About 5 years ago when searching online for the books that you should read during your life time, I came across a listology list of books taken from The 1001 Books To Read Before You Die
I decided to print out this list and read all of the books on in during my lifetime. It only took a couple of books for me to attempt to read through that made me decide that I would not actually be able to make it all the way through this list before I died. In fact 2 of the first 5 books I picked up off the list I couldn't even make it through. They just were not for me.
I soon realized that I did not want to torture myself trying to make it through the whole list, that instead I would pick through only the books that actually sounded like something I would enjoy reading. Because reading, afterall is something that is done for leisure, and pleasure. Therefore should be enjoyed.
5 years later, even after telling myself that I was going to make it through 50 of these books a year. I still have only crossed of about 20 from the whole list. At this point I am happy to get through 3 of them a year. Keeping in mind that for my other "jobs" I review books for websites ranging all types of genre's and age groups. It's not like I don't read as a full time job. But I am just not reading books from this particular list. Therefore it's just a hobby, and thus harder to find time for with all the other reading that I already do.
I tend to fit these other books in during my "down time" (if there is such a thing) like vacation, drive time and right before bed. Leaving me in reality very little time to read them. But have been able to keep more to my ability to read 3 a year.
So far this year I am happy to say I completed
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Little Women by Alcott Louisa May
Books that I was not able to read all the way through:
Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The books above, not sure if I was just not in the mood for or just really not for me. I intend on giving Lot 49 and On the Road another chance, when the time comes.
Is this a list something you would challenge yourself to read? What do you think is a reasonable number to get through in your lifetime?
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