Everyone loves lists sometimes. The BBC polled the UK in April to find out the country’s favorite 100 books. Now it’s down to a list of the top 21. Apparently, they are going to winnow them down further still. I’ve heard of almost all 21, but two didn’t ring a bell: Birdsong (Sebastian Faulks) and His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman). I’ve read 13 of the titles on the list. I was startled I hadn’t read more, but there are a bunch of classics I’ve never gotten to. Here’s what I’ve missed: Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell), Little Women (Louisa May Alcott), Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier), The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame), Captain Correlli’s Mandolin (Louis de Berni¶res) and — yes, it’s true — Winnie the Pooh (AA Milne). I figure I’ll get to that last one soon enough with the boy. My favorite of those I’ve read? Tough call between The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe… and Great Expectations is really pretty amazing, too.
One thing you never need to worry about is having enough to read. Ain’t life grand!?