What To Look For In A Book List

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What to Look For In A Book List
by Pete (aka Maddie)
Originally appeared in the Feb/March 2011 issue

    

I have long been a fan of lists. Whether it be a To Do List, Shopping List, 100 Hottest Actors List, Must Watch Movie Lists, Top Baby Names of 20__ Lists, or some other list. I can't seem to get enough of lists. My favorite types of lists though are the check off lists. You know: To Do, Shopping, yes even reading lists. There is an unexplainable satisfaction that comes with checking off, scratching off, or drawing a line through your recent accomplishment. An inward sigh of contentment but also a spurring on to mark off more!

  

Reading Lists are unique creatures all to themselves. Bibliophiles, most often, are as unique and varied in opinion as there are books. It wouldn't surprise you then to know that book lover's lists are just as different. While I can only speak for myself; it is my opinion that book lists are a source of pride and smugness for many creators, myself included. We can become downright snobby when it comes to what should and shouldn't be considered “the best”.

After examining 5 different reading lists, I've come to further conclusions of my own. Do keep in mind that I am an extremely picky reader. If this book hasn't jumped through hoops of fire and sailed the seven seas, I see no reason to include it on a list. I'm being sarcastic, if you didn't realize. 

Of the 5 lists, my favorite would have to be, BBC's The Big Read. Here's a country that knows how to pick must read literature! Books appeared on this list by American authors that do not make the cut in their own backyard. 

The first thing that you should look for with a reading list is familiarity. If I don't know at least 5 titles on a list, it isn't worth my time pursuing. Five is a small number and I would only apply that to short lists, otherwise you are looking for more than 10 on a longer list. Keep in mind that familiar does not equal read worthy. 

My biggest issue with the majority of reading lists is not seeing the books I consider must reads. If the list doesn't have these books, chances are the book list won't find me as a fan. Books that must be on lists I come across are: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, any Tolkien books (as long as I see one title by him that's great), and Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. The problem with my must reads is that the majority of literary snobs (sorry critics) consider Alcott, Tolkien, and Lewis books for children that shouldn't appear on adult lists. I can't see it, never have been able to agree. Elizabeth Gaskell is a somewhat obscure Victorian author, not many people I talk to know who she was. She was a contemporary and friend of Charles Dickens. I think it is still important to have must read titles set to the back of your mind for reference. Don't be afraid to question a lists “readability” compared with your own must read list. What are a few of your must read titles? 

It is important to know who the creator is of any list you are looking at. I find lists that are polled from a group of people, rather than one so called expert, are easier to stomach. BBC's list was compiled through a poll they sent out to the country. While some of the titles were funny to me (Harry Potter for one), it was obvious that the list came from a broad audience. The opinion of many is always preferred to that of one. Lists from a single person are not all bad, but I like to know what I am dealing with. Unfortunately scholars write lists typically for scholars (i.e. books I may never consider reading). That's fine for them, but when you are trying to appeal to the masses, let's try bringing down the heaviness a bit. I much prefer a list created by a school librarian than a person with a long list of accomplishments. 

What makes a list unique, sets it aside from all others? I can read 10 lists that all claim to be 100 books you should read in your lifetime, but what makes them different? My second favorite list, of the 5 I looked at, is The Art of Manliness Blog's list of manly books, 100 Must-Read Books: The Essential Man’s Library. I know an odd list for a girl to pick, right? It was fun to read what books a guy would pick as must reads. When you think manly, you think of powerful, meaty reads. Great books! I live with three guys (2 brothers and my dad), they are all readers in their own right, but this list gave me new perspective. I also now know I'm not very manly. 

Another list I've long had a liking for, since my friend sent it to me, is the 10 Books Not To Read Before You Die. What a hoot! Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien both made the list. Diversity in lists is much appreciated, not to mention amusing. 

Do you see a trend in the lists you are looking at? One of the largest and annoying trends I see with most lists created today is controversy. It feels as though the creators out there think the only literature we should be reading is the questionable, ethnically unsound, envelope pushers, racy, you name it. Controversy is the backbone of America, the life blood of every person. It is the king's feast that will know no end because its guests have no desire to retreat back to normalcy. These types of lists are an open and shut case for me. When I think of books that should stand the test of time I don't think “Oh, Oh! Pick the books that I have seen featured the most in the media for their 'dirty' content.” One of the lists I looked at was in book form. These books spanned form Pre-1700s to the 2000s. I don't typically pick modern literature for my must read lists, but I am always willing to make exceptions. This book listed 1001 titles, of those I have only read 12. However, I was familiar with over 150 of the titles listed. Wait! I wasn't familiar with them because I want to read them some day. More than 75% of the titles I recognized, I knew because of their. . . you guessed it controversy. Think of books you've read that have stuck with you ever since you read them. What about them is ingrained in your mind?
Controversy is not what pops in my mind first or even tenth.

Your personal preference here is what really matters. When looking at lists keep open minds (I need to listen to myself more), but don't be scared to have strong guidelines. Reading lists are fun, but they are truly only there as suggestions. They do not dictate or determine your level of intelligence if you choose not to read the books on a particular list. Something my parents have always told me (again I should listen more): You put trash in your mind and it is bound to come out at one time or another. The same applies for books. There are so many books (not too many) and so little time. Why not spend that time
reading books that are beautiful and compelling?

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