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How to be Well Read
How to be Well Read: A guide to 500 great novels and a handful of literary curiosities | John Sutherland
14 posts | 1 read | 1 reading | 8 to read
As the annual flood of published novels grows ever greater, its a hard a job to keep up, let alone sort the wheat from the chaff. Fortunately, literary sleuth and academic John Sutherland is on hand to do precisely that. In the course of over 500 wittily informative pieces he gives us his own very personal take on the most rewarding, most remarkable and, on occasion, most shamelessly enjoyable works of fiction ever written the perfect reading list for the would-be literary expert. His taste is impressively eclectic. An appreciation of Apuleiuss The Golden Ass arguably the first-ever novel is followed by a consideration of Ian Flemings Goldfinger. The Handmaids Tale is followed by Hangover Square, Jane Eyre by Jaws. There are imposing Victorian novels, entertaining contemporary thrillers and everything in between, from dystopian works to romance. The flavour of each is brilliantly evoked and its relative merits or demerits assessed. At the same time, John Sutherland shows how the work fits into a broader context whether that of the authors life or of other books from the same genre or period. And he offers endless snippets of intriguing information: did you know, for example, that the Nazis banned Bambi or that William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying on an upturned wheelbarrow; that Voltaire completed Candide in three days, or that Anna Sewell was paid 20 for Black Beauty? Encyclopedic and entertaining by turns, this is a wonderful dip-in book, whose opinions will inform and on occasion, no doubt, infuriate. It is also effectively a history of the novel in 500 or so bite-sized pieces.
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TheLudicReader
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This is how I feel about donating books, even while feeling overwhelmed by my tbr pile/shelves/mount doom.

AllDebooks Lol, I can relate 😅 3mo
dabbe The struggle is real. 😂😂😂 3mo
Deblovestoread Me and the mister have played out this scene more than once 😂 3mo
Ruthiella 😂😂😂 3mo
38 likes4 comments
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blithebuoyant
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My TBR jar for 2018! I have such trouble choosing a book that I'll often reread an old favorite to avoid making a decision lol Rest assured my comfort reads are well-loved. This year, I grabbed a $1 jar from Target, wrote the book (or series) down on a 1/2in slip of paper and folded them all into origami lucky stars! I know it doesn't look like it but there are 50+ books in that jar lol #tbr2018

julesG I like this idea! 7y
Nikki15 @l.kadie Those origami stars are so cute!! 7y
blithebuoyant @Nikki15 thank you! 7y
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blithebuoyant @julesG I got the idea from a friend who has a grey goose bottle full of little tiny ones as a decoration in her house lmao 7y
gibblr Super cool idea! I always have trouble picking my next read too. 7y
iread2much This is such a cute idea! I love it! 7y
26 likes7 comments
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Kalalalatja
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#DoIWannaKnow how long it is going to take me to read all my unread books? Not really. But since I don't have hundreds of unread books, I think I'm going to be okay 😄📚

#tbrshelf #shelfie #TuneintoNovember

Cinfhen Gorgeous photo! I‘m just curious how long its going to take for you to compile the recommendation list...😂😂😂 7y
TrishB 👍🏻 I do have hundreds! But I just don‘t count them.... 7y
Kalalalatja @Cinfhen haha that's a good question too! I plan on posting it tomorrow evening 🤞😄 7y
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Kalalalatja @TrishB hundreds of possibilities 😍👏 7y
TrishB Exactly! Books for all moods. 7y
erzascarletbookgasm Wow, this photo! 👏👍Loving all your possibilities:) 7y
JazzFeathers I don't think l'll ever read all thd books l own 😣 7y
Kalalalatja @erzascarletbookgasm me too! Although, I feel a bit overwhelmed when I have to pick a new book to read. I just want to read them all 😄 7y
Kalalalatja @JazzFeathers that's okay. You have still saved a book from the horror of being left on a shelf in a bookstore. You are making sure that book is loved and appreciated, maybe not for its content, but for just existing 👏👏 7y
JazzFeathers @Kalalalatja That is indeed comforting 😊 7y
125 likes10 comments
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Natasha.C.Barnes
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#thankstoLitsy I've gone from barely dipping my toe back into post-college reading-for-pleasure waters with the odd audiobook while commuting to reading dozens of books a month; participating in challenges, swaps, and buddyreads; buying upwards of 30 books in the past month (😱) and getting to know some of you lovely people so well that I get personally tagged for challenges now, which I never expected and never fails to delight me. #1000reasons

