Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

Not sure how far I will get...but I'm going to give it a try. I don't have a specific deadline, but I will start on the list today.




1. In Cold Blood/Truman Capote==06.21.09
2. A Christmas Carol/Charles Dickens==12/01/09
3. The Great Gatsby/F. Scott Fitzgerald==12.14.09
4. Everything That Rises Must Converge/Flannery O'Connor==12.28.09
5. July's People/Nadine Gordimer==01.15.10
6. Northanger Abbey/Jane Austen==05/13/10
7. Jane Eyre/Charlotte Brontë==06.14.10
8. A Tale of Two Cities/Charles Dickens==06/29/10
9. Amsterdam/Ian McEwan==07/03/10
10. Little Women/Louisa May Alcott==07.21.10
11. A Passage to India/E.M. Forster==07.22.10
12. The Bell Jar/Sylvia Plath==07.31.10
13. The French Lieutenant's Woman/John Fowles==08.13.10
14. Summer/Edith Wharton==08.18.10
15. A Town Like Alice/Nevil Shute==09.06.10
16. Memoirs of a Geisha/Arthur Golden==09.07.07
17. Pride and Prejudice/Jane Austen==09.20.10
18. The Handmaid's Tale/Margaret Atwood==10.04.10
19. Persuasion/Jane Austen==10.16.10
20. The English Patient/Michael Ondaatje==10.20.10
21. The Age of Innocence/Edith Wharton==11.11.10
22. Gone With the Wind/Margaret Mitchell==11.29.10
23. The Cider House Rules/John Irving==12.22.10
24. Anna Karenina/Leo Tolstoy==03.01.11
25. Possession/A.S. Byatt==03.11.11
26. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow 03.23.11
27. Interview With the Vampire/Anne Rice==03.30.11
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest/Ken Kesey==04.28.11
29. Breakfast at Tiffany's/Truman Capote==05.04.11*****
30. Atonement/Ian McEwan==05.12.11***
31. The Color Purple/Alice Walker==06/08.11
32. A Room With a ViewE.M. Forster==07.10.11****
33.

Good luck, Southpaw. Looks like you're starting with a good one. Welcome aboard.

Thanks, Denise. You are absolutely right. This one is pretty good so far. I've only just discovered this list and the group. I absolutely love it here.

Have you previously read any of the books on the list?

Hi Tony,

I did check the list briefly, and found only one so far - that one being - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote .

There are many on the list that I've wanted to read for years, but never had the time. There are some that I recognize because I've seen the movie. There are many others I've not heard of before.

It's all very interesting, and I'm glad to have found the list and this group.

How about you? Have far have you gotten on the list?

Well, I just discovered the list a couple of weeks ago. I had only read about 26 or so from the list. I've added two ("Wise Blood" and "Lolita"), and am currently reading Jack Kerouac's "On the Road".

Gatsby is one of the 26, I had already read. It was required reading for my English 101 class in college. And I have since re-read it. Good book.

Just finished Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor. It was a good read. This was a first for me as far as this author goes. Will I read more of her work? Not sure.

Now it's on to Amsterdam.

I just finished Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. It just wasn't that good for me. I thought it started out great, but then just seemed to wander.

2 Stars

hi southpaw! just wondering, how old are you and based on what you've finished so far, how many years do you think you will be able to finished all the 1001? are you following the 2010 edition? what if they change the list again in 2012?

i started this quest in March 2009 and so far i am on my 110 book. I sometimes read other books in between the 1001s. So, with the rate I am going I think it will take me 7-10 years before I finish everything. That is if I stick with the 2010 edition. I am 45 y/o and I hope my eyes will still be strong till I finish all the remaining 900 books.

I got curious in your case because you even have that barometer. Anyway, good luck to both of us.

Hi KD,

I'm a little older than you. I'm not focused so much on finishing the goal of 1001, althought that would be nice. I started out mainly because I found alot of classics on the list that I've never read but always wanted to. I also found many other interesting books, and would like to read those as well. I don't have a time line.

I do know that the list has changed. In fact, I just discovered this morning that Amsterdam was on the 2006 list, but not on the 2008 or the 2010 lists. As I started in December 2009, I was working off the 2008 list but somehow got confused, thinking Amsterdam was on the 2008 list. I will now focus on the 2010 list, but will not rule out anything from the previous two (2006, 2008).

The little "ticker" thingy is just a visual for me.

