Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days

by Jane Mallison

Unleash your literary side--one great book at a time! Like taking a private class with an engaging literature professor, Book Smart is your ticket for literary enlightenment all year long and for the rest of your life. Whether you're a passionate turner of pages or you aspire to be better-read, Book Smart expands your knowledge and enjoyment with a month-by-month plan that tackles 120 of the most compelling books of all time. Throughout the year, each book comes alive with historical notes, highlights on key themes and characters, and advice on how to approach reading. Here is a sampling of what you can

Genres: Books About Books, Nonfiction, Reference, Education, Literary Criticism, 21st Century, Classics

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2007

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is nothing more than a bound copy of any 1001/BBC Book List you can find on the internet, free. If you're still interested, definitely pick this up from your library.

'...each book comes alive with historical notes, highlights on key themes and characters, and advice on how to approach reading.'

Yeah, not exactly. The book contains nothing more than glorified blurbs and personal opinions of the books by the author. Advice on how to approach reading isn't done on books individually but instead combines similar books together for theme months. I don't much care for reading a bunch of the same books back to back and instead prefer a variety. Not what I was looking for at all.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days. How could I resist that title? Author Jane Mallison categorizes 120 books into the 12 months of the year, each with its own theme, and 10 books in each month. January is “Because They Are There: Towering Works to Read in Translation” and includes such old standards as Don Quixote, Dante’s Inferno, Homer’s The Odyssey, etc.

Other months include: “Growing Up: The Pains and the Pleasures” which includes some of my favorites; Little Women, To Kill a Mockingbird, and one that I’m reading right now, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. “Jury Duty: Crimes of Various Sorts” with Crime and Punishment, The Scarlet Letter, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Though Jane Mallison neglects to include anything by Jane Austen and George Eliot on April’s Top Girls: Strong Women, Admirably So and Otherwise list, she redeems herself by adding in the chapter preface that she regards them as she regards Shakespeare and the Bible, the importance of reading them is too obvious to list.

Now, there is no way that I could read 120 books in a year unless the majority of them were powder puff reads, but I really enjoyed reading the back stories or blurbs that Jane Mollison writes about each book included on her list. I’ve added a few more from “Book Smart” to my to-read list.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, what to read, what to read? I'm always in search of books suggesting good books to read, so I was happy to see this book.

Author Jane Mallison proposes a list of ten books a month, with each month having a common theme. Themes include award winners, the human condition, biographies.

I was encouraged to think Mallison might be a kindred reader by noting that many of her recommended reads are books I've already read and loved, such as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, In Cold Blood, Animal Farm, and Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry.

Mallison sold me on A House for Mr. Biswas and Farewell to Arms, so much so that I have already sought them out and procured copies.
A good choice for my first read of the year.

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why I think I need more titles to add to my ponderous list of TBR is beyond me bu tI can't help but pick up books like this. I think I love a list almost as much as I love reading. I did glean a few titles from the author's selection but it was mostly the same old tired junk I've either read and been completely unimpressed - The Great Gatsby is not great and I wish everyone would realize that.

[Michael Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serious readers, of which I am definitely one, are always on the lookout for thoughtful recommendations of other books one should read. This volume is subtitled “Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days,” which is pure marketing hype and not really what the author proposes. Mallison isn’t a Ph.D. in literature or a big-time critic, she’s just a very experienced English teacher and “a longtime passionate reader” who wants to share her opinions on some of the books she has enjoyed. She brings together 120 books and organizes them by calendar months (with a particular theme for each month), but she actually expects you to take five or ten years to work your way through them. (Good thing, too, or you’d be looking at reading Don Quixote, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and Dante’s Inferno all during January.) There’s a pretty good mix here of genuine classics and much more recent works whose literary permanence is still undetermined. I found I had read a little more than half her list (mostly the older ones) and there aren’t really any complaints I could make about what’s included or what isn’t. And she makes a better case for some titles in her concise two-page essays than for others, I think, but we don’t all share the same tastes in reading. You should find a number of additions here for your “To Read” list, and you will also have a pretty good notion of why you ought to attempt them.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of things that annoy me about this book.

First of all, what is the deal with that subtitle: "Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 days"? After reading the book, I know it's quite tongue-in-cheek, but at first glance it sounded just a little overreaching and odd.

Second, Jane Mallison divides her recommended books (very) loosely by theme, and it's hard to say whether that was some kind of gimmick she needed to use to sell the book or just some half-baked idea she came up with.

Third, she also divides her reading list by months of the year. Once again, I don't see the point of the gimmick.

Fourth, if you buy into the "in 365 days" gimmick, it becomes even more ludicrous. She has 10 book recommendations (plus some related books) for each month, and many are long or difficult reads. I read a lot, but there's no way I could read 120 books of this caliber in a year.

At the same time, as "books on books" go, it's a good one. The books are diverse, and I enjoyed her little essays/synopses of each book as well as the related recommendations.

Yes, you can find all kinds of book lists online, but where Mallison is strongest is in the variety of books she has recommended as well as her easily digestible insights. This is one of the few books about books that I could see myself referring to frequently.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I flipped through this book and sent it back to the library once I realized that it wasn't what I expected. It's my fault for not reading the subtitle more carefully :-). I thought this was a study guide that would help me understand the classics that I would be reading throughout the year. It is really just a list of suggestions and story synopses like a smaller version of "1001 Books to Read Before You Die".

