I want to read a book a smart person would read

[redsquirrel]

I used to be a smart person. Lately, I feel like the past 12 years (since I had kids) my brain has been turning to mush. I realize part of it was just the nature of rearing children. For a very long time I only had short bits of time to myself, not enough to actually focus on anything intellectual. But, I feel like it is starting to show.

 

It doesn't help that in that 12 years, the world has changed. I find it hard to get back my habit of attention. I start to read and my mind wanders. I cannot read anything requiring deep thought on my kindle. The temptation to close that book and open another less challenging on is too great. I seem to have developed late onset ADD or something.

 

I am fairly well read. I majored in English and have read the cannon. When I look through TWEM I have read a respectable chunk. Anything I haven't read is mostly due to lack of interest in that particular work.

 

The other day, someone was talking to me about their reaction the first time they read Rushdie and I had no where to go with them. Not only have I not read any Rushdie (that is fine, we can't read everything) but I am so far out of my old habits that I couldn't even discuss him as an author. It used to be that I read enough, the works themselves and about books and authors, that I could usually participate in most any discussion about literature.

 

It's the same with other areas of my life. Maybe I need to ask for a subscription to The New York Review of Books, The Paris Review, The Economist and Scientific American for Christmas.

 

So, any book suggestions? I am thinking fiction. I love non-fiction but have the hardest time these days reading literary fiction. I need to get back in the saddle.

[Belacqua]

First of all, you're obviously still smart.

 

Second: This blog is pretty helpful for finding smart-people (as well as interesting, if less academically-oriented) books. It discusses reviews of various upcoming books, as well as lists of awards (the National Book Award finalists are still on the first page, I think).

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Jr. of high school I tried to read War & Peace because only really smart people read it. I didn't make it very far. All those Russian names that looked alike, I couldn't tell who was who!

 

I hope you have better luck than I did finding a good, "smart" book. :001_smile:

[KatA]

Do you have a particular interest? Something that while educating your kids, you found interesting? A particular period of history... a certain author...

 

I have things that interest me that I try to read so I don't stay just in mommy zone. I was a history major in college, so I read history to keep my brain alive. :001_smile: I just got a book yesterday on the historical canon of the New Testament. *stoked*

[Carol in Cal.]

Non-fiction that is as well-written as good fiction:

Anything by Malcolm Gladwell

The World is Flat

The Fire and The Staff (this is a Lutheran book about the relationship between theology and practice. Might be a bit esoteric, but it's really good.)

 

Fiction:

Moo--one of the funniest books I have ever read. Not new, though. But delightful and a bit obscure, but still by a well-known author

Casual Vacancy--very depressing and bleak, but current because it is by J. K. Rowling. I don't recommend it for pleasure but rather for buzz.

That book by SWB that is a bit old but still kind of obscure--the novel about Virginia seceding from the Union. I read it last summer, and it was very good.

[ErinE]

I'm not a fan of Rushdie and I find most literary fiction enamored with beautiful words as opposed to a beautiful book.

 

Here are my favorite "literary" selections. They are older simply, because I find it hard to find good fiction, whatever the genre.

 

Kazuo Ishiguro: My number one favorite book is The Remains of the Day. All of Ishiguro's novels are lovely, quiet works that make you appreciate the written word. Never Let Me Go is another good one.

Andre Dubus: House of Sand and Fog

Jeffrey Eugenides: I liked both The V!rg!n Suicides and Middles*x

Ian McEwan: Atonement. I'm normally meh about McEwan, but this was a good book.

Cormac McCarthy: The Road. DH is a huge McCarthy fan and I find his work very disturbing. I can appreciate The Road from a literary standpoint although I struggled while reading it.

Richard Russo: My two favorites are Bridge of Sighs and Empire Falls

Anne Tyler: A fairly good-size catalog from a lovely writer. Love The Accidental Tourist

Marilynne Robinson: Gilead and Housekeeping

 

I've also skimmed the Top 100 book lists or best literary fiction per XX year in Amazon and borrowed the books from the library.

[LittleIzumi]

Have you read The Brothers Karamazov by Doestoevsky yet? :D The Life of Pi is a brain-twisting book, too.