What little I've worked on this list so far, I've enjoyed. I've not been able to read as much as I normally do the first half of this year. Hopefully that will change for me in July.

You are making tremendous progress. I applaud you on that. Good luck to you as well...and happy reading.

southpaw285 wrote: "Hi KD,

I'm a little older than you. I'm not focused so much on finishing the goal of 1001, althought that would be nice. I started out mainly because I found alot of classics on the list that ..."

Thanks! Happy reading too!

K.D. wrote: "hi southpaw! just wondering, how old are you and based on what you've finished so far, how many years do you think you will be able to finished all the 1001? are you following the 2010 edition? wha..."I'm 43 and just recently started the list (like in April 2010)- I've read 89 so far of the list. I have a friend who asked me to promise him that I would only read 1000 of the list. When I asked him why, he said that he was concerned that as soon as I read the last one, the 1001 book, I WOULD die and he didn't want that to happen. Ha ha.

Funny Ginny! I like that! Here's an idea: when you're done with the 1000 books, reward yourself by going to those 1001 Places to See Before You Die!

K.D. wrote: "Funny Ginny! I like that! Here's an idea: when you're done with the 1000 books, reward yourself by going to those 1001 Places to See Before You Die!"Great idea! That would be wonderful!

I just finished Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Wow! What a story! I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book! For me personally, it has to be one of the best I've ever read. How I've managed to go all these years without reading it, I'll never know.

5 Stars

I just finsihed Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It was long, but a really great book.

5 Stars

Now it is on to A Passage to India by E.M. Forster, which I've just started.

(718)

I loved Jane Eyre. I felt the same way after reading it....why did I wait so long? I admit I was intimidated by the book at first, but once I started I could not put it down. Good Luck with your list!

Hi Jennifer. Glad to make the acquaintance of a Jane Eyre fan.

Many of the books on this list are intimidating to me. Sometimes I wonder if it is a language barrier. I'm not very far along (only 6 books completed so far), but I often look over the list...and sometimes it's scary...lol.

How many have you completed? Please answer only if you don't mind me asking. If you do mind, please forgive my nosiness.

Good luck to you as well.

southpaw285 wrote: "Hi Jennifer. Glad to make the acquaintance of a Jane Eyre fan.

Many of the books on this list are intimidating to me. Sometimes I wonder if it is a language barrier. I'm not very far along (..."

Southpaw - I, too, feel intimidated by some of the books on the list. However, there are many that are "easy" reads in that they're not full of symbolism or literary devices. You;ve already read what many consider "challenging" books, so I don't think you have anything to fear!

I seek out audio books for those titles that I perceive I may have trouble "reading" - keep up the good work!

Hi Becky,

Funny that you should mention the audiobook factor. I've just recently started listening to audiobooks. I used to say, (which just goes to prove - "never say never"), I would never listen to audiobooks. However, when I decided to do this challenge of reading the 1001 Books, I decided to give it another try. I have to say, it is working very well for me. I've only read 7 books, and not all have been audio...but I must say that the audio I have listened to was great!

How are you doing on your list? How do you pick your next book? Do you follow the monthly read?

So Southpaw what was your take on In cold Blood? It was recommended to me prior to knowing it was on the 1001 books list, I absolutely loved it (hmm seems an inappropriate word)....I was absolutely fascinated with it should I say. It led me onto a massive research hunt trying to locate loads of information on the net afterwards lol. Do you think that the author was biased towards the one particular defendant? A lot of people think so..

southpaw- I have not ready many books at all. It depends on which list as well....currently I think I have four, but before they changed the list I think I had six.
This list and many of the books are quite intimidating, but I figure just one at a time (which is difficult because I usually read about two or three books at a time). I am currently reading Dracula which so far is a good book (but a little slow at times).
I have never used audiobooks....I am not sure about following along. My friend bought me an audiobook (The Secret) which I was able to listen to in the car, but I am not so sure I would be able to follow an entire fiction book.

southpaw285 wrote: "Hi Becky,

Funny that you should mention the audiobook factor. I've just recently started listening to audiobooks. I used to say, (which just goes to prove - "never say never"), I would never l..."

Hi: I just finished #134. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of books I had already read. I haven't followed the monthly feed yet -- no good reason why I haven't.

I don't really have a system for selecting what book to read -- some are books I always intended to read but didn't have a good reason to, until now. I try to bounce between contemporary books and books before, say, 1930. My choices are sometimes made by default -- either can be purchased on audible.com for a reasonable price, or arrive via interlibrary loan.

