Diane of Bibliophile By The Sea
Bibliophile By The Sea has recently created a reading challenge that intrigues me. It is called "Books to Read Before I Die Challenge-2010. A lot of us have a large number of books that we have been meaning to read for a long time. In my case I have had some books on my own read before I die list for 50 years or so. The rules of the challenge are simple. You are asked to post a list of ten to twenty books that you for sure want to read before you die and then read all of them by December 31, 2010. Diane's blog has a sign up page that explains everything. She is even offering to place the name of all those who complete the challenge in a drawing for an Amazon.com gift certificate. (Maybe if you win you can buy your first book for the 2011 challenge with it!) Anyway here is my list along with a brief explanation as to why I included it. The order of the listing is random.
1.
The Woman in White by Wilke Collins-a lot of bloggers like it
2.
To Killing a Mocking Bird Harper Lee- should have read this book 45 years ago
3.
Pale Fire Vladimir Nabokov-I want to see what all the fuss is about-
4.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco-a classic Reading Life book
5.
Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann-this has been on my TBR list for decades
6.
Charter House of Parma by Stendhal-also been on TBR list for decades
7.
The Plague-by Albert Camus-had a huge influence on post world II Japanese writers
8.
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton -
9..
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh-for the upcoming South Asian reading challenge-plus I own it!
10.
My Son's Story by Nadine Gordimer
11.
Naomi by Junichiro Tanizaki
12.
The Cage by Kenzo Kitakata
Mel u
13 comments:
Oh, thanks for joining, and I want to read many of the ones you listed as well. I just ordered Sea of Poppies today, and have Woman in White, I Am a Cat, and Kafka on the Shore. ENJOY!!
You've chosen a lot of books by Japanese authors.:)
Enjoy!
(P.S. I wish you and your family continued safety from all the storms and flooding.)
Wow, what a list! I also feel like I should read To Kill A Mockingbird, and it's actually in my TBR list for this year. But I guess it'll have to wait until next year.
Diane-I think your challenge is a great idea-I will finish one of the books next week-
Suko-I am getting more and more into Japanese literture-amazingly rich reading field
Mark David-I got three really good finds at Fully Booked at Sm North Yesterday, Two works by Kenzaburo Oe and Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe-
I adore reading lists, so I'm going to leave a ridiculously long comment. ;)
I LOVE Wilkie!!! And To Kill a Mockingbird!!! I'm a big Nabokov fan, and I started with Pale Fire. :) I've got Kafka on the Shore on my Japanese Lit III list this year! And I've read The Name of the Rose 3 times now-it's a marvelous novel. Wharton's another fave of mine! I'm curious about Gao Xingjian-I'll have to look him up! And The Professor and the Housekeeper is part of one of Tanabata's new Japanese reading groups. :)
That's quite a list, Mel! I'm almost done with #1 now (fabulous!), loved #3 and #14, and have #8 waiting on the shelf. Many others are on my wish list. You'll have a great reading year with these books.
I wanted to read Nabokov's Lolita earlier this year but decided against it after feeling that the story might be a little too much for me to handle. But I always hear he's such a brilliant writer, and that book is actually on some Top 100 list (I think the one from Time). Perhaps someday I'll consider reading it.
Mel, I'm hooked on Japanese lit, too. Currently reading Lizard and just finished Real World (stay tuned for review).
I've come in from Third Story Window. I shall come up with a list and join this new challenge. Funny how we run into the very people we were looking for...
You and me both with 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. I know it's not set so commonly in the UK and so there is some excuse for y not having read it, but that's a very lame excuse, I think. I'm so jealous that you still have 'Sea of Poppies' to read. I loved that book and can't wait for the next in the trilogy to appear.
Eva-I am very happy to hear you read Name of the Rose three times-it will be my first Eco
Joann-I am really looking forward to reading "The Woman in White"-it will be my first Wilke
Mark David-I am intensely curious about Pale Fire
Suko-will look forward to your posts on Real World and Lizards
Lakeviewer-any Third Story window reader is totally welcome here!!- I subscribed to your blog-there is, a bit below the surface, a common theme to our blogs
Table Talk-I am so glad you liked Sea of Poppies-I will read it next year as part of the South Asia challenge that will commence in Jan, 2010
I hope the Books to Read Before I Die 2010 challenge (you can start now per the rules) is well supported-
I haven't heard of the South Asia challenge. Who's the host?
I'm so tempted to join this challenge, but honestly don't think I could complete it. I'm still considering.
The only one I've read is To Killing a Mocking Bird. I'd like to read The Woman in White too. Great list!
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