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

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message 901: by Amber (new)

Amber | 3 comments The Sea by John Banville


message 902: by Ravenskya (new)

Ravenskya  (ravenskya) Okay, Finished "House of Seven Gables" and "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" so I started on "Anna Kerenina" and "Clockwork Orange"

Still slogging through "War and Peace" very well written but realllllly looooooong.


message 903: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie (sbez05) | 32 comments Just started The Reluctant Fundamentalist. I'm really excited about this one.


message 904: by Patricia (new)

Patricia | 8 comments I plan on starting The Double by José Saramago tonight.


message 905: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer Well, I'm wrestling with Midnight's children by Salman Rushdie. I loved it at the start, but the digressions (I know they are the whole point of the book, but I am a conventional sod I suppose) are starting to get up my nose. I'm about a third of the way through and I don't know if I can keep going. I'm going to start Lolita and read it at the same time, but its not easy to read two at a time when the number one book is such a wandering minstrel to start with - I'll find it hard to pick up the thread.


message 906: by Galen (last edited Jan 14, 2009 04:24AM) (new)

Galen Johnson (galenj) | 33 comments Jennifer wrote: "Well, I'm wrestling with Midnight's children by Salman Rushdie. I loved it at the start, but the digressions (I know they are the whole point of the book, but I am a conventional sod I suppose) ar..."
I just read Midnight's Children and LOVED it. But I did find it a bit much to read during the chaos of the holidays and took a break from it, and it was surprisingly easy to come back to. Hopefully you can stick with it... I just started Hawthorne's "The House of Seven Gables", and I'm finding it hard to adjust to the dense writing after a bunch of modern reads lately.




message 907: by Deanne (new)

Deanne | 681 comments Sentimental Education by Flaubert, really easy to read and interesting plot. Also enjoy the odd snippets of information that Flaubert drops into the plot, in order to set the period of the story.


message 908: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer Galen wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Well, I'm wrestling with Midnight's children by Salman Rushdie. I loved it at the start, but the digressions (I know they are the whole point of the book, but I am a conventional ..."
Thanks for the encouragement - maybe I will go back to it..but Lolita is OK so far too. Tell me, Galen, does Midnight's children change at all or is this what I can expect for the next two thirds too?



message 909: by Melissa (new)

Melissa Ragtime by Doctorow. So far it's weird. It doesn't follow the basic conventions of a novel (like giving your characters names). I can't decide if I like it or not.


message 910: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth Emma by Jane Austin


message 911: by Lenoir (new)

Lenoir | 27 comments Breakfast of Champions


message 912: by Christina Stind (new)

Christina Stind | 180 comments Anna Karenina - looking forward to it!


message 913: by Charity (new)

Charity (charityross) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky


message 914: by Emma (new)

Emma (mnium) | 135 comments Life of Pi by Yann Martel


message 915: by Katie ATX (new)

Katie ATX (katieatx) | 74 comments Great Apes by Will Self....has anyone read this one, yet?


message 916: by Kristi (new)

Kristi (kristilarson) | 263 comments Valley of the Dolls. Obviously NOT on the list, but it's for another book club.


message 917: by Katie ATX (new)

Katie ATX (katieatx) | 74 comments I'm starting War of Peace today. I am currently reading Great Apes by Will Self, which I just started a day or so ago, but its causing me some confusion so I thought I would set it aside momentarily. I'm doing War and Peace through daily lit and I let my email build up a couple of parts before reading it.


message 918: by Katie ATX (new)

Katie ATX (katieatx) | 74 comments Logan wrote: "I picked up Haruki Murakami's Wind-Up Bird Chronicles at the airport last night and then spent an entire flight when I should have been sleeping sucked into the pages. One of the review snippets o..."

I really enjoy Murakami's writing. He keeps you wanting more the entire time.




message 919: by Tricia (new)

Tricia | 4 comments Lianna wrote: "Middlesex. I blew through the first chapter. Chapters two and three are a little more sluggish... "


Hang in there. Middlesex was worth it.



message 920: by Rene (new)

Rene | 6 comments i am just about to start the last exit to brooklyn


message 921: by Niche (new)

Niche I'm reading "Madame Bovary" through DailyLit. I'm half way through "Time's Arrow" by Amis but I left it on the plane yesterday so I need to pick up another copy. It reminds me of "Slaughter-House Five". The main character is cold and unfeeling but I don't know why because the book goes through time backwards. I also just started "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain" by Maryanne Wolf.


message 922: by Katie ATX (last edited Jan 21, 2009 09:59AM) (new)

Katie ATX (katieatx) | 74 comments I've set aside Great Apes by Will Self, am reading War and Peace through dailylit, but only because they didn't have a copy at half priced books when I went yesterday and I just started Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro


message 923: by Yrinsyde (new)

Yrinsyde | 295 comments I'm about to start The Unfortunate Traveller by Thomas Nash.


message 924: by Katie ATX (new)

Katie ATX (katieatx) | 74 comments I started Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho


message 925: by Lianne (last edited Jan 22, 2009 03:27PM) (new)

Lianne (eclecticreading) I've started reading Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day


message 926: by Monique (new)

Monique (moniquereads) | 9 comments Just started reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee


message 927: by Deanne (new)

Deanne | 681 comments 100 years of solitude, just about to move country for the third time so I'm hoping to finish it before I leave Canada.


message 928: by Galen (new)

Galen Johnson (galenj) | 33 comments Jennifer, Midnight's Children stays about the same in pace and writing style, but the story does get much more into the history of India and Pakistan as the story goes on.

