1001 Books To Read Before You Die Spreadsheet __exclusive__ May 2026

3 | One Hundred Years of Solitude | Gabriel García Márquez | 1967 | 1970 (Eng.) | Colombia | Spanish | Novel | Magic realism | Harper (2006, trad. Gregory Rabassa) | 417 | 3 | A | Defining magical realism, multigenerational saga | family, solitude, history | incest, violence | 2025-12-01 | 2026-01-10 | 10 | Dense names map; requires family tree | Y — Buendía family saga | 9780060883287 | Buy | https://www.harpercollins.com/

7 | The Odyssey | Homer | circa 8th century BCE | various | Greece | Ancient Greek | Epic poem | Epic/heroic | Penguin Classics (2003, trad. Emily Wilson) | 304 | 3 | A | Foundational Western epic, adventure | homecoming, cunning, gods | violence | 2024-08-01 | 2024-08-12 | 8 | Compare translations for tone | Y — paired with Iliad | 9780143039952 | Buy | https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ 1001 books to read before you die spreadsheet

9 | Things Fall Apart | Chinua Achebe | 1958 | 1958 | Nigeria | English | Novel | Postcolonial | Heinemann (1962) | 209 | 2 | A | Foundational postcolonial novel | colonialism, tradition vs change | violence | 2021-09-01 | 2021-09-05 | 9 | Clear, concise; teachable chapters | N | 9780395711892 | Library | https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ 3 | One Hundred Years of Solitude |

1 | Don Quixote | Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra | 1605 | 1612 (Corregidor translation note) | Spain | Spanish | Novel | Picaresque/early modern novel | Penguin Classics (2003, trad. Edith Grossman) | 992 | 4 | A | Landmark modern novel, metafictional | friendship, madness, idealism | violence | 2026-03-01 | 2026-03-12 | 9 | Loved the Sancho/Quixote dynamic; slow chapters | Y — Part 1 & 2 | 9780142437230 | Library | https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/ Edith Grossman) | 992 | 4 | A