The Big Read - BBC list

    My first goal started on December 1, 2010. I had previously decided that I would read all 100 books from the BBC list sent through facebook. This list claimed that of the 100 books most people had not even read 6 books. While some of the list seemed strange (including Hamlet and also including the Complete Works of Shakespeare) I realized many of the books on the list were books I was interested in reading. On December 1, 2010, my friend Leif posted his discovery that this booklist is a fraud. He found the real list, "The Big Read", which contains 200 of the UK's most beloved books. This list contained even more books that I was interested in. In comparing the two lists I discoverd that while many were repeated, the fake list had some books that have become more popular in recent years, some that I really want to read. I decided to combine the two lists and make a new goal. I would like to read all of the books on this combined list in 800 days.
   The list I have created contains 229 books. I have chosen to expand the Chronicles of Narnia to each individual book. I added the missing Harry Potter books, the ones that came out after 2003. I have also chosen to exclude the Complete Works of Shakespeare. I am reading this list for enjoyment, not for study, I feel that Shakespeare takes a certain amount of study to truly enjoy. Perhaps Shakespeare will become its own goal at a later date.
    I would also like to add that because this goal is about enjoying reading these books I will not consider it a failure to only read two books by an author that appears multiple times on this list. My husband pointed out that he greatly dislikes Terry Pratchett, an author that appears 15 times on this list. I do not want reading these books to be a burden. I will give each author a fair chance, reading a minimum of two books from authors appearing multiple times.
    Finally, I will read an abridged version of books where I see fit. I own many books in an abridged version, if I love them, then maybe I will read the original version afterwards. If I hate it then at least I only suffer the abridged version and not the full version.