I Am No One You Know - Joyce Carol Oates

Oates is a power house. She has the keen ability to stun the senses without being overly graphic, and can bend the mind with words. Her writing is descriptive, colorful, and imaginative. With lead-ins such as, "They brought him the skull in a plastic bag, in pieces. Like broken crockery it was," you can't help but wonder what's coming next.

This particular book is a collection of 19 short stories, all fiction. Some end more abruptly than others, and all end with a hook. At the start, I felt a bit abandoned as each story ended, shifting into yet another twist of the human psyche. Mid-book, however, I had developed an appreciation for Oates' craftiness in whetting the appetite in a way that left me yearning for more.

This is not mindless reading, as Oates guides the illusive cerebral carrot throughout the corners of the mind. Mystery buffs will love the classic intrigue weaved into every page; literary minds will thrive on the writing itself.

The New Classics (1983 - 2008) - EW.com

I stumbled across this list this morning and decided to share it on my blog. How many of these titles have you read? Do you agree with EW's rankings?

I notice Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is rated No. 16, and am not the least bit surprised it hit the top 25. Personally, I would consider this book to be even higher on the list. However, I've only read 4 of the top 25, so I may have to set a goal to read as many of these books as possible over the course of the next year. Perhaps I'll save that for 2009 since I already have an entire basket full of reading material begging for its turn in my hands.

Anyone out there willing to accept that same challenge so we can debate the merits of the rankings?