I have recently decided to intensify my current reading programme. Inspired in part by the great books reading list and the attempts of others online with their reading plans, I have created my own programme that incorporates and expands upon the great books list. My programme has five primary streams as its fundamentals.
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GREAT BOOKS stream: At least three decent-size items from the Great Books list per month.
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NON-FICTION stream: Two independently selected non-fiction items per month. One should be on contemporary issues, the other is free.
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FICTION stream: Two independently selected fiction items per month. Try to keep within themes, if possible. Try to include at least six Canadian books over the year, and try to run threads across several months.
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POETRY stream: One book of poetry per month.
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IDEAS stream: This is currently volumes from The Story of Civilization. In subsequent years, I will try to include a long series of non-fiction or an author with a large body of work in its place. Examples: The I Tatti Renaissance Library, Winston Churchill’s six-volume set on WWII, the works of Bertrand Russell read chronologically, etc.
Within each stream will be continuous smaller threads, which will move with time through the stream. For example, in the fiction stream for 2008, there will be four months of John Updike (each book in the Rabbit series) and seven months of Isaac Asimov (each book in the Foundation series). This will provide the opportunity to examine an author in depth
I have also planned on the concept of themes. This concept applies to similar ideas across streams at a similar time. So, in the first three months, while we are reading the Greek tragedies in the great books stream, I will also be covering ancient Greece in the ideas stream, and reading Judith Fitzgerald’s verses of the Atrides family in the poetry stream. Not all books within each stream will be covered by a theme; however, I hope the introduction of an underlying theme spanning two or more streams will provide additional unity to my reading
However, there must be room for diversity and impulse! I have tried to ensure that a wide selection of non-thematic and standalone titles are mixed within the list to allow for discovery and variety. The long-term goal is to expand my sphere of knowledge, not to overspecialize.
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