At least they're new!

Books I Done Read mentioned this week that she's going to try to read Entertainment Weekly's 100-strong "New Classics" book list (published since 1983). I remember scanning it -- I think my sister Chloe was reading it aloud at a family dinner while we made scoffing noises -- and I think it's an interesting list both in the categories of Books I'd Never Consider Classic (THE DA VINCI CODE?) and Books I've Never Heard Of But Which Are Apparently Classics (Taylor Branch's PARTING THE WATERS, Connie Bruck's THE PREDATORS' BALL).

The one I was most proud to have already read? Volume one of Peter Guralnick's two-volume Elvis biography, LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS. Maybe one of the more odd birthday presents I ever got, but I do recommend it and am glad to have read it (beyond the bragging I have just done here.)

I won't be working on this list now, though, even though I've read more from it already than I have from my trusty Modern Library list. One bizarre, unreachable goal at a time, please!