50 books to read before you die discussion

Hi guys, I've just seen that we do not have an introductions thread. Please pop by and introduce yourself whether you are a newbie or a stalwart.

I'm Lisa, the newer of your moderators. I'm a book addict from South Africa. I joined the group to read and discuss Steinbeck and wound up discovering new friends both human and literary.
Welcome!

Oh, I love Steinbeck! What a great author!

I'm Martha, a wife, mother & grandmother who loves to read almost any genre. My favorites are mysteries, histories, biographies, classics and historical fiction. I never go anywhere without a book. I love lists, too, although I was so busy last year that I didn't make any progress on this one. That's why I've set a modest goal of reading at least 3 from this list in 2014.

Hey, I'm Rachel, and my drug of choice is reading. I've had the blessing to travel all over the world, and have written a novel that's getting published soon!

Great to meet you both!
That's a wide range Martha, which 3 do you think?
Rachel, what's your novel about?

Hi Lisa. Great idea. I'm John. I'm a reader and writer in the U.S. I have broad tastes in literature, love everything on this group's list that I've read, including especially Steinbeck, and look forward to reading those that I haven't yet read. These days I prefer audio books because (a) I commute to work and it's a good use of that driving time, and (b) it's easier on my eyes at this point. I'm lucky to have good audio processing.
Thanks for moderating. This is a great group.

I'm Janet, though my tag is Longhare--which is my dba. I am a freelance editor and book junkie. I live in Southern California and will soon be an empty nester with a lot more time for reading. I've really been enjoying this group.

Hi I am Michaela and I love reading SciFi, fantasy and classics. My most favourite author is Tolkien.

Hi everyone! My name is Erika and I'm a newbie in the group. Recently I discovered that I have a bookcase full of books I haven't had time to read so I made a promise to myself to make it a priority in life to read more =) It has always bean a goal of mine to read all the classics. I live in Sweden and I look forward to discovering new genres, discussing books and getting to know new friends.

Hi Everyone, My name is Mayra and i started this group when i discovered the bookmark and thought it would be a nice challenge to share with others and then be able to discuss the books. Even though its been harder than i thought. I do read alot and i carry a book with me practicly everywhere, but i dont get to read from this list as much as i would like. There is just so many books out there! Im in the middle of a bunch of series, i mostly read fiction, young adult some sci-fi. But i hope to tacle a few more from the list this year, i think since i started the group i've managed to cross of 3 or 4 books from the list.

Hello everybody. My name is Buck. I live in southwest Florida, USA.

When my eyes got old I more or less stopped reading. After a hiatus of many years I discovered audiobooks and ebooks and now I'm making up for lost time. I'll read just about anything (except romances, maybe). I've been reading the classics that I should have read long ago and I like good science fiction, but fantasy not as much. (I wish the two genres weren't so often lumped together).

Like some others above, Steinbeck is a favorite.

I wish I enjoyed poetry, but I struggle with it. I don't like not to appreciate things that others enjoy, so, as I did with jazz and seafood, I hope to acquire a taste for poetry. Roses are red, violets are blue...

When I joined this group last July I had read about a quarter of the books on our list of 50. Now I have read about two-thirds and have enjoyed most of them.

Hi, I'm Paula. I've always been a reader and it's great to find a group with like-minded people.

I'm currently reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac. One of my all time favourites is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I feel like a failure if I don't finish a book, and have to admit I don't enjoy Jane Austen.

Hi everyone! I'm Linda and I joined this group maybe a month ago or so, but this is the first time I have posted since I'm in the middle of reading other books right now. I've just been popping in to read posts every so often, but I intend to make my list and start checking off the books as I read. A quick look at the list, I have read about 17 so far. I read quite a bit in high school (classics for school and mostly Stephen King and Clive Barker for fun), then it dropped off when I was in college (my "fun" reading, that is). I've gotten back into reading quite a bit more in the past few years, (or as much as I can while juggling a job and two small children) with an emphasis on reading the classics, or what I should have read, if merely so that I know what people are talking about when a certain book is referenced!

I've read most of Jane Austen's works and loved all of them, but my favorite classics have been Jane Eyre and Middlemarch (not on the list!). I'm not big on Shakespeare, although it's been many many years since I've tried reading any, perhaps my tastes have changed by now. And I'm also not big on poetry.

Anyway, I hope to be more involved with this group in the near future!

Hi, im jackie. Ive always loved to read. Books have been my home away from home. If i ever needed a break from something i'd pick up a book and read. Now that im in college and have a ton of schoolwork to do its pretty hard.

