1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

This list is from 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter Boxall. Most people take exception to some of the books and/or authors on the list — or some of the books and/or authors that are not on the list. I don’t think the list is perfect, either, but I’m going to start slugging away.

There are quite a few books on the list that I’ve already read, but it was so long ago and I’ll probably just read them again. I’d really like to work through the list in chronological order, but I can get bogged down in details like that and end up not doing anything at all. So I’m just going to read the books as they come to me — or as I find them — and not sweat the small stuff too much.

You can view the Listology list of 1001 books and the discussion thereof. If you want a spreadsheet to keep track of what you’ve read and what you still need to work on, you can find one here.

ARGH!!!!

I didn’t know there was a new edition of this book. I didn’t know there was a new list. I didn’t know most of the books I’ve read aren’t on the new list!

ARGH!

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

It’s finally here! Finally! So this is the next on the list. I’m doing this one a la the process set out in Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well-Trained Mind — A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had. So if you’d like to do this one, too, we’ve just started! It’s not too late!

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Though I was determined that I would read all of the books on the list, even if that meant having to read some that I had read previously again, this one I cannot do. It’s so disturbing and it bothered me a lot the first time I read it, years ago, I think I’ll give myself credit for this one based on the previous read.

Truman Capote obviously got to know Perry Smith very well and felt sorry for the man. One only has to go back to the beginning of the book and read the graphic description of the crimes to get over that!

I don’t think I’m copping out (does anyone say that anymore?) — I did read the book. Just not this year.

Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

I remember thinking the Alice books were “odd,” though enjoyable, when I was a child. As an adult, I often thought what happened to Alice seemed more like an acid trip than a child’s dream! Imagine my surprise when I found out I was probably right — and there are plenty of others out there who agree!

Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

I don’t know how many times I’ve read this book, but it never gets old. I could read it again next week and not be bored!

My favorite book by Louisa May Alcott, though, is Eight Cousins. My grandmother sent me that years ago and I’ve read that one, too, dozens of times. I liked the fact that Rose’s uncle had his own ideas about how things should be done and didn’t care what was politically correct at the time!

But that one isn’t on the list!

It was fun to revisit the Little Women again. Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy are all so different, even though they’re sisters. Their characters are so well developed, you feel like you really know them. And the historical context is great, too. Even though it might be considered a “girls’ book,” I think boys should read it, too, to get a feel for how things were during that period.

Loved it the first time, and loved it again this time!

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

My first book by Raymond Chandler and enjoyed it immensely. It took a bit to settle into the jargon of the period, but after that it was smooth sailing.

I enjoyed the little twists at the end. You know you’re in for a treat or two when you feel you’ve come to the end of the story, but there are still fifty or so page to go! I was sick in bed for two days and while, normally, this would be great for reading, I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open long enough to read more than a page or two. It was very frustrating, since it ended up taking me three more days to finish the book, but it was definitely worth it.

Aesop and Crime and Punishment

I am still working my way through the book list. I really enjoyed Aesop. The fables are supposed to be for kids, but they’re still fun. And the fact that it was a big book with lots of white space didn’t hurt, either.

Crime and Punishment — ouch! I had already read it once, but wanted to read it again. It was just plain creepy! But it’s in the bag now.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

I finished this book the other day and I’m so glad! My reading time has been pretty limited this month and it was looking like I wouldn’t get even one book finished for April!

First, I really enjoyed the book. It wasn’t a page turner, but it didn’t put me to sleep, either. I was slow to finish it, but not because the thought of picking it up made my head hurt, a la Saturday — I’ve just had a lot on my plate. Actually, I usually looked forward to reading it.

That said, I really can’t think of much to say about it. The first thing I usually try to decide is if I could relate to any of the characters, and I really couldn’t. None of them reacted to the different situations presented the way I would expect. On the one hand, this was a good thing, because it kept the book from being predictable. On the other hand, I was usually confused!

I don’t want to say much about what I *did* feel about these characters, because I don’t want to color anyone else’s opinion of them before they read the book. But I do think they could have been developed a little more. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much of my reading time on non-fiction in these past many years, but this book seemed to assume facts which, to me, weren’t obviously in evidence. I got the impression I was supposed to understand the “whys” and “wherefores” when I really didn’t.

It could also be because I was never a “street person” or an “academic” — I fall somewhere in between.

It might also be that we can’t always understand why people react and do some of the things they do — and that they might not even understand it themselves.

Never Let Me Go — No Problem!