[Durriyyah]

I would say find a magazine or newspaper that interests you. Smart people read magazines and newspapers, and the bits of reading are smaller.

 

I completely understand what you're saying about the possibility of late onset ADD. I used to be able to sit and read for half a day, and now I feel like I want to do something else at the same time. Maybe part of it is being a mom and feeling guilty for me time, but even for things that seem worthwhile, I just can't focus like I used to!

[GWOB]

Right there with you:glare:. Well, I was a Criminal Justice major. Even after I had the 2 older ones, I read good stuff. I had a period where I read tons of 19th century Brit Lit- Austen, Dickens, Bronte sisters, etc.. I went back and re-read many classics I only skimmed in high school. I've been in an intellectual drought the last few years. I still devour books, but they haven't been super thought-provoking.

 

So I will be lurking on this thread, hoping to get some great ideas.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I would get the subscriptions you mentioned. Nothing like staying in the loop to keep you sharp.

 

But I also have this suggestion:

 

Are you planning to homeschool through high school? If you are, now is not too soon to make sure you are as familiar with the material as possible. If you are going the neo-classical route, there may be entire subject that you never studied even though you had a solid American-style education. You said you've read most of the literature recs in TWEM, but other areas of focus include

 

Latin,

Greek,

Formal Logic,

Aristotle's Rhetoric,

Government,

Philosophy,

and more.

 

Consider buying the materials you intend for your child to use, and work through them yourself. You'll get your brain back, and you'll be better equipped to teach the high school years at home.

[Stacia]

Agreeing w/ the recommendations of The Remains of the Day and Middlesex. Both are wonderfully written, thought-provoking fiction.

 

Recently, I read & loved The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje.

 

When my kids were infants/little, I went through the same thing you did. I used to read a lot, petered out to almost nothing (no brain power or energy w/ small children around), etc.... Imo, Kurt Vonnegut was a nice way to ease myself back into 'real' reading. His writing is deceptively simplistic, yet deeply profound. So, I guess I'd suggest picking a Vonnegut work you've never read, start there, & work yourself back into the world of adult reading.

 

You might also want to join in the weekly book thread. (You don't have to read something weekly; it might just get you more in the mood to read & keep up w/ various options out there.....)

[Spy Car]

I used to be a smart person. Lately, I feel like the past 12 years (since I had kids) my brain has been turning to mush. I realize part of it was just the nature of rearing children. For a very long time I only had short bits of time to myself, not enough to actually focus on anything intellectual. But, I feel like it is starting to show.

 

It doesn't help that in that 12 years, the world has changed. I find it hard to get back my habit of attention. I start to read and my mind wanders. I cannot read anything requiring deep thought on my kindle. The temptation to close that book and open another less challenging on is too great. I seem to have developed late onset ADD or something.

 

I am fairly well read. I majored in English and have read the cannon. When I look through TWEM I have read a respectable chunk. Anything I haven't read is mostly due to lack of interest in that particular work.

 

The other day, someone was talking to me about their reaction the first time they read Rushdie and I had no where to go with them. Not only have I not read any Rushdie (that is fine, we can't read everything) but I am so far out of my old habits that I couldn't even discuss him as an author. It used to be that I read enough, the works themselves and about books and authors, that I could usually participate in most any discussion about literature.

 

It's the same with other areas of my life. Maybe I need to ask for a subscription to The New York Review of Books, The Paris Review, The Economist and Scientific American for Christmas.

 

So, any book suggestions? I am thinking fiction. I love non-fiction but have the hardest time these days reading literary fiction. I need to get back in the saddle.

 

Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.

 

Ishmael

[Maus]

I used to be a smart person. Lately, I feel like the past 12 years (since I had kids) my brain has been turning to mush. I realize part of it was just the nature of rearing children. For a very long time I only had short bits of time to myself, not enough to actually focus on anything intellectual. But, I feel like it is starting to show.

 

It doesn't help that in that 12 years, the world has changed. I find it hard to get back my habit of attention. I start to read and my mind wanders. I cannot read anything requiring deep thought on my kindle. The temptation to close that book and open another less challenging on is too great. I seem to have developed late onset ADD or something.

