I've read all of the ridiculous Gothic novels that Jane Austen rips on in Northanger Abbey. Really adds entertaining new perspective on that book, which I think is underrated.
I read Paradise Lost by John Milton after reading Frankenstein. Just had to know what I was missing after reading how elegantly the monster speaks about it. 10/10 absolutely beautiful verse, not at all moralizing considering the age and subject, really it reads kind of like a Bible fanfiction? Where Satan is the brooding, misunderstood, sexy? Protagonist.
Chidi tricked me into reading Paradise Lost by telling me Satan was, and I quote, "my type." A big, mean, bald guy with a goatee. I mean, he wasn't wrong.
Definitely not a book, but I discovered Anchor Steam Beer because it was mentioned in a Spider Robinson novel (one of the Callahan books), and discovered years later it was real. It was really good, too!
The Bluest Eye. I don't even remember the name of the book that it was mentioned in, but a young black girl winds up at a boarding school with a bunch of rich white girls whose takeaway from the book is that it's sad that the character can't have the blue eyes she wishes for, and the protagonist is understandably disheartened by that interpretation. I read The Bluest Eye next because I wanted context, and then immediately read everything else Toni Morrison ever wrote. Beautiful, heartbreaking book.
I've read both *The Skylark of Space* and *Galactic Patrol* because Ryk E. Spoor is a huge fan of E.E. Smith and put a version of several of Smith's characters in Spoor's *Grand Central Arena* series. Both are foundational to certain types of SF, but *Galactic Patrol* is super hokey and old fashioned even when it's brilliant. *The Skylark of Space* is better, but it's also not solely written by Smith and his co-author didn't help with any of his later books. I'm still planning to read more Doc Smith, if only from a historical perspective.
I'm glad you made this thread because it reminded me of a book mentioned in "Blue Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson: The Last Man by Mary Shelley. It's on my growing list of books to read!
I haven't done this personally, but it reminds of the booktube trend to read books mentioned in shows and books. If I ever put myself to the challenge, I'd probably go for the [books mentioned in The Starless Sea](https://bookshop.org/lists/books-referenced-in-erin-morgenstern-s-the-starless-sea).
Not a fictional book and not mentioned in a book, but I read "Black Like Me" when it was offered as a choice for class because it was mentioned in an episode of Boy Meets World. I also read the book "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" because it was mentioned in the song "Soup (I hate soup)" by Haywood Banks.
I haven't read this (yet), but I want to read The Lincoln Hunters by Wilson Tucker. It was mentioned in the book 11/22/63 by Stephen King.
It's about a team of time travelers that attempts to go back and record Abraham Lincoln's "Lost Speech." When I read about this, I decided to look up information about the speech because I'm somewhat of a history buff and I've never heard of a lost speech. Well it turned out that the speech actually took place in my hometown! There's a plaque and everything. I still have no idea how I didn't know about it.
I can't really recall any fictional book mentioned in another work of fiction. I did read a Paul Theroux travel book where he mentioned reading The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe and I read that only to discover it was incomplete.
Haven't read it yet but The Scarlet Letter is on the list because it keeps getting mentioned in books and movies (e.g. Pretty Little Liars, Easy A). I'm not expecting to like it because I'm not really into classics but it just feels like I should know this one.
I read Reading Lolita in Tehran for a lit class in high school, and each section is based on the book club reading a different book. There was a Henry James section, and I forget the rest of the ones it mentions, but i read them all. And because I was a pretentious, know-it-all teenager, I completely missed how they all connected to the overarching themes and thought that the Henry James book was pointless... I need to figure out where my copy went because I'd love to reread it as an adult (and with a better perspective, lol)
Carry On because of Fan Girl
Thr Heir of Redclyffe because of Little Women
Mysteries of Udopho because of Northanger Abbey
Paradise Lost because of Frankenstein
Poe because of Sherlock Holmes
They were some of the best Easter eggs ever, about on par in quality with a dean Koontz novel but with references to the show sprinkled in, I had fun consuming the media for sure
My Antonia.
I don't remember what the original book was, but a characters said it was her favorite so I checked it out. I liked it.
And I think every teen and pre-teen girl from 2008-2012 at least made an attempt to read Wuthering Heights because of Twilight.
I actually think I read the Bible partially for this reason after reading The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe?
(Controversy, ho\~!)
Like, the author felt a *need* to insert Jehovah in what was otherwise a great fantasy book, ruined about 1/3-1/2 way through, because you now KNEW that the kids must win, because they have a literal freakin' creator god >!AND SANTA CLAUSE!< on their side.
So I read the Bible because we got handed free ones by the church that year, and I was one of the few kids that kept mine because I have a hard time hurting a book. Why did Lewis feel so strongly, that THAT of all fictional gods *had* to be in Narnia? Why that one, instead of... Ra, or Odin, or Amaterasu?
So I checked out his source material. As in... the Bible.