I am currently all over the place with my reading. I start one book, and then another and never finish it. Im a very picky reader though. Normally, i pick a book by its cover and end up liking the whole story anyway so its a win-win. But there are a few books i have disliked in the past.

I love reviewing books. Ive reviewed a few in the past and posted my rewiews on Goodreads.

I also have a few short stories on here that i wrote myself a few years ago. Personally i dont think theyre that good, but who knows.

Lisa wrote: "Great to meet you both!
That's a wide range Martha, which 3 do you think?
Rachel, what's your novel about?"

I do love to read and will really read most anything. Just love a good book!

I had originally picked out the first of the LOTR trilogy, The Wind in the Willows and Wuthering Heights. I'd still like to read those 3, but did just read Memoirs of a Geisha (which was great, btw) so I'm 1/3 of the way to my goal for the year.

Buck, I'm the same way about poetry so I finally started reading some. I downloaded 'Leaves of Grass' by Walt Whitman. Still not loving it, but I'll keep at it.

Martha wrote: "Buck, I'm the same way about poetry so I finally started reading some. I downloaded 'Leaves of Grass' by Walt Whitman. Still not loving it, but I'll keep at it. "

I'm currently reading Robert Frost's Selected Poems. Two poems that I do like are Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and The Road Not Taken. The latter is in this book, which was on our shelf. So I put it on my reading table and each evening as I settle down to read, I start by reading a poem or two or three. So far, I'm not impressed by most but there have been a couple that aren't bad.

I have discovered on our shelves a book by Ogden Nash, who was a favorite of my father, and whose book it probably was. So after Frost, Nash.

Hi everybody! My name is Natalia and I am a high school senior from Washington DC. I'm a bit of a newbie to the group, but I'm really excited to get involved. My favorite genres include memoir and YA. Some of my favorite books include Jim Carroll's The Basketball Diaries and Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh.

Fun fact: My mom yells at me on a nightly basis for staying up too late reading.

I'm Michael - retired Computer Engineer and a lifelong native of Brooklyn NY.
I am an avid reader, mostly classic novels, among my favorite authors are
Tolstoy, Steinbeck, Edith Wharton, H.Hesse, Thomas Mann and Chekhov.

I am an avid walker, hiker and birder and have written a bit of poetry and enjoy reading classic (rhyming metered) poetry.

Hi Everyone.

My name is Sarah and I'm from the UK. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this list, there are a lot of books I've been considering reading and now I sort of have some motivation!
My favourite genres are YA, horror, sci fi and thrillers. Some favourite authors are Neil Gaiman, Chuck Palahniuk and John Green.

Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm from Victoria, British Columbia in Canada.
I've just started recently reading more literature and classics. Using this list is helping me discover a lot.
I am also hoping to acquire other recommendations as well.

Cheers!

Hi everyone!I'm Andreea and I love reading from classic to modern literature.I'm very happy to be a part of this amazing group and I like all the threads:))I think Goodreads has helped me to choose some really good books and I'm glad I discovered it

Lisa wrote: "Hi guys, I've just seen that we do not have an introductions thread. Please pop by and introduce yourself whether you are a newbie or a stalwart."

Grapes of Wrath or Moby Dick - #1 American Novel ?

I'v read almost everything written by Steinbeck and 'Grapes of Wrath' is certainly my favorite - a wonderful classic movie too !.
Ease of Eden was a 'goodread' but much more discturbing than Grapes.
Has anyone read 'Winter of our Discontent' ? a very different track Steinbeck
explored there.

Yes, Hi.
I am one of the oldys here by you.
It helps me to here in this group to read musst reads" shelvs :)
for my intresting plase look to me profile;
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...

Hi,
I'm Christine, from the UK. I have been in this group for over six months and haven't read as much of the list as I wanted to.
I enjoy crime, thrillers, romance, classics, sci-fi and historic novels. In fact I'll read anything - even cereal packets.

I did read Grapes of Wrath last year for the first time and thought it was excellent. Very thought provoking.

John wrote: "Hi Lisa. Great idea. I'm John.."
Thanks John! What do you write? Reading in traffic, sounds like a good idea!

Longhare wrote: "I'm Janet, though my tag is Longhare"
Love the tag! What is a dba? And how did you choose it?

Michaela wrote: "Hi I am Michaela and I love reading SciFi, fantasy and classics."
Welcome Michaela, love Tolkien too. Have you read The Silmarillion?

Erika wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Erika and I'm a newbie.."
Wow, Sweden, always wanted to go there! Good luck with reading classics. I love them! The only new year's resolution I've ever kept was to read more classics.

Mayra wrote: "Hi Everyone, My name is Mayra and I started this group..."
Hello my friend! So glad you found that bookmark and started this challenge! Look how many people joined in!