Yas wrote: "So Southpaw what was your take on In cold Blood? It was recommended to me prior to knowing it was on the 1001 books list, I absolutely loved it (hmm seems an inappropriate word)....I was absolutely..."

Hi Yas. I found In Cold Blood fascinating and frustrating. It was a fascinating story for me as well. It is possible that Capote was biased. I had read (more than once) that he was prior to reading the book, so I'm not sure I was entirely open-minded about that aspect.

The book was also frustrating for me. At times, it seemed as though the author was giving too much information - so much so that the story just bogged down. There were instances where I just felt over-whelmed with all the information.

If you found In Cold Blood, fascinating, you might also like to read Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders...if you've not already done so.

How are you doing on your list of 1001? What are you currently reading?

Jennifer (jennbunny) wrote: "southpaw- I have not ready many books at all. It depends on which list as well....currently I think I have four, but before they changed the list I think I had six.
This list and many of the boo..."

Hi Jennifer. I started off using the 2008, but have now moved to the 2010. At this point, I don't think I will change again.

I too, usually have between 2 and 5 books going at one time. Usually the pattern is 2 audiobooks, 2 kindle books, and one hard copy book. I don't always have 5 going at one time (5 being the most so far), but it seems to always be more than one. As a side note, I also read alot of romance, and I've just found an interesting new genre - Historical Fiction.

For me, it isn't really about reading every single book on the list, so much as finding wonderful and exciting books to read. Aslo, it forces me to read "outside the box". I do so much reading and sometimes find myself in a rutt. There are actually three different reading lists that I'm working off of right now. I'm working on The Ultimate Teen Book Guide, and I just stumbled across The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List. I'm greatly enjoying all three.

I may start a group at the first of the year that focuses on reading challenges, and incorporates these three lists.

Good luck with Dracula...I would really love to know what you think once you've finished it.

Becky wrote: "southpaw285 wrote: "Hi Becky,

Funny that you should mention the audiobook factor. I've just recently started listening to audiobooks. I used to say, (which just goes to prove - "never say neve..."

Hi Becky. A very interesting way I've found to choose my next book is www.random.org. I came across the idea somewhere and don't remember for sure, but I really think it came from another member of the group. You can go to this website and put in the numbers. I choose to put 1 and minimum and 1001 as maximum and it chooses the next book number for me. I then go to the list, find the number...and that is the next book I read. I also do that for the other two lists that I'm working on. Of course, this method will not work for everyone...it seems to work very well for me.

Have fun reading and making your way through the list.

southpaw285 wrote: "Becky wrote: "southpaw285 wrote: "Hi Becky,

Funny that you should mention the audiobook factor. I've just recently started listening to audiobooks. I used to say, (which just goes to prove - "..."

Thats the same system that is used to select the monthly read for the group.

Paul wrote: "southpaw285 wrote: "Becky wrote: "southpaw285 wrote: "Hi Becky,

Funny that you should mention the audiobook factor. I've just recently started listening to audiobooks. I used to say, (which just..."

Thank you, Paul for refreshing my memory. I knew I had read it somewhere and it had to be in this group. I even went back through some of the postings trying to find it.

I was actually on another blog site several weeks ago that uses that same method to choose a book. I don't always follow the monthly selection, but I am trying to get better about that.

If you don't mind me asking, how are you doing with your list? Do you follow the monthly selection, or do you have a different method of choosing which book you will read next?

Good luck with your list.

southpaw285 wrote: "Yas wrote: "So Southpaw what was your take on In cold Blood? It was recommended to me prior to knowing it was on the 1001 books list, I absolutely loved it (hmm seems an inappropriate word)....I wa..."

Yeah I heard that a lot, as silly as it sounds he allegedly had feelings for him? Well I find that unbelievable but if so, thats kinda weird lol! It was great reading though!

I'll have to prioritise that book you have suggested as I have come across the title before and looked into it but haven't picked it up as of yet, I think I'll check the library, if not, buy it.

I'm doing okay thanks, not brilliantly, I'm on 16 books currently (going off the 2006 version of the list first) and currently have two of them on the go at the moment; Anna Karenina (good but very heavy!) and Kafka on the Shore. I love Murakami so he shouldn't be a problem to read!

Yas wrote: "southpaw285 wrote: "Yas wrote: "So Southpaw what was your take on In cold Blood? It was recommended to me prior to knowing it was on the 1001 books list, I absolutely loved it (hmm seems an inappro..."