I'm reading Atonement now, and so far think it has its interesting points but is overall moving quite slowly.




message 929: by Justine (new)

Justine (paperbackheart) I started 2001 A Space Odyssey yesterday. I haven't seen the movie so I only know a little about what to expect.


message 930: by Susan (new)

Susan | 3 comments I just began "The Once and Future King" by T H White. Is it worth the read?




message 931: by Lenoir (new)

Lenoir | 27 comments One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Susan, I almost bought The Once and Future King today but I put it back because my New Years Resolution was to not buy anymore books until I read all the books that are on my bookshelf that I haven't read yet. I'm down to 45 (from 67). Ugh.


message 932: by Patricia (new)

Patricia | 8 comments Just started Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. I'm a fan of his writing.


message 933: by Gaston (new)

Gaston | 26 comments It's not on the list, but I am starting As I Lay Dying by Faulkner.


message 934: by Meg (new)

Meg Gaston, As I Lay Dying should be on the list. I've read it a few times and the second time I went through it a teacher suggested that I approach it with a sense of humor. It made the book a lot richer for me, and I realized that as tragic as much of the book is Faulkner was definitely going for laughs with a lot of it, too. Enjoy!


message 935: by Monica (new)

Monica (monnieh722) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde


message 936: by Cynthia (new)

Cynthia Paschen | 72 comments Gaston wrote: "It's not on the list, but I am starting As I Lay Dying by Faulkner."Gaston: let us know how you like Faulkner. My college daughter in Atlanta once attended a performance of As I Lay Dying by large wooden puppets/marionettes. She said it was bizarre.




message 937: by Susan (new)

Susan | 3 comments Lenoir wrote: "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Susan, I almost bought The Once and Future King today but I put it back because my New Years Resolution was to not buy anymore books until I read all the books th..."


If I didn't but another book until I read all on my shelfs, I wouldn't be buying a book for years! You are an example of self-restraint. "The Once and Future King" has captivated me, but hundreds of pages to go.


message 938: by Linda (new)

Linda Just started Seize the Day by Saul Bellow. Looks like it will be easy reading and it's fairly short. I think it was originally on the list but then dropped. Anyone have a recommendation for a different work by Bellow?


message 939: by Kristi (new)

Kristi (kristilarson) | 263 comments Lenoir wrote: "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Susan, I almost bought The Once and Future King today but I put it back because my New Years Resolution was to not buy anymore books until I read all the books th..."


I made a similar resolution. I don't mean to finish every book I own before buying another, but I have purchased so many in the last four months! Also, I get so many books from the library that I put those before the ones that I own. I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I need to stop going to the library so much!

I just started The Mandarins.


message 940: by Lenoir (new)

Lenoir | 27 comments Luckily, most of the books on my "have-it-to-read" shelf are on the 1001 list. I don't know if I can really go a whole year without buying any new books though. It's only the end of January. You can hold me up as an example of self-restraint later in the year. I might crack under the pressure of my addiction way before then. I am just happy that I can now fit them all on one shelf of my bookshelf (except for Bleak House).


message 941: by Yrinsyde (new)

Yrinsyde | 295 comments Susan - I loved The Once an Future King. I generally enjoy Arthurian sagas!

I would say - yes!


message 942: by Kristi (new)

Kristi (kristilarson) | 263 comments Lenoir wrote: "Luckily, most of the books on my "have-it-to-read" shelf are on the 1001 list. I don't know if I can really go a whole year without buying any new books though. It's only the end of January. You ca..."

I have already bought one book, but it couldn't be avoided. It's my turn for book club, and I wasn't able to get a copy at the library.


message 943: by Niche (new)

Niche Linda wrote: "Just started Seize the Day by Saul Bellow. Looks like it will be easy reading and it's fairly short. I think it was originally on the list but then dropped. Anyone have a recommendation for a diffe..."
I loved "Mr. Sammler's Planet." It's like a love-letter to New York City pre-clean-up. New York City sounds dirty and dangerous but also beautiful.




message 944: by Susan (new)

Susan | 3 comments Kristi wrote: "Lenoir wrote: "Luckily, most of the books on my "have-it-to-read" shelf are on the 1001 list. I don't know if I can really go a whole year without buying any new books though. It's only the end of ..."

So what are you reading for your book group?


message 945: by Kristi (new)

Kristi (kristilarson) | 263 comments The Book Thief. It's not on the list, and technically young adult, but I have heard great things about it.


message 946: by Darcy (new)

Darcy (darcy-elizabeth) | 34 comments I just began The Bell Jar
I've heard lots of good things about it from my friends, so I'm quite excited to finish!


message 947: by Denise (new)

Denise (dr36ri) | 1 comments Going to start Middlesex tonight. Glad to hear it's worth hanging in for. Just finished Ironweed and Never Let Me Go.


message 948: by Emma (new)

Emma (mnium) | 135 comments Started Written on the Body on the train this morning.


message 949: by Monika (new)

Monika | 9 comments Denise wrote: "Going to start Middlesex tonight. Glad to hear it's worth hanging in for. Just finished Ironweed and Never Let Me Go."

I have 3 chapters to go in Middlesex and the end is definitely more interesting than the beginning. I'm actually surprised that more of the book did not happen in the "present" time. Was it a book that I had to read before I die...I don't know but it definitely made me aware of some things that I haven't thought much about before.




message 950: by Denise (new)

Denise | 231 comments I'm getting ready to start Middlesex. Glad to see I'll have some company.


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