22 books to read before you die?
how about book experiences instead
22 books to read before you die.
Bold statement, Penguin Random House.
I understand this is a clickbait-type list that all industries perform, and one specifically meant to sell PRH titles, but I was still disappointed. And not just because The Midnight Library was number two1.
When I considered each title, I could not imagine recommending any of them to all humans. A few on the list have been instrumental to my own life, and some may be seminal works of art, but do I really believe The Secret History is going to make or break a life? Well no.
I can not name a single book I believe is crucial to read before sliding into the grave. I love the sentiment, but we can do better.
When I think about the books that made me, it’s the experience I cling to. Reading The Phantom Tollbooth over, and over… and over, until the spine started coming apart.
Finding Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People the same week my grandmother passed and letting my soul be ripped from my body2. The joy of entering Three Pines, and then learning there were 17 more stories waiting for me. Reading The Haunting of Hill House as an adult and understanding what it means to see with different eyes. Having everything my naive self understood about the US justice system shattered by Just Mercy. So instead of recommending specific books to you…
here are some reading experiences I wish upon everyone before they expire.
rereading a favorite novel as many times as you possibly can
picking a completely random book and loving it
a book that changes your mind about a historical event
a book that challenges your ideas about race and class
a book with a character that just gets you
a book that soothes your grief
a book gifted or given that exactly captures your taste
walking into a bookstore and buying every book you want
nailing a book rec to someone you know
bringing the perfect book on vacation
a reread that exceeds expectations from the first time around
finishing a book that was really hard to finish
a favorite author winning a book award
meeting a favorite author
finding a new all-time favorite top ten book
finding a new favorite series or author with an extensive backlist
finally getting to read the last book in a series that you’ve been waiting for
reading next to someone you love (who is also reading)
having an unexpected book conversation with a stranger
a book that reminds you why you are alive
a book that makes you see the world differently
a book that makes you see yourself differently
what would you add to the list?
The Curator: a new favorite series, some nordic noir, and a Catholic vampire story
Lately, I’ve been lamenting the lack of an addictive series in my reading life. I’ve not only been missing the bingey dopamine hit but also the nostalgia for childhood days spent devouring Babysitters Club or R.L. Stine. To be consumed by a fictional world is a peak experience. This month I fixed that problem.
The Curator: new release books I might actually read
Last year I went feral for new books to the detriment of my mental health, my bank account, and my backlist library. This year, I’m taking a more measured approach. The sheer number of new titles pushed out each year can be overwhelming, but reading is supposed to be
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See you around the bookshelf!
Sorry to this man, but no, just go watch the early 2000s hit The Butterfly Effect.
I to this day have not sobbed harder at a book ending
This may be my favorite of your posts. I resist (detest) one-fit recs and I think of books as vitamins we need in individually specific quantities based on what we are going through in our own lives. (You could die from scurvy without vitamin C; I could be miserable or fail to grow without the right book.)
Possible additions.
1. A book that inspires you to make a huge life change.
2. a book that helps you understand (or love, or forgive), via a fictional character, a real-life person you never understood before.
3. A book that makes you think, “Hey, maybe I can do this, ie write a book.” Not because the book is bad and you could do better but because its structure or language shows you the path in a clear and inspiring way.
Okay, now I have to read Anxious People. I LOVE your Reading Experiences wish list. I would add a book that inspires you to change the course of your life (and you actually do it). That happened to me when I was 22 years old and it changed the entire course of my life. I moved to Africa then met the author of the book in Paris, and maaaaaan the adventures I went on. (I'll tell you the name of the book in person when you come to NYC 😎)