Natasha.C.Barnes Thanks so much @BookishTrish for doing a giveaway and congratulations on your benchmark! I hope to do something similar when I get there too--another 400 odd followers to go! 😆 7y
RadicalReader @Natasha.C.Barnes what awesome drawing of Litsy I love the chart you drew of the litfluence so creative and incredible 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes @RadicalReader Thanks! I spent a while trying to get it perfect. 😂 It all started when I realized one can only have so many saved screenshots and I was going to need a reminder of who to check back on to see what's going on on Litsy, for if I need to take another break like I did this year. I'm on my 3rd page of Litsy goingson that are more than one-offs! Isn't that insane and awesome? So many cool ppl. ❤️ 7y
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RadicalReader @Natasha.C.Barnes love the people here on Litsy they‘re incredible so friendly, kind and bookworms a plenty. 7y
OSChamberlain This is badass!!! 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes @OSChamberlain Haha, thanks!! ☺️ (The fact that ppl on Litsy think this is badass just makes me love them/you even more) 7y
ferskner Oooo I like your list of group activities! I always start challenges etc. and then forget once things get busy. 7y
BarbaraBB It is a bit addictive, isn‘t it 😍?! 7y
EchoLogical Love this! 7y
MemoirsForMe 🤗👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
mrozzz 🙌🏻😁💕 7y
TheWordJar Amazing!! #Bujo skills on point! Love the idea of a pen-and-paper list of different reading activities to follow. 7y
LeahBergen Yes!!! ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
Clwojick This is awesome. 7y
Andrew65 Yey! 7y
BookishTrish What a gorgeous post! 7y
98 likes17 comments
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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
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My parents were at Trader Joe's and bought this wine for me! 😂❤️🍷

TrishB Awesome 👍 7y
rubyslippersreads 😍🍷 7y
Tamra 🤓 7y
Zelma I want to live in that photo. It looks so inviting! 😆 7y
49 likes5 comments
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Schlinkles
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1. @nadine_swartz told me about it 2. Through Goodreads 3. Real live books 4. Multiple times 5. I'm currently in 6 of them. The last book I read for one of them was Gulp. by Mary Roach. 6. The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien needed an editor. 7. The footnotes in Gulp. definitely made me laugh out loud a few times. 8. A Gentleman in Moscow 9. The Night Circus 10. Kitty Porn #tbrboost

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Teafiend
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Not bad. Totally doable!

54 likes1 stack add
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jenniferw88
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Here's what I'm hoping to read in May, although it's my #birthdaymonth so it may change. I have said that I'll take Queen of the Tearling into June as it's over 400 pages, but if I get into it, I expect I'll finish it in May too. @RealLifeReading #maybookflowers

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Books_Wine_Repeat
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The struggle is real. #truth

LeahBergen Yep. 8y
LornaDH 10 8y
Sace So real. 8y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa 5 seems a bit low to me... #BookishProblems 8y
Megabooks #truth 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 8y
Reviewsbylola Truth! 8y
sprainedbrain Yes! At least 5... 😳 8y
EllieDottie Haha I feel your pain! 8y
103 likes8 comments
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Suet624

I woke up a number of times last night and, in that half-dream state, I found I was worrying about the number of library books I needed to read before their due date. I was also concerned I wouldn't read all of the Tournament of Books shortlist. I was trying to prioritize which books to read but instead just felt despair. I don't think this is normal.

