Category Archives: lists

Books: 2008

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Books Read in 2008:
1. Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressman Taylor
2. Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
3. The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea Buchanan
4. Book of Salt by Monique Truong
5. PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
6. The Uncommon Reader: A Novella by Alan Bennett
7. Grammar is a Sweet, Gentle Song by Erik Orsenna
8. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
9. The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark Ukra
10. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon
11. There’s No Place But Here by Cecelia Ahern
12. You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
13. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
14. The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
15. Goodbye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson
16. Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey with his Wordless Daughter by Robert Rummel-Hudson
17. Apartment Therapy: The Eight Step Home Cure by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
18. Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
19. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
20. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
21. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
22. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
23. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
24. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
25. Tithe by Holly Black
26. Kampung Boy by Lat
27. Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk
28. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
29. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
30. Shooting War by Anthony Lappe and Dan Goldman
31. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
32. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
33. Host by Stephenie Meyer
34. Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
35. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
36. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
37. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
38. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
39. What It Is by Lynda Barry
40. Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins
41. Y: The Last Man volumes 1-10 by Brian Vaughn
42. Things Not Seen By Andrew Clements
43. Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen
44. Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen

In my first year in a while (2004 being the only other one) in which my reading was not at all affected by being in school, I’m sad to report that I didn’t exactly destroy the book resolution I made last year. (Which was to read 52 books in 2008.) I came close, though, so I am okay with that. (Then again, I counted Y: The Last Man as one book, when in reality it was ten volumes of graphic novels, so it’s arguable.) But as reading goes, I read a lot and that makes me happy. I read a LOT of graphic novels this year, and while perhaps that was initially fueled by a desire to keep up with what’s garnering buzz in the library world, it’s now just because I like them very much. I loved Y: The Last Man and Watchmen, and would HIGHLY recommend both, especially if you dig science fiction, fantasy, and snarky humor (although not as much with Watchmen on the snarky front). I had a bit of a teen scifi/fantasy phase, which I grew tired of after a while, but I find that happening when I read too much of any genre.

As for goals for 2009 reading? I’m not sure. Ideally, I’d like to hit the 52 books mark for real, so I think I’m sticking with that.

In previous years…
Books read in 2007
Books read in 2006
Books read in 2005

Confessions Two

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(Confessions One)

  • I let itunes’ Genius feature make a mix cd for me this weekend. This makes me feel like a complete failure, given how much time and effort I put into making my own mixes from scratch. The worst part? It’s a really, really good mix.
  • Sometimes, I text while I’m driving. Even though I’m fully aware how foolish this is.
  • I’ve had to put a Target ban into place on myself. This is because of days like today, when I went in for sponges and left having spent $30 on Halloween socks, sponges, birthday cards, batteries, a soda, and other socks.
  • I am COMPLETELY not used to this long hair thing.
  • In fact, I seem to have a strange mental impression of myself in ponytails, because while I know lots of people who look adorable with their hair in a ponytail, for some reason, when it’s me, ponytails are only reserved for when I’m home by myself. Or at the gym. Not for going out or going to work. Don’t ask me to explain how ridiculous this is. I can’t.
  • When I have to get rid of a paper jam in a printer or copy machine, it makes me REALLY happy when I fix it.
  • I bought these awesome tall brown boots but have never worn them because I don’t know what to wear them WITH. Or maybe it’s that I wear skirts so very rarely that now I feel weird when I do.
  • Turns out? There ARE other people out there who are susceptible to the magic of baseball. This is a very good thing, indeed.

