#87. "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

On its surface, Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake" is a very underwhelming book. The whole story exists to explore the importance of a name. For a Bengali man named Gogol, it's the reality that he's named after a Russian author that his father loved. It's a comical situation, if just because he never got a true name, forcing himself to make his own identity as he navigated the world. As he discusses the first 40 years of his life, he discovers the wonders of the world both through his personal identity and the American one that he comes to adopt. The results may feel a bit muted, but help to explain the small ways that individuals evolve, mixing cultures and finding a new personal identity. It's heartwarming in small ways that elevate it to a perplexing treasure. 

#86. "The Leftovers" by Tom Perrotta

When one thinks of the rapture, it's usually in such a religious event. Those who have been faithful will ascend to heaven while the rest of the "sinners" will be left on Earth to wallow in the misery. It's a fairly hacky premise, but one that inspired Tom Perrotta to do the most ingenious thing. Instead of focusing on the religious aspect, he decides to create a powerful and secular story of grieving, of wondering what life would be like if major components were changed. What makes the book an engaging read is not that it has a deeply moving portrait of the grieving process, but that even in this there is something that everyone forgets. It's the need to move on, to prove that the world isn't over. While the emptiness may never be filled, something can hopefully distract from it, making the world a better place. This book is about trying to find that optimism and doing so with such inventive power.

My Wishlist of 100 Books (2020 Update)

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to celebrate the start of the Christmas season. For those who are looking to this blog and wondering "Thomas, what can we get you?" It only makes sense that Willett Reads would be dedicated to sharing all things that interest me in literature. Well, if you're one of those kind people who want to send me a book, here is a recommendation list of 100 books ranging from different genres and centuries. I am not too picky on quality of the book, save for my desire that the book not be filled with personal annotations. Beyond that, I hope that this list will help you prepare gifts that I not only want, but can often be found at a reasonable price. Click on to discover the list and where to send any comments regarding this list.

#85. "Lucky" by Alice Sebold

In society, there are few topics that feel as controversial as rape. It's a deeply traumatic and hateful act, attempting to rob people of their humanity. While it has become easier for people to talk about in light of The Me Too Movement, it's still difficult for people to understand the full experience, the way that it can alienate and create lingering insecurity in the survivors' lives. For Alice Sebold, she was told that she was "lucky" for a variety of reasons that ranged from having one of the few successful rape trials to something more important: being alive. Following a horrific, detailed opening passage, the memoir dives into the search for recovery and a sense of justice. It's an illuminating tale, bringing to life an uncomfortable experience that will hopefully educate and create a deeper empathy. In one woman's quest to move past her own trauma, she's written a powerful, essential story worthy of every page.

#84. "Billy Lynn's Long Haltime Walk" by Ben Fountain

For most people, one of the most important parts of patriotism is supporting the troops. After all, this group has been praised for sacrificing their lives in order for us to enjoy freedoms. While that noble truth remains common, there is something more damning at the heart of Ben Fountain's densely layered "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" that suggests that we could be doing better. Over the course of one weekend, Fountain focuses on a troop, dubbed by the media as "The Bravos," who experienced some crucial combat. But what should've been a simple victor turns complicated as a fallen soldier's story comes into the mix and a halftime show brings forth endless traumatic experiences. Fountain argues that while we should support the troops, we should also try and do a better job of understanding them. 

#83. "Strange Case of Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson

 

For many people, the greatest horror stories come from external forces. The idea of something uncontrollable breaking through a safety net feels horrifying, keeping audiences questioning how they would fight back. For Robert Louis Stevenson, he decides to explore the war of the self, producing one of the most memorable novellas of the late 19th century with two characters in one. "Strange Case of Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde" begins as the mystery of a scientist getting wrapped up in a murder mystery and famously ends with the discovery that the real enemy lies inside, waiting to break out. Is he capable of controlling everything, or is he doomed to give in to the torment inside? It's a morality tale like no other, and one that becomes more horrifying once you realize that Mr. Hyde is not an exception. He has the potential to exist inside all of us.

