quiltswithdogs

I've read 39 + 2halves (Bible,Shakespeare), many more than once. I don't know if 40 is considered well-read or not. I've read hundreds more.

Many of those were required during high-school, but then in my 30s, I went on a classics kick and reread them without pressure. I found I still didn't like Moby Dick and still loved Wuthering Heights, House of Seven Gables(not on this list) and others. I really enjoyed not worrying about being tested on them! After college, I always read 2-3 books/month of all types except romance, after trying some. And I always had an educational or motivational type in progress at same time. Then I got rheumatoid arthritis 7years ago. With The Great Fatigue, I can only read 1 or part of 1 book/month so I mostly read attention-grabbing paperback suspense/mysteries. That's a big change for me. Luckily, many are made into movies. I do see the movie even if I read the book, but since the book is always better, I do not read it when I see a movie of it is coming out. There are plenty of other books waiting for me.

CindyBee

I'm an avid reader, but have only read 20 on the list. I'm going to bring the list to the library when I go next. A lot of these were read when I was a young girl in summer reading programs sponsored by the library. Most recently I have enjoyed The Lovely Bones.

quiltswithdogs

I "third that" about Watership Down. I did read it all but it bothered me for years!

b.zang

Interesting list. I've read 67 of these and have noted some that I now plan to read. My book club met just yesterday and we were discussing what books we might put on our list. Our last read was all of the Jane Austen books - quite an undertaking for a monthly meeting but all of us had read most of them already.

Whenever I teach English, I begin the year by handing out a list of books very similar to this one (although longer) to all the students. I challenge them to read 10 books off the list. If they do, I add 5% to their mark. I interview each student when they read a book, so I must read it as well so they can't put one over on me. To date, the only book that a student asked to read that wasn't on the list and I thought afterwards that it should be was "Shindler's List".

I wouldn't put "Moby Dick" on any list. That book is unreadable!!!

adrianlee

Hi p.zang! I was at a library conference several years ago. One of the speakers was a really nice lady who did book reviews for the Seattle PI. That newspaper is now only available on-line. Anywho, she said she reads five books a week, cover to cover. She said she does not watch TV except maybe for the news. I was really impressed because at the time I was reading about 2 books a week. Now I'm lucky to get through one a week. Now I'm in my 'vintage' years, I doze off really easy anymore. ZZZZZzzzzzzzz (sometimes my snoring wakes me up)

Vickymomof6

I've read 27 of them. More than 1/4th but not all that great. Some of these books I know I wouldn't read even if given the chance.

Vicky

kd124

I agree with you sandpat. Some of these children books didn't exist when I was young; I have read some because of my children and education classes. Interesting that they listed the complete works of Shakespeare and Hamlet, but not others. Including Hamlet, I have read 5 of Shakespeare's works. Another thing that interested me was that I took 2 lit classes in college and out of all the books assigned in those classes, only one (Heart of Darkness) was on this list. Now if I could count a book for each time I read it, I would score high on To Kill a Mockingbird alone. I started reading that in elementary school and have read many times. By the way, only 23 that I can remember reading. Oh well, was fun to check them out anyway. Thanks Henry.

Mousie

I agree that, although there are some wonderful books on this list, I have only read 12 of those, but sooo many other things, when I was younger. Don't read much now, bc I will fall asleep. (ppl w/ fibro. don't get the quality sleep they need at night).
Oh well, I know what my middle daughter's i.q. is, and we'll just say, we get by, lol. Hers is just a bit above mine. Her mother was healthier, lol! Not going to say the name of the town I live in, but many of these books were not available to us.
Daughter is an avid reader, but smart enough to spend her time with books that she really loves, - romance novels, history, and mysteries.
I don't know how many books she has read in her lifetime, but in 02, she owned 350. That's got to be a tiny fraction of what I have seen her read. She can program your computer, fix your tv, repair your car, or crochet you a baby blanket. She didn't get all that from me, but I am proud to say she's mine.
I'm just as proud of my other two girls, and they read, but not like that. It doesn't matter. This was interesting, and might help, if you want to go on Jeopardy :wink:

omak

I have read fifteen of the one hundred books listed ...
Didn't read Anne of Green Gables until I was 35!
And, a lot of "classics" that I have read weren't on the list.
It was an interesting exercise.

hazeljane

I have read 43. Of course, I will read anything that stays still long enough for me to get my eyes on it. Books are perhaps the only thing that edge out fabric in my obsessive collecting of. Of course, I read and re-read the ones i love, like old friends. I am reading "The History of White People" which is fascinating. I'm about 1/2 with the non-fiction and fiction. I have a frightening number of books about biblical textual scholarship and early Christian history. Also a couple of shelves on sexual theory. Even more on influences that create societies and cultures. Oy!