While I long considered myself an avid reader, I tended to read stuff that didn’t make the book lists: fantasy, science fiction, horror, beach reading, graphic novels — you get the idea.
Jump to the Quiz — when we get more quizzes up, you’ll be able to find them here.
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When I was young, I used to write to pen pals (remember pen pals? Those were the days pre-email.) I liked to regale my pen pal in England with tales that made Seattle seem way more exotic and exciting than it was. And, eventually, our exchange turned toward reading. I told her my reading list at the time: Christine, Pet Sematary, and so forth.
She did not seem amused.
She wrote back that she didn’t tend to “read things like that,” and told me her reading list: Austen, Hardy. So I decided to elevate myself a bit and found that I liked the classics.
Still, even many years later, I tend to turn toward books that don’t end up on the lists. And still, even so many years later, I think I “should” read the books that are.
TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Novels: A Trivia Quiz, and a Reading Challenge
In 2005, Time Magazine published a list of what their critics agreed to be the best 100 English-language novels since 1923 — the year that Time started.
Click here if you’d like to read their list, but don’t peek if you plan to take the quiz!
The list goes up until about 2010 — so book in the last ten years won’t be on it. A few years ago, I set an intention to myself to read through the titles on the list that I read and write about each one. I had already read many, but so many years ago that they warranted a reread.
Starting at A, I wrote and posted a lengthy essay that I, now, hope I can find somewhere in my digital files.
Because I’m committing myself to that challenge again.
Starting…well, starting when I finally finish the Wheel of Time series! And taking a break if ever a new Outlander book comes out or if ever Patrick Rofthuss finishes Doors of Stone or Martin completes The Winds of Winter!
But today, I amused myself by creating a trivia quiz about the books on the list instead. The quiz is an experiment and has a dual (or, perhaps, triple) purpose: amuse myself and get trivia questions on this site and research trivia WordPress plugins for a post I’m writing elsewhere.
So play along and find out how much you know about (some of) Time’s 100 best novels. There are more specifics at the beginning of the quiz.
