OK, Chris. This is limited to 52 books – just seemed like a fun number to hit. And since you’ve probably already read some of these, and some of these you might not be interested in at all, this shouldn’t overwhelm your whole year’s worth of planned books.
I had you in mind for these recommendations. However, some of the selections might not be really obviously you – but I included them because the book is just so well written. Some of these recommendations are from me and some are from Joseph – neither of us have read all the books on this list, though eventually we will.
And as I went through, some of them I thought Dad (or Mom) would also like – so this could be worth skimming for those of you who aren’t Chris.
I wish we lived closer! If we did, it would be no problem for you to borrow most of these (there are some we don’t have). It’s still no problem for you to borrow .. say, half of these. But some of them are pets we’d loan in person, but sending them through the mail is nerve-wracking.
And by the way … what would be your 52 recommended book list?
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Top 5 picks
I looked through the list and narrowed it down to 10 books. This is the Yes, Seriously, READ THESE BOOKS list.
Links are to whatever I thought made sense. Book reviews, mostly, but sometimes Wikipedia articles or whatever else struck me. Some are even to Amazon (which might be too convenient)
Fiction
Mouse Guard, Fall 1152, by David Petersen. Graphic novel. Style is High Adventure; setting is medievalesque, protagonists are mice. Love the story and the art. Will probably take you an hour or so to read. Fall is the first, but you’ll want to read Fall and Winter. There are 2 others books, but they’re ancillary to the main story.
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. This is the first of his Mars trilogy. If you want to continue, the next ones are Green Mars and Blue Mars. Beautifully written, with a real gift for description.
Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin. This is one of LeGuin’s greats. Christina & Mom should read this one too. In the Aeneid, Lavinia is Aeneas’s wife .. and this is her full story.
What Dreams May Come, by Richard Matheson. Yes, the source for the movie. The book is beautiful and haunting and has such a wonderful description of the afterlive; of both Heaven and Hell. It really sticks with you. It’s my absolute favorite of Matheson’s works.
Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart. Recommended for everyone. OK, it may not be Dad’s thing, but the book is just brilliant. Hilarious, fast paced, and the ending was perfect. I actually cried; it was very moving. I haven’t read the other books in the series – everyone says they aren’t as good, and I’m afraid of the let down .. but I so want to return to these characters. Wonderful characters, wonderful book.
Nonfiction
1812: The Navy’s War, by George Daughan. About the War of 1812 from a naval perspective. The writing is clear and makes the subject interesting, compelling, etc. He also wrote ‘If By Sea’ which is the same kind of thing for the Revolutionary War. I’m sure it’s just as good, but we haven’t read that one (but we bought it and will read it). Either is recommended; 1812 just happens to the be the one we’ve read. Both are very highly recommended for Dad as well.
Closing of the Western Mind, by Charles Freeman. There are a lot of different perspectives on this book – that he’s completely right, that he’s completely wrong. But it’s amazingly well written, well argued, thought provoking – even if you disagree with him.
Consider the Lobster, by David Foster Wallace. OK, anything at all by David Foster Wallace. Well – all I’ve read are his essays. I haven’t read any of his fiction, so my perspective is one-sided. But he can write essays like no one else I’ve ever read. The book is a collection of essays; the link goes to the full text of the title essay. If you like the way he writes, then by all means get the book. The other essays aren’t about food – the range of topics is amazing. The porn industry, Modern American Usage, the McCain campaign, radio programs.
Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. I’d also recommend Tipping Point, but Blink was my favorite. The writing is very clear, the examples are all interesting (some exceptionally so), and the conclusions are fascinating. A book that makes you think about how you think.
Secret Life of Dust, by Hannah Holmes. Fascinating, absolutely fascinating book. Though if you’re going to be upset about learning just how much dust is in your home and just what’s living in that dust, you might want to skip certain chapters. But my goodness, she makes dust the most interesting thing you’ve ever read about.
Those are the top 10. Now for the 52. I won’t go into as much detail, and it might take me some time to get links for all of them.