#23. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" by Patricia Highsmith

Nowadays, author Patricia Highsmith is known best as the author of "The Price of Salt," which is a romance novel that explores a lesbian relationship. The book was full of fluttering prose and elegance, reflecting a romanticism that was equally mysterious. It's likely why her follow-up, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," manages to be one of the classiest mystery books of its era. With a memorable character that spawned "The Ripliad," Highsmith captured an upper class sensibility to the drama with debonair protagonist Thomas Ripley. With a story journeying around Europe, the novel manages to excel at being riveting even at its most mundane, creating the sense that these characters are fun to hang around with. It may not be her greatest book, but it works as a pulpy novel full of similar intimacy and adventure.

My Wishlist of 100 Books

Now that Halloween 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.

#22. "Cycle of the Werewolf" by Stephen King & Bernie Wrightson

One of the best parts of reading a Stephen King book is imagining what the horrors on the page look like. While his prose varies, he definitely knows how to build suspense and create an image that is just as jarring as any film could ever be. It's why his partnership with artist Bernie Wrightson seems like a bit of an anomaly to a career fueled by imagination. "Cycle of the Werewolf" is a concept comic designed like a comic book, depicting the chaos of one small town over one year as a werewolf attacks innocent people. The stories are largely unconnected, but it slowly builds to an understated and somewhat underrated experience, capturing the essence of King in a brief form that is more creatively innovative than it is as a story. Still, it recontextualizes his work in a new and exciting way.

#21. "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

In classic literature, the ultimate weirdo supreme is Franz Kafka, whose work relied on shocking imagery. It lead to the rise of "Kafkaesque" stories, which challenged the very structure of what a narrative could tell. But what makes Kafka worth remembering in this way? It wasn't just that his work was so jolting. It's also that stories like "The Metamorphosis" reflect a deeper and more unsettling subtext about culture. For all of Kafka's strengths in prose, it wouldn't be the same if he didn't have stubborn intentions to make something simple as a man turning into a bug into a grander theme of life. To be "Kafkaesque" is to be weird with a tragic political undertone. Few short stories exemplify this quite like his most recognized story that takes a small location and turns it into one of the biggest statements possible. 

#20. "Brooklyn" by Colm Toibin

One of the great ideals of American culture is the American Dream. It is the belief that everyone can come to the country to start a great life. Everyone has some origins in that story, and they aren't often grand statements of justice, but more the personal freedoms of the self. In Colm Toibin's "Brooklyn," he details an Irish girl named Eilis' journey west, where she gets a job, an education, and a boyfriend. The story lacks a major conflict that uproots everything that came before, but it does explore the struggle to maintain an identity in a new land. It's a powerful story, and one that works in its simple prose and bashful protagonist, who makes the dream of coming to America sound almost commonplace in a way that makes her more than an immigrant, but an actual American citizen.

#19. "Happy Birthday to You" by Dr. Seuss

Nobody could write for children quite like Dr. Seuss. In fact, what he does is almost too ridiculous to be taken seriously, if it wasn't so inspired at the same time. In his book "Happy Birthday to You," he tackles the universal event known as a birthday and mixes rhymes with fantastical imagery in a way that will delight children. It will make them wish that maybe, just maybe, they too can have a birthday that is as grand as the protagonist (which is you). It's a heartwarming story and one that could suit a birthday for anyone wanting to live large. It may not have the same rhythm and focus of his other classics like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"or "The Cat in the Hat," but it works as a minor story in his collection. It also proves that anyone can be creative if they just try. You just have to be dedicated to a silly rhyme scheme that makes sense eventually. Dr. Seuss knows how to appeal to the kid in all of us, and it's why this book works in spite of its redundancy.

Rating: 3 out of 5

#18. "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi

By now, everyone has accepted that director Martin Scorsese's GoodFellas is one of the greatest films of all time, even rivaling The Godfather as the best mafia movie in existence. Who could deny its charm, from the music to the dialogue to the iconic directing? However, there's a more basic reason that becomes clear when reading Nicholas Pileggi's "Wiseguy," of which the film was based on. Protagonist Henry Hill is a fascinating character not because he exists in a mythical world of cinema where anything is possible. No, he is someone who existed in such a heightened way that it's hard to believe he was real - even as his lack of documented existence would suggest. Pileggi lets the story play out through Hill's own words and ends up creating one of the most powerful and real looks into mob life ever set to page. In some ways, Hill is an envious deity who never got what's coming to him. And that's what makes him an incredible figure to write about.