I loved this book! It grabbed me right away. It certainly wasn’t an adrenaline rush, but it was interesting, thought provoking, a bit disturbing. The story didn’t move at breakneck speed, but it never lagged, either. I can honestly say there wasn’t one bit of this book that didn’t hold my attention.

And even though you think you have it all figured out, there are still “goodies” at the end.

I’m happy to recommend this book!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I picked up this book at the library the other day and decided to go ahead and snag it. I was hooked from page one and really look forward to reading it. Even though my reading time is limited, I’m finding I’m making more time to read this one. I recommend it already, and I’ve only just scratched the surface of this one.

I can usually only read one book at a time, but this one is so different from Aesop’s Fables, I’m not having any trouble with it at all. The only issue will be whether I can get it finished before it’s due back at the library, but considering it’s such a great read, I don’t think that will be a problem!

Aesop’s Fables by Aesopus

I’m starting this book today. I need something light and fun after Saturday. I’m really looking forward to this one!

Finally!

I’ve finally finished Saturday. I can’t remember the last time I was so relieved to see the last page of a book.

There are apparently a lot of people who have enjoyed this book, and I wish I could be one of them, but this was a tedious read. It was also almost impossible to skim through.

I found at the end that I didn’t really care about the characters at all. I was told to stick with it as the ending would be rewarding. I didn’t find it so, unless you count the reward for being able to say you stuck with it to the end.

That said, I still recommend the book. From what I’ve been able to tell so far, there are about two people who love it for every one who would rather do *anything* else. So I’m definitely in the minority here.

Still Plugging Away at Saturday!

I’m still reading this book. I don’t have a lot of time to read every day — only an hour or so several times a week — so it’s slow going anyway. But this book is draining the life out of me. I’ve been told that the end is worth the work to read it, and I hope so. But frankly, at this point, I find I don’t really care what happens to these people! Hopefully, the last hundred pages or so will change my mind.

Saturday — Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I’m about a fourth of the way through this book and I’m not looking forward to finishing it, though I guess I’ll have to to get “credit” for it. This book is the antithesis of the Sharon McCrumb book. I know that isn’t a fair comparison, but that book was fun and this book is — boring.

I’m told that Saturday is not a good example of Ian McEwan’s style, and I truly hope this is the case. Reading this book feels more like a high school lit assignment than pleasure reading.

If I’d Killed Him When I Met Him . . . by Sharyn McCrumb

This was a fun, easy read and I really enjoyed it. I’ll have to go back and read the first books in the Elizabeth MacPherson series, though, because I was left wondering what was going on with her. It isn’t clearly explained in this book.

The the book moves along at a nice pace, the characters are fun — except for A. P. Hill. I don’t think I’d like her much if I met her in real life. Perhaps that’s the point?

Saturday by Ian McEwan

This will be the next book I read, which I’ll start after I finish the Sharyn McCrumb book. All I know about it is what I’ve read on the back cover, and I haven’t read him before, so I’m trying to go into it without any expectations.

That’s a little difficult. Hopefully, the fact that it’s a New York Times best seller will be offset by the fact that I’ve already heard that quite a few people found it boring. I so hope it isn’t boring!

Hopefully, I’ll be able to start it next week. I don’t really get a lot of time to read, maybe only an hour a day, so things will be slow but we’ll plug along. And, hopefully, there will be a few more hours that I can steal out of the day!

If I’d Killed Him When I Met Him . . . by Sharyn McCrumb

This is a book I started reading last week before I decided to concentrate on the 1001 Books list. It’s not on the list, but so far it’s interesting so I want to finish it up.

Actually, there are quite a few book that I have lying around here that I’ve gotten a start on and, for whatever reason, never managed to finish. But if I tried to clean all of those up, I’d never get on with my task!

This is a really fun book, but it’s a little confusing. There are a couple of stories going on at the same time and I’m not really sure what’s happening, but the writing is fun enough that I want to stick it out.

This is my first Sharyn McCrumb book and I guess these characters are “regulars.” I have to admit reading almost a third of the book, I don’t know anything about Elizabeth, which I assumed was supposed to be the main character (it being an “Elizabeth MacPherson mystery!), and I really dislike A.P. Hill.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the book, though — and I really hope I like these people when I’m finished!

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

This is the first book I’m reading. I didn’t select it for any other reason than when I went to the bookshelf, that was the first one I saw — and I thought it would be fun. It was! I really don’t remember this book being this much fun in junior high!

Even my reluctant reader son loved it, probably because you’re grabbed in the first few pages and it just doesn’t slow down. You’re always wondering what’s coming next and it’s fast paced. No wonder it’s a great book for kids.

One down — 1000 to go!