1. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
2. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
3. What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
4. The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters
5. Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
6. At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances by Alexander McCall Smith
7. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
8. Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
9. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
10. Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical by Hannah Faith Notess
11. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
12. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith
13. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
14. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
15. Little Children by Tom Perrotta
16. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
17. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
18. Interred with Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell
19. Black by Ted Dekker
20. The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
21. The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston
22. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
23. The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
24. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
25. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
26. Angry Conversations with God by Susan Issacs
27. The Lost Art of Gratitude by Alexander McCall Smith
28. Sepulchre by Kate Mosse
29. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
30. Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
31. House Rules by Jodi Picoult
32. Brimstone by Douglas Preston
33. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
34. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
35. Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston
36. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
37. A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters
38. Courduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith
39. The Dog who Came in from the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith
40. The Last Juror by John Grisham
41. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
42. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
43. The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King
44. Persuasion by Jane Austen
45. The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
46. Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
47. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
48. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
49. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson
50. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
51. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
52. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
53. Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
54. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
55. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
56. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
57. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
58. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
59. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
60. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
61. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
62. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
63. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
64. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
65. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
66. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
67. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
68. Restless by William Boyd
69. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
70. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
71. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
72. Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
73. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
74. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
75. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
76. Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman
77. Monster by Jonathan Kellerman
78. The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
79. Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
80. Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
81. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
82. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
83. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
84. Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
85. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
86. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
87. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
88. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
89. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
90. Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
91. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
92. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Favorites in fiction:
Curse of the Spellman/Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz. Still hilarious, excellent continuation of the series about the Spellman family and their detective business. She’s apparently keeping on with writing for the series, which is excellent!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Excellent book about the black maids and white mistresses in the deep south in the 1960s.
The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson. Excellent continuation and completion of the series. Very intense, but slightly less violent than the first installment.
Courduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith. Excellent new series in the same vein as his Scotland Street series, except set in London. Followed by The Dog Who Came in from the Cold.
Language of Bees/God of the Hive by Laurie R. King. Excellent continuation of the series following Mary and Sherlock Holmes. Her books will probably always be on my favorites list as long as she keeps writing this series.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon. A book I’ve been meaning to read for a while, and I finally got around to it this year. Takes a little effort at the beginning, but completely worth it! Looking forward to reading his new one.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. Heard a lot about this one before finally reading it, and it actually lived up to the hype!
Little Bee by Chris Cleave. Another that lived up the hype; a very fast read.

Favorites in non-fiction:
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. Excellent book about editing and writing a better story with your life. Maybe my favorite of his books now.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Well-written book about the history behind the woman whose cancerous cells are the foundation for everything we’ve learned about cancer in the last 50 years.
Angry Conversations with God by Susan Isaacs. Read after Kari’s glowing review, and it definitely lived up the hype. Very funny and compelling memoir about a complicated relationship with God and church.

Least favorites:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Nothing really wrong with this book, but I didn’t find any of the characters very compelling, and she tended to pontificate quite a bit.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. Again, nothing really wrong with this book, and it was somewhat enjoyable – but veeeery long and drawn out, especially if you don’t know/care about the history of the Scottland highland clans. Didn’t stop me from continuing the series another book though.
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Blech. Definitely not worth reading – I was driving 7 hours and it was my only audiobook, so I listened to it, but I would definitely not recommend it.

1. Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica (aka ‘the Waiter’).
2. Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel.
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith.
4. Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard.
5. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.
6. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
8. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld.
9. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell.
10. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie.
11. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie.
12. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
13. The Reason for God by Tim Keller.
14. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King.
15. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King.
16. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult.
17. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
18. A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King.
19. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.
20. The Moor by Laurie R. King.
21. O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King.
22. Blink: the Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.
23. Justice Hall by Laurie R. King.
24. The Game by Laurie R. King.
25. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris.
26. The Magician by Michael Scott.
27. The Sorceress by Michael Scott.
28. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
29. Atonement by Ian McEwan.
30. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner.
31. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.
32. Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King.
33. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
34. The Savage Garden by Mark Mills.
35. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
36. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Doulas Adams.
37. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
38. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
39. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn.
40. Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall.
41. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.
42. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.
43. Real Murders by Charlaine Harris.
44. Escape by Carolyn Jessop.
45. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.
46. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
47. Fledgling by Octavia Butler.
48. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
49. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
50. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
51. Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
52. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey.
53. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.
54. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan.
55. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith.
56. The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan.
57. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan.
58. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.
59. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith.
60. Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith.
61. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith.
62. Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith.
63. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.
64. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith.
65. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik.
66. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith.
67. The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith.
68. The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs by Alexander McCall Smith.

