So it has been brought to my attention that the List of 30 books to read before I turn 30 may not be the "best list". While most lists are subjective, I've come to the realization that I was about to undertake a journey without knowing anything about my guides. A quick google search later, revealed that they may not be the best people to take me on my trip.
So I am asking for your help. I'm going to put together my own list of "Books You Should Read Before Turning 30" ... but since I may not have read them yet, I'd like your input. What books do you think should be on my list? And if you really feel strongly about a book, give me a little background - a WHY the particular book or books should be read. What aspect of my life will it touch? Or better yet, what aspect of your life was affected by the book - or is it merely a book that is a classic and should be read?
Once I compile my list, the journey will begin. Anyone want to join me?
FICTION
ReplyDeleteCount of Monte Cristo – Alexander Dumas (Drama)
Three Musketeers – Alexander Dumas (Drama)
The Giver – Lois Lowry (Drama/Sci Fi – might be my favorite story ever)
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams (Funniest Book ever – Sci Fi)
1984 – George Orwell (Dystopia Sci-Fi)
The Stand – Stephen King (Best Apocalyptic Novel ever – Very Long)
Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien (Fantasy)
Perks of Being a Wall Flower – Stephen Chbosky (Coming of Age Drama that makes Catcher in the Rye seem mediocre, IMO)
Ender’s Games – Orson Scott Card (Voted No. 1 Sci-Fi novel all time)
The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck (Drama)
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley (Dystopia Sci-Fi)
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (Drama)
Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathon Swift (Political satire in the form of a fantasy adventure)
Dune – Frank Herbert (Great Sci-Fi Epic)
NON-FICTION
The following four books are recommended if you would like to broaden your world view concerning history and why the world is the way it is today. WARNING – all the books, to a certain extent, involve in depth discussions of mathematics, astronomy, and linguistics and read more like an extremely long essay. But, if you can stick it out and take your time to understand theories and arguments, their conclusions really blow your mind.
Fingerprints of the Gods – Graham Hancock: Hancock looks at cartology, geology, mathematics and mythology, to make an extremely compelling argument for the existence of an ancient race capable of technological achievements we have yet to imagine. The book focuses on the Egyptian pyramids, as well as Mayan culture.
Guns, Germs and Steel – Jared Diamond: Diamond explains why Europeans came to be the world’s imperial powers after the worlds first imperial powers came from the Fertile Crescent. He proves his theories by tracing the history of the domestication of crops and livestock as well as looking at the evolution of language itself.
Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner: A series of essays explaining fascinating theories for why certain names are more common than others, etc.
The Iron Wall – Avi Shlaim : Ever wonder why the Middle East is the way it is? This book doesn’t have all the answers, but it is a fairly even handed account of the history of Israel and its neighbors.
BASEBALL: I love baseball and these two books are must reads for any baseball fan.
Ball Four – Jim Bouton: Even if you aren’t a baseball fan, you might appreciate this hilarious account of a washed up pitcher just trying to survive and stay in the major leagues. It is the true story about of Jim Bouton and his time with the Seattle Pilots during their only season in existence, 1969.
Baseball behind the Numbers – Nate Silver: Was Barry Bonds better than Babe Ruth? What is the monetary value of your 89th and 90th win during the baseball season? Should teams go back to a four man rotation? This book answers all these questions through the lens of sabremetrics. AWESOME.
Series
The Belgariad – David Eddings: Fantasy story of a quest to defeat evil. Like the Lord of the Rings, but might even better. The series is five books, the first of which is Guardian of the West. Read the whole series twice, absolutely spectacular.
The Dark Tower – Stephen King: Huge investment of time, but awesome series. Indescribable really, but if you are a fan of Lost, just know that the show is filled with homages to The Dark Tower and that the show’s produces were influenced by the series.
I would add, if you are looking for books that fulfill your feminine side (in no particular order)
ReplyDelete1. Wuthering Heights
2. Do they hear you when you cry?
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Tess of the D'Ubervilles
5. The Vagina Monologues
I would second Todd's choice of the following:
1. The Count of Monte Cristo (!!)
2. 1984
3. To Kill A Mockingbird
For my own mathematics/astrophysics choice:
A Brief History of Nearly Everything: this is a comedic explanation of just about everything, from black holes to gravity.
And for a "fulfilling" marriage:
The Surrendered Wife: don't hate me for this. It was a good book with some good ideas. I don't agree with them all and you don't necessarily have to read before you turn 30. Just a good book.
Agree that the old list had some sketchy (in my opinion) choices on it. I'm up for reading with you once your list is made!! I love a book challenge!
ReplyDeleteHere are my picks - in random order - and without as much commentary as Todd gave you. Some I've read and some I've been meaning to for years...
The Gospel of John - paints a beautiful picture of who Jesus was
1984
Guns, Germs and Steel
Count of Monte Cristo
Mere Christianity - GREAT overview from the brilliant C.S. Lewis. Good balance of theology (deep stuff) and the practical (common sense stuff) and a surprisingly engaging read.
