I’m halfway through a book I really don’t like right now, and I’m wondering when I’m going to pick something up that isn’t disappointing, because I don’t read so much anymore, and I’d really like to stop wasting my time.
In the past, reading fifty books a year was nothing. I guess, though, that it was so easy to get through a stack of books that tall because I was in high school, and being anti-social and avoiding homework leaves a lot of time to fill. Especially for someone who had not yet discovered that movies are, in fact, a pretty decent distraction.
I’ve read some good books though. I don’t think I can say that any of them ‘changed my life,’ but there were certainly some that made me glad they were written. There were also some that made me want to write, but not because they were good. You know what I’m saying – books that made me realize that maybe, just maybe if that had made it, mine could too. None of those will appear on the list I’m about to post.
Now, the list – some books I like a whole lot, in no particular order, plus my thoughts (if I have any – yeah right) in italics. Because, honestly? I have nothing better to do right now.
1. Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson
2. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
I don’t know how much more predictable I can stand to be.
3. Little Children by Tom Perrotta
Let it be known, though, that I really do not like the film adaptation. At all.
4. A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
5. The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
The rest of the list is behind the cut. Also – I’m open to suggestions about books if you want to leave your favorite in the comments. Just don’t mention anything from the ‘Twilight’ series.
6. Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim
I actually won’t recommend this to a lot of people I know, because despite the fact that it might be my favorite book, I know that some people are going to be upset by the subject (sexual abuse) no matter how it’s treated. It happens, and the book doesn’t glorify or make light of it.
7. The Beach by Alex Garland
8. Home Land by Sam Lipsyte
9. Towelhead by Alicia Erian
Yeah, I was a little unsure of how I felt about this one at first, but there is something that works well about the way it’s written. (Also, see the note for #6.)
10. A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
11. Dry by Augusten Burroughs
12. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
13. Carry Me Down by MJ Hyland
14. A Son Called Gabriel by Damian McNicholl
15. Lucas by Kevin Brooks
This is one of the few “young adult” books I read when I was a young adult, and it is fantastic. I re-read it from time to time and I still like it every time.
16. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Oh, the alliteration! I could’ve gotten away with a joke there, but I’m not feeling up to it.
17. The City is a Rising Tide by Rebecca Lee
18. Love in the Asylum by Lisa Carey
19. Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
20. I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
Comments 7
Its nice to see someone writing a blog about books. I thought I was the only one who wrote about them, haha. I do talk about books all the time though but to be honest, thats all I seem to do anymore.
Posted 07 May 2008 at 3:29 am ¶Aw. I remember “Lucas”.
Some day, I will purchase that Wally Lamb book and actually read all of it.
Posted 07 May 2008 at 2:56 pm ¶Not sure how into SciFi you are, but the Dune series is fantastic. It’s well written and interweaves a lot of different themes together; more to the point, it does it WELL. It’s rather shocking. Other than that, anything by Anne McCaffrey is good.
I haven’t read anything new/outside scifi for a while. The last I read was Atonement, which was pretty good. Other than that I’ve got nothing.
Posted 07 May 2008 at 3:58 pm ¶Lullaby and Diary are my two favorite Palahniuk books.
House of Leaves (Mark Z Danielewski) is also very interesting… but I just scrolled back up and saw it at the bottom of the pile in the picture! So, no use in suggesting it, eh?
There are a few books on your list that I haven’t read. I’ll have to look them up on amazon and possibly add them to my ‘must read’ list.
Posted 08 May 2008 at 7:33 pm ¶I’ve never been much of a reader. Don’t have the attention level to sit down and read a book. lol. Used to read a lot when I was younger, but now that the internet has come to my life, I’ve scrapped it. I honestly haven’t read a book (properly) since my Senior year of High School.
Posted 08 May 2008 at 9:07 pm ¶Some good ones? How to Talk to a Widower (it’s a novel, not a “self-help” book) by Jonathan Tropper and Innocence by Kathleen Tessoro. Both are amazing.
Posted 09 May 2008 at 11:50 am ¶Hey, I know what you mean about the books. When I was younger and in school I could read and read.. but now I’m either more picky or I just am not into it as much.
Posted 14 May 2008 at 10:56 pm ¶Post a Comment