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

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message 1151: by Diana (new)

Diana Little | 30 comments I'm only at 14, with about 3 more sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, and a couple that I think I read but can't remember them so I don't count them. I'm a big reader and I thought I would be a little further a long then this. Over the past few years I have been on a mission to read books I feel should have been covered within my early school years but have not (Bronte sisters, Don Quixote, Jane Austin, etc). I feel these to be typical high school foray's into literature, but I never read them. I went through the public school system in Canada at several middle and high schools (army brat), does anyone else feel that their early education helped or hindered the depth of their reading portfolio?


message 1152: by Diana (new)

Diana Little | 30 comments Robyn, I completely agree most kids these days focus on the tech. I find in school we focused mostly on Shakespeare and was slightly surprised not to see any of his works on the list, but maybe plays/scripts aren't included as books? I definitely enjoy reading the classics now and I probably understand and appreciate them more now then I would ever have had in school! :D


message 1153: by Jonpaul (new)

Jonpaul My education definitely helped more than hindered. In high school alone, I know I read "The Stranger", "Great Expectations", "The Trial", "Cat's Cradle". "The Scarlet Letter", "Ethan Frome", "Walden", "Madame Bovary", "The Sun Also Rises", "Cat's Cradle", "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", "Heart of Darkness", "The Great Gatsby", "Of Mice and Men", "The Old Man an The Sea", and "The Catcher in the Rye". There were more books on the list I read during high school but those are all books I was required to read for class.

I know college definitely helped because I studied Literature. Just one semester in literary modernism knocked out about 10-12 books, including "Ulysses" and "The Good Soldier".


message 1154: by Linda (last edited Aug 06, 2014 10:36AM) (new)

Linda | 275 comments Diana wrote: "I'm only at 14, with about 3 more sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, and a couple that I think I read but can't remember them so I don't count them. I'm a big reader and I thought I would be a..."

I had read ~39 when I started this list at the end of 2013, and about 10 of those I read in school - Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol, Huck Finn, Great Gatsby, Brave New World, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, To Kill A Mockingbird, Scarlet Letter, Their Eyes Were Watching God. I wish I had read more classics in school, though. What I did read doesn't seem like very many. I had started reading through the Austen, Brontes, Eliot, Tolstoy, Dickens a few years ago - books I thought I should have already read. Now I'm at 46 read and am almost done with 47 and 48. I've tackled some of the big books recently - Les Mis, Don Quixote, Anna Karenina, Middlemarch, Daniel Deronda.

Our house is filled with books, and we built a bookcase in the hallway between the kids' rooms that is specifically for kids books. Books for my 3 year old at her height and the older books for my 8 year old a bit higher up. They love that they have their own bookcase and like to pick and choose and rearrange. :) It also helps that our kids see mom and dad reading all the time.


message 1155: by Jonpaul (new)

Jonpaul I just finished number 304 of the combined list. Only 1001 to go! Woo hoo!


message 1156: by Ed (last edited Aug 08, 2014 02:34PM) (new)

Ed Lehman | 122 comments Just finished #97 from the combined list.


message 1157: by Diana (new)

Diana Little | 30 comments Wow! Congrats Jonpaul and Ed! :)


message 1158: by Diana (new)

Diana Little | 30 comments Linda wrote: "Diana wrote: "I'm only at 14, with about 3 more sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, and a couple that I think I read but can't remember them so I don't count them. I'm a big reader and I though..."

When I was in school the only classics we really covered were To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and War and Peace for some reason... I didn't have issues with it, but not a book many teenagers are apt to pay attention to. Other then that I only really remember Shakespeare and Simon & Garfunkel lyrics... Lord of the Flies and the other books I've crossed off the list were all read after, and although I enjoyed them, I think they would have had a very different impact on me if I read them while I was younger; which I'm sure will have different meaning to me when I'm older as well. That's the joy of books though, I can reread them whenever I want.

I also can't wait for my bookshelves, I've moved about 7 times in the last 4.5 years so all my books are scattered between about 15 boxes. My husband promises to build me shelves one day out of pure necessity since I keep coming home with more and more books! :D


message 1159: by Diane (new)

Diane  | 2336 comments Mod
Jonpaul wrote: "I just finished number 304 of the combined list. Only 1001 to go! Woo hoo!"

Oh, wow, I am at 304, too. I didn't realize that now makes 1001 books left. It's like we never started...


message 1160: by Wendy (new)

Wendy (wendyneedsbooks) | 154 comments Diane wrote: "Jonpaul wrote: "I just finished number 304 of the combined list. Only 1001 to go! Woo hoo!"

Oh, wow, I am at 304, too. I didn't realize that now makes 1001 books left. It's like we never started..."


Hah!


message 1161: by Kat (last edited Aug 11, 2014 02:35AM) (new)

Kat (ceratopsians) | 56 comments Diana wrote: "I'm only at 14, with about 3 more sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, and a couple that I think I read but can't remember them so I don't count them. I'm a big reader and I thought I would be a..."

