Welcome to
my Brand-New Blog, Reading 1000 Books. I am James Romano and I have always loved
books for as long as I can remember. As
a little boy visiting my grandparents’ home looking for something to do, my grandmother
would read to me such classics as There’s A Monster at the End of this
Book. As I got older, I stumbled
upon my grandfather’s book collection and for hours on end I would sit and look
and sometimes read his books on the Civil War, World War I and World War II which
fueled in me a love of history and my love of books. As I have gotten older, reading has become a passion
in my life, a thirst for knowledge, adventure and understanding. I have come to view books as a portal to other
times and guides to places I want to see.
Some books you love and some you hate but like any adventurer you must
discover that for yourself. A few books
that you pick up, you wish would never end, and those are the best books of all.
A book has
the immense power to change the world and your life. For example, you only must look at the story
of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to understand how one
story, one small story, changed the world so powerfully. With less than 100 pages, the book almost single
handedly transformed Christmas from a long forgotten minor festival into the
major religious and secular holiday that it is this very day, celebrated with
distinct traditions all over the world. Books
have inspired social reforms and crusades such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin
by Harriot Beecher Stowe and The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Books have fueled adventure through the ages
from the Epic of Gilgamesh to The Odyssey from Beowulf
to the Song of Roland.
Books have sparked passion and romance through plays like Romeo
and Juliet to the novels of Jane Austin and the Bronte Sisters. Books have unleashed our imagination with
beloved characters like Harry Potter, Anne Shirley, Bilbo Baggins, Jo March, Jay
Gatsby, Shahrazad, Huckleberry Finn, Sherlock Holmes, Winnie the Pooh, James
Bond, the Mad Hatter, and Nancy Drew. More
importantly books can change your life for the better or at least provide a different
perspective.
I was inspired
to start this blog after purchasing the book: 1,000 Books to Read Before
You Die, A Life Changing Experience. The book was compiled and written by James
Mustich. I did not realize how life changing it would become when I initially ordered
the book. The book is set up alphabetical by author with a synopsis and a biographical
sketch on the book including which edition is the best. Like many books, this
one appeared as a recommendation in my Amazon.com folder. I was intrigued about the list, so I ordered
the book. Was this going to be 1000
novels or 1000 classics. Pleasantly I have
found there is a wonderful mix of different genres—children’s favorites, novels,
classics, mathematics, science, nature, sports and history. Mr.
Mustich seemed to realize the importance of reading as a life long journey and
listed several books for children including Goodnight Moon and Charlotte’s Web
to name just a few.
The
question then occurred to me--How would I recognize the completion of each book
I read off this august list? I could
just engage my wife and daughters, much to their chagrin about these books. But what would I do with a book of 1000 books? When I read the Introduction to the book, this
quote stood out to me, “to spread good books about, to sow them in fertile
minds, to propagate understanding and a carefulness and beauty” Like an epiphany I knew what I wanted to
do, I wanted to share this book and the books on the list far and wide.
At first, I
had the grand plan to read and blog on all 1000 books on his list and thus
Reading 1000 Books was born. However, I want to expand to other books and give
a platform to new and less publicized authors.
I want to promote the beauty of reading and the majesty of all books. I am a firm believer that Reading Cures Ignorance. The reason I believe this message so strongly;
books have helped me change my point of view and perceptions of people. Books
have the capacity to make us carry them in our minds the rest of our days as
well as change how we interact with every person we come in contact. When the stars align and the right book comes
at the right time when you are in the right mind to receive its message, the
book takes on a magical quality.
Every
reader is different with different likes and preferences. We do need to expand
our horizons. The author, Mr. Mustich,
had a great line that I will share— “No matter their pedigree, inveterate
readers read the way they eat—for pleasure as well as nourishment, indulgence
as much as education and sometimes for transcendence, too. Hot dogs one day, haute cuisine the next.”
I feel a debt
of gratitude to Mr. Mustich for inspiring me to begin putting this together. I
recommend obtaining a copy of the book, 1,000 Books to Read Before you
Die! I welcome your comments—good
and bad. If you are interested in
writing an article for this blog on a book that is important to you, please do
not hesitate to contact me. Thank you
and remember—Reading Cures Ignorance so read every day. I welcome you to join me on this incredible
intellectual journey. Thank you for
reading!
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