The LA Times article “77 novels for 60 years” celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the National Book Foundation and its 77 award winners sent me off on a task I take on once every few months: googling “Must Read Books” or “Top 50 Books of All Time” or “Books to Read Before you Die.” This search yield: a great article from January’s Guardian “1000 novels everyone must read: the definitive list”. I dutifully went through this mamoth, checking and circling books, conveniently divided by subject, but by the end I had to wonder what it is I’ve been spending my time reading…. woefully all my checks (read it!), circles (own it or on the to read list), and strikeouts (a combination of the movie version ruined it already, or I started it and will never pick it back up) left a huge list, some titles of which I didn’t even recognize.
The obvious first excuse came to mind, The Guardian is a BRITISH paper, so obviously my AMERICAN self had not been exposed to some of the titles. But really- we all know that is complete crap, especially in my own case as I have actually lived in London. So back to the drawing board.
I realized, sadly, that those circles indicated many books that have been on my to read list for YEARS. With all the hoopla of each next season of books- my BEA stash for this year is already well tapped- it gets increasingly difficult not to read the highly recommended new thing (Jonathan Tropper- This is Where I Leave You LOVE IT!), as opposed to the book you have been trying to read for the last 10 years (The Name of the Rose- Umberto Eco).
Solution: I am going to hold strong, pull out the pile of books I have been collecting (Fingersmith by Sarah Waters– purchased December of 2003, as yet unread) and start making a dent. While the offerings this year have been great, and I have been raving to any who will listen about more than a few, I must admit, there is nothing worse than realizing, as is so sadly true, that I have never actually read ANY, of Jane Austin. I think I just failed publishing 101. First on the list: Persuasion… to be followed by my book group’s selection of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Thoughts?