Well-Read Individuals Have Read ____ ?

[Elizabeth]

I read a lot. Like, really a lot. However, I finished a book today which left a poor taste in my mouth. The author had won awards for it, but it was atrociously written, and it left me thinking ... what do I need to do to be considered "well-read"?

I don't want to just plow through the classics ... truly, which books would you consider necessary to be in a "well-read" individuals stack?

[benebean]

hmm, I'm not particularly well-read myself since I tend to have a fairly narrow focus. But I guess you might try some popular non-fiction like The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference or Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, or maybe Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation.

[Mary]

Well read but not classics? Let's see. I looked through some of your 4 and 5 star books on your book list, trying to come up with similar titles that might be of interest. Here's what I came up with. They come from a variety of genres.

The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis
It Happened on the Way to War, by Rye Barcott
One Life to Give, by Andrew Bienkowski
Love in a Headscarf, by Shelina Zahra Jammohamed
Strength to Love, by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Safe Journey, by Glenn L. Pace
Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder
Nothing to Envy, by Barbara Demick
An Assembly Such As This, by Pamela Aiden
Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell
The Life of Charlotte Bronte, by Elizabeth Gaskell
War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy (be sure you get a comfortable translation)

[Mary]

Also,
Lengthen Your Stride, by Edward L. Kimball
The God Who Weeps, by Fiona and Terryl Givens

[Elizabeth]

Thank you! I'm not opposed to classics -- but I feel like I know those!

Keep 'em coming!

[Samm]

after looking at the books you read, and comparing them to mine... here are some I think you might like:

Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoyevsky (I know it's a classic but it changed my life)

John 3:16 by Nancy Moser (Even though this is Christian fiction, it brings up some really good points about a person's perseption of life.)

The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright (NY Times Bestseller)

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (YA Bestseller, a totally different perspective on WWII)

[Jaina]

Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumas (which I actually loved, despite my dire predictions)