Friday, August 8, 2014

Why Do They Keep Sending Me Lists?!?

random sunset photo by k
My email inbox has recently been torturing me as list after list drops in, taunting me with my incomplete reading canon. Okay, so maybe it's not that horrifying but lists always make me reevaluate my book choices and celebrate those ones that I have already read.

First up was Book Depository's The Best Kids' Books Ever. There are 99 books, broken down into about 20 books per age group--0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and teen/YA. Some fabulous books are on these lists, both old and new titles and a few that I definitely want to add to my TBR (mostly from the 9-12 list).

Next, was Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime. This was the list I was most skeptical of but it's actually a beautifully-crafted list with a brief description of why each book made it to the list. I've read 74 of the books and I don't really disagree with any of them. They're good classics with a few newer ones sprinkled in. Some of the books are seemingly on the list for nostalgic reasons (ones like Hardy Boys and Pat the Bunny) but none of them are bad books either.

And finally, I got Powell's 25 Books to Read Before You Die. This is an interesting list of, not classics, but books that have "the ability to change the way you think and feel and reflects our diverse interests here at Powell's". I've only read five of these books on the list but they are definitely game-changer type books and, probably not coincidentally, five of my favorite books.

So, if you're in the mood for a book list, either to look for a great gift for a kid in your life or to broaden your own reading horizons, dive in!

Sharing the obsession,
K

12 comments:

  1. Ugh, book lists. They are like my kryptonite. I just can't stop with the book lists. (Hadn't seen the Powell's list yet, so thanks for that.)

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  2. Yay book lists! They are so fun. As long as I don't get worked up about which ones I haven't read :)

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    1. Yes. I used to make spreadsheets and all kinds of crazy things. Now I just do a quick count of how many I've read and let it go at that (usually).

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  3. Book lists always end up adding more books to my list. I just don't think that there is enough time to read ALL the books ... but I'm still going to try!! Now, I'm off to see how many of these books end up on my own list of books to read!

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    1. I also want to try and read all the books. It's a noble goal. :)

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  4. Okay okay, I will go check out the Powells list at least. NOT that my TBR list needs any encouragement! :p

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    1. I should put a cap on my TBR and require that a book is removed for each one I want to add. :P

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  5. I happen to love lists---of almost any kind. They're little "guides" :) Of course, BOOK lists will guide me to an even LONGER TBR list lol

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  6. It's marketing! Actually, I'm pretty skeptical of most lists, mostly because favorite books is so subjective. For example, I've read 4 of the Powell's books, and To Kill a Mockingbird is the only one that I consider a life/perspective changer. I don't get why Hitchhiker's Guide is on there--it was okay, but not something I would spend timer rereading!

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    1. I've actually reread Hitchhiker's Guide a few times and it was the book that finally got me comfortable with reading science fiction so it would be on my list as at least a reading habit changer. But I know what you mean ... the list is very subjective (and a bit pretentious). I'm just amazed that so many lists come out so often.

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