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Nathan Slake's avatar

What a great project! Awesome to see the list you've got going here.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Thanks so much, Nathan … I guess we’re lucky with our ‘year’ and the books it gifted us, but I’m enjoying the choices and rattling along with the challenge. What would be your year? Any ‘must-reads’ on your list?

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Nathan Slake's avatar

Do you know what, I didn't think to look at mine. 1983… I shall go digging.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Ah, stop with the dates in the 80s already! I left school in ‘83 😧

You can’t go wrong with a Terry Pratchett, a couple of Stephen Kings and The Queen’s Gambit.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/1983

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Nathan Slake's avatar

What a great resource. I didn't know these lists existed in Goodreads. Thanks.

OK, so #1 and #2, check. I find that quite remarkable and interesting that one of my favourite books of my teenage years (Pratchett's Colour of Magic, which introduced me to Discworld and shaped a large part of my love of books) was published the year I was born.

#39, one of my favourite books ever!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Sounds like quite the epic!

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Raquel Dias da Silva's avatar

This is such a great idea! And I will keep this list in mind, because some titles sound up my alley. Maybe I will do 26 for 2026 with books published in 1995. You certainly made me want to. But yeah, sourcing sounds hard.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

It is certainly throwing up some books I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise, Raquel. I’m now a. Thinking you are 10 years younger than my son! and b. I wonder what books will be on the 1995 list that I will have read. I have been using Awesome Books and the first 16 books I found were good quality used editions. I’ve just finished Dune but I treated myself to a new copy when I was in Smith & Sons, an English language bookshop in Paris. I’m off to check the 1995 list! B

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Vanessa Simpson's avatar

That’s quite a list! I’m intrigued to know when in the day you read - are you a daytime reader or just before your head hits the pillow? In theory I love reading, but never quite read as much as I mean to….

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Also, I literally just finished ‘Dune’ with some ‘not in bed’ reading. I’m now stuck on what to read next!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

I keep meaning to read more during the day, Vanessa but I usually read a chapter or two in bed. I do all my Substack (online) reading during the day, of course. The modest reading targets have helped over the past two or three years to make me focus on it more.

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Matthew Long's avatar

Some excellent choices Barrie! Like a good wine, you just get better with age! What a way to celebrate this milestone year.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

It’s lovely leaving it to luck … the year of publication is what it is and what pops up is a surprise for this reader. I’m super fascinated to see how many survive the passing of time and fashions … have any authors hit the holy grail of ‘timeless’!

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Matthew Sutcliffe's avatar

A twist in the tale?

I was 10 for almost all of 1965.

I have read ten of these.

Spooky or what?

(Not all read WHEN I was ten)

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Ten out of ten!

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

An interesting challenge!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

I think sourcing will be tougher than the reading part!

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

Indeed! I was just looking for a volume in my books shelves that I thought I had that is circa 1974 and I don't. Now to try to find a reasonably priced copy.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

I’ve been using Awesome Books as my starting point for used copies. I miss the proliferation of second hand and charity bookshops we had in the UK. There are a few here in France. I’ll get the panniers on the bike and get searching. Good luck with finding the book! Hope you’re feeling much better.

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Pamela Leavey's avatar

Thanks! I am definitely feeling much better. I ventured out to the grocery store today with my mask on. It was good to get out of the house.

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

💛💛

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