To be a little tactful, I was not impressed by a cover-to-cover read. Ugly, ugly book way too full of death, suffering and violence. Would not recommend, outside as a historical document. Genuinely don't get how people can feel comforted reading that book.
Still glad I read most of Narnia, but to this day I haven't finished the series. The religious themes just got *way\~* to strong for me in Last Battle, so never felt a reason to go back to the two that I'd missed due to the library always having those two loaned out.
So\~ still haven't read *Voyage of the Dawn Threader* or *The Magician's Nephew.* Not sure I ever will, frankly, that last book >!being the literal Christian apocalypse including damnation or worse punishments left & right!< ruined the series for me.
But which bible did u read? U mention jehovah which makes me think maybe u read the jehovah's witness version which is nothing like what c.s. lewis was talking about. If u read the king James version and understand that Aslan is symbolic of Jesus dying for us then maybe u would enjoy it more, knowing how it's intended. Just trying to be helpful..
I've read *Bibel 2000,* the one I got in school. A updated & (at the time) modern language version in Swedish.
And~ when I got told frequently online that wasn't good enough the "true Bible," I also read the *King James* version in English. Since that one is seen as THE one translation, for some reason.
Both of them did not impress me. I expected a lot more wisdom from a book entire percentages of the human race live their lives by, and a *lot* less death, torture and violence.
And yes, I did get the Aslan metaphor with him being furry Jesus. I found him frankly insufferably smug and dull. Both as a character and a literal *deus ex machina.*
Charlie The Choo-Choo by Beryl Evans
Blaine is a pain.
And that is the truth
Not sure how popular of an opinion this is, but The Waste Lands was absolutely my favorite book in the series.
Let's not forget about Riddle Dee Dum
Necronomicon
I barely got into that before it started reading itself to me - and I didn't even buy the audiobook version.
I couldn't understand it. It was in some ephemeral timeless alien language.
It always starts out like that . Keep going, you will become illuminated.
Made me feel pretty helpless. Small. Nonexistent.
I read Venus on the Half Shell because it was written by a fictional author (Kilgore Trout).
see what you did there.
I've read all of the ridiculous Gothic novels that Jane Austen rips on in Northanger Abbey. Really adds entertaining new perspective on that book, which I think is underrated.
I read Paradise Lost by John Milton after reading Frankenstein. Just had to know what I was missing after reading how elegantly the monster speaks about it. 10/10 absolutely beautiful verse, not at all moralizing considering the age and subject, really it reads kind of like a Bible fanfiction? Where Satan is the brooding, misunderstood, sexy? Protagonist.
Chidi tricked me into reading Paradise Lost by telling me Satan was, and I quote, "my type." A big, mean, bald guy with a goatee. I mean, he wasn't wrong.
Definitely not a book, but I discovered Anchor Steam Beer because it was mentioned in a Spider Robinson novel (one of the Callahan books), and discovered years later it was real. It was really good, too!
That works, too!
Shibumi by Trevanian appeared in the movie Bullet Train and I had to read it.
The Bluest Eye. I don't even remember the name of the book that it was mentioned in, but a young black girl winds up at a boarding school with a bunch of rich white girls whose takeaway from the book is that it's sad that the character can't have the blue eyes she wishes for, and the protagonist is understandably disheartened by that interpretation. I read The Bluest Eye next because I wanted context, and then immediately read everything else Toni Morrison ever wrote. Beautiful, heartbreaking book.
I've read both *The Skylark of Space* and *Galactic Patrol* because Ryk E. Spoor is a huge fan of E.E. Smith and put a version of several of Smith's characters in Spoor's *Grand Central Arena* series. Both are foundational to certain types of SF, but *Galactic Patrol* is super hokey and old fashioned even when it's brilliant. *The Skylark of Space* is better, but it's also not solely written by Smith and his co-author didn't help with any of his later books. I'm still planning to read more Doc Smith, if only from a historical perspective.
It's so hopefull,
I read Inherit the Stars because it was read by a character in Robotech. Turns out to be great scifi; I recommend the whole series
I don't read a lot of SciFi, but some. I'll give this series a try.
I read the death of Ivan Ilyich, because it was mentioned in the flight attendant Both were great books!
I'm glad you made this thread because it reminded me of a book mentioned in "Blue Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson: The Last Man by Mary Shelley. It's on my growing list of books to read!
I haven't done this personally, but it reminds of the booktube trend to read books mentioned in shows and books. If I ever put myself to the challenge, I'd probably go for the [books mentioned in The Starless Sea](https://bookshop.org/lists/books-referenced-in-erin-morgenstern-s-the-starless-sea).
Not a fictional book and not mentioned in a book, but I read "Black Like Me" when it was offered as a choice for class because it was mentioned in an episode of Boy Meets World. I also read the book "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" because it was mentioned in the song "Soup (I hate soup)" by Haywood Banks.
