Well, I know better than to actually set myself real reading lists, as I don’t have that kind of self-discipline (but how jealous I am of verbivore’s 10-year reading plan!). All the same, there are some goals I have for the coming year, and some things to expect.
First, as I mentioned, I’m planning to do another theme for a bit: maritime literature. I made sure Santa would bring me the Library of America anthology of American Sea Writing to set things off. There’s definitely going to be some Melville action (probably just Billy Budd in the interests of brevity), and I’m going to take the opportunity to read more Richard Hughes as well (In Hazard). And I’m thinking of throwing in some Conrad. Other than that nothing is really settled (suggestions, as always, welcome). And I would like to do, at some point, a New England theme.
Another goal is to try to spend at least a little more time reading works not in English. The blog makes that hard because I feel more time pressure, but I’d like to resist that. I’d especially like to read some more Natalia Ginzburg this year, as I’ve really enjoyed her in the past.
Probably my biggest goal is to cut the junk food. Actually, I don’t mean that. The real junk food, the Hard Case Crime mysteries and the Rex Stout, I don’t mind. It’s the mediocre food, the good-but-not-great. Or really the okay-but-not-good. Something like that. I’ve periodically tried to purge that kind of thing from my shelves anyway, but it’s hard. And it’s funny when so many blogs are exclusively about contemporary fiction, and that’s pretty much what I’d be cutting out. But it will be better for all our health, by and large.
I’d like to replace that mediocre food with a bit more nonfiction (in addition to a bit more good fiction). Going through 2008′s reading list I noticed there was even less than usual, and I have a bunch of stuff on the shelf I’d like to get to. It’s another thing I feel pressured away from by the blog, which I think is probably foolish. The reading life should dictate the blog, not so much the other way around. I like to read novels, but I like to read about econ too (among other things). Too bad.
And I’ve got a nice stack of NYRB classics sitting around too. They are just too consistently good for me to resist them anymore.
Oh, and another thing. De-humiliations. I’ve got to suck it up. Jane Eyre was a big step for me this year. But there are a lot more. Madame Bovary. Paradise Lost. Pnin. The Federalist. These things have got to happen. And many, many more. So…many…more.
Hm as much as I find setting a plan commendable, I would never be able to follow it. I know you have started doing themed reading — but that is even more structured than me. I sort of connect by association and overdose on certain topics — reading Nancy Mitford led me to read Jessica Mitford’s memoir, which led me to a Mitford Sister bio, leading me to 2 Evelyn Waugh books, leading to 800 pages of Miftord letters, leading to picking up another Evelyn Waugh today. Probs will lead to the book of Nancy Mitford/Evelyn Waugh letters lol.
Yeah, I mean, last year I actually tried to make a list ahead of time, with categories or whatever, and that was a huge FAIL. I probably did like 5% of them. Maybe 10%.
I always feel like I need to go way back to the beginning and do like all of English lit in order before I can even understand anything. That’s not happening. But the theme does function as kind of a connection by association thing, and it’s always stuff I’ve been wanting to read anyway.
Some maritime recommendations, if you haven’t read them, all non-fiction, all excellent:
Two Years Before the Mast, Richard Henry Dana
Narrative of the Mutiny, William Bligh, in Penguin’s The “Bounty” Mutiny
The Loss of the Ship “Essex”, Sunk by a Whale, Owen Chase
Sea of Glory, Nathaniel Philbrick. I’ll bet Philbrick’s book on the “Essex” is also good, but I haven’t read it.
The Chase and Bligh books are very short.
As for the de-Humiliations, well, whatever you read, it’s a lifetime reading plan. Plenty of time. Although I can guarantee you will love Pnin.
I am attempting to read more non-fiction this year as well, but since it’s not my area I have a hard time weeding out the “mediocre food” so to speak. I’m never sure exactly where I should start – history or politics or economy…all topics I enjoy but hard to sort out the truly interesting books from the “this sells because its easy” books.
Oh well – I’ll just try and see what happens!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of Madame Bovary. I’ve got my own de-humiliations lined up for the year – can’t wait.