When I started the Amazon/Goodreads 100 Must-Read Books in a Lifetime list in January of this year, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Skimming the titles, I recognized several, either because I’d already read them or they were the commonly-used books in films about high school or college—you know, the “coincidental” book the protagonist is reading in their literature class that just so happens to teach them something about the primary conflict in their story?
Originally, I set out to read 25 titles this year—I wanted the whole 100 books to be read within four years, finishing in December of 2024. But this is 2020, and in addition to the global exhaustion we all experienced this year as a result of COVID-19 and, in the U.S., the nightmare of our current politics, the justified protests begging The Man to understand that Black lives do, in fact, matter, and many ups and downs in my personal life, I made my last post here regarding the list on The Pensive Bookworm in September. Partially, I stepped away for the last quarter of the year due to the presidential election (by the way, Biden won), but also because I was just plain exhausted. Even reading for pleasure wasn’t giving me a reprieve—how could I write and analyze what I was reading, too? Nonetheless, I’ll be back to my trek through the list come January.
For now, though, I’ve compiled a quick summary of the 16 books I did manage to read from that list this year. (In the header of each section, I’ve hyperlinked my analysis of the book, whereas the review for each is linked on the “Quick Review” portion.)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Quick Review: 5/5 stars
Would I read it again? Yes
Favorite line: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
Reason it belongs: Reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a reminder that magic does exist—that’s the power of love and friendship.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J.K. Rowling
Quick Review: 4/5 stars
Would I read it again? Of course—it’s Harry Potter!
Favorite line: “You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?”
Reason it belongs: This is a book about survival by perhaps unconventional methods, and it’s a story that shows readers of all ages that, regardless of your story, you can survive what you may have once considered insurmountable.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Quick Review: 5/5 stars
Would I read it again? Yes
Favorite line: It’s a close tie between two lines.
- “I wasn’t actually in love, but I felt a sort of tender curiosity.”
- “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”
Reason it belongs: The Great Gatsby is a beautiful, bittersweet reminder for us to pursue the things in life we truly want, rather than the things we’ve been taught by society that we first “need” to acquire before we concern ourselves with happiness or love.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Quick Review: 5/5 stars
Would I read it again? Yes.
Favorite line: “If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you’ll never learn.”
Reason it belongs: It’s a cautionary tale, exploring the dangers of ignorance—especially when ignorance is the result of determined effort in denial, rather than exploration.
Quick Review: 5/5 stars
Would I read it again? Yes! I can’t wait to read this with my kids when they’re a little older.
Favorite line: “‘You have been my friend,’” replied Charlotte. “‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.’”
Reason it belongs: The friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur is innocent, pure, and sacrificial; this book contains a tale of unconditional love.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Quick Review: 3/5 stars
Would I read it again? Yes! As I was compiling this list, I actually wondered when I’d find the time to read it again soon!
Favorite line: “People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”
Reason it belongs: Atticus Finch is like a literary fortune cookie—full of wisdom, but contained in something trifling that is fleetingly enjoyable. (I might have a different opinion of this book if I’d had a more innocent and carefree childhood; alas, this is who I am.)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Quick Review: 3/5 stars
Would I read it again? Maybe in several years, when my kids are old enough to read it.
Favorite line: “You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope.”
Reason it belongs: The Hunger Games reminds us how easily a society may be desensitized to violence if allowing it to occur ensures their survival.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Quick Review: 5/5 stars
Would I read it again? Definitely. This is my favorite installment of the Hunger Games trilogy.
Favorite line: “At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead. The hard thing is finding the courage to do it.”
Reason it belongs: This book is an incredible “f— you” to President Snow and the Capitol, and because of that, it’s an inspirational tale and a reminder that if one person has the courage to say “I’ve had enough,” many others may follow—sometimes we just need that first voice to give us “permission” to speak.
Quick Review: 4/5 stars
Would I read it again? Yes, but only because if I read Catching Fire again, I’d feel weird if I didn’t read the whole trilogy.
Favorite line: “They’ll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you.”
Reason it belongs: Mockingjay explores the different ways people respond to war and tragedy, pain and suffering, loss and love—the characters are vivid and realistic and encourage the reader to identify with one or another, giving the reader insight into how they might respond if the world as they know it implodes.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Quick Review: 4/5 stars
Would I read it again? Yeah, I feel like I missed some of the story because I was so shocked by the concepts and the world in which I read it (hey there, 2020!). I think I need to read it again, especially if I ever watch the series (which, from what I understand, is quite different from the book).
Favorite line: “When we think of the past it’s the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that.”
Reason it belongs: In the United States, I whole-heartedly believe The Handmaid’s Tale is a must read to remind us all exactly why a separate of church and state is essential, that even if you believe your religion is the “correct” religion, you shouldn’t force it on people who aren’t ready to accept it or in the same spiritual place you are.
Quick Review: 5/5 stars
Would I read it again? Absolutely. The characters were so bold!
Favorite line: “I’d cry, if only I had the time to do it.”
Reason it belongs: Through the stories of the maids and the ways in which their struggles open Skeeter’s eyes, this book shows that suffering and ignorance both come in many forms.
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Quick Review: 2/5 stars
Would I read it again? No, but I would like to see it performed.
Favorite line: “…Who could refrain/That had a heart to love, and in that heart/Courage to make love known?”
Reason it doesn’t belong: It’s a play. Plays are meant to be performed.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Quick Review: 5/5 stars
Would I read it again? Probably not. I’d rather see it performed.
Favorite line: “Don’t waste your love on somebody/who doesn’t value it.”
Reason it doesn’t belong: It’s a play. Plays are meant to be performed.
Quick Review: 3/5
Would I read it again? Probably not. I might see it live…maybe.
Favorite line: “Listen to many, speak to a few.”
Reason it doesn’t belong: It’s a play. Plays are meant to be performed.
Quick Review: I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.
Would I read it again? Nope. (And I’m already dreading Animal Farm, which is also on this 100 Books in a Lifetime list.)
Favorite line: None. I couldn’t stand this book and kept wondering what nonsense I was reading. I think Orwell had an excellent point, but he failed to make it well.
Reason it doesn’t belong: The writing is difficult to follow. I think The Handmaid’s Tale is a better cautionary tale about a state having excessive power. Having survived Donald Trump’s time in the White House, I think that’s an experience that teaches us more about misinformation and state-controlled media in the twenty-first century.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Quick Review: I couldn’t bring myself to finish this one.
Would I read it again? Oh no. Nope. Zero chance.
Favorite line: None. Nothing about this book amused me.
Reason it doesn’t belong: This book is terrible.
Of the 16 books I read this year, at least 5 don’t belong (in my opinion). Three of those (Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth) are simply because they’re plays, not books, and the same way most people wouldn’t read a film script and expect equal entertainment value, these works should be enjoyed by performance, rather than in print. The other two—1984 and The Princess Bride—were books that I absolutely could not bring myself to finish. You’ll just have to trust me when I say that it’s exceptionally rare for me to not finish a book, but in the case of 1984 and The Princess Bride, I just couldn’t, and you can see my reasons for that in my analyses and reviews of each.
Looking ahead, whenever I do manage to finish all 100 books, I’ll make some suggestions of titles that could replace the books I don’t believe belong on a “must-read” list. As always, I welcome discussion about these books and civil debate in the comments below. 😊
In the meantime, here’s to a happy, healthier, healing new year.
The Pensive Bookworm 
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