“Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut
“…a young writer’s quest to research the history of the atomic bomb, which leads to a bizarre political soap opera and apocalyptic showdown on the shores of a seedy banana republic in the Caribbean.” – (Publishers Weekly)
Rating: 8 / 10
“Into the Wild” by John Krakauer
“After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska, where he went to live in the wilderness. Four months later, he turned up dead. His diary, letters and two notes found at a remote campsite tell of his desperate effort to survive.” - (Publishers Weekly)
Rating: 7.5 / 10
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
My 1001 Day project began on December 31, 2009
A lot of the entries on my list are personal, but click ahead to read the public portion of my list. You can check back here any time to see how much (if any) progress I’ve made.
One of the things I plan to do in the upcoming year is to read at least one book every two weeks. That may not seem like a challenge, but for someone who is easily distracted by other things (such as writing her own novel), it can be difficult sometimes to find time to sit down and read.
Some of these books I’ll be reading will be pulled from the ALA’s list of the most banned books of 1990-2001. I’ll also be reading books from the Modern Library’s 100 Best Books collection. Hit the jump for the complete lists…
