There’s been a slight modification to the blog. For a couple years I’ve had a page of my “to be read” stacks. I decided to remove it because I’m very bad at keeping it up to date and also somewhat embarrassed to see how long some books have been on it. It’s replaced with a page modeled after the desert island discs concept (and page on this blog.) With truly innovative titling, it’s the Desert Island Books page.
About a year and a half ago I culminated some “A to Z” book posts with an all-time top 10 list. As I noted then, that list is likely to change depending on when I made it. I decided to create the new page to allow the list to reflect books read more recently and changes in perspective.
The only change so far is that Dorthea Dieckmann’s novel Guantanamo has replaced William Manchester’s A World Lit Only by Fire. (Although, interestingly, the book I read immediately before Guantanamo, Per Petterson’s Out Stealing Horses, also got serious consideration and may make the list yet.) Since I read Guantanamo earlier this year, the designation may be premature although seems to fit with several other books on the list.
I still have no clue what the list reflects about me or my tastes. I just know these books made a significant and lasting impression.
His thoughts had run off and he had gone after them.
Dorothea Dieckmann, Guantanamo
