Reading The 1000 Books to Read Before I Die

“Learn to love your failures, Marcus, because it is your failures that will make you who you are. It is your failures that will give meaning to your victories. ” Harry Quebert Hey 1000 Bookies!!  I recently finished the murder mystery, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker.  Mr. Dicker is a Swiss novelist.   I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery.   I discovered the book on a Buzzfeed list, 21 Thought-Provoking Books That Will Stay on Your Mind for Days.   The book did not disappoint.   Although the book is over 600 pages long, the story did not feel overly long nor did I lose interest.   I found the book a pretty quick read and I almost did not want the book to end.   However, I wanted to find out what really happened.   The story has many twists and turns.   Everything centers around the disappearance in 1975 of Nola Kellergan, a 15yo waitress and high school student.   What...

"And Don't Laugh.  As you have seen, within the walls laughter doesn't enjoy a good reputation" Umberto Ecco, The Name of the Rose Hey 1000 Bookies!!!! Our current stop on the 1000 Books to Read Before You Die takes us to the 1300s, in Italy by way of the novel, The Name of The Rose by Umberto Ecco.  This historical fiction story is approximately 600 pages long, a very long 600 pages long.  The story is narrated by the character of Adso.  Adso is recounting the take many years after the events of the book.  Adso is the sidekick/monk novice of William of Baskerville.  William is an English Franciscan monk who is sent by the Holy Roman Emperor to advocate on behalf of the Franciscans Monks who are accused of being heretics by Pope John XXII.   In 1327,   friar   William  and  and Adso , travel to a  Benedictine monastery in  Northern Italy  to attend a  theological disputation . This abbey is bei...