GroovyMan

Now we’re down to the nub, because no matter how cool it is to know the best movies and the best music, it’s the best books that distinguish how you think. So here is Esquire’s vote for the 75 books everyone should read.

The list hits a lot of our high points that aren’t usually found on high school reading lists: Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, Richard Wright; and also hits some that are on the high school lists, and deserve another reading now that you’re an adult and can actually enjoy–rather than dread–a challenging read. Moby Dick, Huckleberry Finn, and For Whom the Bell Tolls are classics for a reason.

Notable for their absence though are any books by women, anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Ian McEwan, and anything written before the 19th Century. Don Quixote or Tom Jones anyone? How about The Odyssey?

So, take some time, put on some music and try a few of these. You’ll be glad you stayed in.

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