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30 Books to Read Before You Die (Pt. 17)

Numbers 481-510

By Annie KapurPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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I am a firm believer than the majority of what you need consists of the following things:

  • A good book
  • A cup of coffee
  • A notepad
  • A pen

And a firm belief in God is an optional addition since I don't try to convert atheists for a living. But, the book will always be at the top of my list as something everyone needs regardless of race, religion, or gender etc. I think that the importance of a good book has greatly reduced in the minds of many. A good book has the potential to change your entire way of thinking like nothing else can. A good book can change the way you think about other people and the way you perceive the world. It can influence your decisions and your mind. It's got the power to do that and so much more.

I feel like there is so much people miss about a good book and yet, there are so many misconceptions people have about what a good book can involve. Some people think reading books is strictly for education, it isn't. Books can be for entertainment and for passing time when you've got some to spare. It's an enjoyable, relaxing thing that you can do solitarily. Books can also be for education because who doesn't need books to pass an exam? Exactly, nobody.

Books have so many uses, you love them and they love you back. They're the best and greatest form of entertainment because they're both surface and symbol at the same time (look at me getting all Oscar Wilde on you!). Anyways as always, I'll never list a book I haven't read and my personal favourites will be marked with a (*). I'll talk about some intermittently if they have some memorable experience linked to them. With that said, here we go...

481-490

Walt Whitman

481. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

482. Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf

483. 'The Lyrical Ballads' by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Jesus Christ, the amount of times I have read this little book of poetry is more than I'd like to admit. From reading it on my own to actually studying it at university, my copy of this book is desecrated with notes, sticky tags, folded pages, highlighting and even rips in the pages when I got angry whilst writing my assignment. To be honest, this book and I have been on quite a meaningful journey together and I don't think I will ever get a new copy of it because, well, sentimental value. Even though I may be happier with a clean copy and not remembering all the strain of university essays, I would like to keep this one for its quality of making me feel young again.

484. The Major Works of William Wordsworth

485. The Belly of Paris by Emile Zola

486. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

487. Beloved by Toni Morrison

488. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

489. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner*

490. My Antonia by Willa Cather

491-500

William Faulkner

491. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

492. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

493. Light in August by William Faulkner*

494. Ragtime by EL Doctorow

495. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

496. The Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

497. An American Tragedy by Theodor Dreiser

498. The USA Trilogy by John Dos Passos

499. Native Son by Richard Wright

500. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

501-510

Ezra Pound

501. The Cantos by Ezra Pound*

502. 'The Faerie Queene' by Edmund Spenser

When I first wanted to read this book, I spent a long time looking for a good copy. I didn't want a used copy and I didn't want to spend too much on it. I knew it was one of the greatest poems ever written and wanted to read it properly. I remember reading this because it was the book I was reading when I got the news that my grandfather had died. It really tainted the experience of Gloriana with a sadness that really overtook the reading of the book in some ways. When the book actually arrived, I forgot to check how big it was online and realised that it was pretty damn big. Not only is it written in olden English, but it's also massive. It took me forever to read but guess what? It was damn worth it—that poem is awesome. All about Elizabeth I and her ascension, glory, power, radiance and her overall command - this book is an excellent work of literature dedicated to one of the most powerful people in western history.

503. Dream of the Red Chamber

504. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe

505. A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans

506. Printer's Devil Court by Susan Hill

507. Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre

508. Winner Take Nothing by Ernest Hemingway

509. Abba Abba by Anthony Burgess

510. The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

literature
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About the Creator

Annie Kapur

190K+ Reads on Vocal.

English Lecturer

🎓Literature & Writing (B.A)

🎓Film & Writing (M.A)

🎓Secondary English Education (PgDipEd)

📍Birmingham, UK

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