My_novel_obsession Normal is highly overrated...I would rather be a fanatic book person ❤️😜 8y
Reecaspieces Typical book nerd!! 8y
saresmoore Hahaha! No, probably not normal. But, we're bound to worry about something in those waking hours. Better books than, say, the state of our nation. 🙄 At least reading a bit can alleviate the worry and maybe even help you get back to sleep! 8y
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CocoReads Very real worries for A book nerd. I always do that with library books. My list of books to check out again is way longer than my list of books read. 8y
Suet624 @saresmoore now that you mention it I used to wake up worrying about money. So this is definitely better. 8y
Suet624 @CocoReads 😩😩😩 8y
DivineDiana The struggle is real. 📚 8y
Suet624 My other concern is how to keep up with all the great Litsy posts .... 8y
Nuwanda I have done this too, and it definitely beats waking up and worrying about bills! 8y
LauraBeth @CocoReads don't stress about it 😀 usually, all of my library holds come in at one time and it's overwhelming but I know that realistically, I simply can't read them all before they're due. So I just read what I can and then put my name back on the hold list 😀 8y
Suet624 @LauraBeth 👍🏼😜😜 8y
CocoReads That's what I've been doing too. I mean, realistically I know I can't read them all. I just don't like taking them back unread--like they would feel unloved or unwanted. 😜 8y
Suet624 @CocoReads @laurabeth I completely understand that feeling. There's always an underlying regret. In addition, I have an irrational fear I'll not be able to find the book again. I know, I know. 8y
LauraBeth @suet64 oh I completely understand! What I do is write down in a notebook the holds that I take back because I didn't get to them - that way I have in one place a reference of the books I still would like to read. If I didn't do that then I'd forget about them 😀 I used to feel regret about not being a fast enough reader but I had to let that go and make peace with it. I will never be the person who reads two books a day - it's not who I am 8y
58 likes14 comments
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Lmstraubie
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We started a book exchange hub in the teachers' room at my school. I've already picked up 3 new titles & found a good home for a bunch of mine. #tbr

WanderingBookaneer Little Bee is amazing. 8y
Lmstraubie @WanderingBookaneer Another to add to the pile! 📚📚📚 Thx! 8y
Reviewsbylola Great idea!!! 8y
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mcipher What a cool idea! 8y
Lmstraubie @Reviewsbylola @mcipher Thx! Wish I could take credit for it 😉 Only helped to organize it 8y
RealLifeReading And some great titles there too! 8y
LiteraryinPA I love that idea! 8y
16 likes7 comments
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JacqMac
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There are 70 unread books in my physical TBR stack. That's not counting my ebooks. Or my library hold list. Or my Amazon wish list. And I just can't seem to stop buying more.
#TBRcalculator

DeeLew The struggle is real!! My amazon wish list has 171 books on it. I have 50+ in my physical TBR at home and 11 unread on my kindle. 😆🤓 8y
MrBook Wow!!! 8y
39 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Simona
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SusanInTiburon
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#TBRTuesday. These shelves hold the books I intend to re-read. I guess that makes this #TBReRTuesday.

LeahBergen Oh, that sweet, SWEET face!! 😩 8y
Soubhiville So cute!🐶 8y
Cinfhen Puppy love 🐶🐾 8y
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britt_brooke 💙🐶 8y
TheLibrarian What a cutie! 8y
LauraBeth Awww 🐶❤️ 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 Love it!! I do lots of rereading too! 8y
Baileeandme Awww, so cute! ❤️ 8y
RadicalReader Love the dog wearing glasses so adorable hard to get them to stay like that when they seem to freak out when you try to accessorize them lol. 8y
SusanInTiburon @RadicalReader Hehehe! True, but in this case it was a photoshop sticker, so no sweat! 8y
79 likes1 stack add10 comments