I admit I've never been much of a reader; I wish I was. I love it after the fact, when all the information has been mulled through, but the the actual act I confess I'm not very good at. Shanell reads at least double or triple the speed I do - and that's not hyperbole. She blasts through the average novel in a couple days; I take a month or two. Maybe she can post a book list next. Even Sydney reads faster than I do - she's almost done with the first Fablehaven.
I read a lot of material besides novels, such as gradeschool-level coffee table books, art books and magazines, some short historical essays and such, but I'll keep this list in the novel territory.
1. Dune, by Frank Herbert. I LOVE this book and am currently reading it again. Political intrigue, ecology, philosophy, religion, war, it's a story of the meteoric rise of a messianic figure set in a distant future of planetary feudalism.
2. Shogun, by James Clavell. A blast to read even for me, it's very loosely based on the rise of the Tokugawa government in Japan and the English captain caught up in the struggle. Plenty of Samurai awesomeness.
3. The Silmarillion, by J. R. R. Tolkien. The bible of the Lord of the Rings world, brimming with tens of thousands of years of history. One of my favorite books, but be warned - it reads like an instruction manual.
4. The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis. Clever and crafty - and an easy read. The book is letters from a tempting devil to his nephew with advice on how to subtly turn his human subject to their side. It gets you thinking about your own actions.
5. Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl. A MUST read. Frankl was a Dachau survivor and describes some of his experiences there, and the basis for logotherapy - that even in a person's most debased moments of survival, there is still choice, and therefore happiness.
6. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. A novel about censorship and self-awareness. Written in the 50's, it's just as relevant today. Just imagine a world where people spend most of their day on mind-numbing monitors, small talking with "family" (sound familiar?), and where no one reads books - instead Shakespeare is only available in a very short synopsis (Wikipedia, anyone?)
7. 2001, A Space Oddessy, by Arthur C. Clark. A quick read. If you've seen the movie, the book provides a little more explanation, and better insight into the psychology of HAL.
8. Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood. A very disturbing book, not for the feint of heart. A post-apocalyptic story about the morality of genetics and the flashback of a survivor who watches over the genetically concocted race that replaces humanity.
9. The Battle that Stopped Rome, by Peter Wells. The recounting of the battle in the Teutoberg forest in Germany - Rome's biggest loss. The author takes a little liberty in accepting certain historical assumptions in favor of a better narrative - which I like.
10. Ulysses, by James Joyce. Okay, so I haven't read this book - I put it on here to sound smart. But yesterday was Bloomsday, and I own a copy, so good enough, right? I heard this is a bear to read anyhow.
How about Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond. Not finished with it yet, but it's good so far. It examines the ultimate factors in why western Europeans were the ones to dominate the world - that is, why they came to have guns, germs, and steel.
I should mention Call of Cthulu, by H. P. Lovecraft. A short story about an ancient cosmic demon who awakens to reclaim dominion over the earth. I read it and had trouble sleeping that night.
Anyway, there it is.
I don't think I could ever make it through Ulysses either. I love what these lists reveal about people. Very interesting. Can I admit that I didn't love Lord of the Rings. I LOVE the Hobbit, though. I must be a literary adolescent.
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