Twenty Writers, Twenty Books: Introduction

See the “Twenty Writers” home page for the current list of “Twenty Writers, Twenty Books”

Every so often an Internet-age chain letter makesthe rounds on the social networks that asks the recipient to list their top tenbooks. Most people are game because it’s fun to make these lists. Sites like BuzzFeed and Upworthy have built media empires on list-making. David Letterman and “Top 10″ are synonymous. We like lists. They’re oddly cozy.

Generally my friends’ lists of books are a little of the fami...