Tom Sawyer

No surprises here, but some good memories.  Actually, there were a few surprises, such as how much of the story I'd forgotten. And, I think, how the movie with that little red-headed kid differed from the book.  Worth a read, even for adults.  

The next bunch of books on the shelf I've read:

Ok, I didn't finish it.  I liked the movie quite a bit.  The book was good, and I should get back to it.

I first read this in 8th grade, I think, and I've been in love with Japan ever since.  It's a terrific book, loosely based on a Dutch sailor who landed in Japan just before Iyesu Tokugawa consolidated power as Shogun.  I've probably read it five times.  I've also read the rest of the Asian Saga:  Tai Pan, King Rat & Noble House.  (I didn't get to Whirlwind, which was about the Iranian revolution, I think).  King Rat stands out as the most serious of the bunch, but they're all very good.

Another terrific book that I read back in high school (or whenever it came out) and re-read recently. The story of a young homo sapien girl "at the dawn of time" being raised by an earlier humanoid species.  (Apologies for getting the terms wrong.)  It's very interesting if you like some insight into how the early hominids lived, communicated, hunted, made tools, etc.  I understand that Auel did quite a bit of research for accuracy, but who knows how much our understanding of these people has changed in the time since.  I read the next two in the series, Valley of the Horses and The Mammoth Hunters, but they weren't quite as interesting.  There was a big hiatus, I believe because Auel was ill for a number of years, and then the series picked up again.  I haven't read the latter books.  (And, yes, the movie was awful.)

I've read very few science fiction books.  I believe this is the total list:  Ender's Game, it's first sequel, Hive Queen and the Hegemon, Battlefield Earth, Neuromancer (or maybe Mona Lisa Overdrive?).  Ender's Game and Battlefield Earth were each terrific, although I didn't enjoy Ender's Game as much on the re-read.    When it was first given to me, I was warned that I would skip work in order to finish it.  I do think I stayed up all night.  I hear they're finally making a movie.

(Skipping a few travel guides.)

A Dance to the Music of Time is a 12 volume series by Anthony Powell inspired, as I understand it, by the painting by Nichola Poussin:

I read the first book (free on Kindle) and enjoyed it, but, I'm embarrassed to say, I don't really remember it.  Oops.  I'll get to the rest by the end of this project. 

Next up on the shelf:

This will be difficult.  I'm just glad Proust is on a different bookshelf.