good reads- a best seller, a teen novel, and a series, oh my!

One amazing thing about having the entire summer to myself was all the reading I got to catch up on. Here were a few on my list.....

 The Book Thief. An amazing and incredible book. I just finished it and I'm a little sad. I'm a huge fan of WWII books, so I really looked forward to reading this one. To make it more unique (which appealed to me even more) was that it was a different view point than most are. I can't say enough good things about this book. While it is sad, it is so heartwarming.

Branded. A wonderful book, that while it is a "teen" novel, even I as an adult thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing wasn't the absolute best, and it wasn't as detailed as I would have liked (and maybe even needed) but the story was extremely interesting. But beware: it's supposed to be a trilogy, but the authors just finished this book, so it will be awhile before the next come out. (This made me a little sad).

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Okay- I'll admit it...these would be classified as "trash". And they definitely are adults only. But one thing I love reading in the summer is chicklit and this series was up my alley. The series as a whole has 12 books and I can't wait to take on the next one on my list (10th!!!). Some of the language annoyed me (huge buff vampires shortening words like "addy" for address or "deets" for details. But the stories were intriguing and I love that each book in the series highlights another character, while still incorporating all of them.

Any good read recommendations from yall??
-kel

book it

The past couple of months I've been absolutely obsessed with reading. In fact, I spent just about all of my spring break trying to finish Gone With the Wind because it was just that amazing. (And I succeeded). 

 

I honestly loved Gone With the Wind. I wasn't sure I would. I'd seen the movie a million times over, but I was never a huge fan (I think I was too young to appreciate it). But when my friend Kelly told me that's what her book club (that I just joined) was reading- I hopped on the train. I am so glad I did. I feel like I learned so much about southern heritage and how much it changed due to the war and Reconstruction. Women use to be so dainty and less independent, which is good and bad in my opinion. There is also southern hospitality and the slow paced way of life. Of course besides teaching me, it also angered me. Scarlett is a bitch (no surprise there) and the Civil War was based on such a horrible issue -slavery.

It's a long book, but I really recommend it, it's such a good story and it's not your typical type of story either. Plus, it's a classic and something everyone (especially southerners) should read at least once.

 Gray Matter was written by a doctor that I first heard of from my mom. He's from California, but flew into Jacksonville just to talk at our friend's church. Listening to him speak about his story was amazing. I feel like I learned so much from him and his walk with God. And Dr. Levy is such an amazing man- completely humble (which wasn't always the case) and has such a love for Christ. When meeting him, he even took the time to pray for Steven with me (since he's a neurosurgeon and Steven has been having what we think is neurological issues). His book is about introducing praying with patients and coworkers into his practice and it's very encouraging. If you have the time, I really suggest reading it!

The Night Circus sounded extremely weird- not going to lie. But my sister told me it was really good and she let me borrow it. Once I started, I was completely hooked. It's so different from anything I've ever read and is so impressively creative. There's mystery, romance, intrigue, and so many other aspects that make it original and captivating. There's really no other way to describe this book without giving it all away- so just take my word for it and try it!

Currently I'm reading Northanger Abby by Jane Austen. Can't wait- it's the only one of hers that I have yet to read. 

What have you been reading lately???

-kel

books books books

Update on 2012 goal #1.....read at least 15 books.
 (I read 40).

I figured I'd make a list of all the books I read and maybe even get some suggestions from yall for this year's books!??!!

 Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

The Plantation: A Twisted Tale From A Demented Mind by Frank T. Stoppa

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattilo

Fit To Be Tied by Bill and Lynne Hybels

Behaving Like Adults by Anna Maxted

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Step on A Crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Cross by James Patterson

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Swimsuit by James Patterson

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory

Is Everyone Hanging out without me? by Mindy Raling

The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory

The Queen's Rival by Diane Haeger

Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell

My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock

Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man by Steve Harvey

The Queen's Mistake by Diane Haeger

Your First Year Teaching and Beyond by Ellen Kronovitz

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

LA Candy by Lauren Conrad

Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad

Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad

50 Shades of Grey by EL James

50 Shades Darker by EL James

50 Shades Freed by EL James

Single in the City by Michele Gorman

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Cracked by Tara Logan

Spying in High Hells by Gemma Halliday

Bridesmaid Lotto by Rachel Astor

Gamble on Engagement by Rachel Astor

The Wedding Wager by Rachel Astor

Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis

50 shades of indecision

The phenomenon is seriously everywhere. It's hard to be in a room with more than a few women and not hear this book mentioned. In fact, I've noticed it's been a common icebreaker among we women. It usually goes something like this.....
"What do you like to do?"
"Oh, I love reading too...Have your read 50 Shades of Grey?"
"I love it too! Christan Grey is so...." (Fill in the blank). Because all of a sudden the conversation has been hijacked by Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

For a while I was stuck in these conversations twiddling my thumbs, unable to contribute anything to the conversation. I had some friends (and a multitude of coworkers) that loved this book, but I also had some that were completely against even the idea of the book. I even kept hearing the phrase "mommy porn". So with all of this in mind, I was extremely indecisive on whether or not I wanted to read the series.

Then one day while roaming Target, I saw that the entire series was on sale. The shopoholic in me was unable to fight it any longer. I finally bought the books.
Then, a few weeks later I finally found time to start reading them. And then I was hooked.
It became one of those series that I fell in love with and was sad to leave behind once it was over. And yes, like the rest of America, I too fell for Christian Grey.