#82. "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier

When looking at the greatest ghost stories ever written, one has to consider Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca." This isn't to say that a ghost even appears. The titular character is there, but she never speaks. The whole story centers around the new Mrs. de Winter as she enters into a marriage that gives her access to the illusive Manderley mansion. It's a wondrous place, but it's also home to one of the most beautifully written Gothic stories of the 20th century. What follows is a story all about the discomfort of feeling like an outsider, like the world is going to swallow you whole with just one slip-up and make you another victim. "Rebecca" is a novel that captivates the human spirit (sometimes literally), finding ways to explore a feeling of inferiority wrapped in a mystery that remains just as sharp and shocking over 80 years later. Du Maurier's masterpiece offers plenty of inspiring passages, and it's a world that the reader will not want to leave.

#81. "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane

There are few things as difficult to write as a good horror novel. If you present something too seriously, it seeks to become too droll, drawing the reader out. There is a need to constantly be surprising the reader, compulsively pulling them into the surreal fears inside of them. The best of the novels have a pulpy undertone that is needed to achieve genuine shock, making you question reality. Dennis Lehane's "Shutter Island" may be one of the best examples of this, managing to convey a murder mystery at a mental institution with enough trashy language that it becomes something more perverse. Even amid the whirling subtext, he paints an incredible picture of surrealism, making it easy to overlook what's brilliant about the book. The truth has been staring us in the face the entire time, and you're going to be surprised how well it works at conveying the story's third act twist.

#80. "Strangers on a Train" by Patricia Highsmith

There's something sinister at play every time you pick up a Patricia Highsmith novel. Over the course of a career that's included such masterpieces as "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "The Price of Salt," she has found ways to make the internal struggle into a breathtaking mystery, asking ourselves why we give into certain impulses. That may be why her debut novel, "Strangers on a Train," manages to excel even better at capturing something more perverse than love or espionage. With one of the best hooks for a novel, she captures a novel-length exploration of our fascination with murder. It starts with the simple concept of what would happen if we did it and proceeds to go into painful, wrenching detail about how that secret attacks our ego, wondering if there if the perfect scheme is truly obtainable. Even if it's a murder story that gets to the point quickly, everything that follows is an intense and necessary understanding of crime's ability to hypnotize, drawing even the most innocent person askew. Highsmith knocks it out of the park, making you doubt yourself by the end even as she criticizes the actions. Ther's nothing as delicious as this page-turner, and the perfect way to kick off such an essential career in literature history.

#79. "Room" by Emma Donoghue

When discussing dark stories of kidnaps and psychological turmoil, it is often easy to get stuck in the darkness of its subject. How could you not when it's perceived as an event devoid of laughter and joy. While this isn't the entire reasoning behind Emma Donoghue's sometimes clever "Room," it's enough of an entry point to understanding why she chose to explore a sad story from the unlikeliest of protagonists: a young boy who never knew anything outside of Room: a toolshed in the backyard of a man who holds him as his Ma captive. The results are searing with emotion, but one has to question if it also doesn't have a bit too much limitation in this approach, managing to sound twee and tonally misguided. While that is true in small doses, Donoghue's final product shows an emotional growth that isn't just symbolic of breaking out of a terrible situation but finding a boy experiencing a new phase of his life, learning to let go and embrace the new. It's frustrating while heartwarming, creating an odd mix of satisfying results. 

#78. "Robin" by David Itzkoff

To read David Itzkoff's biography of Robin Williams is to feel like a veil has been lifted. For generations, certain things were taken for granted. Things as simple as the idea that he was always a success, starring in noteworthy movies and headlining comedy clubs are debunked here, reflecting a tragic reality for an artist who felt like he could do anything. His mind ran miles faster than anyone he met, his kindness and openness become shocking when you realize that he was often reserved privately. So much is contradictory about Williams' life, and that is some of the reason that his death in 2014 remains so shocking, ripping a hole in the space-time continuum. How could a man whose sole purpose was to make everyone else happy so crippled with sadness?

What Itzkoff proposes is that it's always been there. Even if he's never spoken about himself in any vulnerable way, his performances were reflective of a man keeping the demons at bay. He was shielding himself from ever being truly exposed, and he used humor to deflect any criticism. You can find it in everything from Mork & Mindy to even his major films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Good Will Hunting. Here was a man who reflected characters experiencing some regret and triumphing, as if he was trying to teach us all how to fight their own depression. It may be why he remained so revered, and why this biography is a definitive character study of a man whose otherwise still a mystery, never likely to be understood by anyone outside of his head. 

