So Much to Read
“A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good.”—Samuel Johnson
Home Literary Limericks Buy-Nothing Songs Books Summed Up in Six Words These Children Who Come at You with Knives, and Other Fairy Tales Jim Knipfel Delightful derangment, with modern life lessons.
The Wife Meg Wolitzer Overshadowed, but by her own doing.
This Boy's Life: A Memoir Tobias Wolff Author of Old School Tough childhood, failures provide lifelong material.
Revolutionary Road Richard Yates Is suburbia really entirely to blame?
The Thirteenth Tale Diane Setterfield Sisters, secrets, goosebumps for book lovers.
Another spooky twin story:Her Fearful Symmetry
Mrs. Mike Benedict Freedman and Nancy Freedman Love a mountie, grow up fast.
The Giant's House Elizabeth McCracken Wonderful tale of friendship between misfits.
Good in Bed Jennifer Weiner Sheila Levine is alive in Philadelphia.
Bel Canto Ann Patchett
Author ofTruth and Beauty Lovely but unconvincing Stockholm syndrome story.
Clearcut Nina Shengold For lonely timber-country nights, a longjohn-ripper.
Outliers:The Story of Success Malcolm Gladwell
Author ofBlink Being fortunate contributes to success—surprised?
Of Human Bondage W. Somerset Maugham Life'll kick you in the teeth.
Joy Comes in the Morning Jonathan Rosen Rabbi babe falls for mopey guy.
Seabiscuit: An American Legend Laura Hillenbrand Grab the reins and hold on!
Grayson Lynn Cox Passionate swimmer encounters lost baby whale.
Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping Judith Levine Wait—this book is for sale?
The Red Tent Anita Diamant The Bible was never this exciting.
The Fountainhead Ayn Rand To be read young, then outgrown.
On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan Sex ed might've saved this marriage.
My Name is Aram William Saroyan Funny, wise stories of Armenian boyhood.
The Amateur Marriage Anne Tyler Love is short, life is long.
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany Bill Buford I am never eating out again.
More on food:The Man Who Ate Everything
Fifth Business Robertson Davies The original Boy Discovers Magic story.
The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold From Heaven, a girl recalls hell.
Marriage and Morals Bertrand Russell The prescient philosopher proposes starter marriages.
Crossing to Safety Wallace Stegner A lifelong friendship between academic couples.
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia Elizabeth Gilbert
Author ofThe Last American Man, Stern Men, andCommitted How much Liz can you handle?
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America Firoozeh Dumas Amusing, if you overlook the stereotypes.
The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story Richard Preston
Author ofThe Wild Trees The virus is the elusive enemy.
In the Garden of the North American Martyrs Tobias Wolff
Author ofOld School Men make bad decisions, unsure why.
The Way Life Should Be Christina Baker Kline Impulsive romance, move have unexpected results.
The First Man-Made Man:The Story of Two Sex Changes, One Love Affair, and a Twentieth-Century Medical Revolution Pagan Kennedy Tragic figure born female, too soon.
A Thousand Acres Jane Smiley Drama gathers like a Midwestern storm.
A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain Robert Olen Butler Vietnam war hangs in Louisiana air.
Also recommended:The Size of the World
God's Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America Hanna Rosin Where home schoolers leave home for.
Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art Gene Wilder Being married to Gilda was exhausting.
