100 Books to Read In A Lifetime

Several weeks ago, I ran across an article about how the editors at Amazon compiled a list of 100 books everyone should read in their lifetime.  I LOVE lists, and I LOVE books, so this had my name written all over it! Here is a link to the list:

100 books everyone should read in their lifetime

I looked through all the titles, and I've read 32 of them.  32.  Yikes.  I must admit at first, I felt a bit like a failure...until I remembered that this list is opinion-based, and then I felt a little better.  In all seriousness, it's a pretty fascinating list.  It encompasses all genres, age levels, and interests, everything from Goodnight Moon to The Autobiography of Malcolm X.  My challenge to you is to see if you can read at least one of these books yet this trimester and then blog about your experience, including why you think it made the list.  I encourage you to select a grade-appropriate choice (Charlotte's Web, while a terrific read, may not be quite grade-appropriate), but even if you just revisit a classic you used to love, you would be fulfilling the challenge.

How many books have you read from the list?  What book(s) will you try to read this trimester?

My March Reading Wrap-Up

Hello all!  I've been a busy reader since my last post.  I spent a lot of time on airplanes and in airports earlier this month, and I always find that I am able to read a lot in that setting.  I was also on a little mini-vacation, so I did lots of reading by the beach.  I finish Kate Manning's My Notorious Life, which was historical fiction loosely based on a real person.  You can revisit my previous post about this book for plot information.  It was an interesting read, but I'm not sure I would recommend it.  The dialogue formatting bothered me throughout most of the book (again, see previous post), and without giving any spoilers, the ending just didn't seem like a plausible and / or authentic way to end the story.  I did break out of my usual genre of reading, however, and overall, it was a good reading experience.

I then moved on to John Grisham's newest novel, Sycamore Row.  This was on the New York Times bestseller list for quite a while, and I thought the summary sounded interesting.  It's actually sort of a sequel to his book A Time To Kill, and while I never read the book, I did see the movie years ago and thought it was excellent.  Here is a clip of John Grisham talking about the book on the CBS morning show:

The main character, Jake Brigance, is so relatable, and I couldn't help but root for him throughout the story because he is the underdog (and who doesn't love an underdog?).  This book was a quick, engaging read that threw in a twist at the end and gave the necessary motivation for certain plot events, which I very much need and appreciate as a reader.  

I have now moved on to William Landay's Defending Jacob.  I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, but I just never have because the subject seemed a little too "heavy."  Here is the Goodreads summary:

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

As a mother of two boys (and as a teacher of 14-year-old students), I am already struggling to read parts of this book, because I literally cannot imagine being put in this situation.  Absolutely terrifying.  My biggest problem so far with this book (and I'm about 1/4 of the way through it) is that I don't particularly care for the main character, Andy Barber.  The book is written in first person, and I feel like at times, he is saying things or thinking things just to convey something to the reader, and it doesn't sound like what someone would actually say or think.  For example, at one point, Andy thinks, "I was tempted to hide Jacob's laptop...but I worried that stashing the computer would hurt him either way:  if the computer went missing, that would be suspicious, given his online presence; on the other hand, if found it might contain devastating evidence" (Landay 97).  It just feels a little too explanatory to me.  It's a small annoyance, however, in an otherwise intriguing story.  

Since spring break is coming up, I'm looking for some new book suggestions.  Does anyone have any for me?  I would love to hear them!  

Thanks, and keep reading!