This post is seventh 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, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, and Part Six), I discussed books 41-100. In this post, I will examine books 31-40.
40. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne.
I am, of course, familiar with Winnie the Pooh, but I think the only books I’ve read have been the Disney-ized versions. I have a stuffed animal — a Winnie the Pooh doll — that I have had since I was seven. That makes it nearly 30 years old. He no longer has his little red shirt, but aside from that, he’s in remarkably good shape. My children play with him now.
39. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.
I haven’t read this. I’m torn about whether I want to. If anyone’s read and and can tell me what they think beyond the hype the book got, I’d love to hear from you.
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres.
I haven’t read it, but I have heard of it. I’m not sure I would have heard of it if not for the movie, which I also have not seen.
37. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
On my to-read list and my bookshelf. I think I’ll tackle it after Virginia Woolf.
36. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
I liked this book best in the Chronicles of Narnia, but I never finished reading the whole series, so perhaps that is premature. Americans don’t know what Turkish Delight is. I thought the movie was very good, too.
35. Persuasion by Jane Austen.
I have tried to read this one twice and life keeps getting in the way. Perhaps I’ll try it via DailyLit so I can finish it at a slower pace. It seems like such a strange thing, but the type in my copy is so small, and I feel like I make no progress when I read it.
34. Emma by Jane Austen.
On my bookshelf and my to-read list.
33. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
Confusing that the series would be listed separately from one of the books in the series if the other books were not. I wonder why that would be? At any rate, I didn’t finish the series, though I liked the books I read (for the most part).
32. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.
I haven’t read it. Maybe one day. DailyLit?
31. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
I haven’t read this one, but I want to. Another one on the to-read list.
[tags]World Book Day, literature, reading[/tags]
Anna Karenina is a great book. I love the themes running throughout the book, and although it inspired me to read more Tolstoy, I have yet to get to his other novels. My "to read" list is growing with every one of these posts!
I read Memoirs, what I liked best is all the history and tradition that the book describes. Much better than the movie, (as it is with most movies that were books) Before reading Memoirs, I would read Kite Runner, that was one our book club could not put down until it was finished.