twentyfive books, in which I betray my CanLit roots rather badly

[phinnia]

In lieu of the book meme, you get twenty-five books that I think are awesome. I kind of fail at American classic lit. In my defense I grew up in foreign parts.

1. A Natural History of the Senses - Diane Ackerman
2. Set this House in Order - Matt Ruff
3. The Girl in the Flammable Skirt - Aimee Bender
4. St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves - Karen Russell
5. The Diviners - Margaret Laurence
6. Uncle Tungsten - Oliver Sacks
7. The Shipping News - Annie Proulx
8. The God of Small Things - Andruhati Roy
9. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
10. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides
11. Life After God - Douglas Coupland
12. Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland
13. Kitchen - Banana Yoshimoto
14. Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman
15. Neuromancer - William Gibson
16. Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science - Atul Gawande
17. Larry's Party - Carol Shields
18. Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
19. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character/Why do You Care What Other People Think? Further Adventures of a Curious Character - Richard Feynman
20. Queen of All The Dustballs And Other Epics of Everyday Life - Bill Richardson
21. On Writing - Stephen King
22. Geek Love - Katharine Dunn
23. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times - Pema Chodron
24. Gracie: A Love Story - George Burns (this is seriously the saddest book I've ever read)
25. Cookwise - Shirley Corriher

Comments

[jane-hidell.livejournal.com]

DOUGLAS COUPLAND & JEFFREY EUGENIDES

A+

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

They are both totally brilliant. Have you read 'Geek Love'? I bet you'd like that - it kind of reminds me of Eugenides except more twisted. <3 And Banana Yoshimoto is very Douglas-Coupland-esque.

[purridot.livejournal.com]

No L.M. Montgomery? ;-)

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

I couldn't pick just one! *laugh* I like all of her books so much it's impossible to choose - same with Nick Hornby.

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

Cookwise is marvelous. I often refer to it when telling my husband why a recipe won't work. :)

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

Shirley Corrhier is /brilliant/. I just love her brain.

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves

Okay, this is like the best title ever.

[hithah.livejournal.com]

Agreed. That's one of those books I'd just have to pick up with no idea what it was actually about, just because the title was so incredibly awesome.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

It's an excellent book. And the title school really exists in the book. <3

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

I picked it up just for the title. But it's a marvelous book of short stories - and the title school really does exist ... <3

[daf9.livejournal.com]

So what would you recommend for an individual who has read and enjoyed # 5,7,8,15,17 & 18?

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

You, being a scientist, would probably like the Oliver Sacks book (it's about his adventures with chemistry and elements) and the Feynman books (he met Einstein! And he was a bongo player and lockpick AND a physicist!) And I found The Shipping News to be not unlike the Diviners, so try that. <3

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Set This House In Order? One of the best things I *ever* read. Not read any of the others, haven't heard of many, got St Lucy's Home but hadn't realised it was short stories and I'm really not good at reading short stories (I even prefer my fanfic novel length), I presume I'm missing a treat...

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

I just /loved/ Set This House in Order. <3 So, so marvelous. I haven't read his new book (Bad Monkeys) yet ...

[romanshoes.livejournal.com]

OMG, you like St. Lucy's too? No one else I know has ever read it. My favorite is the story about the boys stranded on the glacier.