This post is fourth in a series analyzing my own connection with the “top 100 books the UK can’t live without” (pdf). In previous posts (Part One, Part Two, and Part Three), I discussed books 71-100. In this post, I will examine books 61-70.

70. Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

I’m reading this one through DailyLit.com right now (see sidebar). I’ve seen two movie versions, and I love the story. I think I was smarter to read it in tiny chunks, though.

69. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie.

I’ve not read it.

68. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding.

On my to-read list. I think.

67. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy.

Never read it. Might read it some day.

66. On the Road by Jack Kerouac.

Never read it, but I think it’s near and dear to Steve’s heart.

65. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

I love this book. I had never read it until I was asked to teach it to 10th graders in my second year teaching. It has a great story. Dumas knows how to write a good adventure.

64. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

I have a copy, and it’s on my to-read list.

63. The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

Never heard of it.

62. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

As reprehensible as Humbert Humbert is, it’s hard to beat Nabokov’s writing style. This book has some of the prettiest prose I’ve ever read, and it’s so well written. I am really glad I read it.

61. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Despite the fact that my students read this book for summer reading, I’ve never actually read it. I have seen the movie. I will read it soon. I have plenty of copies on hand at school. Just one of those things I haven’t gotten to yet.

More to come.

[tags]World Book Day, literature, reading[/tags]