Considering how informative Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer is, I wondered how her book list in the back stands up in the Goodreads community. I am also interested in what else would appear.

I would not recommend this listing for the light-of-heart. A section of Prose's list is still confined to college courses. But in the spirit of those who love books and want or have written, I feel there should be some small place where an author's achievements is recognized for the love of reading something that transcends the confinements of the pen: in wording, sentence structure, paragraphing, narration, character, dialogue, details, and gesture as well as patience and fortitude, and not just some classical literature listing or professor's acute sphere of influence.

This list is intended for those who would gather their hazed minds after being pressed through War and Peace in ten days to try the text again with the belief that literature is not a tool to rape the reader's resolve to enjoy good literature; for those who refuse to accept any ole translation of classical text in the belief that not all translators are created equal; for those who leave bookstores empty-handed after two hours because we have could not find an expressive literary work on shelves loaded with ignorant ordering, mediocrity, and recent quick-selling popular work.

Vote away. Some of us want to read like a writer.