Top books of the year:
A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Really, the whole series, but if I had to pick just one, it would be this one or Justice Hall). Wonderful stories about what happens after Sherlock Holmes retires.
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Fantastic Young Adult fiction, very intense.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Embarrassing to say that this is my first time reading this, but it was (of course) wonderful.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I don’t know how I missed this novel in my many readings of Austen’s works, but Fanny makes a wonderful protagonist.
The 19th Wife by David Evershoff. For book club, and it was a surprising and interesting look into polygamy both historically and in the present day.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Again, the whole series really, but this is the first. Another really good YA fiction series that feeds my love of the Greek myths.

Least favorites of the year:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. For book club, and we had a good discussion from it, but I didn’t care for it at all. (Sorry, Christy)
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills. Just eh. I wanted to like the concept, but it wasn’t well executed.
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris. I didn’t hate this one, I just didn’t relate to any of the characters at all, and it was so short that I didn’t really have time to get to know any of them either.
Fledging by Octavia Butler. Another book club pick, and one that I thought I would like, but I think there were too many issues the author wanted to convey, so everything got very muddled.

I think I did end up reading more non-fiction this yea, which was part of my goal at the end of last year. I would like to get above 75 next year, so feel free to recommend ones you think I should put on that list! Happy New Year!

Anyway, on with the geeky-ness! This is from Kari.

1) What author do you own the most books by?
Hmm. Probably LM Montgomery (Anne series plus several others), or JK Rowling, or Jodi Piccoult.

2) What book do you own the most copies of?
I don’t own multiple copies of many – couple of Blue Like Jazz, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got more than one copy of at least one of the Harry Potters.

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Yes. I’ll admit it. I know it’s technically ok now, but it still drives me crazy.

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
As much as I love Pride and Prejudice, I would probably go with the heroes of Sense and Sensibility (Colonel Brandon) or Emma (Mr. Knightley) for Austen men. Or Gilbert Blythe (he was my first literary (or any) crush). Crush.crush.crush.

5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
Until recently, I re-read my favorite books all the time. I’ve re-read Jane Eyre more times than I remember; same with Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, the first several of the Anne of Green Gables series.

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
Probably one of the Mandie mysteries, or Anne of Green Gables. I know that I was hating on Rebecca of Sunneybrook Farm around that time. Hate.

7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Hm. I read several that I didn’t care for last year (A Fine Balance, Out of Africa, Wide Sargasso Sea – all book club books). I was also not a fan of The Shack.

8 ) What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Prayer for Owen Meany, or maybe Paper Towns. Or The Book Thief. Lots of young adult books last year apparently.

9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
I’m going to agree with Kari and say Pride and Prejudice. Classic for a reason.

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
I don’t really know. I think I agree with Kari – Lee Smith, or Cormac McCarthy. Audrey Niffenegger? or Gail Godwin?

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
The Time-Traveler’s Wife (I know that’s cheating, they’re already making a movie).

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
A Fine Balance. That’s just based on how much I disliked reading it this year.

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I don’t know if I’ve ever dreamed about a literary character. I think I may have dreamed about living on Prince Edward Island when I was reading the Anne series for the first time.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?
Oy. I have read some doozies, at least based on style. Including a bodice-ripper at the beginning of this past year. Accidentally.

15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Difficult based on topic, lately at least, probably The Kiterunner (and slightly less so, A Thousand Splendid Suns), or Atonement. I tend to avoid books about clearly difficult topics (Nazis, etc).

16) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
The Russians. I haven’t read many French authors. But I do love Anna Karenina. So the Russians win.

18) Roth or Updike?
I haven’t read either. Should I?

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Sedaris. But only if I can hear him read it/talk – I don’t find him nearly as funny unless he’s doing the reading.

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare, definitely. I’ve only read a little Milton, but I did like Chaucer in high school and college. But I wouldn’t read it for fun.

21) Austen or Eliot?
I do like George Eliot, but I adore Jane Austen.

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
There are lots of ‘classics’ I have yet to read. Or that I have given up on trying to read (see: Tale of Two Cities – I’m not a fan of Dickens). Like Kari, I have also not read any Hemingway, but I’m not really planning on rectifying that anytime soon.

23) What is your favorite novel?
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’m agreeing with Kari again. Surprise. (Though I have found myself enjoying Sense and Sensibility more the last couple times I’ve read it, but not enough to overtake P&P)

24) Play?
Much Ado About Nothing. Or Twelfth Night. I’m sure Matthew was in some that I really liked in college, but I can’t remember the names.

