Friday favorites: June 12

We’re taking a different turn this Friday and rounding up some of the best book-themed lists we found over the course of the week.

30 Books You Need To Read Before You Turn 30 (Huffington Post)

The list-by-committee covers centuries of literature, including works by Plato and Jane Austen, and reaches more contemporary authors like Jonathan Franzen and Toni Morrison. 

So if you’ve already passed 30, chances are good you still could’ve come close to completing this list.

(Confession: The Fussy staffer who still has time to complete HuffPo’s goal has read only three books on the list and at least started a fourth. )

 

21 Famous Authors’ Favorite Books (Mental Floss)

You could keep yourself occupied for at least a year if you set out to read everything referenced by writers like John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Maya Angelou and J.K. Rowling.

Their picks range from classics to children’s books, plus a few repeats — “Huckleberry Finn” and “Winesburg, Ohio” appear multiple times. 

10 Surprising Facts About The Writing Lives of Great Authors (Mental Floss)

One author whose best-known piece focuses on cross-country travels never learned to drive. Another left the country where his work was set at age 30 and never returned. 

5 YA/Adult Novel Pairings (BookRiot)

If you liked “Sharp Objects” and “The Robber Bride” but aren’t quite ready to encourage a younger reader to pick them up, this list is for you. 

Here’s hoping BookRiot repeats this piece using beloved YA novels from decades past.