Like this?

:lol:

 

I know what you mean. I used to stay up late reading because I couldn't stop until I'd finished the book. Now, if I make it through a page without falling asleep, it's a miracle. I think it's partly mommy sleep patterns, kwim. Even when we are asleep, we are listening for emergencies or whatever. The lack of deep sleep has to be affecting brain waves, I figure.

[Karen in CO]

Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.

 

Ishmael

:D

I was going to suggest this too, but I was out for a lovely walk and you beat me to it.

 

and OP, TWEM by SWB is a great place to start getting back to thinking about books.

[Mom-ninja.]

Oh, I have a hard time reading fiction too with the exception of Dickens and Austen. Those I can always read.

[Rivka]

My Number One solution for feeling smarter and better educated is a subscription to the New Yorker. The quality of the writing is outstanding, and it covers such a wide range of topics that it really helps me feel well-rounded.

[Maus]

I'm working on the books from TWEM, even the ones I've read. Then I plan to pull The Great Works List from my university (BYU) back out and work on it. (If anyone is interested, it's online here: http://honors.fye.byu.edu/sites/default/files/student_files/GreatWorksList2-14-2012.pdf )

 

It's making my brain hurt, and I'm only on the sixth book from TWEM since I started at the beginning of the year, but I think I'm seeing some improvement :D I have read some other, lighter stuff, too.

[Spy Car]

 

and OP, TWEM by SWB is a great place to start getting back to thinking about books.

 

Other than *ehem* Moby Dick :D

 

Bill

[Karen in CO]

Other than *ehem* Moby Dick :D

 

Bill

 

First Moby Dick then TWEM then Moby Dick again, because it will be even better with wider context and more experience.

[Spy Car]

My Number One solution for feeling smarter and better educated is a subscription to the New Yorker. The quality of the writing is outstanding, and it covers such a wide range of topics that it really helps me feel well-rounded.

 

And who else uses an umlaut in coöperate?

 

Bill

[Laura Corin]

Do you spend any time in the car? I've just discovered audio books and find that I 'read' with more attention when driving. For example, I read Wolf Hall shortly after it came out and couldn't see what the fuss was about. I just listened to Bring Up the Bodies (the sequel) and it was utterly wonderful, mesmerising, beautifully written. So, I recommend Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel) on CD.

 

Laura

[blakereese]

I would get the subscriptions you mentioned. Nothing like staying in the loop to keep you sharp.

 

But I also have this suggestion:

 

Are you planning to homeschool through high school? If you are, now is not too soon to make sure you are as familiar with the material as possible. If you are going the neo-classical route, there may be entire subject that you never studied even though you had a solid American-style education. You said you've read most of the literature recs in TWEM, but other areas of focus include

 

Latin,

Greek,

Formal Logic,

Aristotle's Rhetoric,

Government,

Philosophy,

and more.

 

Consider buying the materials you intend for your child to use, and work through them yourself. You'll get your brain back, and you'll be better equipped to teach the high school years at home.

 

 

:iagree: I have started a list of things I need to read and I have been reading a classic in between some recent fiction or fluff. It is funny how it all comes back to you. You still have that smart lady inside!! :001_smile::001_smile:

 

 

 

 

 

That book by SWB that is a bit old but still kind of obscure--the novel about Virginia seceding from the Union. I read it last summer, and it was very good.

 

Do you have a link for this book?

[6packofun]

A smart person reads what intrigues and interests them. :)

 

I find my book titles by browsing the library, the best of the month lists on Amazon, Flavorwire.com's book section, lists of award-winners, the book sections of several newspapers and Book Page (free from the library) and recommendations from all over the place, including bunny trails from author to author. But if it doesn't capture my interest to begin with, I feel no need to read it so I *appear* smart to anyone else. Maybe that's idealistic, but I don't have enough time to worry about what other people wish I had read! LOL

[thebacabunch]

Join or start a book club! Seriously! I love being accountable to other people. We pick the book together and rarely do the trendy book club reads. For instance, last month we read A Prairie Home Companion and this month we are reading Picture of DOrian Gray. I love the stimulation, comraderie, and treats that book club provides. I don't have time for it, but I make time.

