(no subject)

[slemslempike]

On pointless milestones:

At some point either quite soon or in the middling distance, depending on the outcome of this, I will mark 3000 books read since I started counting in January 2005.

I am thinking I might read something special as the 3000th book.

But, should I:

a) count it as the 3000th book completed, even including rereads? (When I post my annual book counts this is including rereads.)

b) count it only when I read the 3000th discrete book?



If I go for a) then I hit 3000 this year, probably next month. If b), then more likely 2025, or very late 2024.

I don't know what I would read as a special book, either. I have already read the Booker of Bookers (Midnight's Children). Perhaps if I go for a) then I could reread a favourite book. I cannot think of anything that's coming out in the next year or so that I have been so eagerly awaiting that it could be 3000. I could read something completely out of character; I could read a classic everyone is supposed to have read. I could read the oldest book by a woman in English (Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich). Or the oldest novel by a woman (or anyone), which is Tale of Genji. However, that is 1300 pages long. The Epic of Gilgamesh, on the other hand (which a cursory google, perhaps wrongly, suggests is the oldest literature), is conversely rather short. If I am reading while in Senegal, I could read Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter. Oh! or rather ugh. I suppose I could mark it by finally reading a book in stupid French.

Thoughts welcome, as are suggestions for books for 3000th or more generally.

Comments

[miss_newham]

My friend read Tale of Genji and loved it, but it was such an epic read that we had a karaoke party to celebrate her finishing it.

[sabethea]

Julian of Norwich is awesome, though I haven’t tried to read her entire book.

[slemslempike]

I haven't read anything of hers, only read bits and pieces about her. (And get her confused with John Julius Norwich, about whom I know nothing but I think pops up in Mitfords.)

[slemslempike]

Oof, that does seem A Lot. And especially if I'm counting books by reading them, I'd not really be able to leaven it by also reading something light.

[katlinel]

Reread a favourite book, but the French version of it?

[andrewducker]

I think you should reread your favourite book for the "3,000th including rereads" and read something amazing for your "3,000th discrete".

As you have 18-24 months to get to the 3,000th discrete, I recommend that every time you think of a possibility between now and then you make a note of it somewhere, and then when you're 1-2 books out you post the list of which ones you're strongly considering here and have us discuss again.

I was thinking of jokingly suggesting Gadsby. But I shall, instead, jokingly suggest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Void

[peeeeeeet]

I am A Bit Late to this but...

if it doesn't have to be a novel, have you read Zen Flesh, Zen Bones? It's probably the book that's had the most profound impact on me over the last decade or so (well, not counting Godel Escher Bach, but I probably wouldn't recommend that for a milestone read cos of it is long)