Confessions

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  • I’m sorry to say it, flip flops, but the passion is gone. I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the way, I fell out of love with you. Also, you’re horrible when I’m trying to drive.
  • When I read the Sunday PostSecrets, sometimes I see ones I wish were about me.
  • I always feel like I’m getting away with something when I eat a BLT. A sandwich made of bacon? Are you sure?
  • My closets are full of boxes that look organized but are actually full of random crap. This is after I “went through things” when I moved out. I didn’t get it all.
  • I make a big fuss about how much it sucks to be lactose intolerant, but in reality? I don’t really miss dairy products that much. Not even ice cream.
  • In eleven months and two weeks of living in my apartment, the only meat I’ve cooked is the turkey I put in chili. This is not because I’m a vegetarian, but because I am too chicken to learn how to cook meat. (Or to care that much about it, actually.)
  • I would just like to date someone who likes sports.
  • I am listening to the Vampire Weekend cd so much that it borders on ridiculous. Every time the cd is over, I skip back to track #1 and start it all over again.
  • When I’m at a ballpark eating a hot dog and drinking a beer and sitting under the lights, it’s so magical I feel like I’m under a spell. Sometimes I wonder if this happens to other people.
  • I never file anything at home. I keep it all. But it’s not filed.
  • I haven’t been to the dentist in a long time. Years.
  • I hate wearing navy.

Twenty Seven Things To Do While I’m 27 (In No Certain Order)

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  1. Learn how to identify more constellations. (I KNOW there’s more out there than the Big Dipper and Orion.)
  2. Run three miles. Without stopping.
  3. Slow down.
  4. Wear more wacky socks.
  5. Give vegetarianism a solid go, rather than just talking about it.
  6. Write more.
  7. Learn how to cook something I can love as much as I love the chili.
  8. Love bigger.
  9. Go to a concert.
  10. Kiss someone.
  11. Fit into those damn skinny jeans.
  12. Like my car more, and stop wishing it was the one I crashed.
  13. Start using my patio. (Neighbors are not as scary as they might seem.)
  14. Master Guitar Hero on Hard. (Orange button be damned!)
  15. Have people over.
  16. See as many baseball games as possible.
  17. Finish the cross stitches for my mom.
  18. Tell people that they’re important to me.
  19. Do something scary.
  20. Allow myself to be who I am, in brilliant color.
  21. Love my old friends, and my new ones, too.
  22. Go somewhere I’ve never been before.
  23. Swing on some swings.
  24. Buy awesome shoes. (But not too many.)
  25. Worry a tiny bit less.
  26. Find more bad jokes. (But don’t EVER stop telling the old ones. They are still funny, no matter what anyone says.)
  27. Grow up. Don’t grow up. Age is just a number. Be confident, and humble, and patient, and kind. And nerdy.

Plus, Minus

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Plus:

  • My friends came over.
  • My new calendar.
  • Panoramic sunroof.
  • Baseball season.
  • Photos of the sky.
  • Smudgy gray eyeliner.
  • Pencils with my name on them.

Minus:

  • Stomachaches.
  • Chilly breezes.
  • Twitter in the sidebar? (What do you think?)
  • Too-short work pants.
  • No ideas for photos.
  • Super-long white tank tops for sale instead of NORMAL ones. (I just want a normal one that isn’t super long, why is that so much to ask?)
  • Mud.

Plus, Minus

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Plus:

  • Daylight Savings Time! The sun’s still up when I’m driving home for work, and this makes me so happy. Bonus: more time to take pictures each day!
  • I cooked tonight. Sure, it was to bring in for a party at work, but hey, I cooked.
  • My aunt and uncle sent me jellybeans in the mail yesterday. Just because.
  • My brother’s home for spring break, hooray!
  • My hair has been making sense, for once.
  • I guess people say to keep busy for a reason. (Sometimes I do better than others.)

Minus:

  • I’m still all backwards because of Daylight Savings Time.
  • My yogurt was frozen on Monday at lunch. Frozen solid!
  • Cooking is rather difficult when your glasses fog up with steam and you can’t see shit.
  • My hands are so dry they are cracked and it huuuurts, dude. It’s not so cold anymore, what’s the deal?
  • I want to write more but I am too paranoid about the fact that I have nothing interesting or funny to say.

