Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the often-asked questions I receive about this project, as well as a few others that might help you understand what in the world this blog is about.

What’s the point of 101 Books?

Other than reading through 101 books, all on Time Magazine’s list of ALL-TIME novels published since 1923? I like to read. I like lists. I like big projects. I like blogging. Why not? When I started the blog, I thought I’d simply write a “review” of each book, with a related post here and there, maybe once a week. But the blog slowly morphed into a 5-day-a-week deal, and I’m loving it.

If the Time Magazine list is 100 Books, why is the name of your blog 101 Books?

I explain this a little more in my first post, but basically the list only includes books published since 1923, which was the year Time Magazine started. Ulysses just missed the cut because it was published in 1922. Since it’s widely regarded as the greatest novel in the history of the history, I decided to include it.

How do you have time to read that many books?

Great question. I don’t necessarily have time, but I make time. I read during my lunch break, for about 30 minutes, and I read at night after my wife and kid have gone to bed, for about an hour. Reading and running are my two hobbies right now. I think everyone needs a little breather, a little downtime, to re-engergize the batteries. Reading is one of the ways I do that. If you’re really interested, I talk more about it in this post and I give some tips in a guest post on Michael Hyatt’s blog.

In what order are you reading the books?

No particular order. It’s a list but it’s not an ordered list.

So how do you select which book you’re going to read next?

I read them in groups of five with no super-organized plan, to be honest. Sometimes I let the blog readers vote on it. I’ve done that several times, actually. I try and space out the really long 600+ page novels, so I’m not left reading a bunch of weighty novels at the end.

Are you only reading the novels you haven’t read before?

Nope. I’m re-reading the ones I’ve already read, too. Sadly, I had only read 12 of the 101 books before I started.

When do you expect to finish the list?

Well, I started in August 2010. It’s October 2011 and I’ve read 28 books. I have 73 books left to read, not factoring in that The Lord of the Rings is actually 3 books and A Dance To The Music of Time is actually 12 books. I’ll be happy if I can finish all of them sometime in 2014. That said, I love your book suggestions, but if it’s not on the list, I won’t be reading it for a few years.

Will the blog continue once you’ve finished the list?

I honestly don’t know. I don’t know if I’ll continue it in another form or start a new blog with a new concept. I’ve thought about trying to beat the 100 greatest video games of all time, but I don’t know what my wife would think about that. I guess I’ve got a while to figure out what I’ll do next, if I do anything at all.

What’s your favorite/least favorite book you’ve read so far?

Check out my rankings. Through the first 27 books, my favorite is To Kill A Mockingbird and my least favorite is Mrs. Dalloway.

What book are you looking forward to the most/the least?

I’m really looking forward to re-reading The Great Gatsby. It’s one of my all-time favorite books.On The Road was also one of my favorite reads in my early 20s, but I haven’t read it in probably 10 years. It will be interesting to see what I think of it now.

As for the book I’m least looking forward to—that’s got to be A Dance To The Music of Time. It’s not really a book…it’s more like a twelve-volume set of literary torture. Actually, the story is supposed to be great. It’s just long, really long, as in more than 3,000 pages long.

Do you have guest posts?

Not usually. I’ve had one guest post in the first year. I’m not totally opposed to the idea, but it needs to be a well-written article that’s relevant to the list. And, even then, I might not post it. I guess I’m just a control freak.

Have you guest posted on other blogs?

Yes. To this point, I’ve had three opportunities to guest post on other blogs. My first was Jane Friedman’s Writer’s Digest blog. In late 2011, I also guest posted Jon Acuff’s Stuff Christians Like on and Michael Hyatt’s blog.

What are your favorite posts so far?

We’ll I’d be lying if I didn’t include the three freshly pressed posts (Ignorance Revealed, Jonathan Franzen’s 10 Rules of Writing, and Book #27: The Sound and the Fury). After all, those posts have brought in the most traffic and long-term visitors. But here are a few of my other favorites:

• 101 Books Guide To Carrying An Embarrassing Book In Public
• The “Your Search Questions Answered” series
• 5 Disgusting Words That Make Me Cringe
• Book #8: I, Claudius
• Book #20: Catch 22
• Book #22: Neuromancer
• Book #5: Gone With The Wind
• One Old Guy’s Approach To Reading Judy Blume
• Looking Back On Infinite Jest
• Did Stanley Kubrick Misinterpret A Clockwork Orange?
• The Art of Reading While Watching Football

Are You On Twitter?

Yes. You can follow me—but not in the cultish sense of the word–@robertbruce76.

How do I subscribe?

Input your email in the text box at the top right side of my homepage. Or, if you’re on WordPress already, simply click “subscribe.”

Favorite nonfiction books?

Into The Wild. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Under the Banner of Heaven. Mere Christianity.

Traditional book or e-reader?

Paper all the way.

Do you like milk?

Yes.

Do you like vinegar?

Absolutely not.

Favorite herb? 

Basil…hands down.

What’s the capital of Delaware?

Dover.

Any other questions? Feel free to fire away.