Back in junior high school and high school we had to read books, but there were also books I read because I wanted to read them.  I think this distinction has seeped into my unconscious and surfaced as a feeling that there are certain books that are actually Good and Good For Me, and others that are just enjoyable.   The books I think I ought to like are:

• about realistic limited characters with boring jobs who struggle with their families and their powerlessness
• realistic
• old
• long
• hard to read
• make you aware of language as language — they have prose that is beautiful and self-conscious
• are in favor of social change
• serious
• depressing — they castigate us for our hopes and strip us of our illusions
• they are unpopular — they make me feel smart and special for liking them while most people would not like them.
• morally complex

Examples:…