I think it hindered mine as we only read two books (one classic, one contemporary) plus anthology work for GCSE in the UK, and your GCSEs were the only time you were required to study English language and literature. We read these two books for two years. From the age of 16 you're allowed to pick what you want to study and this is typically only three subjects! I can't remember really doing anything seriously book based before that, we tended to stick to extracts I think. Although this was 8 years ago now, so it may be different now!

University was a bit better for my reading habits, but I was reading in a foreign language so I read a lot slower.

I started the new list in May last year and have read about 34 list books in that time, hooray! Not bad for a dyslexically slow reader :).


message 1162: by Lisa (new)

Lisa James (sthwnd) | 352 comments I'm at right around 200. I skip around, get hooked on an author, & then try to breeze through all of the ones on the list by that author, or DETEST an author, read as many of the works on the list by that author as I can stomach at one time, then go off list for a while. I'm nearly through all of Rushdie's that are on the list, think I'm done, then find another one. UGH....


message 1163: by Hugo (new)

Hugo Emanuel | 4 comments I am not big on reading lists, I dislike any kind of impositions regarding my reading habits, even self-imposed ones. I like reading what I fancy without cause or reason beyond my personal enjoyment and mood. However I have quite incidently found that I have read about 85 (not 50, as I had previously mentioned on this thread) of the books mentioned in the list and have on my-owned-to-read shelf at least 20 more of those. I've got to say that altough I would never subject myself to reading some of the novels listed here most of those do cater to my sensibilities and interests. It's a pretty good list.


message 1164: by Joel (new)

Joel B | 23 comments In 10 minutes i am about to finsh number 80. in the last two weeks i have finished 10 books, lots of travel for work - audiobooks!


message 1165: by Amie (new)

Amie (amie-b) | 25 comments I finished my 100th book yesterday. Only 1205 from the combined list to go. ;)


message 1166: by Lesley (new)

Lesley | 58 comments I've just finished my 100th book today, too. I'm reading from the combined lists, and reading other things as well. I expect to read around 50 '1001' books yearly. Should take me only 24 years ...


message 1167: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) Finally did the count - 52! (There were many books I didn't expect to see there that I had read.)


message 1168: by Margot (new)

Margot (margot-livingtoreadfantasy) | 3 comments I have only read 17... but still I'm only 16 and English isn't my mother tongue so I'm sorta happy with that


message 1169: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) That's terrific, @Mar! There are a lot of different books. Maybe you can read some of the non-English ones in the original language. I wish I'd been more studious in my foreign languages when I was in school.


message 1170: by Margot (new)

Margot (margot-livingtoreadfantasy) | 3 comments Kirsten wrote: "That's terrific, @Mar! There are a lot of different books. Maybe you can read some of the non-English ones in the original language. I wish I'd been more studious in my foreign languages when I was..."

I'm reading some of the Dutch books for my regular literature classes at school, so I got those in the pocket :D


message 1171: by Jennifer W (new)

Jennifer W | 251 comments I'm at 56 off the original list, 63 if you count the additions of subsequent lists.

I would say my schooling definitely did not help in reading the classics. In high school, the only list books I read were To Kill a Mockingbird and Animal Farm.

I college I read One Hundred Years of Solitude, Mrs. Dalloway and Nervous Conditions (one of the most underrated books on the list, I'd say).

So with the except of those 5 books, every other list read I've read has come since I've been out of school.


message 1172: by Bucket (new)

Bucket | 248 comments I'm now at 126 (reading from the combined list). My goal is 1001 from the combined list as there's some I'd rather skip and some too hard to find, but if I ever make that goal, who knows, I may keep going!

Most recent list reads: The Virgin Suicides
The White Tiger
Steppenwolf
Their Eyes Were Watching God


message 1173: by Conner (new)

Conner (connerh) | 2 comments I've read 32 so far


message 1174: by Nicola (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Bucket wrote: "I'm now at 126 (reading from the combined list). My goal is 1001 from the combined list as there's some I'd rather skip and some too hard to find, but if I ever make that goal, who knows, I may kee..."

That's what I'm doing :-) 127 so far...


message 1175: by Bucket (new)

Bucket | 248 comments Nicola wrote: "Bucket wrote: "I'm now at 126 (reading from the combined list). My goal is 1001 from the combined list as there's some I'd rather skip and some too hard to find, but if I ever make that goal, who k..."

Awesome, Nicola! It's a strategy that seems feasible to me. I'm working on #127 and it's a big one (Don Quixote) so I probably won't be catching up with you. :)


message 1176: by Lotte_ladybird (new)

Lotte_ladybird | 55 comments I just finished book number 200 which I was very pleased about :) Still lots to go (aiming for all 1305, but we'll see. I might end up doing 1001 from the combined list), but so far, so good :)

Happy reading, everyone :)


message 1177: by Esy (new)

Esy | 2 comments as of today I have 130 books read, I haven't been able to read nearly as much as I liked in the past months but 'm hoping to reach 145-160 in the next 2 months


message 1178: by Heather (new)

Heather Cotton (hncotton) I've only read 4 so far.