 

We have also read Farenheit 451, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Like Water for Chocolate and A Passage to India along with a few more this year.

[azucena]

Do you spend any time in the car? I've just discovered audio books and find that I 'read' with more attention when driving. For example, I read Wolf Hall shortly after it came out and couldn't see what the fuss was about. I just listened to Bring Up the Bodies (the sequel) and it was utterly wonderful, mesmerising, beautifully written. So, I recommend Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel) on CD.

 

Laura

 

Seconding the recommendation for Wolf Hall - and if you pick up this week's New Yorker, there is an excellent profile of Hilary Mantel. Actually, you can find it here.

[Walking-Iris]

Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.

 

Ishmael

 

I love this! In my college world lit class I seemed to be the only one that was on the edge of my seat during the Moby Dick discussions. I also read Herman Melville's short stories. Love them.

 

I also wanted to add for the OP that Salmon Rushdie is a phenomenal author and worth reading and learning about just in the sense that in modern day politics his story is still a vibrant one.

 

If you like LOTR then read The Silmarillion. It stretches the brain muscles a bit more than LOTR.

 

I have read War and Peace and I honestly didn't feel smarter, just tired! Some of Tolstoy's short stories are good though. :lol:

 

You could also try to read some philosophy or psychology to get the brain percolating.

 

My favorite science book (with quite a bit of history thrown in) is Krakatoa.

 

Also true adventure type stories make for fun and interesting reads. Into The Wild, Into Thin Air, The Last Season, No Mercy.

 

I like Elizabeth Gilbert's books. Eat Pray Love. Also Half The Sky and Backlash are pretty important books imo.

 

For history I like Lies My History Teacher Told Me, A History of God. Team of Rivals is pretty good.

 

I don't believe that you have to read anything tagged as "what smart people read" to be intelligent. Just jump in and start reading.

 

This might make waves in our tech centric society, but ditch reading some of these things on a device. We use our sense of smell to form emotional responses and there is a reason we smell our books when we read them. We're forming a relationship. I don't know how (or if) that can happen with a device. Keep it multi sensory and you may get more out of what you're reading.

[Walking-Iris]

I'm working on the books from TWEM, even the ones I've read. Then I plan to pull The Great Works List from my university (BYU) back out and work on it. (If anyone is interested, it's online here: http://honors.fye.byu.edu/sites/default/files/student_files/GreatWorksList2-14-2012.pdf )

 

It's making my brain hurt, and I'm only on the sixth book from TWEM since I started at the beginning of the year, but I think I'm seeing some improvement :D I have read some other, lighter stuff, too.

 

 

This is crazy amazing!!! The only thing I love as much as books is booklists!

[LostSurprise]

The last time this happened to me I started reading Proust. :tongue_smilie: I didn't finish it but it did make me feel better.

 

If you haven't read Cormac McCarthy, I highly recommend him. No Country for Old Men is excellent. The Road is a bit more McCarthy-lite, but its still good.

 

Maybe some Don DeLillo? Neal Stephenson? Thomas Pyncheon? Murakami?

[Carol in Cal.]

 

Do you have a link for this book?

 

It's called "The Revolt" and is available on Amazon.

[mathwonk]

you are a smart person. so anything you want to read is a book a smart person would read.

 

i read calvin and hobbes, and even if it makes me seem dumb, i still like it.

 

the picture on my office door at school is a donald duck cartoon with him raving about being the world's greatest geometer, after having bumped his head.

 

you don't have to prove you are smart by doing a reading seminar. raising kids cuts into our time to read.

 

of course reading well written books is fun, and stimulating, but it is unrelated to how smart you are.

[Kareni]

...

 

The other day, someone was talking to me about their reaction the first time they read Rushdie and I had no where to go with them. Not only have I not read any Rushdie (that is fine, we can't read everything) but I am so far out of my old habits that I couldn't even discuss him as an author. It used to be that I read enough, the works themselves and about books and authors, that I could usually participate in most any discussion about literature.

