Another...Book List. Grrrrr!

[AquaBlue]

What do you think? Is it a good list?

· Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King
· Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
· Song of Susannah by Stephen King
· The Known World by Edward P. Jones
· The Dark Tower by Stephen King
· A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
· Bag of Bones by Stephen King
· Life of Pi by Yann Martel
· Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
· Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
· The Stand by Stephen King
· Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
· Rose Madder by Stephen King
· Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
· Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
· Deception Point by Dan Brown
· Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
· Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
· Everything’s Eventual by Stephen King
· Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
· The Talisman by Stephen King
· Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
· Black House by Stephen King
· The Hitchhiker’s Trilogy by Douglas Adams
· The Regulators by Stephen King
· Animal Farm by George Orwell
· Desperation by Stephen King
· A Simple Habana Melody by Oscar Hijuelos
· Everything’s Eventual by Stephen King
· The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
· It by Stephen King
· The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
· Insomnia by Stephen King
· Lord of the Flies by William Golding
· From A Buick 8 by Stephen King
· The Five People You Met in Heaven by Mitch Albom
· Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King
· Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
· Cell by Stephen King
· To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
· Run, Rabbit by John Updike
· The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
· Rabbit Redux by John Updike
· The Pearl by John Steinbeck
· Rabbit is Rich by John Updike
· Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
· Rabbit at Rest by John Updike
· Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
· Empire Falls by Richard Russo
· The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
· East of Eden by John Steinbeck
· The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
· The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck

[Isabell]

Good or bad; simply, that it your decision in the end. I see some great books in that pile, and some I wouldn't even bother with.

[AquaBlue]

Can you tell I like King novels? He he.

Which books do you not like on the list and why? Thanks.

[mehastings]

I think it all depends on the purpose of the list. Are these all the books you plan to read in 2006 and the order you plan to read them? Or is the list intended for something else? Perhaps an article on the "Fifty+ Best Books Ever".

I'm going to assume these are books you are planning on reading. There's a lot on there that are worth the effort, but I don't think I personally would be into reading this list. Of course, that shouldn't discourage you from doing so. My biggest issue is that I think it is way unbalanced with too many King novels. My personal feelings on King aside, I think it is just too much from one specific author (no matter how much you like him). The majority of the other books seem to be mostly "modern classics" by American authors that are pushed in High School. I've read a lot of them already and many of the rest just don't draw my interest.

Personally, I'd remove at least half of the King novels and replace them with some very recent fiction, and some older classics. I also think you need more writing from non-Americans here.

[Stewart]

Burn Stephen King and Dan Brown and you are halfway there... I agree, also, with mehastings regarding non-Americans.

[SFG75]

Which books do you not like on the list and why? Thanks.

I don't know about Isabell, but I just can't stand The Great Gatsby. God, what an unreadable mess!. The sad thing is that I enjoy that historical era and reading about it, but that darn books is so plodding in "flow" that I just can't stand to read more than a chapter of it.

I do agree, some great choices in there-Especially the Steinbeck ones.

[mehastings]

Originally Posted by SFG75

I don't know about Isabell, but I just can't stand The Great Gatsby. God, what an unreadable mess!

I wasn't going to pick out specific books, but I agree with you wholeheartedly. I hate that book. It is so damn boring (of course I think the same thing about Steinbeck).

[Stewart]

Aww...Steinbeck good...having read The Pearl and Of Mice And Men, and buying East of Eden a few days ago.

[mehastings]

Originally Posted by Stewart

Aww...Steinbeck good...having read The Pearl and Of Mice And Men, and buying East of Eden a few days ago.

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the world who doesn't like his writing. I know I should try again, but I just can't bring myself to when there are so many other things out there to read.

[Kookamoor]

Originally Posted by mehastings

I wasn't going to pick out specific books, but I agree with you wholeheartedly. I hate that book. It is so damn boring...

I agree too! It was one of my high school books, and I used to find studying the books made me like them more, but with this one - ugh! I was so glad when I could throw it down and never look at it again.

I *loved* Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, by the way. Move that up the list a bit.

I also agree with mehastings that you should explore some other authors that are less... well known, for want of a better word. I assume you posted your list for feedback (not sure how I'm supposed to do that, as I'm not you and these are books for *you* to read), and I think it reads more like a compilation of other peoples lists than yours. Just a sense.

I also note, looking at one of your older posts, that a lot of these books were on a list you posted back in February. So what kept you from reading these between then and now? Perhaps they *sound* good, but are not actually to your tastes? Just a thought....

[angerball]

A lot of Stephen King there!! I haven't read most of the others on your list, so I can't really comment. You have some good ones there like To Kill A Mockingbird, Life of Pi, Lord of the Flies.... But if you like Stephen King and Dan Brown, then stick with them.

But anyway, booklists are usually static, changing things. You may find that once you get started, half the books on there you can't finish, because they are not to your style, and so you update/change your list. However, if what you want to do is broaden your horizon, and try different things, then you should probably cut down on some of King. I would leave It, The Stand, and The Talisman though.

[Jemima Aslana]

Originally Posted by mehastings

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the world who doesn't like his writing. I know I should try again, but I just can't bring myself to when there are so many other things out there to read.

No, not quite the only one. I read Of Mice and Men in school when I was 17, I think. I didn't like it either. So you're not alone. It may just be because I wasn't quite able to appreciate the book at that time, but so far I'm with you on the not liking Steinbeck

[mom2kngr]

Well I had to read Of Mice and Men when in high school also and remember enjoying that book well enough that I actually read it all. So maybe I need to try another one of this books and see if I like them as well. Haven't read anything of his since high school.

[abecedarian]

Put me in the "hate Gatsby camp". Boring and depressing! I loved To Kill a Mockingbird, and plan to get around to Steinbeck eventually. In light of my new "read around the world challenge" I would also encourage adding a few authors from outside the US. Keep a few King and Browns if you want(won't say must) but add other 'flavors" to your reading diet. Really it depends on YOUR personal reading goals, which none of us here can dictate.

[Minniemal]

Originally Posted by mehastings

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in the world who doesn't like [Steinbeck's] writing.

No, you're not!