Fancy Reading Lists

There seems to be a list going around of the BBC's top 100 books that are in the running for Great Britain's best loved novel. 100 books. A few of you delightful bloggers out there are posting the list and highlighting what you've read and italicizing what you'd like to read and probably feeling pretty good about yourselves, aren't you? It's nice to look at such an impressive list and cross off all those little boxes, isn't it?

Well, I'm not participating. Because I'm too embarrassed. I looked at your list, oh British Broadcasters, and I can remember reading 25 of them. Yes, one quarter of the most loved novels of Britain have found there way through the wall of absolute trash that is my favorite kind of read. And may I remind you that I have over a decade of higher education? I just wasn't an English major! (Because I wanted a job, not a lesbian girlfriend with hairy legs. Ha just joking. Just wanted to ruffle a few feathers!) There might be a few more that I suffered through (or Cliff Noted) in high school, but I can't say with certainty. And I will say that one of them I listened to on tape, but I counted that, because otherwise I've checked the following:

• 4 Harry Potter novels (yes I've read them all. More than once. But only 4 are on the list.
• Yes, all four of the Roald Dahls. Bought them again recently in a box set. 
• The other four children's books on the list.
• One Dickens, one Steinbeck, and two Brontes (how do you put the dots on the e?)
• And a smattering of others

Now, do we really consider Bridget Jones to be a novel? That would be great, because then I could call all those books on my nightstand "Novels" when H makes a snarky comment. Is Gone With The Wind also one? Fabulous! And John Irving, well I thought incest and midgets weren't really the stuff of revered literature, but hey. And finally, oh Thank God. The Clan of the Cave Bear. Well we all know why that book is on the list don't we? Where else did my 12 year-old self learn about sex? So I can add soft porn to my list! 

Now that I look at it, I'm now feeling less embarrassed and a little more impressed with myself. Between beach reads and my women's erotica collection, I'm looking pretty good. Fancy and erudite. What a combination.