#77. "The Answer Is... Reflections on My Life" by Alex Trebek

From the way that Alex Trebek writes his memoir, the reader wouldn't think that he was a cultural icon. The way that he phrases it is by noting that he isn't the star of the long-running Jeopardy!, but the host. In the simple word choice, he manages to change perception, believing that he's presenting others while trying to bring out their best selves. Not a page feels judgmental, reflecting a man who looks at the world as a place to explore and enjoy the fruits of knowledge and the stories of the world around him. For those who love watching him on TV every night, this will only make you admire him more as an everyman, willing to work hard for everything and learn from his mistakes. It's a charming, brisk read, and a perfect tribute to a man who made TV, and the world, a better place.

#76. "Under the Dome" by Stephen King

One of the greatest things about Stephen King as an author is that he knows how to sell a plot. Over the past few decades, he's managed to put his stamp on every crazy concept, finding a way to make them essential tales in our popular consciousness. With this in mind, it's easy to see what the appeal of "Under the Dome" was. Considering that he's done everything from possessed cars to evil clowns, the idea of condensing characters to a limited setting makes one think of how much potential King has. What will he do in showing a small town trapped from the outside world, doing everything to not fall apart? Well, it's a good enough book given his knack for briskly paced plotting. However, it's also one of his most disappointing by the end, never giving enough of a satisfying reason for its conclusion. For what it's worth, it's an engaging look into how King sees Obama-era political discourse. However, don't expect anything subtle or satisfying in who we're trapped with.

#75. "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

The conceit of Yann Martel's sprawling novel "Life of Pi" is one that feels foolish, maybe even unbelievable. It has one of the greatest sales pitch of the 21st century, where the narrator chooses to say that he has a story that will make you believe in God. Depending on how connected to your faith you are, that is an enticing promise that has the potential to make you see the wonder and awe in the world. With that said, the answer is interpretive, allowing the reader to somehow make the story of a Bengal Tiger stranded at sea with a Tamil boy (both born at a zoo in India) into this wondrous journey that turns the survival story into something comical, dramatic, and even spiritual. So much happens within these pages, though there's even more that's unseen. The results may not make you believe in God, but for those who can see the invisible lines that connect every aspect of the story, it's an affirmation that there are greater forces out there guiding us through life. 

#74. "The Silver Linings Playbook" by Matthew Quick

To Matthew Quick's credit, his debut novel has a pretty great premise and runs with it. The story is a deconstruction of the romantic comedy, choosing more to explore what these different forms of addiction bring to our lives. Without ever feeling too weighty, he explores how the cross-section of relationships, family, and sports can impact our emotional health, making us see things that may not always be rational, but give some relief to our stressful lives. "The Silver Linings Playbook" never plays like a conventional novel, and yet still delivers those feel-good moments that make this a fun and breezy read. If you don't like sports, it'll subliminally make you understand why it's sometimes essential to scream "E!A!G!L!E!S! Eagles!" with a group of strangers. This is about understanding ourselves in a contemporary setting and does so with a fluency that is admirable.

#73. "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson

Whether or not you've read Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island," there is a certainty that you're somewhat familiar with it. So much of media based on pirate culture has some basis in this story that finds a boy named Jim Hawkins going on an adventure with a bunch of questionable men on a search for gold. It's the most enjoyable scavenger hunt in literary history, and in the process presents some of the most entertaining plot twists and characters rich with unique vernaculars. This is one of those stories that capture the potential for fantasy in storytelling, to transport us to a different world, and imagine for once that our lives are more exciting. "Treasure Island" deserves its place among the greatest novellas ever written, and it doesn't take more than a few pages to understand why.

#72. "The Beguiled" by Thomas Cullinan

When writing a Civil War novel, there is usually one thing that you need to have: a division. In most cases, this is a straightforward divide of Northern Yankee soldiers and Southern Confederates. For Thomas Cullinan's "The Beguiled," this is only the start of an even more twisted web of deceit, where everything that 19th century America held dear as they were on the verge of a new era. It's a dark, meticulous book, and it features a leg amputation. Even if it is a slow burn that revels too much in monotonous detail, Cullinan's ability to make everything feel at odds with each other only adds to the paranoia that the readers are likely to face. It's a decent book that shows a more perverse look at the Civil War, but one that maybe lacks a deeper purpose by the end. 

