2024 the best book to read review

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(as of Nov 14, 2024 00:55:10 UTC - Details)

“The ultimate literary bucket list.” —The Washington Post
“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

From the Publisher

Enormous. Addictive. Engaging. Enlightening.

Imagine a library with 1,000 books to represent a lifetime’s reading, with something for every age, interest, and reading appetite. From Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon to C. S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, from The Divine Comedy to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, from fiction to history, mythology to mysteries, this inspiring volume is a browser’s delight.

Written by a veteran bookseller with a knack for helping people discover what to read next, it’s nearly a thousand pages of erudition and enthusiasm in one altogether remarkable book.

Featured books are presented in individual entries, accompanied by rich endnotes offering many additional reading recommendations.

Inviting Entries

Each book is described in a brief, informative, and entertaining essay that is a perfect invitation for a new reader-or a welcome celebration for those returning to a favorite volume.

Author Features

Select authors are profiled in separate entries that give further insight into their books and career.

A Miscellany of Special Lists

Curated by subject or style, or with a particular audience in mind, these special lists at the end of the book offer the reader surprising entry points into the collection.

Praise for 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Workman Publishing Company; Illustrated edition (October 2, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 960 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1523504455
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1523504459
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.2 x 1 x 9.7 inches
Reviewer: J. C. Jankowski
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Librarian-approved
Review: As a voracious, omnivorous and opinionated reader, I almost never approve of anybody else's lists of classics or 'must-reads,' but this book is a glorious exception. It avoids what I think is the cardinal sin of reading recommendation: snobbery. The books are not presented as the definitive "1,000 Best Books Ever Written," as though any one person ought to feel themselves justified in deciding that - they offer, instead, an experience that could make any reader feel justified in calling themselves well-rounded. Sure, there's Proust and Shakespeare and Aeschylus and Goethe, but also Alison Bechdel, Margaret Wise Brown, Sei Shōnagon. No genre, format, subject, era is dismissed out of hand; a real effort has obviously been made to include as many perspectives and offer as broad an outlook as possible. The barrier for entry is low because practically anyone is certain to find easy, enjoyable options listed that give confidence before tackling the longer or more difficult suggestions. You can dip in and find a good recommendation for any reader and any mood, and the well-read can always branch out in new directions.Could I nitpick on some things I'd like to see more of? Sure. I'd love even more books from writers outside Europe and the English-speaking world, and a little more acknowledgment of the failings of some of the included books and authors (though, to be clear, Mustich clearly does make an effort in both of those regards, and I understand that the availability of high-quality translations is a limiting factor). I would especially like to see a few of the US history books swapped for histories of other parts of the world. But those, as I say, are nitpicks, and a matter of my own personal preference.Overall, this list is excellently chosen and, I might add, brilliantly written. It's really enjoyable just to sit down with and read in and of itself, not just as a guide to choosing other books. I've calculated that if I read one book a month from it, I'll be done around the time I turn 90. I don't know if I'll make it quite that far, but I'm looking forward to trying!

Reviewer: scostner1
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great Recommendations to Blow Up Your TBR Pile
Review: As if I didn't have enough trouble keeping my TBR pile under control as it is, now this book comes along and recommends even more titles?! It's not that I haven't read any of the books the author discusses, it is the sheer number of others that he offers like a bibliophile's buffet. Mustich has covered a wide range of genres, age and reading levels, time periods, and cultures. Entries range from Aristotle to Vonnegut, bedtime stories such as Goodnight Moon to horror like Dracula, and adventures like Homer's Iliad or Ender's Game.The entry for a book might include a synopsis, a brief description of the authors' life, the social climate at the time of publication, or other relevant facts. Endnotes also point out other titles by the same author, books for further information about each subject, adaptations of the work, any awards it won, and read-alikes by other authors. It's like having an "if you like that, then try this" feature on steroids.Quotes from critics or other authors underscore the sort of reactions a book inspires in its readers, although Mustich does a wonderful job of expressing his own opinions. He says this about Roald Dahl, for instance, "Standing out among his storytelling treats is Matilda, whose superheroine is heroic - and triumphant - first and foremost because she reads." Along with the written entries there are also images of authors, book covers, teaser posters for movie adaptations, historical photos, and reproductions of iconic illustrations.Booknote sidebars cover related titles, while More to Explore sections group books with similar themes (even other books about books). Back matter includes a general index of the books and authors mentioned, and "A Miscellany of Special Lists" has curated groupings of titles based on subject, style, or audience. The explanation of the book's organization explains all these features as well as letting readers know that over 3,000 authors and 6,000 additional books are mentioned besides the main entries. (So does that make it 7,000 books to read before you die?) The companion website has books indexed by chronology and genre.No matter what sort of reader you are - constant, binge, persnickety, omnivorous - you will find more useful information than you are likely to have the time to implement. I suggest investing in some highlighters or sticky tabs if you purchase a print version, or be prepared to bookmark your e-book edition like crazy. You won't want to forget any of the entries or other details that catch your interest.Highly recommended for YA and up - or as a reference for school librarians and teachers to help steer students to titles that suit their tastes.

Reviewer: Liz
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I can't believe I haven't read these books!
Review: I've kept a list of all the books I've read since the 70s (I'm 63). The list contains over 600 books. There are so many books listed in this book that I haven't read that I should have. With 1 B.A. in English Education and 2 M.A.'s in English, you would think I'd read them all, but there are so many I missed. I've started with the A's, checked the library for availability, and if it doesn't have the book I'm looking for, I order it from Amazon. There are so many I have enjoyed that I would not have been exposed to. It is well worth buying it if you love reading.

Reviewer: S. Harding
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Old Friends
Review: I bought this book on a whim and have spent a few evenings poking through different entries getting a feel for it. First off, it's beautiful and so much more than what I was expecting. The essays accompanying each entry are lively and entertaining--fun to read even if you were to never get to the 1000 books themselves.I was especially delighted to find an entry for Robert Grudin's "Time and the Art of Living" (an old friend that I return to again and again but that many people have never heard of) and knew the author was a "kindered spirit" that both Anne Shirley and I would like. Then I flipped to the back jacket and saw that the author was behind The Common Reader book catalog! Old friends indeed! No wonder the essay voice seemed so comfortably familiar! I bought Grudin's book from them 20 years ago or so. I miss The Common Reader, and I'm truly delighted to have a giant book of Mustich essays at my disposal--both to find new treasures and be reminded of old ones. My only "complaint" is that the book is heavy and does not lend itself to bathtub reading the way the catalog did!

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Worth the read
Review: This book, listing other books t oread before you die is by itself a good read. Well-done views into Western literature. Agree or disagree with the list or its entries, I found this book a fun read.

Reviewer: Peter
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: O livro é muito bem feito com dezenas de ilustrações coloridas e foi feito um recorte muito bom dos autores e das obras. Excelente!

Reviewer: Henk Willems
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: What an interesting book and it would be interesting to see who has read all of the books that are listed in this volume

Reviewer: Karthikeyeni
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: An incredible book for the book worms. Love it!

Reviewer: Bill Brady
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Wonderful reference book; glad to have it in my collection.

Reviewer: Discipline_is_within
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I like the fact that the book came in premium condition.