Monday, September 21, 2009

16 Books to Read Before You Die


1. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King- This master storyteller's magnum opus.
2. The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis- A completely unique view of the solar system.
3. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis- A good retelling of an old myth.
4. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- One of the greatest fantasy works of the 20th century.
5. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy- Intimidating but worth it.
6. Dracula by Bram Stoker- How vampires should be written about.
7. Civil War Trilogy by Jeff and Michael Sharra- Very fine historical fiction writers.
8. On Writing by Stephen King- Very good discussion on the matter of writing by one of its best living practitioners.
9. The Covenant by James Michener- Very thought provoking historical fiction.
10. The Civil War-A Narrative by Shelby Foote- Best example of a literary style applied to historical narrative.
11. Shiloh by Shelby Foote- About the battle, not the dog.
12. Truman by David McCullough- Another good literary historical narrative.
13. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling- Finest piece of fiction this century has produced.
14. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley- One of the best examples of Gothic writing.
15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- A moral guide for all generations.
16. The Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant- A complete summarization of Western Civilization until the 1800s.

5 comments:

  1. I read Frankenstein, but I didn't like it. I thought Dracula was much better

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  2. I would like to see you read and review Jane Eyre.

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  3. You could get a job with the Sentinel News or Shelby County Life as a reviewer. Want me to call them? Book Sale at the library Oct. 1, 4:30 if you're a member. If not you can join at the door.

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  4. You might enjoy The Thirteenth Tale. Can't remember the author, sorry.

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  5. Deloris, I suppose you could call them... I'm not quite sure I'm good enough for them, but I suppose it is worht a try. I intend on being at the booksale. I'll look for that book.

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