December 29, 2006
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Meaning to Read More
Sophia Kramskaya Reading, 1863 by Ivan Nikolayevich Karmskoy
A humorous quote on reading lists from Emma by Jane Austen
Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old. I have seen a great many lists of the drawing-up, at various times, of books that she meant to read regularly through–and very good lists they were, very well chosen, and very neatly arranged–sometimes alphabetically, and sometimes by some other rule. The list she drew up when only fourteen–I remember thinking it did her judgment so much credit, that I preserved it for some time, and I dare say she may have made out a very good list now. But I have done expecting any course of steady reading from Emma. She will never submit to anything requiring industry and patience, and a subjection of the fancy to the understanding.
[Added later: the blue titles are finished, the green ones are in progress.]CAROL’S 2007 MASTER READING LISTCURRICULUM reading:
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, BedeBeowulf
The Song of Roland
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated J.R.R. Tolkien
The Divine Comedy, Dante
Ascent to Love, Peter Leithart
The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer
Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare
Richard III, Shakespeare
Top 500 Poems, William Harmon ed. (read one aloud daily)
Going Somewhere, George Grant
From Playpen to Podium, Jeffrey Myers
A Natural History of Latin, Tore Janson
Study is Hard Work, William ArmstrongCHALLENGE reading
The Discarded Image, C.S. Lewis
Civilization of the Middle Ages, Norman Cantor
Autumn of the Middle Ages, Johan Huizinga
book by Charles Williams, undecided which oneCULTIVATING reading
Reformed Pastor, Richard BaxterInstitutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin (the first book this year)
The Reformation in England, J.H. Merle d’Aubingné
Breathe, Keri Wyatt Kent
The Excellent Wife, Martha PeaceCOMFORT AND JOY
Miniatures & Morals, Peter Leithart
Emma, Jane Austen
Doctor Thorne, Anthony Trollope
The Way We Live Now, Anthony Trollope
Nicholas Nickleby, Charles Dickens
A Short Day Dying, Peter Hobbs
The Loved One, Evelyn Waugh
The Memory of Old Jack, Wendell Berry
Jayber Crow, Wendell Berry
A Place on Earth, Wendell Berry
That Distant Land, Wendell Berry
Kristin Lavransdatter, Sigrid Undset
Phantastes, George MacDonald
Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences, Ursula K. LeGuin
Isaac and his Devils, Fernanda EberstadtCREATIVITY
The Mind of the Maker, Dorothy SayersOn the Art of Writing, Arthur Quiller-Couch
Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendelson
A Good Year, Peter Mayle
A Year in the World, Frances Mayes
A Short History of Art, Janson and Janson
Good Poems for Hard Times, selected by Garrison KeillorCURIOSITY
Kepler’s Witch, James Connor
Mornings on Horseback, David McCullough
Scarlet Music, Joan Ohanneson
The Mendelssohns, Herbert Kupfeberg
Life of John Calvin, Theodore Beza
God’s Secretaries, Adam Nicolson
Life is So Good, George Dawson
Racing Through Paradise, William F. Buckley, Jr.
Sailing Alone Around the World, Captain Joshua SlocumCHILDREN’S BOOKS
The Phoenix and the Carpet, E. Nesbit
Mr. Standfast, John Buchan
The Black Arrow, Robert Louis Stevenson
The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev
Mimosa, Amy Carmichael
Beorn the Proud, Madeleine Polland
Warrior Scarlet, Rosemary Sutcliff
Outcast, Rosemary Sutcliff
The Silver Branch, Rosemary Sutcliff
The Road of Camlann, Rosemary Sutcliff
The Hound of Ulster, Rosemary Sutcliff
The River Between Us, Richard Peck
Words By Heart, Ouida Sebestyen
Squalls Before War, Ned BustardEach year I like to read a book by Austen, Dickens, C.S. Lewis and David McCullough. Add to that list Anthony Trollope and Wendell Berry. I wish there was a G.K. Chesterton included on this list, but I don’t think I’m up to reading Calvin’s Institutes and Orthodoxy in the same year. I have a book of Chesterton’s essays that I can dip into to assuage my GKC thirst. Rosemary Sutcliff is one of my favorite children’s writers – I’m excited to plan to read five of her books this year.
