Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

Use this Topic to discuss books you’re reading or that fit the 8th Scavenger Hunt task.

I read The Lonely Londoners. Sam Selvon is from Trinidad, his parents were West Indian. He also has a Scottish grandfather.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

I’m not sure my book is on the list. So sorry. I’m new to the group.

I read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston at the beginning of Feb so that can count here and possibly also in the one with titles of 5 words. I really enjoyed it and found the language quite lyrical.

The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda. It was well-written but a very odd book.

Genia wrote: "The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda. It was well-written but a very odd book."

Reading that this month for another group's bingo- that what I'm going to read for this one.

Debbie McGreevy wrote: "I’m not sure my book is on the list. So sorry. I’m new to the group."

This group is focused on the books in the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" book, and the books for this challenge need to be on that. Welcome to the group. Most of the books are older ones but there are some newer ones. The one you mentioned isn't on it. Here's a link to a listing:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
There may be a list somewhere of which of these authors are people of color.

An author from India qualifies? I'm thinking of Rabindranath Tagore's The Home and the World.

I'm planning to read some books by Black authors this year, but they're not on the 1001 list.

Animal's People by Indra Sinha

George P. wrote: "An author from India qualifies? I'm thinking of Rabindranath Tagore.

I'm planning to read some books by black authors this year, but they're not on the 1001 list."

It has to be from the 1001 list - but there are so many really good books and you can find them already listed in the Bookshelf:

https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

Challenge description is indeed a bit vague. I decided to take on several African writers this year, here is my year pledge:
Arrow of God: Read Things Fall Apart, can't wait for this
Woman at Point Zero (Egyptian writer)
Half of a Yellow Sun: Read Americanah High expectations on this
Then I am considering Poisonwood Bible and Hideous Kinky as they are set in Africa.
Not sure if any Moroccan or Algerian Writers were on the list.

George P. wrote: "An author from India qualifies? I'm thinking of Rabindranath Tagore.
I'm planning to read some books by black authors this year, but they're not on the 1001 list."

In message 8, I said, "There may be a list somewhere of which of these authors are people of color."
I discovered we actually have a shelf titled Authors of Color, it has 79 books (don't know how many authors) and includes Tagore and other Indian writers like Rushdie, so I think I have a green light there. I've read 31 of the 79 books so far.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

I also counted that book for the long title task, so if by some miracle I actually manage to complete this challenge, I'll see if I can replace it with another book for this task.

For this task I'll read So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ.

Dina wrote: "For this task I'll read So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ."

Good choice. I read it 2 or 3 years ago and gave it a four-star rating.

Irem wrote: "Challenge description is indeed a bit vague. I decided to take on several African writers this year, here is my year pledge: ...
Not sure if any Moroccan or Algerian Writers were on the list."

The only Moroccan or Algerian book I know of on the list is The Golden Ass by Apuleius of Algeria, 159ce, which I haven't read (but may someday).
I've read a couple books by Algerian writers and one by a Moroccan but they weren't on the Boxall list. For a non-list book by a Moroccan author you could check out This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun, 2001 has a 4.28 avg on Goodreads. Translated from French, a critically-acclaimed bestseller in France.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano

I finished The Home and the World by Tagore. I enjoyed reading it, a mixture of a fairly simple story with interesting structure and a lot of depth of themes.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I listened to this on audiobook narrated by the author, which I highly recommend! I gave this 5 stars

I’ve read as many as I could get my hands on through the years, but something I reread recently which is also incredibly timely (reading the back cover synopsis in 2017 gave me the willies) Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler.

Jo wrote: "I’ve read as many as I could get my hands on through the years, but something I reread recently which is also incredibly timely (reading the back cover synopsis in 2017 gave me the willies) Parable..."

Here is a list of Boxall's books that fit into this category...
https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

I'm in the middle of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Once I finish, I will have finished the challenge!

I finished Queen Margot, or Marguerite de Valois for this one.

Alexandre Dumas was descended from an African Slave in Haiti. His Paternal Grandmother.