 

 

 

There's always faking it!

 

How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard

 

Regards,

Kareni

[redsquirrel]

Oh my gosh, there are so many replies that I am overwhelmed. First of all, thanks for the votes of confidence. I know I am 'smart' but I guess the better description is mentally devolving. I used to read challenging books and articles, fiction and non, as a matter of course. Now, I can't remember the last time that happened and I have lost my edge.

 

Maybe it's from spending all my time with children. I am always stopping to consider the words that come out of my mouth when I talk to my kids. Then, I try to have a conversation with adults and my tongue and wit are sluggish. I used to be the queen of the one off, the zinger, the perfectly timed quote. Nowadays, I am idling in neutral while other people make the snappy retort.

 

It is also reassuring to see that I haven't been as lax as I imagine. I have actually read many of the books mentioned, or at least another work by the authors. I was in a book club, but it sort of morphed into mommy talk.

 

So, I am going to make a list and stick to it..or not But, I clearly need goals. I think I am going to read and revisit what my son will be studying in 9th grade. I often give myself a pass on the lit because I have read so much of it. But, let's be honest here, that was a LONG time ago, wasn't it. I am not the same person I was the first time I read the Oresteia, or at least I hope not. And I should get familiar with the other subjects that need teaching. I also find the idea of reading through Proust intriguing. It could be my winter of Proust. One year I had a winter of Austin, and that was fun. Another year it was all Joyce...until I went batty. You know, I never finished Ulysses, and I have a podcast series that covers the whole book a chapter at a time.... I am thinking of throwing in Hitchens books on Orwell, just for fun (?).

 

But, maybe I just need to get ONE book and start there, don't you think?

 

And as for Moby Dick....I would prefer not to. It is on my Kindle though, in case things get desperate, and I have to dismember a whale.

[Mergath]

I've been reading The Economist every week. I don't always agree with every position they take, but after I'm done I feel smart AND well-informed. :001_smile: I also read Shakespeare when I get that brain-mushy feeling. Preferably Lear, but any of the plays will do. Not the sonnets, though. I'm depressed enough about being old without The Bard rubbing it in. :glare:

[Audrey]

I used to be a smart person. Lately, I feel like the past 12 years (since I had kids) my brain has been turning to mush. I realize part of it was just the nature of rearing children. For a very long time I only had short bits of time to myself, not enough to actually focus on anything intellectual. But, I feel like it is starting to show.

 

It doesn't help that in that 12 years, the world has changed. I find it hard to get back my habit of attention. I start to read and my mind wanders. I cannot read anything requiring deep thought on my kindle. The temptation to close that book and open another less challenging on is too great. I seem to have developed late onset ADD or something.

 

I am fairly well read. I majored in English and have read the cannon. When I look through TWEM I have read a respectable chunk. Anything I haven't read is mostly due to lack of interest in that particular work.

 

The other day, someone was talking to me about their reaction the first time they read Rushdie and I had no where to go with them. Not only have I not read any Rushdie (that is fine, we can't read everything) but I am so far out of my old habits that I couldn't even discuss him as an author. It used to be that I read enough, the works themselves and about books and authors, that I could usually participate in most any discussion about literature.

 

It's the same with other areas of my life. Maybe I need to ask for a subscription to The New York Review of Books, The Paris Review, The Economist and Scientific American for Christmas.

 

So, any book suggestions? I am thinking fiction. I love non-fiction but have the hardest time these days reading literary fiction. I need to get back in the saddle.

 

 

Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco. I read it first when I was at the peak of my intellect... and it made me feel a little like a junior high wannabe. :lol: It is rough going at first, but just eschew any impulse to grab a dictionary and go with the flow and the context. It really is a great plot and premise. I have re-read it almost every year since and I still get a new nuance out of it every time.

[VeganCupcake]

You know, I never finished Ulysses, and I have a podcast series that covers the whole book a chapter at a time.... I am thinking of throwing in Hitchens books on Orwell, just for fun (?).

 

But, maybe I just need to get ONE book and start there, don't you think?

 

And as for Moby Dick....I would prefer not to. It is on my Kindle though, in case things get desperate, and I have to dismember a whale.

