Books you can't believe you haven't read by now

[Dee*Jay]

I spend an ungodly amount of time searching the public library site for things to read. Sometimes it takes me more time to find a book that it will take me to finish it! Every once in a while I come across something that I think, "HOW have I not read this by now?" I just put a hold on All the Pretty Horses, plus the next two. I may be the only person in America who hasn't read this by now. I don't even know what it's about (PLEASE -- no one tell me!), other than it's Iconic with a capital I.

Tangentially, The Catcher in the Rye never came into my hands until I was out of college. Graduated with an English degree no less! I went to three different high schools in four years so somehow I missed reading it in every school move, and of course by the time I was in college pursuing an English degree it was just ASSUMED. At about 23 I thought, "Geez, Dee, you haven't read this yet?!" and I went on down to the bookstore and got a copy. Interestingly enough (to me, LOL) I picked TCITR up again several years ago and just couldn't get into it. Same experience with The Once And Future King. With books, I often think, timing (in your life) is everything.

What about you? What do you think to yourself, "Man, how could I have skipped this?"

And what about anything you've read and then gone back to later and been like, MEH... ?

 

[Begonia]

The Harry Potter series

The Girl That Kicked the Hornets Nest (series. Just couldn't get in to it)

The Bible (in its entirety, read passages)

 

[Dee*Jay]

The Harry Potter series

The Girl That Kicked the Hornets Nest (series. Just couldn't get in to it)

The Bible (in its entirety, read passages)

This theme could be a thread by itself! I used to finish every book I started. EVERY. No matter what. Then I go to A Winter's Tale (Halpren). And The Devil in the White City (Larson). Tried both multiple times. Noooooope.

 

[lyra]

I think I've read everything, lol. I know there are some classics I've missed, but I don't find that regrettable because I only have so much time left to read all the books I *might* be interested in. I never finished Catcher in the Rye. Just didn't appeal.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I've never read anything by Stephen King.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Begonia]

HI:

I've never read anything by Stephen King.

cheers--Sharon

It's horror. I get it.
Read it as a teen, but not now. Life can be scary enough.

 

[marymm]

Never read The Wind in the Willows.

Recently re-read Watership Down as I remembered it as a really wonderful read ... yawn, just did not care to even finish it.

I also am not a fan of Steven King (or the horror genre generally) but about 10 years ago I did stumble on The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and found it eminently readable and even read it again a few years ago... it seems to be classified as a psychological/horror book but to me it was a very well written "wilderness survival" story. YMMV.

 

[Gabbycat]

Fahrenheit 451. Always sounds intriguing, but I've never bothered to actually buy it or check it out from the library.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Fahrenheit 451. Always sounds intriguing, but I've never bothered to actually buy it or check it out from the library.

Oh! I've never read this either! Thank you for the reminder.

 

[Elizabeth35]

This theme could be a thread by itself! I used to finish every book I started. EVERY. No matter what. Then I go to A Winter's Tale (Halpren). And The Devil in the White City (Larson). Tried both multiple times. Noooooope.

I'm older now, and not so willing to waste time. So if a book is not engaging, I toss it aside and find one I like better.
I used to suffer through to the end, but now I don't.
Give yourself permission to not spend precious hours on something that you don't enjoy!

 

[canuk-gal]

Never read The Wind in the Willows.

Recently re-read Watership Down as I remembered it as a really wonderful read ... yawn, just did not care to even finish it.

I also am not a fan of Steven King (or the horror genre generally) but about 10 years ago I did stumble on The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and found it eminently readable and even read it again a few years ago... it seems to be classified as a psychological/horror book but to me it was a very well written "wilderness survival" story. YMMV.

PLEASE read The Wind in the Willows. One of my favorite books of all time!

 

[echomomm]

I recently came to realize that I had not read HP Lovecraft in its entirety. There is no excuse for that, given that I teach HS ELA. In the current climate it is important to note that his biases are clear and easy to see, but that doesn't negate the effect his work has had on pop culture, game development, other short stories and more - and all of those things matter to teens. So I've obtained annotated copies of all his writing so I can read it and better understand it.

That and more British Lit is on my list this summer. I read a lot of Stephen King as a teen, and later got lost in Asimov and Bradbury. For those who haven't read Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 is excellent, as are the Martian Chronicles and Sound of Thunder (short stories are easier to dive into with less commitment). I missed out on some of the weightier classics (Grapes of Wrath, Dr. Zhivago) and didn't hit them until after college, but didn't find them worth the time when I finally did read them.

 

[Garnetgirl]

HI:

I've never read anything by Stephen King.

cheers--Sharon

Same here. The whole genre just never appealed to me.

 

[GliderPoss]

Anything by Shakespeare...

 

[Dee*Jay]

Anything by Shakespeare...

Shakespeare is a tough one... it takes a while to get into the rhythm of the words and if you read it kind of "phonetically' in your head (not sure that makes ANY sense!) it's easier to get into the groove.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Stephen King -- I actually really enjoy CERTAIN of his work. The ones that are more psychological and "horror" and much more interesting to me.

Gerald's Game is one of my absolute favorite books.

And writing as Richard Bachman, his Thinner is also really good (to me).

 

[lyra]

I was young with Stephen King, and I've grown old with Stephen King. I don't read every one of his books, but he's a good writer. I know he's going to make me feel something. It's not always direct horror, there are nuances in his later years. I've enjoyed his humour all along.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

I know this doesn't really apply here @Dee*Jay, but have you read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead? I've read it several times and still find it evocative, timeless and inspirational.

As for Stephen King, I used to LOVE his work back in a time when there was no internet....especially the Gunslinger series. But I just find that I have no time for fiction anymore. Reality is horrifying enough.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I know this doesn't really apply here @Dee*Jay, but have you read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead? I've read it several times and still find it evocative, timeless and inspirational.

As for Stephen King, I used to LOVE his work back in a time when there was no internet....especially the Gunslinger series. But I just find that I have no time for fiction anymore. Reality is horrifying enough.

I did my senior (high school) English project on The Fountainhead! I gotta confess... the radio address made my eyes glaze over!