I told myself I wasn't going to do this, but as I felt the urge earlier this week, I thought I would create a companion list. I've been making these lists for the last few years, and while I generally don't accomplish much in the way of reading my way through all of the titles, I enjoy the process of sifting through books and considering which would be good to read. The lists always contain books I want to read, the problem is timing! So with the best intentions I've thought of books I shouldread next year. I've tried to stay away from comfort reads, as practically every book I choose lately is a comfort read in some way or another (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I've also tried to vary the list and choose more 20th century literature. Some are books that appear over and over again on lists (I need to give myself an excuse to read them!), others are authors I'd like to revisit, and most are books I've meant to read for a long time! If I even read half the books on the list I would be very happy. It always sounds so easy with a new year ahead of you!
- Victoria, Knut Hamsun
- Beware of Pity, Stefan Zweig
- Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky
- A Favorite of the Gods, Sybille Bedford
- The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
- My Antonia, Willa Cather
- American Pastoral, Philip Roth
- Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner
- Goldberg: Variations, Gabriel Josipovici
- Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman
- A Friend from England, Anita Brookner
- The Painted Veil, W. Somerset Maugham
- Maurice, E.M. Forster
I do reserve the right to choose another book by some of the authors. For example I've got several unread Anita Brookner novels to choose from, and I'm not quite sure where to start with when it comes to Sybille Bedford. Otherwise I am pretty excited to read these, she said optimistically.