I love reading, and I love watching people read. Observing them drift into a state of deep concentration that sees them ignoring screaming babies, fires and once in a lifetime frisbee catches. It makes them forget that the cup of tea has gone cold and slightly soupy, and their toes are freezing despite 2 pairs of socks. They’re in another place, you can see it on their faces.
Of course, you need fuel to feed this fire. Here’s a list of alternative reading list suggestions – it could make for an interesting year…
- Read all the recipients of a major literary prize, e.g. every Booker.
- Read all the books with covers designed by Chipp Kidd.
- I am still very enthused about choosing books purely by colour. Have a red book month or for the teeth-grinders amongst you, black.
- Read the top ten books from the year of your birth.
- Or if you don’t like you birth year’s selection, how about 1971?
- Exclusively read books set in tiny Portuguese villages.
- Exclusively read novels by Alaskans.
- Delve into the classic books of your country – they are waiting for you. Or another nation’s novels – France, Spain, Canada. (Thanks Mausumi!)
- Find a theme that unnerves you. Grief, sexuality, loneliness. Happiness.
- Ask ten of your friends for their favourite book titles. Start there.
- Then ask ten people who are at least 10 years older than you.
- My Form 2 teacher (that’s age 12) gave me this list he photocopied (from gawd knows where) of the supposed top 100 must read books. I made a start and have been carrying it around ever since. You can do better than me!
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Fantastic idea! The books I read are usually based on what’s at the Salvi!
I love your alternative reading lists! Saving this for later use!
Thank you for sharing the list!
I have only read 6…
Also, I recommend reading your country’s classics!
I LOVE these ideas and I LOVE that image! It’s so darling & sweet.
Mausumi: Yes, plus that! I have edited the article to include that wonderful idea. Or another country’s classics!
Ha ha! I do pick books based on colour! That’s also the way I pick wine – the bottle with the prettiest coloured label.
Maybe a few other ideas could be:
-Authors with the same first name as you or someone you know
-Authors from or born in the same state as you
-Titles that use literary devices (i.e. onomatopoeia)
-Books whose covers/ dust jackets have a specific item on them
-Books that have a break of some kind on a randomly selected page
-Blindly pick a word at random in a prospective book. If the word intrigues or moves you, read that book
How about reading well-written books with stories or topics that appeal to you? Or is that not childishly random enough?
Bronzelike: Thanks for your input! It can be a crapshoot to find books that are well-written – hence the Booker suggestion, or asking for recommendations (not too childish I hope). On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with taking a different approach once in a while to broaden your horizons, right?
If I could, might I suggest reading _The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao_ by Junot Diaz? Best reading I’ve had in a long time– funny, provocative, all that reviewer speak.
I guess it’s still random if you get your next reading assignment from the Comments section of a blog : ).