1% Well-Read Challenge
The goal of this challenge is to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. For you non-math people, 10 out of 1001 is approximately 1%, hence the title. The challenge will run from May 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009.
You may change your list at any time and cross-posting to other challenges is permitted. The only requirement is that your ten book choices must be on the ‘1001 List‘. Another helpful tool is an Excel spreadsheet by Arukiyoma that is found here.
I’ve set up a separate site for sign-ups and reviews. Go HERE to sign-up using Mr. Linky.
I’ll choose 10 from the following:
- Silk by Alessandro Baricco
- The Castle by Franz Kafka
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Lolita by Nabokov
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb
- Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels
- Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (from the new list)
- So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba (from the new list)
- Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
- Unless by Carol Shields
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
- Dr. Zhivago by Pasternak
- Ficciones by Borges
- Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
- American Pastoral by Philip Roth
- Remains of the Day by Ishiguro
- If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Calvino
- The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov
- Possession by A.S. Byatt
- What I Loved by Suri Hustvedt
- The Devil and Miss Prym by Coelho
- Memoirs of a Geisha by Golden
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Kundera
- Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
If you used the spreadsheet, how many have you read? I’ve read 61 so far.
I have too much reading to do this challenge at the moment, but I did try the spreadsheet out of interest. I am supposed to have read 18 on the list but have read 63 with some more on my list for this year! It made me feel good
I’m reading books off this list as well – currently up to 91/1001.
Can you count a book that you read in April 2008 for the challenge?
That’s great, Rhinoa!
Michelle, you’re almost at 10% well-read
Samantha, no, I’m sorry, just May and later books.
Cool! My personal goal this year was to read 50 off this list anyway, so I’ll be back to sign up for sure!
I don’t remember how many I’ve read so far. I think a little over 40.
Lezlie
Why is that your challenges always always tempt me?
At this point, I’m just going to think about this one… I’m learning that I’m pretty crappy at challenges, though they sure are fun to try. I’m going ponder this list and perhaps be back to really sign up later!
Lezlie, I’m looking forward to your list.
Suey, I hope you join. You can do it, you can do it!
In that case, this is my final booklist for the challenge. I choose most of my books because they were cross-overs, I’m not sure if I could complete the challenge on time if I didn’t. But then the one book that wasn’t a cross-over (because no other books are on the list), well, that was a hard choice. There are so many great books on the list that I want to read… But, I choose, and this is final.
Looking forward to starting the challenge!
I often use this as a general list of books I’d like to read when I’m picking books for challenges. I’ve read 68, including books from so long ago that I don’t really remember them, and a couple that were DNF.
I’ll be in, but it’ll be a while until I make a list. Any from now will count though.
Great idea Michelle.
Oh, oh, oh, quit tempting me! I am so not giving in to challenges, but this sounds so darned fun.
Oh Michelle….you are killing me!! I so want to join this challenge. I’m also extremely challenged right now.
But I’m sure I will cave!
The Secret History is one of my top favorite books of all time; I’ve read it about five times. I also feel almost the same about Possession. I hope they strike you the same way when you get to them.
I’m so tempted… I’m at 11% — and the book I’m finishing today (The Remains of the Day) and the book I’m starting today (The Secret History) are both on the list! What really tempts me are all of the contemporary choices I’ve never heard of… Once I get my list together, I’ll let you know!
Oh I sooo had to join this challenge! I recently found THE spreadsheet and discovered I have only read 12 off the list. Yep, only 12. How sad is that considering I read all the time? The handy dandy calculator on the spreadsheet told me I need to read 21 books a year from the list to complete it so that is my ‘big’ goal for this year. I’ll start with 10 though and we’ll go from there.
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