I want to thank Janie at Seasonal Soundings for the inspiration to be more intentional in my reading. There is something accountable, shall we say, about putting into print your intentions. Like dear Emma, I’ve always been meaning to read more.
Do you have a book you’d recommend? The list can be amended, don’t you know…..
Comments (8)
Wow, oh wow, Carol. What a list!
I like to usurp and apply Alexander Pope’s line “A mighty maze! but not without a plan.”
Very ambitious list – I love the way you categorize your reading.
I look forward to following along and reading your reviews
Echoing nnjmom above, a VERY ambitious list. So ambitious it is scary. Do keep us posted on how it is going.
I was reading William Spragues book for his daughter http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873779460/ref=nosim/xangacom And in it he recommended that his daughter read a few books and those more than once. (of course, I do realize that we are talking about the 1800′s (if I remember correctly) here and availability of books was different then) I forget exactly how he put it but the idea was that she read less so she could remember more. He also suggested taking notes while reading to help facilitate her memory. I was wondering what you thought of this advice? I have not been one for rereading something just as I am not much for watching movies more than once. But as I am getting older I can see the merit in rereading something (especially with kids around to distract) but with SO many great books out there begging to be read how can I possibly devote myself to just a few?!! So, how do you remember the content of all of the books you read?
You know, I don’t expect that I will get every book read; however, I do believe that I will read more and deeper from reading off the planned list than I would just reading randomly.
Part of the problem is that I keep *buying* books, and all the books on the list except the undeclared Charles Williams are books in my house. I also reserve the right, which I don’t expect to use with this list, to not continue reading if the book is not “worthy”.
A couple of other notes: this season of my life is more conducive to deep reading than any other I’ve experienced. I am educating my youngest son; the first 18 books are directly related to that responsibility, and, in a sense, “legitimize” this habit of mine. I’m managing a home with three people in it and that gives me the time to read, time that many others just don’t have available to them.
The other point is that I have been reading all my life and have grown in speed and comprehension skills to the point that I truly find enjoyment in some of the weightier writing. I wish I had read less fluff in my twenties, that I had been less omnivorous and more deliberate in reading then. In that sense I envy Kristen at thisclassicallife.com who is reading books in her twenties that I’m just getting to now.
KC, I’ve also read the advice to read few books. Quality in reading must come before quantity, but some of this is relative don’t you think? There are some books I enjoy re-reading (I think I’ve been through the Narnia books a dozen times over the course of my lifetime). I agree with you on movies and that is one reason we own few videos or DVDs.
I’m reading most of the books on the curriculum list with Omnibus (Veritas Press) and the interaction with study guide and discussion with my son helps memory retention. I also keep a journal in which I write down quotes. I’ve begun a master journal of the books I’ve read, in which I write a short synopsis or two-sentence review of the books.
Carol,
I am just getting caught up on my subscription reading (that is blog stuff) You are my inspiration! I have printed up your list and hope to read as many as possible (having read a few already…The Venerable Bede being my favorite!) My time is not so easily flexible, but I know the value of devoting at least a part of the day to it. Even when my babies where home and active I purposed to find time at the end of the day to read at least for awhile. I got through a lot of books that way, slowly but surely. When home education started things ramped up a lot. Unfortunately that was for too short a season. I have found literature on-line to read when things get slow at work. Not the same as comfortably curling up with it though. Thanks Carol, for being an inspiration!
Hi, I just came over to your site from Seasonal Soundings comment about Trollope. Reading his books are on my mental list for later in the year. For the Winter Reading Challenge, I’m concentrating on some of my historical fiction books (other than schoolwork, that is).
What a great list you have. I need to do a cut/paste and keep that list for the next library sale!
Brenda
http://coffeeteabooksandme.blogspot.com/