"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Monday, August 24, 2015

TTT: books to read 101

Top Ten Tuesday: (I am modifying the topic) 
Top books I wish I could read in a college literature class, 
so I could have the help and insight of a college professor to increase understanding.

1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez---I had to do a lot of "homework" on my own to appreciate and understand this book. I ended up really liking it but I would have loved to gain the insights of a college professor on this classic magical realism novel.

2. A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley---I read this book and wondered what I was missing the whole time. I think I would benefit from a lively discussion on this dystopian novel.

3.  Things Fall Apart by  Chinua Achebe---I know this book is routinely taught in high school English classes but unless it is done well, kids hate it and really struggle with it. I love to read it with a more mature group.

4. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Lesley Watson---bet you weren't expecting to see a recently published book on this list but I think this book, also a magical realism novel, would be an excellent choice to dissect in a college level class.

5.  Hamlet by William Shakespeare---can you believe I have never read this, Shakespeare's most famous play? I have a hard time reading plays by myself.

6. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner---I read somewhere that is is nearly impossible to read Faulkner and appreciate his writing without the help provided in a good lit class. This would explain why I haven't read it, yet.

7. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens---OK. You caught me. I just started this book today for my Classics Club spin. When I read the reviews for it someone said it is considered a nearly perfect novel. I'd like to know why.

8. Poisonwood Bible, or Flight Behavior, or Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver---her books are always built around a theme. I love these books but think I would enjoy reading one of them in a class forcing me to dig deeper into the themes.

9. And the Mountains Echoed by Kahled Hosseni---this book is full of seemingly disconnected stories that the author masterfully draws together. I'd like to study this author's genius.

10. Bless Me, Ultima by Ruldofo Anaya---guess what? Another magical realism novel, this one with lots of religious symbolism. Help me college professors gain a deeper understand of this, a new favorite novel.

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10 comments:

  1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzAugust 25, 2015 at 3:53 AM

    Yes. Of course. A great college teacher could have helped me a lot with some of the most puzzling books I've read. Maybe Hurakami? And Heart of Darkness?

    Here's mine!

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  2. MeezCarrieAugust 25, 2015 at 6:23 AM

    ohhh yeah - I've got some books I could add to this kind of list too lol! My TTT

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  3. UnknownAugust 25, 2015 at 7:02 AM

    Great list!! Check out my Fantasy 101 class if you'd like :D http://bookbabble.weebly.com/blog/top-ten-tuesday6

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  4. Lauren StoolfireAugust 25, 2015 at 8:11 AM

    Great picks - I would l love to read these in a college setting, especially The Poisonwood Bible.

    Check out my TTT and my Read This? Watch This! Tag.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Inklings and NotionsAugust 25, 2015 at 12:28 PM

    I love the idea of reading these in a college setting! I haven't had the guts to tackle Faulkner.
    Now I'm curious to read Great Expectations....

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  6. Katherine PAugust 25, 2015 at 2:23 PM

    Interesting perspective. I had the great fortune of reading both Hamlet and MacBeth when I had a really fantastic teach and I really love both of them - partly because of the setting in which I read them. I recently tried to reread Great Expectations but ended up DNFing about 40% in. While I got a whole new appreciation for Dickens as a writer I spent most of the book wanting to drown Pip.

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  7. BrittanyLAugust 25, 2015 at 4:15 PM

    I could not get through Brave New World. I did not find that a reader friendly book. I was so confused that I gave up. :/
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

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  8. Alicia @ A Kernel of NonsenseAugust 25, 2015 at 5:01 PM

    I think it definitely benefits you to have lively discussions with others when it comes to a lot of classics. I absolutely adore Ava Lavender, and agree, it would be an excellent book to discuss.

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  9. UnknownAugust 26, 2015 at 8:20 PM

    I love the twist in the topic! I hope you read Hamlet sometime, it's my favorite from Shakespeare! Great list!
    Anjie @ Love thy Shelf

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  10. JaneAugust 28, 2015 at 2:36 PM

    I love your topic choice! Great Expectations and Hamlet are both lovely and some of my favorites. Thanks for sharing!

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