27) Short story?
I’m going to disagree with Kari – I don’t like Flannery O’Connor at all. I like several of Mark Helprin’s short stories, but in general I would rather read a whole book than a short story.

28) Work of non-fiction?
Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner, or Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. I think.

29) Who is your favorite writer?
How about a list? I can’t narrow it down to one. Jane Austen, Madeline L’Engle, Ann Patchett, Jodi Piccoult, Alexander McCall Smith, CS Lewis, Charlotte Bronte.

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Stephenie Meyer? I’m going to agree with Kari about this one (though I admit to being totally hooked on the books when reading them). (But I do like Jonathon Safran Foer – at least Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)

31) What is your desert island book?
Um. I have one volume of all Jane Austen’s novels – does that count?

32) And … what are you reading right now?
I’m reading American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. And I’m listening to Agatha Christie’s Cat Among The Pigeons on audiobook. Love her.

I am not tagging anyone. But I would like to read your answers if you would like to participate. Leave a link in the comments if you post your answers on your blog.

1. Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
2. Love over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith
3. The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
4. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
5. The Summer of my Southern Discomfort by Stephanie Gayle
6. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
7. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
8. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
10. History of Love by Nicole Krauss
11. The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
12. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
13. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
14. Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear
15. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson
16. Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
17. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
18. The Prestige by Christopher Priest
19. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
20. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
21. The 6th Target by James Patterson
22. The Know-it-all by AJ Jacobs
23. Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin
24. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
25. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
26. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
27. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
28. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
29. The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
30. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
31. Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers
32. Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers
33. Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers
34. Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers
35. Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
36. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
37. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
38. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
39. The Shack by William Young
40. Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
41. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
42. Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner
43. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
44. The Other Side of the Sun by Madeleine L’Engle
45. The Finishing School by Gail Godwin
46. When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton
47. A Live Coal in the Sea by Madeleine L’Engle
48. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
49. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
50. The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith
51. The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith
52. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
53. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
54. The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith
55. The Comforts of a Muddy Sunday by Alexander McCall Smith
56. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
57. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
58. Paper Towns by John Green
59. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
60. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

Best Fiction: Prayer for Owen Meany or The Book Thief (there are a couple more)
Best Non-fiction: The Glass Castle (only new-to-me non-fiction I liked, and it generated good discussion)
Best Comfort Reads: The Right Attitude to Rain or Love over Scotland (or any of AMS’s books, really)
Best YA Fiction: Paper Towns
Least Favorite Fiction: A Fine Balance (do.not.want.)

So what did you read this year? What are you looking forward to reading in the new year? Anything you’d recommend?

Here’s how it works:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Mark in red the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your blog

And I think I’ll stick with Kari on this one and not mark things red – I’ll note on the side if I loved it.

1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen - One of my all time favorites.
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien – I’ve read the first 1.5 books. I should finish.
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte - I could re-read this every single year.
4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling – I think you probably know how I feel about these.
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee - I admit to never reading this yet.
6 The Bible - I read through the whole thing in a year sometime in college.
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte – Hate.Hate.Hate. Have tried too many times.
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman – I enjoyed them, despite the controversy.
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens – I am not, in general, a fan of Dickens.

11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott – One of my favorites growing up.
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger – I haven’t read it since high school.
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger – I do love this book.
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot – I’ve started this one, but never finished.

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens – Again, not a huge fan of Dickens.
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams - I always want to read this after I see the movie.
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh – I wish I’d read it in time to see the movie.
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck – Haven’t read it, don’t plan on it.
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll – Love this growing up.
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy – I want to re-read it as an adult.
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen – Another favorite.
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen – I love me some Jane.
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis - The one I’ve re-read most often.
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini – Hard to forget.
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez – I doubt that I will ever try this one.
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving – One of my favorites from this current year.
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins – I went through a Wilkie Collins phase.
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery – The whole series.
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy – I have read some Hardy. I liked The Mayor of Casterbridge.
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood – Strange.
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding – I never had to read this one.
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan - Really powerful.

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons – I’ve always wanted to read this.
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen – This is tied with P&P for first place.
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens – Again, I’ve tried several times and failed miserably.
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez Do.not.like.

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold - This one was ok.
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas – Very good.
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac – Started it, hated it.
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens – One of the few I enjoy. (maybe because of the musical – hehe)
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett – I grew up loving this.
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens – The only one of his I really enjoy.
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry – So depressing.
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery – I’ve read parts in French too.
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas – I love me some Dumas. (and the movie is good, too)
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare – Why have the whole collection and separate works on here?
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl – I’ve actually never read any of his stuff, I think.
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo – I have tried many times. One day I will succeed.

