You knew I was a wacko, no?
Just so you know how far off the axis of "mainstream media" taste I wobble, let me inform you that, of the New York Times Book Review's list of "100 Notable Books of the Year," I have read exactly seven: four novels (Home Land, Never Let Me Go, On Beauty, and Saturday), two memoirs (The Tender Bar and The Year of Magical Thinking) and Freakonomics, which I can't classify. New Art City is in my pile, and The Rise of American Democracy is on order. To tell the truth, I don't think that Home Land belongs on the list, while Colm Toibin's The Master most certainly does. So does Alison Lurie's Truth and Consequences. So does Jane Smiley's 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel - which I read a while back and still need to write up. And where's Gilead? Who drew up this list? Not a committee, I hope.
Comments
I think Gilead was on last year's list. I have a distinct feeling it was published in 2004.
I read six books (Homeland, Never Let Me Go, Prep, On Beauty, Veronica, Year of Magical Thinking). But in my stack are: The Sea, New Art City, 1491, Lunar Park, Kafka On the Shore, The March, Saturday.
Posted by: Ms. NOLA | December 5, 2005 11:05 AM
Also, 'The Master' is a 2004 title as well.
Posted by: Ms. NOLA | December 5, 2005 12:59 PM
Well... I see what you mean, but how many core consumers of popular culture have read as many as seven books within the past year?
Posted by: Max N![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.portifex.com/DailyBlague/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 6, 2005 08:25 AM
You've certainly surpassed my number of books read. For me, only two: Home Land (of course), and A Changed Man.
There's many on the list that I want to read, most especially The Minotaur.
Posted by: patricia | December 7, 2005 05:27 PM