January 5, 201016 yr Sent to me by mcson, who as some of you may recall (not to toot the family horn or anything) teaches freshman expository writing at Harvard: As for a list of "formative" books, I've selected the following, listed below in no particular order. I consider many of these formative in that they've shaped my research and teaching interests, and thus have shaped much of my thinking over the last decade (as you'll notice, the list is heavy in British and American modernism). Others have made sizable impacts in other ways, usually by introducing me to new ways of writing and thinking (Nabokov and Baker), or by making academia look cool (Byatt). 1.) James Joyce, Ulysses 2.) Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent 3.) Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway 4.) Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley 5.) William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury 6.) Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment 7.) Nicholson Baker, The Mezzanine 8.) Evelyn Waugh, A Handful of Dust 9.) Graham Greene, Brighton Rock 10.) Marcel Proust, Swann's Way 11.) Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire 12.) A. S. Byatt, Possession 13.) F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 14.) Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot 15.) Thomas Mann, Death in Venice 16.) Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four I would also include poetry by T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Mina Loy, and Frank O'Hara, though I don't have specific titles in mind for those. These aren't formative, but here are some contemporary books that have recently sparked my interest, and that you (or others) might like: John Banville, The Book of Evidence; Patrick McCabe, The Butcher Boy; David Peace, 1977; J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace; Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian; Zadie Smith, White Teeth; Pat Barker, Regeneration.
January 5, 201016 yr I have a different taste in books than most of the lists here. Here are my top several in no particular order: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Covey See You At The Top - Ziglar A Season On The Brink - Feinstein They Call Me Coach - Wooden The 8th Habit - Covey The Fred Factor The Last Lecture The Bluegrass Conspiracy Red - Feinstein The Total Money Makeover - Ramsey Angels - Billy Graham Success Is A Choice - Pitino Five Point Play - Coach K
January 7, 201016 yr Sent to me by mcson, who as some of you may recall (not to toot the family horn or anything) teaches freshman expository writing at Harvard: As for a list of "formative" books, I've selected the following, listed below in no particular order. I consider many of these formative in that they've shaped my research and teaching interests, and thus have shaped much of my thinking over the last decade (as you'll notice, the list is heavy in British and American modernism). Others have made sizable impacts in other ways, usually by introducing me to new ways of writing and thinking (Nabokov and Baker), or by making academia look cool (Byatt). 1.) James Joyce, Ulysses 2.) Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent 3.) Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway 4.) Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley 5.) William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury 6.) Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment 7.) Nicholson Baker, The Mezzanine 8.) Evelyn Waugh, A Handful of Dust 9.) Graham Greene, Brighton Rock 10.) Marcel Proust, Swann's Way 11.) Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire 12.) A. S. Byatt, Possession 13.) F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby 14.) Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot 15.) Thomas Mann, Death in Venice 16.) Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four I would also include poetry by T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Mina Loy, and Frank O'Hara, though I don't have specific titles in mind for those. These aren't formative, but here are some contemporary books that have recently sparked my interest, and that you (or others) might like: John Banville, The Book of Evidence; Patrick McCabe, The Butcher Boy; David Peace, 1977; J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace; Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian; Zadie Smith, White Teeth; Pat Barker, Regeneration. Very nice list. Waiting for Godot was on the brink of making my list. If I would have kept the sports books out of my list, it would have been in there. I really prefer Jean Paul-Sartre's No Exit, though.
January 8, 201016 yr I want to add: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. It is his autobiography, and it gives you great insight into what a talented & DEDICATED comic his was/is. The degree of professionalism that he showed from the very beginning of his career is impressive.
January 8, 201016 yr Author I want to add: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin. It is his autobiography, and it gives you great insight into what a talented & DEDICATED comic his was/is. The degree of professionalism that he showed from the very beginning of his career is impressive. That was a great read! ...and fast too.
October 21, 201015 yr How about 15 from one author? 1st to Die 2nd Chance 3rd Degree 4th of July The 5th Horseman The 6th Target 7th Heaven The 8th Confession The 9th Judgement Beach House Private Cradle and All Swimsuit Along Came a Spider Kiss the Girls
October 21, 201015 yr If I had to go with 15 from one author, that person would probably be either James Michener or Stephen King.
October 21, 201015 yr Author Is Janet Evanovich up to 15 yet in the Stephanie Plum series? I think she's at 15...although I quit after the second one. Not a big fan.
October 22, 201015 yr Well HP1-7 have to be on here. Probably the Fudge books too. Maybe Holes. Where the Wild Things Are. Then Lord of the Flies, 1984, Slaughter house 5, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, and Mans Search for Meaning. I just read a Biography on Mikhail Kutuzov(the general from War and Peace) to that was pretty interesting. I can't think of anymore big ones off of the top of my head.
October 22, 201015 yr To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Count of Monte Christo as well.
October 22, 201015 yr Author Well HP1-7 have to be on here. Probably the Fudge books too. Maybe Holes. Where the Wild Things Are. Then Lord of the Flies, 1984, Slaughter house 5, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, and Mans Search for Meaning. I just read a Biography on Mikhail Kutuzov(the general from War and Peace) to that was pretty interesting. I can't think of anymore big ones off of the top of my head. Those are both good dag-gone books.
October 24, 201015 yr If I had to go with 15 from one author, that person would probably be either James Michener or Stephen King.If you count his poetry collections I'd pick 15 from Bukowski.
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