become insanely well-read

I want to be able to brag about having read the most number of books and say ‘I know about that’ whenever people bring up a totally weird subject. I want to be smart.

!

Oh man… this book is… just so good.

“Closing your eyes isn’t going to change anything. Nothing’s going to disappear just because you can’t see what’s going on. In fact, things will be even worse the next time you open your eyes. That’s the kind of world we live in, Mr Nakata. Keep your eyes wide open. Only a coward closes his eyes. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won’t make time stand still.”

I’m going to start with all the classics I can think of. I’ve already started making a list of books that have been recommended in the various websites and blogs that I’ve come across, so I’ve a long way to go but I’ve cut out all TV-watching whatsoever. I have about 2 free hours a day now for reading that I normally would waste…but in all honesty the internet is starting to fill them. I must stay on track!

Victor Hugo was sitting on my shelf too long, and what a pleasant surprise to pick him up!

“Never have I seen my ugliness as at the present moment. When I compare myself to you, I feel a very great pity for myself, poor unhappy monster that I am! Tell me, I must look to you like a beast. You, you are a ray of sunshine, a drop of dew, the song of a bird! I am something frightful, neither man nor animal, I know not what, harder, more trampled under foot, and more unshapely than a pebble stone!”

Then he began to laugh, and that laugh was the most heartbreaking thing in the world.

“Beauty had this penalty – it came too readily, came too completely. It stilled life – froze it. One forgot the little agitations; the flush, the pallor, some queer distortion, some light or shadow, which made the face unrecognisable for a moment and yet added a quality one saw for ever after. It was simpler to smooth that all out under the cover of beauty.”

Wow.

I am an avid reader. I can consume up to 8 books a week, usually a combination of latest best-sellers, trashy novels, Terry Pratchets etc, but I am aware that I am missing out on a huge amount of notable and world-changing writings that I now feel extremely motivated to go out and absorb.

Anyway, I have had a look at the cultural literacy book list and it looks interesting, but I am certainly not gonna stop browsing my local bookstore – would have missed out on The End of Mr Y and Cloud Atlas if I hadn’t wandered …

If you have any ideas, let me know.

http://www.listsofbests.com/list/15978

Phew! :]

When I was a little girl, before I had any concept of how many authors and books and languages there were, I used to think I could read every book ever written. Once I figured out that wasn’t possible, I was pretty frustrated.

But the more I read, the more I realize that not everything is worth reading. There are a lot of bad books out there. It doesn’t really come down to how much you read, it comes down to what you read.

I’ve started making a list of books I feel I have to complete before being able to declare that I’m well-read. For me, being well-read doesn’t just mean having a working knowledge of the classics.

After doing a little Googling for some list ideas, I came across this really great site. You can print out a blank reading list that has several areas of literature – 18th century novels, epic poetry, science, etc. Then you can fill in the list with some of their suggestions.

It isn’t perfect – for example, I think “world literature” is a pretty broad topic – but it’s definitely a great place to help you start thinking about what you need to read.

Once you have a general idea of what you want to add to your list, I suggest checking out the lists here. They’re a little more involved, but worth a look.

February 4th, which is a LONG time for me. It was a really mediocre book with a bizzare cult following that thinks it’s amazing. I seem to be reading a lot of those books lately, which is why my reading has lagged I suppose.

That and I’m reading a collection of Saul Bellow’s short stories right now, and they’re a little dense. In a good way. Still though, not a quick read.

I need to get my ass in gear! I know there are lots of amazing books out there that I haven’t read yet. In fact, there are lots of amazing books in my room that I haven’t read yet.