 

Oooh, Ulysses, one chapter at a time? That sounds great! I am listening to Moby Dick that way. I doubt I could manage to read it (for most of the same reasons you mentioned), but I could listen to it!

 

Audio books have really made a huge difference in my reading volume and enjoyment. I listen while exercising, usually, though sometimes also while driving.

 

NPR has introduced me to a lot of great books, fiction and non-fiction.

[OrganicAnn]

In a way what you want is a "how to find out what books to read" in general. Even if you haven't read the book/author, you want to at least hear of him/her and have a general idea about the book.

 

I would suggest that you watch something like Charlie Rose's show on PBS. He often has the latest authors, directors, actors, as well as politicians and misc others. But by watching a show like that you hear thoughtful conversations about books and movies and then you can make a better list of what to read or discuss books you haven't read.

 

I'm so old that I used to do this with the Dick Cavett show on PBS. I read one or two Nobel prize winners before they won and became more widely known.

 

(I've read Ulysses, I've read Sound and the Fury, I've read depressing Russion literature, but I can't bring myself to read Moby Dick)

[redsquirrel]

In a way what you want is a "how to find out what books to read" in general. Even if you haven't read the book/author, you want to at least hear of him/her and have a general idea about the book.

 

I would suggest that you watch something like Charlie Rose's show on PBS. He often has the latest authors, directors, actors, as well as politicians and misc others. But by watching a show like that you hear thoughtful conversations about books and movies and then you can make a better list of what to read or discuss books you haven't read.

 

I'm so old that I used to do this with the Dick Cavett show on PBS. I read one or two Nobel prize winners before they won and became more widely known.

 

(I've read Ulysses, I've read Sound and the Fury, I've read depressing Russion literature, but I can't bring myself to read Moby Dick)

 

That is a great idea! I guess I shouldn't get all my news via John Stewart and Stephen Colbert :lol:

[staceyobu]

I've been reading through a BBC top 100 book list that I found on facebook. It includes a bit lighter reads like "Life of Pi" as well as Dickens, Shakespeare, etc. I'm reading Madame Bovary right now...

[Walking-Iris]

 

Maybe it's from spending all my time with children. I am always stopping to consider the words that come out of my mouth when I talk to my kids. Then, I try to have a conversation with adults and my tongue and wit are sluggish. I used to be the queen of the one off, the zinger, the perfectly timed quote. Nowadays, I am idling in neutral while other people make the snappy retort.

 

 

I completely understand what you're saying here. I still read. But yes I have felt the sluggish wit and tongue and idling brain feeling when around other adults. Mommy brain. Really.

 

I don't think it has anything to do with reading (at least not in my case) but maybe we do think about and spend so much time with our kids that relating to adults gets a little rough.

 

It's as if thinking about and for all these little people and doing all the mental (and physical) multi tasking that comes with parenting, and then be expected to maintain eye contact and have a *real* conversation with someone---yes your brain starts feeling a little zingy and ADD like. Doesn't someone need a nose wiped? Can I just stop talking mid sentence and walk away to deal with some kid issue and that be okay? My husband seems okay with it!! :tongue_smilie:

[MommaOfalotta]

I'm not a fan of Rushdie and I find most literary fiction enamored with beautiful words as opposed to a beautiful book.

 

Here are my favorite "literary" selections. They are older simply, because I find it hard to find good fiction, whatever the genre.

 

Kazuo Ishiguro: My number one favorite book is The Remains of the Day. All of Ishiguro's novels are lovely, quiet works that make you appreciate the written word. Never Let Me Go is another good one.

Andre Dubus: House of Sand and Fog

Jeffrey Eugenides: I liked both The V!rg!n Suicides and Middles*x

Ian McEwan: Atonement. I'm normally meh about McEwan, but this was a good book.

Cormac McCarthy: The Road. DH is a huge McCarthy fan and I find his work very disturbing. I can appreciate The Road from a literary standpoint although I struggled while reading it.

