1,000 Books to Read Before You Die
A Life-Changing List
by James Mustich
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Pub Date Oct 02 2018 | Archive Date Oct 02 2018
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Description
“If there’s a heaven just for readers, this is it.” —O, The Oprah Magazine
Celebrate the pleasure of reading and the thrill of discovering new titles in an extraordinary book that’s as compulsively readable, entertaining, surprising, and enlightening as the 1,000-plus titles it recommends.
Covering fiction, poetry, science and science fiction, memoir, travel writing, biography, children’s books, history, and more, 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die ranges across cultures and through time to offer an eclectic collection of works that each deserve to come with the recommendation, You have to read this. But it’s not a proscriptive list of the “great works”—rather, it’s a celebration of the glorious mosaic that is our literary heritage.
Flip it open to any page and be transfixed by a fresh take on a very favorite book. Or come across a title you always meant to read and never got around to. Or, like browsing in the best kind of bookshop, stumble on a completely unknown author and work, and feel that tingle of discovery. There are classics, of course, and unexpected treasures, too. Lists to help pick and choose, like Offbeat Escapes, or A Long Climb, but What a View. And its alphabetical arrangement by author assures that surprises await on almost every turn of the page, with Cormac McCarthy and The Road next to Robert McCloskey and Make Way for Ducklings, Alice Walker next to Izaac Walton.
There are nuts and bolts, too—best editions to read, other books by the author, “if you like this, you’ll like that” recommendations , and an interesting endnote of adaptations where appropriate. Add it all up, and in fact there are more than six thousand titles by nearly four thousand authors mentioned—a life-changing list for a lifetime of reading.
“948 pages later, you still want more!” —THE WASHINGTON POST
Advance Praise
"Every so often, a reference book appears that changes the landscape of
its area of focus. In the case of reading and readers' advisory, this is
one such book....lively, witty, insightful prose...It might be wise to
invest in several copies of this wonderful meditation on life lived with
and enhanced by the written word."
—Booklist, Starred Review
“Chief among the thousands of pleasures here is the delightfully erudite
company of James Mustich. Look up your favorite books; find ones you
don’t know; argue about the list with friends. Read!”
—Jean Strouse, author, Alice James and Morgan: American Financier
“James Mustisch’s book is aimed at a society engulfed in words but
desperately poor in the talents that reading can bring—judgment, taste,
empathy, wit. The book is not a list of canonical works, though many
classics are listed and lovingly described. No, the “1000 Books to Read”
is an invocation of the pleasures to be had from many kinds of
books—genre fiction, journalism, poetry, history, and memoir, the good
and the great, the illustrious and the semi-forgotten, all summoned by
Mustich’s taste. You open it at any point and jump from author to
author; you follow his hints and read related works by other writers,
and you find your own taste emerging, proud and strong, from Mustich’s
provocations. 1,000 Books is surpassingly useful as well as good.”
—David Denby, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Great Books: My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World
“If you’ve ever doubted that books were the greatest invention of all
time, and that they carry within them our collective memories and
dreams, as well as any semblance of intelligence we have as a species, pick up James Mustich’s 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die and start reading.”
—Ken Burns
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781523504459 |
| PRICE | $40.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 960 |
Featured Reviews
Andrea S, Librarian
Wow! What a great resource! My TBR has grown twofold! I love the way the book is organized. Discussing books as well as authors and the specialty lists in the back of the book are very useful. I just wish I could print the checklist off so I had it in my purse all the time. This will be one my book loving friends will debate and reference for years to come.
Julie P, Librarian
This book is valuable for those interested in readers advisory, as well as those interested in exploring a wide variety of literature and other writing. I was surprised by the breadth of works recommended, such as the 9/11 Commission Report, though a list of 1,000 books will require some breadth. The author's style is somewhat personal, which some may find engaging and others may find mildly obtrusive.
Jennifer T, Librarian
I requested an advance reader's copy of this book and cannot be happier that I did. As a librarian, this book is an excellent reader's advisory resource. As a lifelong reader (not to mention as a somewhat snooty English major who thinks they've seen it all), this book truly impressed me - and I am hard to please when it comes to book lists. It's just so incredibly well done, full of thoughtful notes on both books and their authors, photos and illustrations relevant to the works discussed, and cross-referenced with related books, themes, and subject matters. It also includes thoughtful critiques on each work and on the styles of each author, making it an especially good resource for literature students. This all-inclusive reference guide has a little bit of everything, encompassing all genres, age groups, and eras - no small feat in the history of world literature. I'll be looking for a paper copy to keep and carry so that I can more easy flip through the pages and share with others. Very highly recommended for all readers.
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