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.

I do, however, have some exciting new internet happenings! A group of friends and I have formed a group we call The Button Club to take on all of the domestic-ish tasks in this book: Erin Bried’s How to Sew a Button. Our first task started today (Folding a Fitted Sheet), and I just posted my first entry!

Keep checking back as we continue through the book, checking off fun tasks as we go! The Button Club!

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!

~ I am teaching college, at 2 different (very different) schools. One private, liberal arts college, and one technical community college. Very different environments, very different kinds of students, and very different colleagues. But I enjoy both of them quite a bit, for very different reasons. I’m teaching 2 introductory classes at the liberal arts school, mostly to freshman biology majors and upperclassmen non-majors. It’s challenging to motivate the non-majors and still keep the majors engaged. I’m also teaching anatomy and physiology at the community college, and the average age of my students is probably older than I am. It’s challenging to keep up with the fast pace of the material we have to cover, and to keep the students from talking me into making things easier for them.

~ My previous roommate (Rebecca) got married last weekend, so not only were we wrapped up in wedding planning, but we also moved out of our beloved little Ardmore house. She is now, obviously, living with Mike out in Clemmons, and I have moved a couple miles south on Ebert into Beth’s townhouse. Despite a significant effort on my part in the month before the move, I still have waaaaay too much stuff, but we got it all moved, with a monumental amount of help from our wonderful friends. (We seriously could not have done it without all of their help.) I am now mostly settled in, and we are adjusting to each other pretty well – Dinah even seems to like Beth a lot (she usually takes a good bit of time to warm up to new people). Beth and I are both relatively busy people, so we don’t see a ton of each other, but its been a good experience so far.

~ The family is pretty good. Dad’s health has improved quite a bit since this time last year right after the surgery, though some lingering issues remain to be worked out. He has even talked about getting back into the workforce lately. Mom helped out so much with Rebecca’s wedding, so I got to see a lot of her between the move and the wedding, which was great. Matthew is still out in L.A., and happy to be so. He’s back on a production job (I can’t think of the show/movie right now) after a brief hiatus working a non-production job for a little while. We got to see him for a day and a half when we (Mom, Valerie and I) went out to San Diego and he drove down from L.A. (That trip was one of my favorite trips in memory, actually.)

Those are the highlights, anyway. I worked an interesting summer job in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Wake, and it was a nice break from teaching. Lots of exciting events in the past couple months: Alex and Daniel welcomed baby #3 Sonnet Rose on October 8th, Rebecca and Mike got married, and Alisa and Jason got married (and we had a fantastic weekend of catching up with old friends!). I’m on a very short kind of fall break this week, and am trying to get ahead with schoolwork so I can keep up with this second half of the fall semester. I’m in the process of converting 2 sets of class lectures into powerpoint, and enjoying the lull between exams which means no grading for a little while!

I think I’ve fallen a bit behind on my reading this year, compared with last year at least. But I’ve read some really interesting books this year, including some really good book club choices. We’re actually meeting at an Indian Restaurant tonight for this month’s discussion of The White Tiger, a book about modern-day India (which I loved). I will hopefully get around to sharing about some of the books I’ve liked so far this 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?

But it’s true
Kingdoms and crowns
The God who came down
To find you

It’s true
Angels on high
Sing through the night
Hallelujah

You’ve heard it told
You think it’s odd
The whole thing fraught with complication
The play begins with baby God
And all his blessed implications
~It’s True by Sara Groves (from her new Christmas album O Holy Night)

But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move
~Labor of Love by Andrew Peterson

A little Child will lead them, the prophets said of old
In storm and tempest heed Him until the bell is tolled
~Cradle in Bethlehem by Sara Groves

So it came to pass that Joseph was the noblest of men
With a woman on a donkey on their way to Bethlehem
And I wonder whether either was aware enough that day
To know the child would bring a Kingdom
and the old would come to pass away
~It Came to Pass by Andrew Peterson

Will he be a king on a throne
Full of power with a sword in his fist?
Prophet, tell us will there be another king like this?
Full of wisdom, full of strength,
The hearts of the people are his
Prophet, tell us will there be
another king like this?

‘He’ll bear no beauty or glory
Rejected, despised
A man of such sorrow
We’ll cover our eyes

He’ll take up our sickness
Carry our tears
For his people
He will be pierced

He’ll be crushed for our evils
Our punishment feel
By his wounds
We will be healed.’

‘From you, O Bethlehem
Small among Judah
A ruler will come
Ancient and strong.’
~So Long, Moses by Andrew Peterson

He is Mercy’s incarnation
Marvel at this miracle!
For the Virgin gently holds
the Glorious Impossible.

Praise the wisdom of the Father
Who has spoken through his Son.
Speaking still, He calls us to
the Glorious Impossible.
~Glorious Impossible by Gaither Vocal Band

And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
~In the Bleak Midwinter modified from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Merry Christmas to you all!

I will now be making some revisions of the thesis document, and finishing up some experiments, and breaking into my new role as professor. I want to thank those of you who have been such an incredible source of support and comfort over the past several years, who have listened to the complaining and freaking out and stressful conversations, who have prayed for me over the years and lightened the load. This experience would have been much less fun and incredibly more difficult without all of you. So thank you. Very much.

With the roomie defending her thesis this Monday, we decided to have a big blow-out party next Saturday the 23rd at 2pm. If you haven’t gotten an invitation and want to come, let me know and I’ll add you to the list! We’d love to see you there!

As far as details go, I will be sticking around Winston Salem for this coming academic year. I’ll be working in the lab through the end of September to finish up a couple more papers before the boss leaves. But starting on August 18th, I’ll be teaching my first college class at a local liberal arts college, an introductory class for biology majors. I am very excited (and nervous) about this new opportunity, and the experience it will bring that will make me a more attractive candidate for a faculty position in the near future.

So. There you go. An update, finally. I will try to keep up better now that the big news is out, but given what September is looking like, that might be a tall order. We’ll see. I’ll be sure to let you know how things go this week. Unless the biochemistry kills me first.

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?