#71. "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

In the modern era, mental illness has become more socially acceptable to talk about. If you have an issue, you can publicly share your experiences on the internet or with a therapist and open a healthy dialogue. It's cathartic to know that it's no longer stigmatized, that you're seen as an outsider for not being as happy as everyone else. Sure, one still feels that separation in their own personal life, but it feels like there are resources to make you feel less alone. 

One of those resources has been reading the works of Sylvia Plath, whose poetry alone confronts morbid subject matter in a quiet to better understand herself. She brings the reader in, asking them to understand her struggles. Of course, nowhere is that truer than in her lone novel, "The Bell Jar," published a few months before her suicide. While the book has a sense of humor, there is staggering attention paid to how one experiences depression in their life. There's an honesty that is unparalleled, written with intricate word choices that enhance the emotional response. By the end, we understand what it's like to live with grief, not in clinical terms, but something more personal. It's a masterpiece of self-evaluation, making one see the world through a prism not often seen It's accessible in its tragedy and makes one hope for the best. 

#70. "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

For writer Amy Tan, there is a lot of baggage that comes with being a Chinese-American. It isn't just one society acclimating into another. It's far from the truth. In order to understand what informs the motivations of one generation involves looking back at the first, the one who immigrated to America with hope of having better opportunities. What she finds is that even when changing cultures from China's collectivist mentality to America's individual go-getter. No matter how different things may seem, it's about navigating both worlds and doing their best to make sense of them. By the end, it creates one of the best stories about the personal identity of a culture in flux between old ways and new in a time when women have more opportunities than ever. What unites them is a common heritage, and it's important to never forget that.

#69. "If Beale Street Could Talk" by James Baldwin

When looking at the African American experience throughout the 20th century, it seems to be focused largely on oppression. There is this sense that the only time we care about their lives is when there's a major civil rights case involved. While there is a court case that lines James Baldwin's great, tender story "If Beale Street Could Talk," it is a smaller piece of the bigger picture. It's a love story of a man and woman learning to navigate the world around them. It drops the reader into a world full of questioning eyes, though they come from the unknown world that lies just beyond puppy love. It's a story rich with a deeper warmth that makes you embrace the flowery language that creates one of the greatest movies about being young and in love during trying times.

#68. "Ragtime" by E.L. Doctorow

There is a romanticization that comes for a past that we all haven't lived. It is a time so unlike ours that it seems simpler, has fewer problems, and is overall greater. There is a desire to escape from the present and wander those streets. While E.L. Doctorow doesn't set out to burn down that notion, he seeks to turn fiction into a historical look at what America looked like at the turn of the 20th century. As chintzy as it has become through media manipulation, often set to Scott Joplin's titular music style, it was a dangerous time. In a time prior to World War I, America was a land of spectacle but also of murder, racism, corruption, misogyny, and xenophobia as they tried to make the melting pot into something more palatable. The reality was far more complicated than that and what Doctorow does is tear down the veil, creating something more realistic, and giving audiences one of the most entertaining points of view imaginable. Its history brought to life, placing the reader at the ground level in ways that only the best writers can.

#67. "Gravity's Rainbow" by Thomas Pynchon

Nothing feels screwier about "Gravity's Rainbow" than known that its author Thomas Pynchon is one of the most notoriously reclusive authors. If a text ever demanded every last paragraph and ellipses to be explained, it was this one. The story infamously was so confusing upon release that while it qualified for The Pulitzer Prize, it was rejected for being at times too unreadable. The book is an enigma, a masterpiece of post-modernism that holds all of life's answers in passages that are sometimes too juvenile and gross to be taken seriously. It's a novel of precise details and dirty limericks, asking the question: what is this all worth? Many have read interpretations of World War II that have been abstract and entertaining ("Slaughterhouse-Five," "Catch-22"), but they can't compare to the massive experience of Pynchon's world. It doesn't make sense, and maybe that's the point? Who knows.