The New Classics

Two recent articles about books in Entertainment Weekly that I thought were worth passing on...

The first is from EW's latest issue about "the new classics". The magazine picked the books, movies, TV shows and music from the last 25 years that it deems worthy of the title "classic". Click here to see the 100 books that made the list.

Of the 100, I've read only 16. I was very happy to see four of my favorite books on the list: #29 Bel Canto (Ann Patchett), #82 Atonement (Ian McEwan), #14 Black Water (Joyce Carol Oates), and #60 Nickel and Dimed (Barbara Ehrenreich). There are also a few I was surprised to see on the list - Waiting to Exhale? Really?

Any books on the list you think shouldn't be there? How many have you read?

The other article I enjoyed was EW's list of recent memoirs. Basically, there is a memoir out there for every type of childhood, family, marriage, addiction, disease, racial identity, trauma religion, etc., and EW has captured quite a few of them. The article is entertaining, and will probably deter a swath of would-be memoirists who are disappointed to see that their life stories have already been written.

Have I mentioned lately that I love EW?

Comments

[Tracy]

I love ET too:) I posted the list last weekend and underlined what I've read. I was surprised at how many I haven't

[Michelle]

I sent the book list out to my book group and we've read 12 of the books on the list. One of our favorites that was missed was The Shadow of the Wind.

[Jessica]

I was surprised to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire chosen rather than one of the other books in the series.

I think a good addition to the list would be something by Jonathan Safran Foer.

[Josie]

I've really been into memoirs lately for some reason. Thanks for the link- a great list of books- most of which I haven't read yet!

[Dr. Blondie]

Thanks for pointing out this out! I've only read 14 of the 100, but I have a number of others on my "to read" list. I think that Middlesex should have been on the list. It's an epic tale and incredibly well written.

[Dawn]

Interesting lists! My mother-in-law reads exclusively from lists ... checking each book off, then on to the next list; I'm sharing the links with her.

_Bel Canto_ is such a great book, I'm glad to see that on the list of new classics. Anyone else out there read _The Magician's Assistant_? It wasn't the same caliber, and I thought it got a bit "tangled", but it was a unique story!