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
"One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Truman Capote
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell


message 1179: by Laura (new)

Laura | 56 comments I just reached 100 books! Of course, when I think that it is still less than 10% of the 1001 books, it makes it seem such a small achievement...


message 1180: by Linda (new)

Linda | 275 comments LDB wrote: "I just reached 100 books! Of course, when I think that it is still less than 10% of the 1001 books, it makes it seem such a small achievement..."

That's twice as many as me! I don't like to think of how many more I have to go, but how much progress I've made in the past year since I've started the list.


message 1181: by ~Calyre~ (new)

~Calyre~ | 103 comments Just reached 300 ^_^


message 1182: by Aleta (new)

Aleta I've read 48, currently reading two more on the list.

Not planning to read all 1305, since there are some I would never want to read, it'll probably end up at around 1001 of the complete list. I'm not doing this as a challenge, but merely to learn about new books as well as getting motivated to read the classics of different countries :)

We hadn't read ANY of these in school, except for The Collector, which I didn't read because it creeped me out. When I started the list a few months ago, I had read about 30 or so, so I'm pleased about the progress I've been making.


message 1183: by [deleted user] (new)

Calyre wrote: "Just reached 300 ^_^"

Great milestone to hit! How long have you been working on the list for?


message 1184: by [deleted user] (last edited Dec 12, 2014 05:20PM) (new)

Just finished getting the list set up and going into the challenge (officially starting tonight), I've already read 39 books. That seems like a really tiny number, in comparison to the list eek!


message 1185: by Linda (new)

Linda | 275 comments Sara wrote: "Just finished getting the list set up and going into the challenge (officially starting tonight), I've already read 39 books. That seems like a really tiny number, in comparison to the list eek!"

Good luck, Sara! I was right around the upper 30s when I started the challenge last year. I'm up to 52 now. Slow going, but chugging along!


message 1186: by [deleted user] (new)

Linda wrote: "Sara wrote: "Just finished getting the list set up and going into the challenge (officially starting tonight), I've already read 39 books. That seems like a really tiny number, in comparison to the..."

Thanks, I'm really excited to start this adventure!


message 1187: by ~Calyre~ (new)

~Calyre~ | 103 comments Sara wrote: "Calyre wrote: "Just reached 300 ^_^"

Great milestone to hit! How long have you been working on the list for?"


Thanks Sara and welcome !
I discovered the list in 2010, so I started that year.


message 1188: by [deleted user] (new)

Um.............only 7...........but HEY im just starting haha


message 1189: by Deanne (new)

Deanne | 681 comments Reached 995 with the trusting and the maimed as well as the making of Americans. May be a while before I get my hands on one of the six left.


message 1190: by Kaycie (new)

Kaycie | 39 comments Deanne wrote: "Reached 995 with the trusting and the maimed as well as the making of Americans. May be a while before I get my hands on one of the six left."

This is such an amazing accomplishment! Do you feel like the effort and time involved was worth it looking back? Do you have any advice for people who are much closer to the start of the list? Congrats!


message 1191: by [deleted user] (new)

I just finished 66th book. Going to start on the 67th a little later this evening.


message 1192: by Nicola (last edited Dec 23, 2014 03:59AM) (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Kaycie wrote: "Do you have any advice for people who are much closer to the start of the list?

Keep reading! ;-)


message 1193: by Dree (new)

Dree | 160 comments I am at 106. I am hoping to read 10 more this year, minimum.


message 1194: by [deleted user] (new)

I have completed 111 off the list. I own the book so am following it. I also printed off the pages of the 2006/2008/2010/2012 listings. I highlight the books read and put checkmarks of books owned, kindle or print. My goal is to read 15 this coming year, 2015.


message 1195: by J_BlueFlower (new)

J_BlueFlower (j_from_denmark) | 387 comments Just finished The Plague - my book number 84. Maybe I can make it to 100 in 2015?


message 1196: by Annina (new)

Annina | 71 comments I'm reading number 78 and will finish it today.

So I'm definitely trying to get 100 books read in the end of year 2015. It's like 22 books. I'm very surprised if I can't do it. Maybe this up coming milestone makes me read more..


message 1197: by Shelley (new)

Shelley (book_drunkard) | 24 comments I have read 74 but I don't have the last updated list that is floating around. The last one I have is from 2010.


message 1198: by [deleted user] (last edited Jan 04, 2015 04:19AM) (new)

I officially started the List last month, and between the books I had already read from the List before I knew it existed, plus books I read in December, I'm at 50 books read right now, going into the new year. My goal is to read at least 35 List books this year, and since they'll be the focus of my reading in 2015 I'm pretty confident I can make that goal (I hope) :)


message 1199: by Gisela (new)

Gisela Hafezparast | 19 comments I have only just joint this group and hadn't actually heard of this list (which is curious as I am a compulsive list person). Just counted and I am surprised that I have read 161 books on the list. Really happy to see some of my all time favourite authors Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Rohinton Mistry, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen etc. so well represented. Can't help feeling that German and Scandinavian authors and other non English speaking/writing authors are a bit under-represented. For me most of the books of Hans Fallada should be on there?


message 1200: by Krista (new)

Krista (kacey14) | 10 comments I'm up to 74 books, but I'm hoping to add another two or three this month.


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