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

I was wondering what everyone's goals were regarding this list/group. I calculated that if I were to read one of these books a week, it would take almost 20 years to read all 1001! A rather gargantuan task...

Personally, I'm just reading the ones I've heard of for now.

Same here. There are a lot of books that I will probably never read, but I use the list to remind me of classics that I don't want to forget. In addition, the list has a few books that I had never heard of that look good, so it is good from that perspective. I think my overall goal is to read as many as I can, without reading things that I just can't get through.

My goal is to source my reading through as many second hand and library books as possible. I might treat myself to new books if a token comes my way.

I think it's fun to see my numbers of "read" books tick upwards. I don't have a specific goal - like others, there are plenty on the list that I will never read. The list also is a great way to discover books. Mostly it's been a fun way to get off my duff and read some books that I've been meaning to read for ages, and interact with people who've read them too.

I like your question, Amanda. I am in the same boat - reading the ones I've heard of for now. Like Lyn, I like to have a list to refer to since I can't possibly remember all the great books out there.

I'm not trying to finish the list either. Mainly I wanted to fill in some gaps in the classics department and read modern books that are held in high regard. I did set the goal to read 24 books from the list this year (I figured 2 per month should be an attainable goal) and I've already read 20. I have found that I've enjoyed the vast majority of books from the list that I have picked up, so it is working for me.

Phew! I thought most people must have been just using the list as a guide, but my imagination conjured a group of hyper-wellread scholars, plugging their way towards 100%!

What I like about the list actually, is the variety of literature from different cultures and languages. I have a particular interest in Chinese and Japanese culture and Although I had heard of a few good books and authors such as Murakami and Journey to the West, I've really managed to boost my knowledge of well regarded asian authors and books to look out for.

I just recently joined this group and like many have mentioned, I'm using the list as a guide.

I'd already read 150 books this year and it's early morning of September 20.

So far I've enjoyed the books from the list I've read - or at least found them interesting. Because of that, I might finish the list - if it keeps being this way. However, I have no plans of finishing it soon. I try to read 25 books from the list a year and then it will take about 38 years more. So far I have plenty of books from the list I want to read so I'll just go with the flow and see where it takes me...

I'd love to finish reading all in the list - but I dont think I will, theres so many! But that is my aim :)

I read roughly 100 books a year (well I have for the last 4 years and hopefully that will continue!) so I'm aiming for about 50 from the list each year.

I am truely jealous of those of you who read 100+ books a year! How do you do it?! I'm struggling with my humble aim of 50!

Having insomnia?? Fast reading??

I think I read fast - if I'm sitting just reading I read about 100 pages an hour. And I probably read for about 2 and 3/4 hours a day - on the bus to work, at lunchtime at work and before I go to bed :)

Although it does depend what kind of book I read - I read non-fiction a lot slower than fiction, and then books like The Da Vinci Code I can read in a whole day...although that was when I was on holiday so I did read for about 5 hours in total, haha :)

100 pages an hour! Thats unnatural...

But The Da Vinci Code did go down quick for me, whereas other books I have enjoyed just as much or even more seem to read slower. Its a curious thing indeed...

I'm a slow non-fiction reader, though I'm not sure why? I've thought perhaps its because we are more likely to come across words that don't crop up in everyday conversation and that we need to slow down a bit to take it all in?

Amanda wrote: "I am truely jealous of those of you who read 100+ books a year! How do you do it?! I'm struggling with my humble aim of 50!"

I'm more with you, Amanda! I've finished 51 this year, but I have a lot of work coming up so I don't anticipate that I will add more than 5 or 8 books to that total. Perhaps if I spent less time on the computer I would do better! I'm intimidated by these 100+ readers!

Amanda wrote: "I was wondering what everyone's goals were regarding this list/group. I calculated that if I were to read one of these books a week, it would take almost 20 years to read all 1001! A rather garga..."
I read a ton of books, because I read very fast, and used to read on the bus to and from work. It's not about reading volume, it's about finding books you truly LOVE to read. In a way, reading too fast can be a handicap because you don't always fully appreciate the writing.

People who read a lot probably don't get enough exercise or do their housework!! I can be guilty of both.

Beth wrote: "Amanda wrote: "I was wondering what everyone's goals were regarding this list/group. I calculated that if I were to read one of these books a week, it would take almost 20 years to read all 1001! ..."

All to guilty myself...but then I take evening courses (I'd much rather be at home curled up with a tome!) so I mainly read on my commute from one place to the other and a little on weekends and evenings when the washing up isn't in such a state that I'm overwhelmed with guilt!