Richard Russo: My two favorites are Bridge of Sighs and Empire Falls

Anne Tyler: A fairly good-size catalog from a lovely writer. Love The Accidental Tourist

Marilynne Robinson: Gilead and Housekeeping

 

I've also skimmed the Top 100 book lists or best literary fiction per XX year in Amazon and borrowed the books from the library.

 

:iagree: Loved Atonement and The Road.. another Cormac McCarthy book I enjoyed was No Country For Old Men.

[Mom-ninja.]

I guess I shouldn't get all my news via John Stewart and Stephen Colbert :lol:

 

Nothing wrong with that. :D

[MommaOfalotta]

I would like to suggest goodreads.com. Its an addiction for me. I think of it as facebook for books:001_smile: Look into their listopia. They have lists of books created for everything you can think of... probably even "books every smart person reads.";)

[Critterfixer]

Whenever I read a book for smart people I end up realizing just how dumb I really am.:D

 

But I don't read much modern stuff, so I'm taking some notes. I've been reading Dickens and Hugo lately and quite frankly, I'm a little tired of mucky cobblestones and depressing hovels.

[kalanamak]

I've been reading The Economist every week. I don't always agree with every position they take, but after I'm done I feel smart AND well-informed.

 

I think this the single best thing I did to educate myself as an adult. The writing is excellent, and the I defy someone to find such broad ranging topics in another magazine. Just to obit on the last page is amazing (it is less an obit, and more a review of the historical effects of this person's life.)

[MommaOfalotta]

Whenever I read a book for smart people I end up realizing just how dumb I really am.:D

 

:iagree::lol:

 

A lot of "classics" have nearly bored me to death. I'm not proud of this! When I finish them I find myself thinking, "Okay... what was the big deal about THAT?" I'm horrible, I know.

Edited October 14, 2012 by BlessedMomma

[shanvan]

One thing I've found helps is taking some time out to browse at bookstores. That keeps me aware of the newer books and authors I wouldn't otherwise be aware of....and it gets me out of the house for a break.

 

OP, I think you've gotten some good suggestions if you want to expand your reading. I may look into some of them myself, but for the most part (this won't sound like a good attitude) I don't care what other people read. I read whatever strikes my fancy---that includes lots of non-fiction and a good dose of literary fiction and classics, not much fluff.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of books/subjects I've read that others probably cannot converse about. When I'm confronted with a conversation about a book I haven't read I'm either honest and say my interests lie elsewhere, or that I'll have to get around to reading _____ (whatever book or author). Sometimes I follow with what my own current reading is or ask them more about their reading---"have you always been a fan of _____"---or a similar question. Sometimes I make a mental note to add a book to my own reading list, sometimes I cringe at the thought of reading whatever the person is reading.

 

I *think* I'm a smart person, though I was once chastized by a friend's Dh for not liking a certain author that 'smart people' read. He told me he was sure it was my state school education that was to blame. :glare: If only I had been taught by his professors, he was sure I would like the author's books. I'm not convinced his professors could change my entire personality, but whatever.

 

Anyway, I just don't see it as a matter of 'what smart people read'. I think what a person reads should reflect the interests, pursuits, and personality. But, I do get the OP's desire to get back to reading and thinking more. I have just never stopped. I can't stop, reading is too much a part of me.

[Alessandra]

A smart person reads what intrigues and interests them. :)

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

I totally relate to feeling a bit dumb, and I still enjoy a good mystery. But I also like non-fiction more than when I was younger and will end up reading a number of books on a subject that intrigues me.

 

I've been reading The Economist every week. I don't always agree with every position they take, but after I'm done I feel smart AND well-informed. :001_smile: I also read Shakespeare when I get that brain-mushy feeling. Preferably Lear, but any of the plays will do. Not the sonnets, though. I'm depressed enough about being old without The Bard rubbing it in. :glare:

 

Love The Economist and also wanted to recommend the Times Literary Supplement. The reviews are so much better -- longer, more all-encompassing -- than those in most American publications, IMO.

 

Something I've recently discovered -- Instapaper for the iPad. It takes web content and reformats it as in book-like form that you can read at any time, even when you are not connected to the internet. I have read a lot of New Yorker articles this way (without subscribing).