Task 8: Read a Book Originally Published in the Decade You Were Born

[Book Riot]

This thread is for dropping ideas, questions, resources, comments, and discussion about Task 8: Read a Book Originally Published in the Decade You Were Born.

You'll have to figure this one out on your own, since it'll vary from person to person. Goodreads has some useful lists by decade, though. Just check that they're books published in that decade, rather than set in them:

00s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/00s

90s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/90s

80s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/80s

70s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/70s

60s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/60s

50s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/50s

40s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/40s

30s: https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/30s

[Rainey]

I was born in the 60s so for this my pick is The Phantom Tollbooth

[Tatiana]

I was born in the 80's so I'm planning on reading The Handmaid's Tale.

[Cheri]

I was born in the 50s and plan to read Foundation. I've never read anything by Isaac Asimov and would like to correct that omission.

[Allie]

I was born in the '80s and I'm being a little ambitious and reading Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. I've never read anything by him before, but I heard a short story he wrote on a podcast a while back and really enjoyed it.

[Leslie (updates on SG)]

I can highly recommend the books mentioned so far!

I was born in the 70's so will read P.S. Your Cat is Dead, which a friend of mine thinks is the funniest book ever.

[Trudie]

As a sometimes follower of The Booker prize I thought I would see what novel won in my year of 1975 - so I guess I will be finding a copy of Heat and Dust

[Cheryl]

I was born in the 60's, so I am reading .

[Laura]

Guess I won't be doubling up on the dystopian category since The Handmaid's Tale was published in the 80s! Excited that I can now read this and my first dystopian selection!

[Bea]

Gosh, I seem to be among the oldest here. I was born in the 40s - late 40s. My choice is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

[Jolynne]

Hahaha, I first read this as "the year you were born." Now that I have read it right I realize I have a choice of ten Dr. Seuss books instead of two! :-)

[Karin]

Early 80s here, and I am going to go all out and read A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam for my pick. It's a huge book, but I'm really looking forward to a deep dive into the history of the Vietnam War.

[Kathy]

I was born in the 50s and will read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.

[Ollie Z]

I'm a child of the 80s and I'm reading Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson.

[[deleted user]]

1989 - I'm considering The Moons of Jupiter or maybe The Color of Magic since I've never read any Terry Pratchett - that could send me down a whole rabbit-hole!

[Kathryn]

The 70s, groovy. I picked The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford.

[Sean]

Another child of the 80s here. I picked up Love in the Time of Cholera earlier this year and haven't gotten around to it, so it's the perfect time.

[Robin P]

I was born in the 50's and I am in the middle of a challenge where I am reading a book written in each year of my life. I didn't read in order so I still have several of that decade to go - Lucky Jim, The Tortoise and the Hare andThe Unknown Shore.

[Bryony]

I'm one of few people who haven't read Harry Potter so seen as I was born in the 90's, I'm going to start! :)

[Dayna]

I'm going to read The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco.

[Kai]

Allie wrote: "I was born in the '80s and I'm being a little ambitious and reading Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. I've never read anything by him before, but I heard a short story he wrote on ..."

I read Midnight's Children this year, and it was AMAZING. I couldn't recommend it enough (it won the "best of the Booker" award too, so I'm not alone!). I'm another 80's kid, and I'll be reading The Satanic Verses. Midnight's Children was my first Rushdie book and it is definitely not going to be my last!

[Shirley]

I'm going to read good behaviour by Molly Keane , child of the 80s and can double as doing last years challenge this year aswel :)

[Sean]

Shirley wrote: "I'm going to read good behaviour by Molly Keane , child of the 80s and can double as doing last years challenge this year aswel :)"

I just read that. It's a great book, and I love the way Keane describes what's going on. I hope you enjoy it!

[Rebecca]

So many choices from the 1960s, but I may go with Malamud's The Fixer since I always love his work and this one is supposed to be fantastic.

[[deleted user]]

Alysa wrote: "Allie wrote: "I was born in the '80s and I'm being a little ambitious and reading Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. I've never read anything by him before, but I heard a short stor..."

The Satanic Verses was my first and remains my favourite. Hope you enjoy it as much as you did Midnight's Children! :)

[[deleted user]]

Kathy wrote: "I was born in the 50s and will read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson."

