Yesterday, I finished Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake. It took me two days to read it, and in fact, I stayed up late last night to complete it because I wanted to finish it so badly.
Every time I have this experience, I’m grateful. It gives me a taste of the kind of passion I should, but don’t often, have for God’s word. It also gives me hope as I continue to teach literature for a living, and I would be a lousy teacher indeed if I wanted my students to have an experience with a book I never had (of only had in the past).
I can’t remember the first book I stayed up late to finish. It was probably a Hardy Boys mystery. My reading history really begins as a junior in high school.
Here then are a list of books, mostly novels, I remember being unable to put down until I finished them (my memory is incomplete, and thus the post’s title). You’ll notice that I seem to be having the experience more often, which to me, is a great thing. My reading journal is not detailed enough to tell you when each book was read, so I offer the list in alphabetical order with annotations if I have particular memories.
Side Note: Very view of these books came from school assignments. That’s something worth pondering.
HIGH SCHOOL
Orwell, George. 1984 (senior year of high school; unassigned reading)
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. (I was at summer program between my junior and senior years of high school; before I made friends, I checked this book out of the library and devoured it.)
Vonnegut, Jr. Kurt. Cat’s Cradle. (I just loved Vonnegut and tried to read as much as I could; I consumed this one with cupcakes over timed breaks and a couple of evenings the summer between senior year of high school and freshman year of college)
Vonnegut, Jr. Kurt. Slapstick. (More Vonnegut summer between senior year of high school and freshman year of college)
COLLEGE
Grass, Gunther. The Tin Drum. (I read this one in Europe while I was studying abroad. It was for a class. I’ve revisited it twice since I became a prof, and it’s been more enjoyable each time.)
Thompson, Hunter S. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. (I read it to write a paper on Gonzo Journalism for my Intro to Media Comm class. I think that was the fall of my sophomore year. I have read it many, many time since.)
Thompson, Jim. The Killer Inside Me. (I think I read this one senior year at the recommendation of a prof who taught me classical lit. Definitely NOT for a class. The ultimate anti-hero.)
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Allingham, Margaret. Dancers in Mourning. (I read this one the summer I got married. It was my fun novel as I worked on my prospectus. The best kind of British mystery novel.)
Byatt, A.S.. Possession: A Romance. (From my first semester of grad school. A class assignment from a Neo-Victorian course and an absolute keeper. This one made me into a letter writer.)
Diaz, Junot. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. (A recommendation from a grad school friend during the summer between getting my doctorate. I revisited it a couple of years ago and got sucked in again. )
Ellis, Bret Easton. American Psycho. (This one floored me the fall of 2005. I skipped a week of actual school work to go through this one twice.)
Franzen, Jonathan. Freedom. (Sweet, sweet procrastination. I think I read this in the spring of 2011 as a “break” from finishing up my dissertation.)
Klosterman, Chuck. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low-Culture Manifesto. (I found this the summer between my first and second year of doctorate work via Bill Simmons; I’ve read it many times since.)
James, Henry. The Portrait of a Lady. (Read this one as I finished my dissertation. May be 2010 or 2011? Glorious procrastination. This one is on my “read it every couple of years” list.)
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Baldwin, James. The Fire Next Time. (I read this after reading Between the World & Me. Have revisited since and it’s still fire.)
Conroy, Pat. The Lords of Discipline. (I crammed this one into my last week of teaching in Charleston. It still conjures up that last week for me.)
Davies, Robertson. The Rebel Angels. (This one was a late night read when my daughter was tiny. My wife loved this book and gave it to me early in our relationship. I finally got to it.)
Harris, Thomas. The Silence of the Lambs. (This was an audiobook speed listen in 2016. I would drive around for a chance to listen to it more.)
Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. (Always loved her. This might be my favorite though.)
Lewis, C.S. That Hideous Strength. (Another audiobook listen built on my frequent stroller escapades with my young daughter. Shook me to my core.)