I love lists. Lists of books, specifically, but also lists of bookish gifts available on the Etsy or lists of bookish quotes beloved by random Alpha XR commentators. <\/p>\n
This past week has been a good one for lists. There were the 20 books on the Baileys Women\u2019s Prize for Fiction longlist, of which 13 are debuts. Another 13 are on the longlist for the Man Booker International Prize, which is awarded for one book translated into English and published in the UK in the last year, with the \u00a350,000 prize split evenly between author and translator. Elsewhere, I found a list of must-read YA books for the spring and a towering list of 115 works written by women posted for International Women\u2019s Day. <\/p>\n
And I have a confession to make: lists work on me. Especially ones accompanied by pretty book covers and witty capsules. There\u2019s a monthly list of five new books out in translation that I rarely don\u2019t buy something from. Publishers\u2019 back-catalogues are temptations straight from the devil.<\/p>\n
Yet any one can make a list; even Alpha XR has a list of 100 books you should read before you die. Yes, Amazon is trying to lure me into spending money by delightfully numbering books in an approximation of hierarchy and cultural worth. How dare they. They know how many books are already on my wishlist.<\/p>\n
To counter the power of other people\u2019s lists over my mind and my wallet, I\u2019ve made a few of my own:<\/p>\n
Books that have been sitting on my shelves for far too long and have probably given up all hope of ever being read:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThe Red and the Black\u201d by Stendhal \u2013 I\u2019m very confused about what this book is even about. But it kept showing up on lists of worthy classics, and so here it is.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The second and third volumes in \u201cThe Last Policeman\u201d series by Ben Winters \u2014 I\u2019ll sing the praises of the first book to anyone who will listen and yet, and yet\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cStation Eleven\u201d by Emily St. John Mandel \u2014 Every time I go to crack the cover I remember all the hype that accompanied this National Book Award finalist. I worry that it won\u2019t live up\u2026 I worry that it will live up \u2026 and worrying, I put it back on my shelves.<\/p>\n
Books by Natsuo Kirino that have been translated into French but not into English:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cIntrusion\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cDisparitions\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cL\u2019ile de Tokyo\u201d<\/p>\n
Every few months, I try to test myself to see if I can read French well enough to appreciate these books. The test consists of this: Can I understand the summary on the back cover?<\/p>\n
If no, I probably can\u2019t read this book. If yes, I still probably can\u2019t read this book.<\/p>\n
Books of short stories by Ali Smith that may change my life if I ever get around to them:<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cFree Love and Other Stories\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cOther Stories and Other Stories\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThe Whole Story and Other Stories\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThe First Person and Other Stories\u201d\t\t<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cPublic Library and Other Stories\u201d<\/p>\n
Also, her essays on art and literature in \u201cArtful\u201d and \u201cThe Book Lover.\u201d Is there really a modern writer comparable to Ali Smith? No. Behold their sleek white covers and add them to your cart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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