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Why I made this list...

So I discovered this book..."Special Topics in Calamity Physics"...which many other people had already discovered and read. As I had only recently discovered it, I turned to the many other people who had already discovered it for advice. Said advice said that it was good. So I purchased said book.

When I started reading the chapter titles, also known as Core Curriculum, (Curriculum is hard to spell by the way, and I consider myself to be a really good speller) I found them to be titles of classic must reads. I was appalled to discover that I had read none of them...Count them...None. This was entirely unacceptable to me as I also consider myself to be a well read reader, (I like the sound of "Well read reader") and apparently I was mistaken. Also apparently, the author makes reference to each of them in each corresponding chapter.

So whatever shall I do? Read them. And read them before reading the actual book because heaven forbid there be anything I don't understand. Seriously. We are talking lightning and amphibians.

And so the list...

There are 36 chapters with titles of books and one chapter entitled Final Exam.

Chapter 30 has a book title which is apparently fake. If you can find "The Nocturnal Conspiracy" by Smoke Wyannoch Harvey, let me know. Cuz it's fake and I can call you a liar and then do the rhyme.

I have now read the first four and am currently reading book #5 "The Woman in White". Join me in my quest for better reading enlightenment if you dare. The road ahead may be fraught with unforeseen peril. Like SparkNotes with spoilers, papercuts, and the need to read a steamy romance novel. Proceed at your own risk.

Celery
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36 books · 35 voters · list created August 9th, 2008 by Celery (votes) .
Tags: classics
30 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Celery 755 books
29 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3388 books
848 friends
Joanna 1209 books
142 friends
Belinda 2285 books
18 friends
Jane 3211 books
34 friends
Lindsay 700 books
50 friends
Sam 154 books
2 friends
Judy 882 books
8 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-10 of 10 (10 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Joanna (new)

Joanna Thanks for sharing your list...I am going to take you up on your challenge and read these classics too! I have read eight of the thirty six listed and would love to read your reviews of them.


message 2: by Lindsay (new)

Lindsay I noticed a similar thing! I had only read about half of the books, which shocked me since I have an English degree and do a *LOT* of classic-reading on my own time.

(I have One Hundred Years of Solitude in the original Spanish. It's in that language that I'll be reading that one. *MAD* props to anyone who can read all of the non-English works on this list in the original ...)


message 3: by jo (new)

jo nice intro, celery!


message 4: by Bettie (new)

Bettie Wow Celery - you are seriously funny! And I shall have to dig out my unread copy - even the back cover blurb is So.Not.Read!

:O)


message 5: by Izzy (new)

Izzy "The Nocturnal Conspiracy" is a reference to a book written by one of the characters in "Special Topics", Smoke Harvey. So yea, it is fake. I love this book, and am currently trying to get through the same list myself!


message 6: by Antoine (new)

Antoine So, we vote on the books from the list that we have actually read, right?


message 7: by Erin (new)

Erin Cermak (Gilliland) It's amazing how many movie adaptations I have seen based on these books but not actually read. The challenge has been accepted :)


message 8: by Antoine (new)

Antoine Is the Justine in the "Core Curriculum" supposed to be de Sade's Justine? Or could it be Lawrence Durrell's Justine? Just(ine) curious.


message 9: by Nicolas (new)

Nicolas Antoine wrote: "Is the Justine in the "Core Curriculum" supposed to be de Sade's Justine? Or could it be Lawrence Durrell's Justine? Just(ine) curious."

No it's really Sade's Justine, the author's name is mention in the chapters list and it makes sense since both characters encounter a series of infortunes related with a similar dark humor.


message 10: by Nancy (new)

Nancy Thanks for posting this. I love Special Topics and was thinking today that it would be fun to read the MANY on the list I haven't yet.


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