Friday, January 13, 2006

A year of reading

Last year, I noticed that I've stopped being a serial reader. I used to devour books, one after the other, sometimes two or three at once. With the stresses of the past two years, I haven't read much unless it was for a class or recommended to me.

I'm setting a goal - a book a week for the remainder of the year.

I'm currently reading The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman and Build Your Castles in the Air by Chuck Hansen (see sidebar for links). Next book up is a re-read of 1984 by George Orwell.

Here are some on my list for the new year:
Memoirs of My Melancholy Whores by the magical Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
Rabbit Boss by Thomas Sanchez
Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi
Dust Tracks on the Road by the evocative Nora Zeale Hurston
The Year of Magical Thinking by the brilliant Joan Didion
I Love Everybody (And Other Atrocious Lies) by the funniest woman ever, Laurie Notaro
Green Angel by my favorite author Alice Hoffman
Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas
Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983 by the poignant Barbara Kingsolver
Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia
Unveiling Kate Chopin by Emily Toth
Women Hollering Creek and Other Stories by the phenomenal Sandra Cisneros
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
Sula by the talented Toni Morrison
The Bell Jar (again) by Sylvia Plath
Thirteen Stories by Eudora Welty
The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes

Contemplating Like Water for Chocolate and Madame Bovary...

Any suggestions? I'm open to everything...

6 comments:

Ryan said...

I must say that I am not a Toni Morrison fan per se, but SULA is one of the finest novels I've ever read. I'll be anxious to hear what you think once you get to it.

Best,
Ryan

Francesca said...

Bel Canto is a treat to look forward to, as well. Hmmm. Suggestions. I will ponder. Your list is inspiring me to read more myself.

Ross said...

Well I think I know a bit about reading (its my favorite hobby and I'm the captain of my school lit. team) I would recomend to of my favorite books The secret life of Bees and Ethan Frome, oh and maybe Ender's Game.

Roxy said...

Rokan - I cannot tell you how many times someone has recommended Ender's Game and I've put it off. I will read it this year...

Also, I'm waiting for my friend to finishe her copy of The Secret Life of Bees so I can borrow.

I, too, love Ethan Frome.

Anonymous said...

atonement.. i just love that book by ian mcewan :)..

Roxy said...

I look forward to reading that guile...

About Me

Stupidly self-centered for over 3 decades!