Jane Mallison, Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days [2008]
Book Smart, though presenting a list of readings organized across the space of twelve months (thus the book's subtitle) actually constitutes a third, shorter and less demanding, "lifetime reading plan" after Clifton Fadiman's and Philip Ward's. It's formally a list of 120 works, 10 for each month. But in the preface, Mallison suggests reading only one of those 10 per month. The reader's supposed to pick one. "I long to believe there's one wild completist out there who will set out to use the book for ten years," she states. Since she also suggests picking any 12 books, not just one from each monthly list, the reader indeed could gradually, over the course of many years, go on the literary adventures she suggests, especially as many of the 120 entries give other suggested readings. They have been included in the list here.
These items included that are not one of the 120 main entries are as follows: Nos. 2, 3; the second bullet, 7, and 8; 11-14; 16, 17, and the fourth bullet; 19-21 and the Pasolini film; 24-26; 28-31; 34, 35; 37, 38; 40; the fifth bullet, 42, 43; 47, 48; the sixth bullet; 55, 56; 58; 64-67; 70; 74; 78-83; 88-90; 93-95; the seventh bullet; the Coppola film; 105-112; 114, 115; 117; 119, 120; 122, 123; 126, 127; the eighth and ninth bullets; 130; 132, 133; the tenth and eleventh bullets; 140-142; 144-147; 149, 150; 153; the thirteenth and fourteenth bullets; 158, the fifteenth and sixteenth bullets, and the Thurber play; 161-165; 168, 169; 174, the eighteenth bullet; 176-180; 182 and the Hellman operatta; 184, 185; 188-190; 193, 194; 197-199; 201-203; 206, 207; 209, 210; 213; the nineteenth bullet; 217, 218, and the twentieth bullet; 221, 222; 225, 226; 228-230; 232; 234-235; the twenty-first bullet, 237, and the Visconti film; 240, 241; 243-244; 246, 247; 250.
Mallison's is one of only two lists to include music, film, and opera/ musical theatre works, which are not entered into the Greater Books master list. The other is the Utne Reader's.