Reading The 1000 Books to Read Before I Die

“Survival had to start with me. In my experience, a castaway’s worst mistake is to hope too much and do too little.” Yann Martel, Life of Pi  Life of Pi By Yann Martel To me, if a story grabs you as you are reading the first pages then the trip is going to be fantastic.  That is what exactly happened to me when I began reading Life of Pi .  This is the first book I have read by the author Yann Martel. Life of Pi is a popular book published in 2001 and the winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Director for Ang Lee.  Honestly when I saw that Life of Pi was listed on the 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die , I was anticipating a book about a kid and a tiger on a boat.  What I did not anticipate was how much more to the story there was, and how much I was going to love reading this book.     The book takes place in the mid to late 1970s first in India, then for 7 months in the Pacific Ocean.  I have always been fascinated by In...

“The long, long ambiguity of Edgewood, the stifling sense of mysteries continually propounded, never solved, the endless waiting of purposes to be made clear and directions pointed out—all over.” John Crowley Little, Big Hello 1000 Bookies!! The latest book I completed off the list of 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die is a fantasy novel by John Crowley entitled Little, Big .  At 564 pages this book was big, not little and candidly a tough read for me.  I believe my wife was happier that I finished the novel than I was, she then would stop listening to me complain about the story during our morning jogs.  Little, Big is an acclaimed novel but its charm was lost on me.  Books are like wine; you like what you like no matter the awards or medals they win.  I was not wild about Little, Big.   The book was released in 1981 and has received acclaim in literary circles.  James Mustich writes about the story, “[C]alling it fantasy isn’t quite right, f...

If It Bleeds  By Stephen King A Review by Jonathan Hanson As a lifelong fan of Stephen King, I always look forward to his books. In fact, I previously reviewed my favorite book from his catalogue, IT. His newest book, If It Bleeds , is a collection of four novellas. Over the years, Mr. King has written a wide variety of short stories and novellas: Four Past Midnight , Nightmares & Dreamscapes , Skeleton Crew, Everything’s Eventual, etc. I really enjoy his collections because it allows the reader to explore various aspects of King’s writing, from the eerie and gory to the subtle and supernatural. In fact, some of the most famous movies based on Stephen King books were short stories: Rita Hayworth & the Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile , The Mist , and Jerusalem’s Lot are some examples. This new book contains four novellas, one of which is a sequel to earlier works. “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” is about the friendship formed between a young boy and a w...

“Age has its despairs, yet without its dimension, our lives lose their shape: A timeless life, without growth or change, would be drearier that the day is long” James Mustich Tuck Everlasting Hey 1000 Bookies!!!  After spending the most recent blog posts on books based in Great Britain, we arrive at our next destination of TreeGap, which I assume is located in the mid-western United States.  Our latest stop along the 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die is taking us to the 1880s and the novella, Tuck Everlasting .  This book, written by Natalie Babbitt, is a popular young adult book.  Written in 1975, Tuck Everlasting continues to be a favorite of school kids to this day.  The book is a quick read at 137 pages.  I sorely wish I had read this book when I was a teen or pre-teen.  The message that Tuck Everlasting contains about the understanding and the importance of death in our lives is a point of view most young people need to consider. The stor...

Pride and Prejudice is a marvel of vivid dialogue, winning characters and lavish settings, but it is by no mean frivolous.   James Mustich P ride and Prejudice Greetings 1000 Bookies!  The next stop on our adventure of the 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die , we actually remain in Regency England and enter the world of Jane Austen—the world of Pride and Prejudice .  This novel is one of the most famous in history.  The characters are some of the most famous and beloved, specifically Elizabeth Bennet and the dashing Mr. Darcy. Having never read any Jane Austen novels, I must say I was thoroughly charmed by the story and the characters.  Any preconceived notions I had were proven unfounded.  The story teaches some valuable lessons about life and love.    The novel was published in 1813, the second of six that Ms. Austen would eventually publish. All six appear in the august list of 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die .  Pride and Pre...

“As for confidence of the Crown.” She exclaims, “God Knows! No Ministers, no friend EVER possessed it of entirely as this truly excellent Lord Melbourne possesses mine.”   Queen Victoria Melbourne by David Cecil Hey 1000 Bookies!! The 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die has all genres of books, not just classic novels by such luminaries as Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain or Leo Tolstoy.   This week I am discussing a biography included on this very august list.   Melbourne is a personal and political biography regarding the life of William Lamb, the 2 nd Viscount Melbourne.   Viscount Melbourne was the two-time Prime Minister of Great Britain.   He served his first time in 1834, and again from 1835 to 1841.   The biography was written by David Cecil, himself the grandson of a British Prime Minister.   Cecil’s grandfather, Lord Salisbury, was a three term Prime Minister and a favorite of Queen Victoria.   Lord Salisbury was Prim...

“If you can imagine a plot that has imbibed too much champagne, you’ll have some idea of the giddy pleasures of this classic 1946 mystery…” James Mustich, The 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die Hi 1000 Bookies, I hope your shelter in place is not getting you down.  If it is, I have a funny comedy/mystery for you to read. This mystery will cheer you up.   Like the slapstick, screw ball comic situations showcased in the novel, so was my progress to reading the book.  Our reading portal brings us to 1938 England at Oxford University, where we again meet Literature Professor and Don, Gervase Fen.  The Moving Toyshop is the third book written in the Gervase Fen Mystery Series.  The first two books, The Case of the Gilded Fly and Holy Disorders were very good reads.  Of the two I enjoyed Holy Disorders more.  However, The Moving Toyshop is the superior book and I understand why it was included on the 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die...