Book Club Nirvana

Reading is (if you’re doing it right) usually a pretty solitary activity. (Exhibit A: my “Go Away, I’m Reading” coffee mug.) But despite - or perhaps because of - the direct and very personal relationship that every reader has with each book he or she reads, a lot of people like to talk about it once they’re finished. That’s why book groups are so popular - and, of course, it’s one of the reasons that people enjoy Unbound.

We’re delighted to welcome to this year’s festival Jim Mustich, the author of the ultimate book discussion book - 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die - A Life Changing List. Hailed by the Washington Post as the “ultimate literary bucket list,” Mustich’s witty and erudite trawl through his library is more than just a list of really good books - although of course it is that, too. It’s a hymn to the joys of reading, the sweet pleasure of losing yourself in a wonderful story. Guide, encyclopedia, to-do list and discussion piece all rolled into one, this book will forever solve the eternal question: What am I going to read next?

James Mustich began his career in bookselling at an independent bookstore in Briarcliff Manor, New York, in the early 1980s. In 1986, he co-founded the acclaimed book catalog, A Common Reader, and was for two decades its guiding force. He subsequently has worked as an editorial and product development executive in the publishing industry. He lives with his wife, Margot, in Connecticut.