in...

Lara: I was actually thinking about Steinbeck, too -- I LOVED his books so much in high school, I bet they would be worth another read. You're right, talk about making an impression.

Nymeth: Start with Room With A View! I love, love, love that little book. And The Little Country is wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Heart of Darkness is soooo good. I hope you like Flaubert's Parrot! I would like to read Anna K this year too. Maybe we will both get to it and we can compare notes :)