Aussie Readers discussion

Hi Jen - not a bad goal, though I agree it is a bit late in the year to get through 100...

Was just wondering two things; first, what is the actual list you are trying to work through - just curious I am fascinated my those kinds of lists.

The other is; your profile photo looks remarkably like the top of Point Danger right up the road from me?

Jen wrote: "A bit late in the year to be starting this, but here goes... Im going to challenge myself to read the complete‘100 books to read before you die’ (Book House) list."

Hi Jen, you've inspired me! I've always had worthy but unfulfilled ambitions to go back and fill in all the books one "should have" read. I think it would take me about 20 years to get through some of the hefty tomes on your Book House list, though! I have to intermingle my 19th century classics with quite a lot of crime and contemporary fiction.

I've loaded up two alternative lists as shelves on my goodreads page (a bit faster than listing them all in a comment). The two "Best 100s" I've chosen are:

1. BBC's Top 100 Books You Need to Read Before You Die (https://www.listchallenges.com/bbcs-t... A lot of classics in common with your list, but also a fair sprinkling of (mostly English-language*) modern classics. There are also about a dozen of what I'd consider children's books - no doubt some are considered "classics" - but I can't see myself re-reading "The Folk of the Faraway Tree" at this point!
*I mean originally written in English

2. Big W Top 100 Books 2019 (https://www.bigw.com.au/top-100-books): Again, quite a few of the staples are represented, but also a lot of modern bestsellers, with a definite Australian influence. I believe this list is compiled based entirely on sales, so the staples remain but there's a fair bit of turnover year-to-year. On the whole, it raises my impressions of Australian literary tastes quite considerably!

I'll attempt to lift my numbers in both lists (currently I'm sitting between 1/3 and 1/2 read for both), but I'll definitely give myself at least 5 years to finish either.

Best of luck - what are you going to read first?

Just re-read your comment and saw you're reading Little Women - what a coincidence - I finished it yesterday! I'd started it as a young teen and found it completely sappy and threw it aside, but I found I had a greater appreciation for its subtleties this time around...

Happy Reading!

Jen & Sarah, I read The Faraway Tree to my little niece; it worked for both of us. It worked for both of us!

Love this idea 👍. I’m already thinking about 2020 Goals 😂 and something like this sounds perfect. The ‘BigW’ list is intriguing as it has so many Aussie authors.

Jen wrote: "At a quick count Ive read only about 1/4 of the BBC list - including the Faraway Tree which was a childhood fave but also cant see myself reading again. A couple of others Ive attempted but DNF (ye..."

The Big W list is the list put together by Better Reading. Each year Australian readers vote on their top books. The list is available on their website as a PDF. You need to save it as the site removes the lists from previous years. My challenge is to read the list books. I have copies from 2015 and it is very interesting to see what books are being repeated. I have found authors and books I would never have tried before. I don't even read the blurb to see what they are about. The only one I have been really disappointed in was The God of Small Things.

Jen wrote: "Just saw The Shell Seekers is #50 on the BBC list ... uuuuugh. ... Id be swapping that out 😖😖"

Oh yes, I’m with you there! My mum bought me that book many, many years ago. Way too sentimental and old-fashioned for me.

So many lists! I can't see the Kobo, big W or Book House ones, probably because I am not a member of either. I can see the BBC list, and I have read at least 59 of those, but it is a bit.... eclectic? There are a couple of not so great books on there.

Well, maybe I will bump into you around Bilinga/ Point Danger one day Jen; you can't miss me, I always have a book :)

Noelene wrote: "The Big W list is the list put together by Better Reading. Each year Australian readers vote on their top books."

Thanks for that information, Noelene! It makes sense, as I wondered just how many copies of "Pride and Prejudice" sell at Big W stores each year! The other benefit of the Big W Top 100 is that they have all 100 books in stock (most of the time) and at significantly below RRP. Much as I like to support my local independent booksellers, a new release at $10 or $16 is easier on the budget than the same book for $32.99.

I'll seek out the Better reading site now and have a look - I might even vote if I get a chance!

Deborah wrote: "So many lists! I can't see the Kobo, big W or Book House ones, probably because I am not a member of either. I can see the BBC list, and I have read at least 59 of those, but it is a bit.... eclect..."

59 out of the BBC 100 is seriously impressive, Deborah!

You don't need to be a member to access the Kobo or Big W lists - you might find them more easily by google search, rather than from my links, perhaps?

I agree that some of the inclusions in the list seem a little strange, but I suppose that is explained by the fact that the list is (probably) compiled by public vote. I haven't read the Shell Seekers, so can't comment on that one specifically.

Sarah wrote: "Noelene wrote: "The Big W list is the list put together by Better Reading. Each year Australian readers vote on their top books."

Thanks for that information, Noelene! It makes sense, as I wondere..."

I buy my Xmas presents for my friends and family from this list as well because theyare so reasonably priced. For my friends I just wrap and they choose from the pile. They swap out if they have read it. Just a bit of fun.

Noelene wrote: "I buy my Xmas presents for my friends and family from this list as well because theyare so reasonably priced. For my friends I just wrap and they choose from the pile. They swap out if they have read it. Just a bit of fun."

What a fantastic idea! I might do this for my book group this year.

Sounds good!

Are you going to post a list of your 100 books? I'd be interested to see it. I've got a couple of Big W Top 100 entries on my list for the next few weeks. I don't suppose it will be very long before they release their 2020 list... (I have a feeling that Better Readers members might get a chance to vote and a few lucky people win a full catalogue of the 100 books!).

I look forward to seeing your list Jen. It is a really good idea since most of the lists I have read contain books I am not interested in. Having a books that you 'should' read but don't want to on a list really reduces one's interest.