Marc wrote: "Hello everyone, I am a rabid, I mean avid reader..." ROFLMAO! Penguin Randsome House! So cool, hope you get free books to keep.

Buck wrote: "Hello everybody. My name is Buck. I live in southwest Florida, USA..."
And take amazing photographs of the surrounds! Maybe the right poetry hasn't found you yet. What do you think of Frost's descriptions?

Paula wrote: "Hi, I'm Paula ..."
Great to have you! What did you enjoy most about OFOCN? It's our April group read so please pop by!

Linda wrote: "Hi everyone.."
Good to meet you Linda. Have you seen the Cozy Classics? They are classics written for kids. They're beautiful. We made our own list this year and added Middlemarch. It is a serious omission!

Jackie wrote: "Hi, im jackie. Ive always loved to read..."
So what are you studying? Books are more important than college... Would love to see your stories

Natalia wrote: "Hi everybody! My name is Natalia and ..."
Welcome Natalia. Your mom fact made me laugh! Have you ever seen the Basketball diaries film?

Hi, I'm Andrea, I joined this group because I love classics and as an inspiration to catch up with some other of these titles, because, not reading them would mean a less full experience as a reader....

Michael wrote: "I'm Michael - retired Computer Engineer.."
What's the bird life like in the States? I'm also an avid birder. Haven't read the Winter of our discontent. I think the group needs a Steinbeck month.

Sarah wrote: "Hi Everyone..."
Hey Sarah, your favorite authors feature on the list that this group created. We read A Fault in Our Stars next month. Hope to see you.

Andrew wrote: "Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm from Victoria, British Columbia in Canada...."
Welcome Andrew. What's great about this list as it's just a sample of all the great books out there and these few pave the way to so many.

Andreea wrote: "Hi everyone!I'm Andreea and I love reading ..."
We are very happy to have you too. Why do I think you love Austen?

Nilgun wrote: "Yes, Hi.
I am one of the oldys here by you-..."
Welcome Nilgun. Judging by your profile, you read widely

Christine wrote: "Hi,
I'm Christine, from the UK. I have been in this group for over six months..."
Good to see you Christine. There's some useful stuff written on cereal packets. Always think of you as a serious reader.

Hi. I'm Ian and joined this group a few months ago. I have read a few of the books on the list over the years but I am starting again. Just another 45 to go! I read a mixture of what's on the list and anything else that takes my fancy, Goodreads is great for finding new books. I live in the Scottish highlands.

if you're going to do a Steinbeck month sign me up. Grapes of Wrath is my favourite novel! And I love Pastures of heaven, Plan de la Tortilla and of Mice and men!

Lisa wrote: "Good to meet you Linda. Have you seen the Cozy Classics? They are classics written for kids. They're beautiful. We made our own list this year and added Middlemarch. It is a serious omission!"

Those Cozy Classics are awesome! No, I hadn't seen those before. I have seen the BabyLit board books, but the felted figures in the Cozy Classics are really great. Thanks for pointing those out to me - I would love to introduce them to my 2 year old daughter. :)

Andrea wrote: "if you're going to do a Steinbeck month sign me up!"
Welcome Andrea, you're write, classics enlist the reading experience. Now the Steinbeck thing may be a point to ponder..."

Ian wrote: "Hi. I'm Ian and joined this group a few months ago..."
Welcome Ian, that's 10%! Whereabouts in the Highlands? I travelled through many moons ago.

Linda wrote: "Those Cozy Classics are really great..."
I got Jane Eyre for my niece. She loves books.

Natalia wrote: "Hi everybody! My name is Natalia and I am a high school senior from Washington DC. I'm a bit of a newbie to the group, but I'm really excited to get involved. My favorite genres include memoir and ..."

Natalie, my parents where the same. My dad would get home from work close to midnight and come in my room bc my light was still on and tell me to go sleep. Eventually i got a book light that was more discrite.

Lisa wrote: "Buck wrote: "Hello everybody. My name is Buck. I live in southwest Florida, USA..."
And take amazing photographs of the surrounds! Maybe the right poetry hasn't found you yet. What do you think of Frost's descriptions?"

Thanks Lisa. Wish I could do it in your neck of the woods.

I'm not getting a lot out of Frost. I think this book is arranged more or less chronologically and I haven't gotten to his later stuff yet.

I saw the movie a few years ago, and I loved it...captures the whole sadness of Tom Joad's journey...

I watched the movie the day after I finished the book. Aside from the inevitable compression, the movie was true to the book, up to a point. The movie was rearranged at the end to leave the audience a more hopeful ending than the book did. The most memorable scene in the movie was Tom Joad's talk with Ma before he lit out on the lam, "Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there." I guess Henry Fonda made it that way. In the book, Tom said the same words but they didn't stand out from the relentless sadness.