LIttle Women
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Atlas Shrugged
Of Mice and Men
Les Miserables
The Little Prince
Pride and Prejudice
That's all I got this morning!
Some books added via email:
ReplyDeleteKatie J's thoughts -
East of Eden - Steinbeck (took awhile to get into but loved it once I did - so much better than Grapes of Wrath in my opinion)
Catch-22 - Heller
Pride and Prejudice - Austen
Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevsky
Heart of Darkness - Conrad
Wuthering Heights - Bronte
The Scarlet Letter - Hawthorne
Gone With The Wind - Mitchell
The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald
Beloved - Morrison
Strunk's suggestions:
I've heard The Count of Monte Cristo is great, but I've never read it. I absolutely LOVE The Giver--maybe one of my favorite stories of all time, too, and it's an easy read. I also second To Kill a Mockingbird. Maybe you could add some "girly" books to the list--e.g. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) or Jane Eyre (Bronte), Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)--just throwing them out there. :) Also, maybe C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia for a series--I've read part of it but have never made it through all of them. I also think A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, is a good one. I've heard Ginny talk about A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, but I've never read it. Also, this is kind of random, but I remember really liking A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle.
And a few facebook friends' additions:
ReplyDelete"James Patterson - Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
Dan Brown - Angels and Demons
Emily Griffin - Love the One You're With
Wm. Paul Young - The Shack
Allan Bloom - The Closing of the American Mind
Deborah Ford - The GRITS (girls raised in the south) Guide to Life"
"Elizabeth Gilbert--Eat, Pray, Love"
Hmm, sounds like The Count of Monte Cristo is a definite! Good luck comprising this all into 1 list of 30 :)
ReplyDeleteOkay. This list is super male dominated, so I'm adding the books that I think every woman should read before 30.
ReplyDeleteA Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor- A Southern gothic classic.
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan - The one that started it all. Betty was vastly influential in getting us out of our domestic prisons and heading toward the feminist movement.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - a feminist dystopian novel, it's on par with Brave New World or 1984 but with a uniquely feminine voice. Also, it's amazing.
Books I've never read but have always wanted to (Maybe I'll read these with you!):
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Lilith by George McDonald
- All three are considered to be "feminist" or "women's" classics even though they are all written by men. Which I find quite interesting.
WATERSHIP DOWN. read it, love it.
ReplyDeletei love this idea! i might have to do it...although i guess i'd have to do 40 before 40. and my mom would probably put something annoying on there like "the bible." (not that the bible's annoying, but the suggestion to read it cover to cover would be.)
Since I thought it would be a bitch move to make fun of someone's list of 30 without coming up with my own in full, here is my list of "30 Books to Start Reading Before You Realize TV is Stupendous." And a list by a lawyer for lawyers wouldn't be complete without a LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I've only read 14 of these, and I skewed it towards the classics with a few exceptions to hit the dual threat of self-enrichment and convincing people you're smart (the true meaning of life, and the only reason I would take the time to make a list of 30...LOOK AT HOW SMART I AM!).
ReplyDelete1) 1984 – George Orwell (Big Brother loves this one..you do too, don't you?)
2) Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain (ahhhh racism)
3) Animal Farm – George Orwell (kinda sucks until you read the backstory - which you should do afterwards)
4) A Time to Kill – John Grisham (harper lee light)
5) Brave New World – Aldous Huxley (soma f$%#s you up)
6) Catch 22 – Joseph Heller (best heller work since the property final)
7) Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger (welcome to the FBI's serial killer list)
8) Count of Monte Cristo – Alexander Dumas (you'd think of clever shit too if you had all day in jail)
9) Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky (at least it's not war and peace, right?)
10) The Divine Comedy: Inferno – Dante Alighieri (it's not funny Dante, you pompous ass)
11) Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury (FIRE!)
12) Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell (what every southern belle should read...frankly my dear, you might consider the cliffs notes)
13) Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck (steinbeck not stamos...confusing, I know)
14) Great Expectations – Charles Dickens (everybody loves dick...ens)
15) Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (party on)
16) Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams (towels are awesome)
17) The Iliad - Homer (better than the Oddysey - see look how smart you think I am...I must have read both)
18) Jurassic Park – Michael Crichton (because crichton should be on here somewhere, and Sphere lost all credibility with Sharon Stone)
19) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis (a 5th grader can handle this, but it rocks balls)
20) Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov (mmmmm...12 year olds girls)
21) Lord of the Flies – William Golding (british kids freak me out)
22) The Maltese Falcon – Dashiell Hammett (only kanye fights this much over a golden statue)
23) The Odyssey – Homer (fuck the Iliad...see doesn't sound as smart...remember, presentation)
24) Revelation – The Bible (screw your "book" technicalities and unwillingness to use the word screw when referring to the bible)
25) Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut (dirty Tralfamadorians)
26) The Sound and The Fury – William Faulkner (faulkner at his trying too hard best...ahhhh racism)
27) The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway (you read hemingway, you must be smart...look at you)
28) Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens (everybody loves char...les)
29) To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (who names their kid Boo anyway?)
30) Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte (because you're a chick)