So that’s 43. Not bad, I guess. I do love book lists. And that several book club books made it on the list. How many have you read?

1. Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
2. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl
3. Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst
4. The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
5. Thirty-three Swoons by Martha Cooley
6. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
7. Speaking with the Angel edited by Nick Hornby
8. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
9. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
10. Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner
11. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
12. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
13. Good Harbor by Anita Diamant
14. Everyone Else’s Girl by Megan Crane
15. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory
16. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
17. Intuition by Allegra Goodman
18. On Agate Hill by Lee Smith
19. The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner
20. Heat by Bill Buford
21. Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey by Alison Weir
22. The Last Girls by Lee Smith
23. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
24. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg (re-read)
25. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
26. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregor
27. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling (re-read)
28. English as a Second Language by Megan Crane
29. Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, from Cocaine to Foie Gras by Jeff Henderson
30. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (re-read)
31. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
32. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
33. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
34. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry
35. Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell
36. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (re-read)
37. The Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King
38. Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
39. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (re-read)
40. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (re-read)
41. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling (re-read)
42. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
43. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
44. Possession by A.S. Byatt
45. The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
46. The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman
47. Callander Square by Anne Perry
48. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
49. The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
50. Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg
51. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
52. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (re-read)
52. Father Melancholy’s Daughter by Gail Godwin.
54. Evensong by Gail Godwin
55. The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
56. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (re-read)
57. Patron Saint of Liars by Anne Patchett
58. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig
59. Atonement by Ian McEwan
60. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
61. Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson
62. The Alchemyst: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
63. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
64. Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters
65. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
66. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
67. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
68. The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters
69. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
70. Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
71. Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith
72. Run by Ann Patchett
73. Digging to America by Anne Tyler
74. Looking for Alaska by John Green
75. The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
76. Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett
77. Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

All right, so favorites from this year:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling. Long anticipated conclusion to my favorite series, and well worth the wait.
2. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. Beautiful writing, intriguing story, this is what really kicked off my Patchett fandom.
3. Digging to America by Anne Tyler. Such an incredible story, and really well-told. I definitely cried at the end, which is awesomely moving.
4. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith. I don’t know if this will end up being my favorite from the series, but I really enjoy the series as a whole – witty and ironic and full of life.
5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I didn’t necessarily love reading this book, but it has definitely stayed with me longer than most books. Really powerful and well written.
6. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos. Way better than I expected this to be, and much deeper than I thought it could be. One of the lighter favorite books.
7. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I wasn’t sure which of his books to put on here, but this one is one that I will be more likely to re-read (as opposed to Kiterunner). A really beautiful and moving picture of life in Afghanistan.
8. Father Melancholy’s Daughter by Gail Godwin. I loved this prequel to Evensong, and I enjoyed being able to carry the story over into that second book – but I related more to Margaret in this one than in Evensong.
9. Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson. Such a fun book, full of dark humor and southern-isms and family idiosyncrasies.
10. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. One that I will definitely need to re-read again to fully understand, but it was still incredible the first time through.

There were a few disappointments, but overall it was a good list. I’m open to suggestions for what to read in 2008, and tell me what you read and enjoyed in 2007!

I’m house- and dog-sitting for some friends from church, which is really fun – they have a beautiful house, and quite literally insisted that I have friends over while they’re gone. So I’m having some friends over for lunch after church this weekend, and will try to plan another get-together before I go back home. It’s nice having a full-size kitchen to play in, and the dogs are fun to play with.

I’ve fallen behind in detailing my reading lately – they’re all listed here in case you’re wondering what I’m reading these days – currently I’ve left off in the middle of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, originally so I could read A Thousand Splendid Suns (which was amazing!), and I’m now more than halfway through Love Walked In, which I’m really enjoying a lot. I had a really good time reading Spellman Files, a PI story with a strong Veronica Mars feel. And I’ll be reading Possession and The Same Sweet Girls for book clubs (or virtual book clubs ) in the next few weeks. Which will have delayed my Harry Potter re-read such that I’ll be closer to finishing book 6 in the weeks before book 7 is finally released.

And I’ve recently found out that Over the Rhine’s new album, The Trumpet Child, will be out August 21st, with the ability to pre-order starting July 2nd! w00t! Based on what I’ve heard in the concerts I’ve been to, I think this could easily take the ‘Favorite OtR Album’ slot. I’m crazy excited about this CD, especially that we don’t have to wait til later in the year like I thought we might.

