Last month, my department head challenged me to read ten books before the end of this year (2010) and, for whatever reason, I agreed. I enjoy reading, but I often don't have as much time to devote to it as I would like. Last year, I managed to get through something like six or seven books - many of them ones I'd read before.
These are some of the selections I've made for myself this year:
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
I first read this American classic in high school, but I didn't really enjoy it then (mainly because reading Steinbeck's "The Pearl" as a freshman left a bad taste in my mouth). However, after reading and enjoying "East of Eden" last summer, I decided to pick this book up at Half Price Books and give Steinbeck another go. I'm almost done with this one and have really enjoyed it the second time through.
"Smoke and Mirrors" by Neil Gaiman
I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman and have been for years (ever since reading "American Gods" in college). Since then, I like to try and read a Gaiman book every year. This book, Gaiman's second collection of short stories (I own all three), is a favorite of mine, containing a couple of my favorite works of his, like "We Can Get Them For You Wholesale," "Murder Mysteries," and "Snow, Glass, Apples." I haven't read this one in about five years, so it'll be fun to revisit some of these stories again.
"John Adams" by David McCullough
This one is a book that's been recommended to me by my department head, whose opinion I generally trust implicitly when it comes to good books to read (he recommended two books I enjoyed last summer - "Miss Lonelyhearts" and the aforementioned "East of Eden"). I haven't seen the Paul Giamatti HBO miniseries yet, but I figure it'd be better to read the book first. I think it'll be a good start to my summer reading.
"Other Voices, Other Rooms" or "Answered Prayers" by Truman Capote
I read both "In Cold Blood" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" while I was a bookseller at Barnes & Noble and fell absolutely in love with Capote's prose. I vaguely recalled reading one of his short stories, "A Christmas Memory," when I was in middle school... but what eighth grader is really equipped to comprehend the nuance of Capote? I've been stocking up on Capote novels in hopes that I'll later get a chance to read them - now seems like a great time to read one of or both of these books that have been waiting to be read.
"Dubliners" by James Joyce
I got an itch to read some James Joyce last year and got about four short stories into Joyce's first novel. I figured it would be better to start with some of his early work rather than jumping into the more difficult "Ulysses" (which I bought today at Half Price Books) and "Finnegan's Wake." I enjoyed what I read, but had to put it down due to my workload. This is another one I'd love to pick up now that spring is upon us.
"Orthodoxy" and "The Everlasting Man" by G.K. Chesterton
I read most of "The Everlasting Man" in my senior year of high school, but will likely be using it as a basis for one of my classes next year, so this one seems like a logical choice for reading this year. "Orthodoxy" has also been on my 'to-read' list for years and having a mandate to read ten books pushes it to the forefront. I've been an admirer of Chesterton for years and would love to read his masterwork.
For right now, I'm still looking for other books to read. I'm not sure if 'plays' qualify as books or not, because that would likely add a few reads to my list. I actually need some more non-fiction books, having only three on my list at the moment. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
16 years ago
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