The Grapes of Wrath is a great and powerful book, but for me the little novella Of Mice and Men is John Steinbeck's great masterpiece.

Hi, I am Niecie from Port Orchard Washington.

I have been an inactive member of this reading group for a while. I "rejoined" with To Kill a Mockingbird in February (still love that book 25 years after the first time I read it). I love to read and typically have 4 books going at any given time. I read all genres but would say The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite.

Buck wrote: "I watched the movie the day after I finished the book. Aside from the inevitable compression, the movie was true to the book, up to a point. The movie was rearranged at the end to leave the audie..."

The "wherever there's a cop beating a guy" bit gives me the chill every single time I got to look or read it.

Alison wrote: "Hi i'm alison and i'm a high school student from America..." Welcome Alison, interesting selection. How is The Oerks of Being a Wallflower?

Niecie wrote: "Hi, I am Niecie from Port Orchard Washington.

Welcome 'back' Niecie. I'm also a many books at a time person. Hope to see u in more discussions

Andrea wrote: "Buck wrote: "I watched the movie the day after I finished the book. Aside from the inevitable compression, the movie was true to the book, up to a point. The movie was rearranged at the end to le..."

Have not seen the movie.
I've only read 3 Steinbeck novels thus far. Loved Of Mice & Men

Buck wrote: "Martha wrote: "Buck, I'm the same way about poetry so I finally started reading some. I downloaded 'Leaves of Grass' by Walt Whitman. Still not loving it, but I'll keep at it. "

I'm currently read..."

We LOVE Ogden Nash! We read Jabez Dawes, the Boy Who Didn't Believe in Santa Claus, every Christmas Eve, and my 2 year old grandson is enthralled with Custard, the Cowardly Dragon. He (Mr. Nash) is amazing!

Hello! My name is Ines. I love reading since I was very young (I'll be 30 this year). After some years reading very few books, I'm finally picking up the pace like old times.
I try to split my readings between classics and "modern" fiction and a non-fiction so I can read a bit of all. I also try to mix the genre of the book so I don't get caught in the same style too many times (I made that mistake when I read 3 Nicholas Sparks books in a row).
I joined this group less than a year ago hoping to find new ideas for books to read (although I have many unread at home). So far so good! ;)


Fun fact: I began reading Harry Potter because I wanted something simple and light to read during the summer (there was only 3 books published then) - boy was I wrong!

Michael wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Hi guys, I've just seen that we do not have an introductions thread. Please pop by and introduce yourself whether you are a newbie or a stalwart."

Grapes of Wrath or Moby Dick - #1 A..."

I read The Winter of Our Discontent many, many, many years ago. I seem to remember that it was about a marriage, maybe a disintegrating one? Completely different from the others? I just finished Grapes a couple of weeks ago - I had forgotten how incredibly powerful it is!

Oh, and back to this thread: I'm from Idaho.

Hay everyone!
My name is Suzan, I'm 22 years old and I'm from the Netherlands. I am a student of English Language and Culture, hopefully graduating this year (currently writing my dissertation which is killing me). Also hoping to be doing a Master's degree in English next. Needless to say, I love reading, and recently I've really been into classics, but honestly, I'd read anything (except for most YA fantasy - I've recently discovered that I've outgrown that genre). I'm excited to be reading/discussing books with you guys :)

Karlyne wrote: "Michael wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Hi guys, I've just seen that we do not have an introductions thread. Please pop by and introduce yourself whether you are a newbie or a stalwart."

remember an over educated grocery store clerk disillusioned and planning a bank robbery ?

Lisa wrote: "Michael wrote: "I'm Michael - retired Computer Engineer.."
What's the bird life like in the States? I'm also an avid birder. Haven't read the Winter of our discontent. I think the group needs a Ste..."

Bird life is doing fine - lots of migrating shore birds - Central Park and the
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (both within NY City) are world class birding sites !

Michael wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "Michael wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Hi guys, I've just seen that we do not have an introductions thread. Please pop by and introduce yourself whether you are a newbie or a stalwart."

rem..."

No, I don't! You made me laugh, and it's obvious it really has been decades since I read it!

Hi everyone!

I'm Wyllow, and I've been an insatiable reader for as long as I can remember. I typically have several books going at the same time, and I'm always looking for new books (someone should really keep me on a leash in bookstores).

hi, i'm hazal from turkey. i'm 19 and studying architecture. i love reading and i could read anything with joy. my english level is a bit low but i'd love to discuss books with you guys. have an awesome day :)