The Little Things

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  • having breakfast at a diner with friends from out of state
  • pork roll
  • finding a box of Christmas tree cakes that are still good!
  • my new orange shoes
  • a good night’s sleep
  • when Will Ferrell’s character brings a bunch of flours to the baker he’s in love with in Stranger than Fiction
  • watching a movie with my dad that makes him laugh so hard he cries (Stripes)
  • hearing songs I haven’t heard in a long time
  • a fountain pen

Books: 2007

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Books Read in 2007:
1. The Illustrated Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Illustrated by Dame Darcy)
2. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
4. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
5. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
6. Skellig by David Almond
7. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
8. A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
9. Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
10. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
11. My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyr
12. Heart’s Delight by Per Nilsson
13. Doing It by Melvin Burgess
14. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
15. How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen
16. Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
17. Sorcery and Cecelia OR The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
18. Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
19. Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie
20. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
21. With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote by Ann Bausum
22. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
23. Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Carter
24. God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Rylant
25. Shakespeare: His Work and His World by Michael Rosen
26. Whirligig by Paul Fleischman
27. Looking for Alaska by John Green
28. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
29. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki
30. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang and Gene Yang
31. Feed by M.T. Anderson
32. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
33. Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
34. how i live now by Meg Rosoff
35. The Adventures of Blue Avenger by Norma Howe
36. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi
37. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
38. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff,Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
39. Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
40. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
41. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
42. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
43. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (audio)
44. Just in Case by Meg Rosoff
45. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (audio)
46. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (audio)
47. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
48. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
49. No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories by Miranda July
50. The Professor’s Daughter by Joanna Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert
51. Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement by Rodney Rothman

I am especially happy to report that I completely destroyed my 2007 Book Resolution, which was simply to read more than 24 books. I’m actually kind of impressed that I came so close to the 52 books a year/one book a week magic number. Granted, 3o or so of the books I read in 2007 were for my young adult literature class, but I managed to keep up the pace relatively well for the rest of the year, all things considered. So what will my 2008 Book Resolution be? To read 52 books! (But just as a cover-my-own-ass measure, I’d be completely happy if I read 35 books, too.)

In previous years…
Books read in 2006
Books read in 2005

Books: 2006

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1. All Rivers Flow to the Sea by Alison McGhee
2. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (audio)
3. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson
4. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
5. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (audio)
6. Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs
7. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
8. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (audio)
9. Babyville by Jane Green (audio)
10. The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason (audio)
11. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (audio)
12. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
13. Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
14. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
15. Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty
16. Size Twelve is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
17. Diary by Chuck Palahniuk (audio)
18. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
19. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs (audio)
20. A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
21. Fluke. Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore
22. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
23. Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore
24. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

So that’s the list. At the beginning of the year I made some pretty lofty Book Resolutions instead of New Year’s Resolutions. I didn’t read any classics, and I didn’t make it to my goal of 25 books. The only small victory was that I read exactly one more book in 2006 than I did in 2005. Which is good, I suppose. In any case, for 2007, I am going to keep my Book Resolutions simple:

  • Read more than 24 books.

Wish me luck.

books: 2005

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1. flowers for algernon by daniel keyes
2. the sisterhood of the traveling pants by ann brashares (audio)
3. the second summer of the sisterhood by ann brashares (audio)
4. stargirl by jerry spinelli
5. the notebook by nicholas sparks
6. the year of secret assignments by jaclyn moriarty
7. feeling sorry for celia by jaclyn moriarty
8. harry potter and the order of the phoenix by j.k. rowling (audio)
9. wurst case scenario by catherine clark
10. the tao of pooh by benjamin hoff
11. my sister’s keeper by jodi picoult
12. girls in pants by ann brashares (audio)
13. guenevere, queen of the summer country by rosalind miles
14. the daughters of freya
15. the lovely bones by alice sebold
16. harry potter and the half-blood prince by j.k. rowling
17. atonement by ian mcewan (audio)
18. the water mirror by kai meyer (advance reader’s copy from book expo)
19. jamie by lori foster (advance reader’s copy from book expo)
20. teach me by r.a. nelson (advance reader’s copy from book expo)
21. the birth of venus by sarah dunant (audio)
22. jennifer government by max barry ((audio)
23. chicks with sticks (it’s a purl thing) by elizabeth lenhard