[Jane Dugger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for the less motivated reader. Or if you are at a loss of what to read next. Or you want to round out your educated reading list.

Great quote!

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.
-Joseph Brodsky

[Mel Kim Lam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very cute and enjoyable. Do I feel like a literary genius? (Yesn’t).

It was published in 2007 so they’re recommendations you’d kinda expect … very western-centric / school reading list.

Found some interesting books , and not so interesting ones.

I was hoping the author would talk more about the book plots themselves, But it was more so about the book’s backstory, and general praise (which was still fun to read!!)

[Abyssdancer (Hanging in there!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been going through bins of forgotten books that I salvaged from my sister’s garage, and I found this book that I bought pre-Listopia … there are twelve lists (one per month) that contain 10 books each all organized according to themes (books about war, humorous books, classics in translation, etc.) … I remember buying this book and thinking that I could use these lists to start the creation of my ultimate library … however, after deeper study of these lists, my disappointment deepened because of my perceived lack of women writers included in these lists … I can never bear to completely abandon books in my possession, but this book ended up in a storage bin for several years …

For the past two years, I have invested much time, money, and energy in amassing a sizable library (it’s not hoarding if it’s books!) … and after rifling through my old storage bins I tripped across this book and glanced through it … it made me think of a college-level summer reading list … and after perusing the lists after a 15-year separation, I realized how few of these books I had actually read!

So for the past several months I have tried to incorporate these book suggestions when ordering books for my collection … the variety of books included is rather wide in scope, ambitious at times … now, for the first time, I actually read this book from cover to cover … the author’s witty yet still accessible synopses of each book are very entertaining … and after reading all of these synopses, I think I can really kick some ass when playing Jeopardy!

[Fiza Pathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative & well researched book. I got a lot of good book recommendations to add to my library in the near future. This book is a good introduction to anyone who wants to improve their quality of reading. I liked the way the books were divided according to the month. The author has managed to convince me through this book that one can really improve one's reading in 365 days time. I loved the index at the end of the book, it's very helpful. 'Book Smart' is really a book worth reading. Check it out. Happy reading to everyone!

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting thematic grouping of literary (mostly) fiction. I love reading books about books, and found some new titles to add to my lifetime reading list. Worth a look-see even if you're only browsing.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like books about books. I doubt I'll ever be a literary genius though because I probably won't read many of the books listed in this book. I did enjoy the many thoughts concerning reading though, such as: "We read to know that we are not alone." - C.S. Lewis

[Stevefk · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books for those seeking book recommendations in a succinct breezy manner. Most of the listings that I have already read are good ones, making the ones I have not read seem of value. Just what the doctor ordered for a simple fella like myself.

[Julie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books about books, what can I say?

[LynnDee (LynnDee's Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It definitely gave me more books to add to my "to-read" list, but with some of the synopses of the books, she kind of gave away the endings, which I didn't like.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview and recommendations of many different types of books. Despite the title, the author does NOT expect anyone to read ALL these books in a year! She is simply giving you a guide to diversifying your reading choices and also letting you know what "the hype" is all about with certain books. I added many unexpected titles to my TBR pile!

[Cathlina Bergman · Rating 1 out of 5]

The know-it-all tone turned me off, and the summaries were entirely too long to be teasers only. Gave up after January's list. Interesting groupings of books, however. I could see designing a class around one of these groupings.

[Jenny K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skimmed this book from the library. Nothing here that you can’t find on lists on blogs and other places for free. I also don’t recognize the author, so don’t know why she is qualified to be give me suggestions.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read! This is, as the title notes 365 book suggestions. They are noted by categories such as

Towerring Wooks to Read in Translation which contains Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales and Oedpus Rex and others
Some Notable Bioographies and list The Path of Poser The Years of Lyndon Johnson and The Peabody Sisters and others
Young Men on a Quest which contains works such as Walden and The Great Gatsby
Strong Women, Admirably So and Otherwise here the reader fiinds Jane Eyre, the Handmaid's Tale and The House of Mirth and others
Crimes of Various Sorts which lists Thee Scarlet Letter, Uncle Tom's Cabin and The Bonfires f the Vanities and others

There are other categories which are equally as delightfully rendered as those above.

I've read 1/2 if those listed. I'm not sure if I would choose to read others, but maybe they are in my future.

This is a delightful, creative, wonderfully written book.

[Debnance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, what to read, what to read? I’m always in search of books suggesting good books to read, so I was happy to see this book.

Author Jane Mallison proposes a list of ten books a month, with each month having a common theme. Themes include award winners, the human condition, biographies.

I was encouraged to think Mallison might be a kindred reader by noting that many of her recommended reads are books I’ve already read and loved, such as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, In Cold Blood, Animal Farm, and Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry.

Mallison sold me on A House for Mr. Biswas and Farewell to Arms, so much so that I have already sought them out and procured copies.

A good choice for my first read of the year.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some really great works cited in this book, and it was nice to revisit them in a quiet and gentle way. Many I feel I ought to reread. There are also some works that I really have no interest in reading, which makes me feel vaguely guilty and under-appreciative. In any case, I skimmed through most all of this and added a bunch of "read" books from my college days (yay!) and a handful of "to read" books as well.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently using this as a guide to books I might like to read. ;-)

[Shannon]

I really enjoyed this book. I'm actually going to buy it and work through all the books it lists.

[Deb Cutler]

This book has prompted me to really think about what books I would include in a list of this nature and what books my friends would add. I am also starting a list of these books.