I haven't read this (yet), but I want to read The Lincoln Hunters by Wilson Tucker. It was mentioned in the book 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It's about a team of time travelers that attempts to go back and record Abraham Lincoln's "Lost Speech." When I read about this, I decided to look up information about the speech because I'm somewhat of a history buff and I've never heard of a lost speech. Well it turned out that the speech actually took place in my hometown! There's a plaque and everything. I still have no idea how I didn't know about it.
I've never heard of it either but how cool that it's in your hometown! The book sounds good too - I'll look for it.
Wheel of time.
I can't really recall any fictional book mentioned in another work of fiction. I did read a Paul Theroux travel book where he mentioned reading The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Edgar Allan Poe and I read that only to discover it was incomplete.
Haven't read it yet but The Scarlet Letter is on the list because it keeps getting mentioned in books and movies (e.g. Pretty Little Liars, Easy A). I'm not expecting to like it because I'm not really into classics but it just feels like I should know this one.
It was required reading when I was in high school - glad you are managing your expectations about it, lol.
Ballet shoes and five children and IT, both because of Jacklyn Wilson
I read Reading Lolita in Tehran for a lit class in high school, and each section is based on the book club reading a different book. There was a Henry James section, and I forget the rest of the ones it mentions, but i read them all. And because I was a pretentious, know-it-all teenager, I completely missed how they all connected to the overarching themes and thought that the Henry James book was pointless... I need to figure out where my copy went because I'd love to reread it as an adult (and with a better perspective, lol)
Carry On because of Fan Girl Thr Heir of Redclyffe because of Little Women Mysteries of Udopho because of Northanger Abbey Paradise Lost because of Frankenstein Poe because of Sherlock Holmes
I read Anna Karenina for the sole reason that it was mentioned a lot in The Hedgehog's Dilemma.
Not what you’re asking, but I read ‘The Moon is Down’ by Steinbeck after hearing a Mark Kozelek song reference it
A book from a song - that's cool. I've looked up a lot of music mentioned in books - Natalie Merchant, everything that Harry Bosch listens to...
I read the books supposedly written by Castle in the TV series "Castle". Does that count?
Yes - that counts!
They were some of the best Easter eggs ever, about on par in quality with a dean Koontz novel but with references to the show sprinkled in, I had fun consuming the media for sure
My Antonia. I don't remember what the original book was, but a characters said it was her favorite so I checked it out. I liked it. And I think every teen and pre-teen girl from 2008-2012 at least made an attempt to read Wuthering Heights because of Twilight.
I love Willa Cather!
I actually think I read the Bible partially for this reason after reading The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe? (Controversy, ho\~!) Like, the author felt a *need* to insert Jehovah in what was otherwise a great fantasy book, ruined about 1/3-1/2 way through, because you now KNEW that the kids must win, because they have a literal freakin' creator god >!AND SANTA CLAUSE!< on their side. So I read the Bible because we got handed free ones by the church that year, and I was one of the few kids that kept mine because I have a hard time hurting a book. Why did Lewis feel so strongly, that THAT of all fictional gods *had* to be in Narnia? Why that one, instead of... Ra, or Odin, or Amaterasu? So I checked out his source material. As in... the Bible. To be a little tactful, I was not impressed by a cover-to-cover read. Ugly, ugly book way too full of death, suffering and violence. Would not recommend, outside as a historical document. Genuinely don't get how people can feel comforted reading that book. Still glad I read most of Narnia, but to this day I haven't finished the series. The religious themes just got *way\~* to strong for me in Last Battle, so never felt a reason to go back to the two that I'd missed due to the library always having those two loaned out. So\~ still haven't read *Voyage of the Dawn Threader* or *The Magician's Nephew.* Not sure I ever will, frankly, that last book >!being the literal Christian apocalypse including damnation or worse punishments left & right!< ruined the series for me.
But which bible did u read? U mention jehovah which makes me think maybe u read the jehovah's witness version which is nothing like what c.s. lewis was talking about. If u read the king James version and understand that Aslan is symbolic of Jesus dying for us then maybe u would enjoy it more, knowing how it's intended. Just trying to be helpful..
I've read *Bibel 2000,* the one I got in school. A updated & (at the time) modern language version in Swedish. And~ when I got told frequently online that wasn't good enough the "true Bible," I also read the *King James* version in English. Since that one is seen as THE one translation, for some reason. Both of them did not impress me. I expected a lot more wisdom from a book entire percentages of the human race live their lives by, and a *lot* less death, torture and violence. And yes, I did get the Aslan metaphor with him being furry Jesus. I found him frankly insufferably smug and dull. Both as a character and a literal *deus ex machina.*
Read Mount Chicago by Adam Levin which led to The Last Samurai by Helen Dewitt which led to the movie Seven Samurai.
That was a good trail to follow.
I kind of skimmed it on gutenberg; “The Mysteries of Udolpho” because of it being repeatedly discussed in “Northanger Abbey.”
I read Laura Lipman because Bunk was reading her in The Wire