Day 76: “‘Classic.’ A book which people praise but don’t read.”

So said Mark Twain. Many of us can relate–myself included. The classics are the books we always meant to read, they’re sitting on our bookshelves, awaiting our attention, yet often neglected for the shinier, the more fun. Today, I have decided to change that.  My incredible supervisor at CCJ, Emily Baxter, was astounded to learn that I had never read Salinger.  She returned from a trip with a copy of Salinger’s Nine Stories, which is an undeniable American classic and one of her personal favorites.  This gift has inspired me to begin a quest (lifelong, I’m sure) to actually read all the classics, rather than just talk about them.

The first few on my list are:
1. Salinger, Nine Stories and The Catcher and the Rye
2. Camus, The Stranger
3. Chopin, The Awakening
4. Tolkien, The Hobbit
5. Faulkner, any and all

I would appreciate any suggestions of favorite classic books!

August 2, 2014: 290 days of reading, very few of them fun, I’m sure