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.