There's a decent film adaptation of this as well, unless I'm getting my wires crossed (did she do it with camels?), so this could also be a fit for the book/movie category.

[Kathy]

Dom wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I was born in the 50s and will read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson."

There's a decent film adaptation of this as well, unless I'm getting my wires crossed (did she do ..."
Thanks, Dom. I'll check out the movie after I read the book.

[Allie]

Alysa wrote: "Allie wrote: "I was born in the '80s and I'm being a little ambitious and reading Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. I've never read anything by him before, but I heard a short stor..."

I'm so glad to hear! No one else I know has read it!

[Karen]

I've never read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, (from the seventies)....

[[deleted user]]

Kathy wrote: "Dom wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I was born in the 50s and will read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson."

There's a decent film adaptation of this as well, unless I'm getting my wires crossed ..."

Oops... That was supposed to be a reply to Jeni's post about 'Tracks'. Definitely getting my wires crossed! (I haven't read The Haunting of Hill House but can't imagine there are camels involved!)

[Megnews]

I was born 1975 and plan to read Ragtime by EL Doctorow.

[Elle]

Yeah man. I'm one of those groovy kids of the 70's. It's either Watership Down or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for me. Both are on my TBR and Watership down is on my TBR Classics list.

[[deleted user]]

Elle wrote: "Yeah man. I'm one of those groovy kids of the 70's. It's either Watership Down or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for me. Both are on my TBR and Watership down is on my ..."

Haven't read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (yet!), but highly recommend Watership Down - I read it when I was about 18 and absolutely loved it. It's on my TBR-R list (To Be Re-Read!). Really great stuff :)

[Brenda]

Found this link for the New York Times Bestsellers lists while I was researching this challenge. It goes back to 1941!
http://www.hawes.com/number1s.htm

[Monica]

Brenda wrote: Found this link for the New York Times Bestsellers lists while I was researching this challenge. It goes back to 1941!
http://www.hawes.com/number1s.htm

Very cool!!

I'm a 60s baby. For me it'll be either Stand on Zanzibar or The Fire Next Time...

[Kala]

I have the 80s to work with - I picked up Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits today.

[Kimberly]

Karen wrote: "I've never read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, (from the seventies)...."

Great choice! It's a fave of mine from when i was a kid. I might re-read this for this category. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Jenn T Rogers]

I think if you were born in 70s you have most of Stephen King's classics open to you. I think I'm going to finally read The Stand.

[Bobby]

I was born in the 50s, and there are way too many choices for this category, but I will probably go with The Assistant by Bernard Malamud, since it was written in the year I was born. I may also read Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck, since I currently have it checked out from the library and need to return it!

[Bea]

Hmmm. Looks like I am still the oldest one here.

[Kate]

I was born in the 80s. Current shortlist:

Love in the Time of Cholera
The Color of Magic
Norwegian Wood

[Rokkan]

Allie wrote: "I was born in the '80s and I'm being a little ambitious and reading Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. I've never read anything by him before, but I heard a short story he wrote on ..."

Also born in the '80s, also going with Midnight Children. Fancy a buddy-up?

[Carolyn]

I was born in the 50s and I'm thinking about reading The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

[Monica]

Kate wrote: I was born in the 80s. Current shortlist:
I, Robot

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov was first published in 1956. Maybe even before your parents were born... ;-)

[Kate]

Monica wrote: "Kate wrote: I was born in the 80s. Current shortlist:
I, Robot

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov was first published in 1956. Maybe even before your parents were born... ;-)"

Whoops! No, that is exactly when my mother was born. But then I googled and got 1950 for original publication! The Goodreads page says 1987, which I suppose is how I was mislead. Thanks for catching it, haha.

[Daena]

I am a 70's kid. I'll be reading The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.

[Lauren]

I've heard great things about Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping, published in 1981. I think that will be the choice for this 80s baby.

[Astrid]

I'm a 90s kid so my three options for books published in this decade are Infinite Jest, High Fidelity and Bridget Jones's Diary

[Caitlin]

I was born in the 90s and though I'd like to tackle Infinite Jest, I think I'll go for Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides to ensure I actually get the book finished! I adored Middlesex so much that I read it twice so I'm thinking I'll probably enjoy this one as well.

[Jennifer]

Karen wrote: "I've never read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, (from the seventies)...."
You are in for a treat, then! That is one of my favorites of all time!