Twenty-four hours after posting about the 1 year, 100 book challenge I set for myself, my post has 1,730 views and 83 comments recommending hundreds of books. Wow. You guys are awesome! The comments are a resource I’ll go back to over and over again to find new stuff to read.
This only happened because my favorite author, Neil Gaiman, retweeted the link to the post. He consistently uses his celebrity as a platform for spreading the word about reading related charities and causes, and that makes him sort of my hero.
What I love about these recommendations is that a vast number of them are books I would never think to read, if left to my own devices. That’s huge! That’s exactly what I hoped for! Aside from the variety, almost every commenter talked about how much they loved the book or books they were recommending. I loved reading peoples passion in their comments, it’s so great that there are so many books that speak to someones soul.
Thank you for sharing the things you love. I can’t wait to dive into them.
So far I’ve finished one book, Ursula K. LeGuin’s “Wizard of Earthsea”, and I’m halfway through a couple of others. I’m hoping to have a couple knocked out this weekend, we’ll see how it goes.
How are you all doing with your reading goals?
The list of “first picks” from each comment is 73 titles long, and full of goodness. I’m posting it below for anyone that’s interested.
Outcast: Fate of the Jedi
The Anubis Gates
Cinder
City of Thieves
Till We Have Faces
The Secret Garden
Daughter of the Empire
Nemesis
The Moonstone
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
The Book Thief
A Prayer For Owen Meany
Another Country
The Year of the Hare
Sabriel
Poet
Songmaster
Ghosts of a Tired Universe
Looking for Alaska
Perks of Being A Wallflower
The Demolished Man
Nausea
Alanna
Infinite Jest
The Eyre Affair
Perfume
Master of Spies
Day of the Triffids
Face of Deception
Watership Down
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Mythago Wood
Dirt: the Ecstatic Skin of the Earth
The Count of Monte Cristo
Let The Great World Spin
Tales of the City
Lords of Discipline
The Pale Blue Eye
The Illuminatus Trilogy
A Canticle for Leibowitz
Cat’s Cradle
Just Kids
And the Ass Saw the Angel
Stiff
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
The Hounds of the Morrigan
The Road
Anno Dracula
1Q84
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Don’t Move
Gilead
The Life of Pi
Storm Front
The Traitor Game
Color of Magic
Veronika Decides to Die
Master of Fools
Throat Sprockets
Wish You Well
Things Fall Apart
One For The Money
Westmark
Gormenghast
A Language Older Than Words
World War Z
Black Projects, White Knights
Swallows and Amazons
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Shepherding a Child`s Heart
Graceling
The Places In Between
If I’ve ignored a first suggestion, it’s because I’ve already read it. Thank you all for participating, helping, encouraging, and joining me in my quest. I’m very excited.
Fire and Hemlock by Dianna Wynne Jones
The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
My family is joining you in this challenge! Good Luck!
Tales of Earthsea is a wonderful book!! Have you seen the animated movie by Ghibi? You should check it out, its fantastic!!
I look forward to your thoughts on City of Thieves as it is one I love very much. I hope you enjoy it as I did!
I've read 4 / 50 so far for my goal. I'm doing the #50bookpledge on twitter. Good luck to you, and everyone else who has set a goal!!
That looks like an excellent list! I see some of my favorites on there (The Book Thief, Graceling, Looking For Alaska), and also some titles that make me want to read them at once. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, for instance. I don't know, but I really want to read that book, and I don't even know what it's about.
Neil Gaiman linked me here, and I agree, he's fantastic.
Yay for Twitter! Best of luck to you – I am on my 4th book, looks like I'll well outdo my goal of 60
I'm so glad to hear that others are setting goals and tracking them. I love that other people are trying for 100 this year, as well. Soldier on!
Alson: Maybe you should upgrade your goal! Don't want to get bored.