You are doing great, Yas. Keep it up. Im at a measley number 7...lol.

No, I don’t mind at all. I printed a master copy of all 3 lists combined and sorted it alphabetically by author’s last name. I prefer to have a physical copy in my hand although I use the spreadsheets as well to check off the books I have read.
I first crossed off the books that were fresh in my mind because I’d read the within the last 2 years. Anything older than that I haven’t counted. Next I started reading though some of the list books that I own but hadn’t read yet. At the same time I started checking the availability of list books at my local library, starting with books that I recognise and intended to read at some point anyway…
Recently I’ve been a bit discouraged about how few list books I’ve read so I’ve flagged all of the books on my list which have been noted as “quick reads” on the forums here and read a few of those. I also checked out the “Hard reads” forum and plan to read 1 or 2 of these each year.
…after doing all of the methods above, I noticed that groups of books blocked together so I started to try to close the gaps.
In short, I have several methods that change all time all the time depending on my mood. I haven’t yet followed the “monthly book” – but I’ve only been a member for 2 months. I’m currently on 21 books but have 10 on loan from the library and several more on root to me that have been requested from other libraries . I also own 20+ list books that I’ve picked up from charity or 2nd hand book shops over the last few weeks.

Thanks. You'll get there soon! Lol...problem is so many books, so little time 0_0

Today I finished The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. A very dark, and at times, disturbing story of someone who seems to have it all, only to find herself struggling with an overwhelming depression.

4 Stars

Next up is The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles.

I was rencently able to combine the lists of 2006, 2008, and 2010. With that in mind, I went back and changed my goal to a combined total of 1295 books. I also listed the books I'v read that have been removed from the most recent list.

I just finished The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles. While I thought it was a good book, it did seem to drag in places...almost stall at times. For me, it took patience to get through it. I did not like the different endings, but that is only a personal preference.

3 Stars

Now, it is on to Summer by Edith Wharton.

Allison wrote: "best wishes to you. do you have a game plan as far as books/month? also, are you familiar with the arukiyomi spreadsheets?"

Hi Allison, and thank you. Best of luck to you as well.

I am familiar with Arukiyomi's spreadsheets. They are wonderful.

My game plan since I started was to use the random.org to choose my next book to read. However, I will be starting a new group in January, and I've devised several different challenges to help me work on this list, along with a couple of other lists.

I'm really looking forward to it.

How are you coming on your list? The most important question I guess is, are you having fun working on it?

I finished Summer by Edith Wharton this evening. I haven't rated it yet. Need to give it some thought.

Okay...so I finished Summer by Edith Wharton last night. I didn't like it. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the story line, etc. I didn't like the subtle undertones of incest.

2 Stars

Next up...A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute.

I just finsihed A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. It was a very enjoyable read. It is a story of a woman prisoner of WWII and how she perseveres. She thinks of herself as someone with very little talent and no interests, but soon discovers (as do others) she is a very good visionary.

4 Stars

Next I will start on Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, which I've been looking forward to for some time. I believe though it has been removed from the 2010 list.

wow, your ticker is really jumping on this one today! congrats! :D

Trisha wrote: "wow, your ticker is really jumping on this one today! congrats! :D"

Thanks, Trish. How are you doing on your list?

A quick update. I finished Memoirs of a Geisha on 09/07 and found it quite fascinating. A little nine year old girl taken from her home and family...very sad. I admired the resiliency of Sayuri though. Thoughout the entire book she not only managed to survive, she managed to overcome. It was a great story.

Next was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, which was actually a re-read for me. I absolutely love this book. Jane Austen is my favorite author. I usually read this book about once a year. After reading the book, I always watch the movie. Really, I'm just a P&P junkie.

Next up I will be reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I've heard alot of really good things about this book, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

I finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood this morning. Wow! What a scary story. I enjoyed the book tremendously. The thing that was so scary for me is how realistic the book is.

Imagine a world where women have absolutely no rights. They aren't allowed an education, not allowed to read, not allowed to own or manage their own business.

Imagine a world where a man makes every single decision for you. You, as a woman, are not allowed to decide anything.

It sends chills down my spine to even think about what life would be like for me in a world where I had no choice.

This is my first Margaret Atwood book. She has a very distinct style of writing.

I'm not sure what I will read next. I just know it has to be something lighter.

I'm thankful to be a woman. I'm thankful to be able to read. As simple as it may sound, I'm thankful to have the freedom to choose what I read next.

4 Stars