I agree with you about the dangers of reading too fast. I like to devour a novel line-by-line from beginning to end...I just wish there were more hours in the day!

I completely agree with you, Beth, that reading books too fast can be detrimental. There are some books that took me a month to get through (Bleak House by Dickens, and Middlemarch by George Eliot, for example). However, I don't really watch TV, don't have kids, and split the housework with my boyfriend, so that leaves some extra time for reading.

My goal with this list is to read it all - I can't help it, I'm a total list person and nothing makes me happier than crossing some off a list! However, knowing how long it will take, how much the 2008 version changed from the 2006, anticipating more changes/additions in the years to come, and the fact that at least one of these books is only available in Korean... well, getting to 100% doesn't seem completely attainable in reality :)

Question for Amanda: I'm assuming that the monthly discussion books are on the 1001 list, but would like to know the approach to sequencing of the titles, i.e. how do we go from Middlemarch to Trainspotting? Until otherwise advised, I'm sticking with the 30-day reading period and hoping there is a good exchange of ideas aftwards....

FrankH wrote: "Question for Amanda: I'm assuming that the monthly discussion books are on the 1001 list, but would like to know the approach to sequencing of the titles, i.e. how do we go from Middlemarch to Tra..."

Check out this thread:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

I like the IDEA of reading all 1001, but the reality is that'll never happen. Like everyone else, I use itmore as a guide than anything else. 9 times out of 10 it's led me to some great authors (Martin Amis, Theodore Dreiser, Sylvia Plath) that I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise.

A guilty pleasure I have is highlighting books I read off the 2006 list. I introduced my friend to the list and now she's doing the same

A guilty pleasure I have is highlighting books I read off the 2006 list. I introduced my friend to the list and now she's doing the same

Its alright, you're among friends here. Its certainly satisfying... and I'm sure the majority of us do it :P (I do- and I keep count of my 'score').

Mike wrote: "A guilty pleasure I have is highlighting books I read off the 2006 list. I introduced my friend to the list and now she's doing the same"

I set up an Excel spreadsheet with both the 2006 and 2008 lists, so when I read one that's on both lists I can check it off twice! Instead of checkmarks, I enter a "1" for every book I finish and keep a running total at the bottom.

I'm very silly about such things. ;-)

Gini wrote: "Mike wrote: "A guilty pleasure I have is highlighting books I read off the 2006 list. I introduced my friend to the list and now she's doing the same"

I set up an Excel spreadsheet with both the 2..."

By Jupiter, Gini! I spent hours setting up a spreadsheet in precisely the same way but I wasn't brave enough to say it! (I've actually merged both lists into the same list, so I have some 1200 odd books rather than 2 lists of 1001).

I'm in the middle of reading my 160th book this year. I start to think that I'm reading maniac.

Amanda wrote: "By Jupiter, Gini! I spent hours setting up a spreadsheet in precisely the same way but I wasn't brave enough to say it! (I've actually merged both lists into the same list ..."

I wasn't ambitious enough to bother merging them; I just copied and pasted the lists into Excel, one in Columns A and B and one in Columns D and E. I figure there is no chance I will get through all of them anyway, but it's still fun checking some of them off twice!

Do you know that if you go to listofbests website you can get a personal list of 1001 Books and the new list also and can check off the ones as you read them. It will tell you at the top of the list what percentage of the list you've read. Put the list in your "favorites" and you can access it whenever you read one of the 1001 or 1200.
Gerry

Gerald wrote: "Do you know that if you go to listofbests website you can get a personal list of 1001 Books and the new list also and can check off the ones as you read them. It will tell you at the top of the li..."


I did fiddle about with this list but I'm either rather dim or its broken because I couldn't figure out how to make it work...

Anna wrote: "I'd already read 150 books this year and it's early morning of September 20."

Impressive amount of reading, way to go!

Old Booker wrote: "Anna wrote: "I'd already read 150 books this year and it's early morning of September 20."

Impressive amount of reading, way to go!"

I know that. Some of my friends ask me do I suffer from insomnia or a kind of OCD that makes me read a lot.

I use the list for suggestions of what to read next. I'd love to read all 1001 but I also don't think that's realistic for me.

I love geeking out to the spreadsheet available here:

http://johnandsheena.co.uk/books/?pag...

It's way better than one I could create myself, and it seems to be new and improved.

Emma - That's the one I have. It is great!

I don't have any set goals for the number of books read. I'm mostly interested in the exchange of ideas on each month's selections and in exercising my flaccid compositional muscles... The first selection, Trainspotting, will be challenging, as it might be book #1002 if I were making the selections.