Reading list

[dampscribbler]

Well, I've managed to read one book cover-to-cover so far this year, but I have great ambitions to add more to the list. I'll be thrilled if I finish 20 books this year, but I'd actually like to read twice that many. The question is -- with so many great books out there to read, how do I narrow the field? Since fiction is what I write, I'm limiting myself to fiction for the list. (I'll read nonfiction this year, it just doesn't count the same.) Students in MFA-Creative Writing programs are often expected to read 30 or more works per year while earning their degree. I have no idea what may be on their reading lists, but I'd love to find out. In the meantime, though, I'll ask for your suggestions -- what works of fiction, readily available in boosktores or libraries, would you recommend, and why?

Thanks!