30 Books to Read Before You Die (Pt. 22)

So, now we’re on Part 22, and there are still so many books to get through. For absolutely no other reason than to get someone, somewhere, reading something. Hopefully, you can get something from this that helps you discover your next book, and, if you’re just hopping in now, then I’d like to say hello and thank you for choosing to read my list over others.

The one thing I believe about reading is that you shouldn’t be reading “what’s popular” or just “what everyone else is reading.” If you’re serious about reading, then there’s so much to explore, worlds we don’t even know about. I’ve seen many Instagram Readers who only read what’s popular, and so you get a newsfeed filled with pretty pictures of the same book. The problem with that is, that’s not a good idea if you’re recommending a book to someone. Why? Well, it’s because it’s so popular they probably would’ve discovered it anyway without your photo/recommendation. And, well, if they are an explorative reader, they’re going to explore on and leave everything else behind—including popular literature.

Now you’re going to say: “Well, what’s popular now and why don’t you like it?”

The problem with literature in our own time is that finding a great book is like finding a needle in a haystack. There are some great books of today, but most of them are probably about similar things, have similar writing styles, and are probably thoroughly average at best. I guess you have to have some average books to make the better ones look good. But, the other problem is that when everyone reads one book, everyone ends up thinking and acting the same way towards literature—it’s suffocating and this is why I choose to remain mainly 20th Century and before. Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing 21st Century books, but again, they are very rare.

So, now that we’ve given you a bit of an introduction of something about books and me, I will tell you again that I’d never include a book on my lists that I haven’t read personally. The reading experience, if it is memorable—will be spoken about intermittently throughout the piece and my personal favourites will be marked with a (*) sign.

Let’s get on with the next section then. This is Part 22 and here are the numbers 631 through to 660.

631-640

631. To Build a Fire by Jack London

632. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead*

633. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

634. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

635. Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco*

I actually read Foucault’s Pendulum the day after Umberto Eco died. I was very upset that he’d passed away because I grew up through my teenage years thinking that The Name of the Rose was one of the smartest blends of historical and mystery fiction I’d ever read. I remember reading this especially because it was the same time I was re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird as well, because Harper Lee had died around the same time and I wanted to relive those memories. To be perfectly honest, this was the first time I had read Foucault’s Pendulum and it was far more than just satisfying. Umberto Eco is still alive through these books and that is a great thing to believe in for me and my teenage self.

636. The Coming of the Fairies by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

637. The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

638. The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

639. The Song of Roland by Unknown

640. The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish

641-650

641. A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe

642. Jacques the Fatalist by Denis Diderot*

643. Diary of a Madman by Zu Xun

644. Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

645. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier

646. Caraval by Stephanie Garber*

Remember when I said that finding a great book in the 21st Century is like finding a needle in a haystack? Well, this book is definitely one of the bigger needles. I read this book when it first came out and it was one of the greatest modern books I’d ever read. Why? It doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s fun and folklore-inspired. It’s gritty and it’s magical. It is the perfect piece of teen fantasy fiction. I remember I got very excited when I saw a young child reading this book one day, and the child and I talked about the book for a while and how much we loved it. It was a great conversation—children are really the ones (if they enjoy reading) that can really appreciate fantasy fiction properly.

647. Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault

648. Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess

649. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

650. Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes

651-660

651. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

652. Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

653. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

I remember first reading this book when I was younger and all I could think was, “Jesus Christ, this is a bit heavy isn’t it?” It made me ever so slightly upset for some reason, though I can’t exactly remember why. I then read it again, and this time owned my own copy, when I was in my second year of university. I could appreciate it more, the magic of the words and the beauty of the satire and irony. There’s something incredibly clever about this book. No matter what you think of his personal views, the book is very cleverly written indeed.

654. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro*

655. Restoration by Rose Tremain*

656. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

657. The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe

658. Crossing the River by Caryl Philips*

659. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

660. Merivel: A Man of His Time by Rose Tremain*