As I'm sure you recall from my New Year's Resolution Post, I, Klaus Varley, vowed to read a book of fiction each and every month of 2010. I've already picked out a book for January (Dune), and instead of doing anything productive this New Year's Eve, I thought I'd do one of my favorite procrastination exercises: make a list.
And so, what follows is a list of books that I swear I'm going to read in 2010 because either it's a "classic" or I bought at a library sale and it has been sitting on my bookcase ever since. (Twenty-five cents? Hell yes, I'll take it.)
Here we go!
(Month - Book - What I've heard)
Jan - Dune - "This is like, the best science fiction book ever." -Parker Briggsmore
Feb - Dragon Seed - "Pearl S. Buck's best work." - Random Amazon Reviewer
March - Sense and Sensibility - "I've only read it twenty times." - My girlfriend
April - Consider the Lobster - "This is a good intro to David Foster Wallace." - English Grad Student who thinks I need introductions to things. (Also in April, Lolita - one of the two books I attempt to reread once a year. The other is The Great Gatsby - see October.)May - Liar's Poker - "Michael Lewis is one of my favorite authors." - Kyle, attorney, San Francisco, CA
June - The Grapes of Wrath - "You haven't read The Grapes of Wrath? Really?" - My dad
July - Infinite Jest - "Challenging." - More intelligent coworker
August - Red Harvest - "Hammett, Chandler...those guys can write." - Teddy Nutmeg
Sept - The Diamond Age - "This is the best science fiction book ever." - Parker Briggsmore
Oct -The Plot Against America - "This reminds me of your dissertation." - Concerned friend. Also in October, The Great Gatsby, though this is the last rereading for a while - other books need to be reread too.
Nov - The Heart of the Matter - "You're right, Graham Greene a great writer." - Klaus's sister.
Dec - War and Peace - "A classic." - Everyone
And anything else you recommend. I guess.
-KV
