In signing up for my own challenge, how embarrassing is it that I’m not sure I can commit to the highest level, Literature Professor? And yet, I am just not sure I can read 12 books I should have read in school. Actually, I have done a pretty decent job of returning to books I should have read, such as Wuthering Heights, The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, and the like, mainly because I’m a high school English teacher, and if I missed them myself in high school, I can read them as a teacher when I prepare to teach them. But there are a few books I missed or didn’t finish.
- All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
- Howard’s End by E. M. Forster
I’m going to commit to reading these six books next year, which will be Graduate Student Level if I complete all six.
photo credit: velvettangerine
Wow, TFA? Read that first. One of my all time favorites and a must for any World Lit class you take or teach!
I would have thought Of Mice and Men would be the bigger shocker, but what do I know?
My list on which I am pondering: http://treasures.edublogs.org/2010/11/28/a-new-ch…
Little embarrassed to admit what I have not read!
I think we all are. Before I was an English teacher, I had not read The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Giver, or tons of other books I can't think of at the moment.
The House of Mirth could very well be one of my favorite books — I read that this year and couldn't believe I waited my whole life until this point to read it. Wonderful book and Edith Wharton is an incredible writer.
I am looking forward to it! I love Edith Wharton, but I hadn't read this one. Plus it's already on my Kindle.
I've posted the wrong link above, sorry.
I think that I can get through at least a few of these next year. I'll post to my blog soon. http://aliendpegagogy.edublogs.org.
Dana, I loved Of Mice and Men and Things Fall Apart as well, so I'll be eager to see how they fared with you.
I fully anticipate enjoying them. I've heard Achebe talk about the book, and it sounds fascinating. I have seen the Of Mice and Men movie starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, and I loved it.