Mom and I spent the weekend together (Dad’s gone, clearly, and Matthew just moved to CA) – I drove home Friday night, we had dinner with one of our favorite people (Valerie!) and then leisurely drove up to Mars Hill Saturday morning (well, actually afternoon), stopping at antique stores and crafts shops along the way. We toured the (beautiful) B&B where we were staying (Dad, it’s that huge white house next to the Baptist church right off campus – just up the street from the Deli) and then drove around campus, noting all the improvements and incredible new buildings going up, and around town. We ate at a newish ‘casual dining’ place on Main Street, and retired early to our lovely suite of rooms upstairs and read. We slept in (well, I did, at least) and had a very nice breakfast before checking out and heading to church at the UMC church (where I went my last few years in college) – it was nice to see some of the same faces, even though a lot of people were out of town. We did get to meet up with my favorite biology prof from college and we took her out to lunch in Weaverville and got to chat about the college and students and possible jobs (*much fingernail biting*). Very good times.

It was a great weekend, though coming back was a bit of a shock, like we’d been away for much longer that a day or two. I did go on a nice long walk with Beth when I got back into town (after stopping off at the lab of course) – we walked around Ardmore (TONS of houses for sale!) and caught up on the crazy-ness going on in each of our lives. To come from MHC, where we’ve been talking about the possibilities of me teaching there in the near future, to go back to Winston, where I already feel so settled and comfortable and established (sometimes), it was all a bit … jarring. Anyway, I’ve got a lot to think/pray about, and talking with Dan sometime in the very near future. (We did, for the first time in a while, talk about a date for me graduating sometime in the near future – I think I’ll be shooting for early fall, with the knowledge that I can push that off a bit farther into the fall if need be – I’ve really got to get my second paper underway then…)

Let’s see… what else… I finished Life of Pi by my book club discussion – very interesting read, but I’ll save my thoughts for after the discussion, which should be really good, I think. I’ve started The Boleyn Inheritance (Philippa Gregory again), which continues the story of Henry the VIII’s 3rd and 4th wives (I think) – good and entertaining so far, as I expected – she’s a really good story-teller, and I’m already interested in the time period, so I’ve been quickly absorbed. (It’s a bit confusing at times, because I read Innocent Traitor a few weeks ago, which is about what happens after Henry dies and his son takes the throne and immediately after. So this is jumping back in history a bit. hehe)

Well, I’ve got a busy week ahead of me – I promise I’ll write more later on. I love you, Dad!

~ Matthew is now officially in California. and So happy and excited for him, but really sad that he’s that far away – I do think we’re closer emotionally than we have been in a long time, so hopefully that will compensate some for the distance. He’ll be staying with some friends of ours out there, and he’s actually already got at least a short-term job already in the works, at Dreamworks (I think), thanks to his friend Adam who’s already out there. Keep up with his journey here.

~ Dad is heading to Africa for his third trip to the orphanage outside of Dubai, Kenya. Since he’ll be gone for a while and Matthew was leaving, we celebrated Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Matthew’s going-away all at the same time last weekend. Good times! Many thanks to Alisa for taking some great pictures of Matthew and me that we framed for Mom and Dad as gifts – I think they were a hit. He’ll be helping out with carpentry and maintenence projects, like he has on past trips. You can keep up with Dad’s trip through the links at the right – one for his page, and one for the orphanage.

~ Mom and I are going to be having a girl’s weekend next weekend, spending the night at a bed & breakfast, going back to my alma mater Mars Hill. It’s actually graduation weekend there, but I’m sure we’ll be able to find fun stuff to do while we’re there. It’ll be great to be back up there, and see the town from a different perspective, and spend some good girl time while the boys are gone.

~ I’ve finished a few more books recently, which you can read about here. I’ve just started Life of Pi (Yann Martel) for a book club, and I think I might break my rule and read two books at the same time, because I’ve got a non-fiction book that I don’t think I’ll be able to just read all the way through – Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life was featured on NPR a couple weeks ago, and as I’ve decided that I need to learn more about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, I’m excited about this one – but I think it’ll be easier if I read it along with whatever other book I’m reading so I don’t get bogged down too much. And I’m going to have to start my re-read of the Harry Potter books, in preparation for the new movie and the last book, all happening this summer!

~ Things I’m currently enjoying: Iron Chef America (well, almost anything on Food Network right now), Gilmore Girls (two more episodes til the SERIES FINALE! ), Nintendo Wii (the only game system I’ve ever wanted to own – soooo fun!), my nursery babies (so cute), and lots of phone time with the brother (enjoying that while I can).

~ I’m getting a haircut this week (finally), and while I considered doing something more dramatic (shorter, maybe), I think I might let it grow and donate to Locks of Love, since it’s already pretty close to that long anyway – but it might frustrate me enough between now and then to just cut it off… we’ll see…

OK, that’s enough for now.