One of the funniest things about the phenomenon aftermath of this series to me though, and the reason I found inspiration for this post, was how guys view it. After reading a men's magazine I finally realized something....men will never understand this book. They will never grasp why we love the story, the characters, the sex scenes. The magazine I was reading seemed appalled that the sex scenes occurred so late in the book (chapter 8 to be exact). I suppose some men would think that connecting "porn" with a book would mean that it happens right away. They don't seem to realize what women really want. (May I also note that this is why it was a woman who wrote a book that sold so many millions of copies??)
Men are simple, they typically want only one thing and don't like waiting or beating around the bush for it.
Women on the other hand want more. Speaking personally of course, I like reading books and watching movies where the main female lead finds her knight in shining armor. It's cheesy and totally unrealistic, but it's what we crave. Maybe it's a genetic thing or maybe it was instilled into us with help from Disney. Either way, we tend to go for the romance aspect more than the sex.
To be honest, the sexual content of the book was sometimes too much for me, but the romance part was my favorite. It may be completely silly, but hey- at least I can admit it, right?

Have you read it? Did you like it?
-Kel

summer reading

This summer I have been doing a lot of reading.
At first, reading was a goal of mine. I wanted to read 10 non-school related books in 2011.
Then, I wanted to read 15 more in 2012.
So far I have already surpassed that number and it's only June.
Now reading is more of a favorite hobby. One that I had forgotten about in the midst of school. Having finally graduated and now having way too much free time on my hands, I've falled back in love with books. The library has even become my favorite spot again.

So what have I been reading?
The current books on my selves (and library card) seem to be from one of 2 categories: Tudor era (Henry VIII of England) and comedy. 

I'm not entirely sure why, but ever since my trip to England (back in '97) I have been extremely interested in the Tudor reign. My interest was especially that of his wives and in particular Anne Bolyen. As I've gotten older I think my interest in that era is due to a couple things. One, to think that one lady changed the fate of an enitre county (and perhaps even ours) is astounding. Due to the lust and manipulation of Anne Bolyen, England completely changed it's country's religion from Catholic to Protestant, which many countries are still fighting about. The other reason for my interest in this subject is somewhat silly. For whatever reason the Medieval era seems romantic. Definitely not romantic as in love (because let's face it love doesn't exactly mean beheading your wives) but more in their style. The clothing style. The architecture style. It seems goregous and (that word again) romantic.

While my roommates have had a little fun in teasing me for my constant Tudor books, here are the ones I have so far read.....

The Constant Princess is about Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon. It follows her as a child, destined to become the Queen of England, through her adulthood (and marriages to 2 Princes of England) and ends with the trial of marriage.

The Queen's Rival is about Henry VIII's first serious mistress, Bess Blount. The first woman to ever give him a son.

The Other Boylen Girl is probably well known due to the movie. It's the life of Mary Bolyen (future Queen of England, Anne Boylen's sister).  While the movie wasn't my favorite, a co-worker had been reading this book and told me that it was pretty awesome and much more informational than the movie had been. So of course, intrigued I picked it up at the library (and thus an obbession had begun..haha).

Mademoiselle Boylen is the book I am currently reading. It follows Anne Bolyen's life starting as a little girl.

The Bolyen Inheritance is another Philippa Gregory book and I loved it. It told the story of Henry VIII's 4th and 5th wives (Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard). It also told the story of another Howard woman.... Lady Rochford (Anne Boylen's sister-in-law).

Then of course, there are the more light-hearted books that have had me actually laughing out loud.

Bang Bang is actually a pretty good book and I had asked for it for my birthday (thanks Steven!!). While Chelsea Handler is insanely inappropriate and hysterical, just a warning she talks about sex and drinking a lot.

While wandering through Walmart one night, I ran across this book. The cover alone told me I would enjoy it and I honestly did. It is a little like Chelsea handler (only without the drinking and as much sex talk). Samantha Bee is extremely funny (if you didn't already know that from Jon Stewart's show). The only thing I didn't like was how randomly her stories were placed (and sometimes caused confusion since the timing was off).

Okay, who doesn't like The Office? Amazing show. Amazing cast. Amazing writers. So when I found out "Kelly" from The Office (and co-writer) had her own book out, I again asked Steven for it. It wasn't as funny as I had hoped, but it was interested to see how she grew up and got started in her career.

One of Steven's cousins introduced me to Jenny Lawson's  (also known as The Bloggess) blog last year. It was kind of love at first read. She's insane. And amazing. And her book was everything and more. Everytime I opened it I laughed my ass off. I even had to start reading it in opposite rooms from my roommates because my laughing would interrupt their tv time. Plus they constantly gave me funny looks for laughing so hard at a book. But her short stories are wonderful. And so is her blog. Just one question......when is the next one coming out?!?!?!?

What have you been reading this summer??

-kel

PS- Thanks to my pal Christen, I was introduced to Goodreads.com (where you can see all these books and others I intend to read). If you haven't checked it out already, you should! And then let's be friends!

the series i wish wasn't over

Steven and I started reading this series a couple months ago (around Christmas??) and have been trading the books back and forth to read.

Last night I finally finshed the third (and final one) with Steven peering over my shoulder.

Do you ever finish a book (or especially a series) and find yourself a little sad? Something that consumed a lot of your time, characters that you fell in love with and got to know (like they were real) is now over.

No more.

This series was amazing though. And while all three books were great, nothing could compare to the first. That was by far my favorite.

-k

Committed

This year, one of my many goals was to read at least 15 books. The first book to add to that list, is Committed. Last year, I read Eat, Pray, Love (same author) which I totally fell in love with. The same friend that lent me that book also let me borrow this one, so I happily set forth in doing so.

Now here's the truth (my truth) about the book.....Perhaps I had grand expectations for it since the first was so good (and I therefore assumed the follow up would be close if not better), but my expectations fell flat. Although I did get some good lessons and laughs from this book, it won't exactly go down as one of my favorites.

However, here are some awesome parts of the book that I did enjoy. And don't worry- no spoilers.....

1. The name. My sister and I had a good laugh over this. Perhaps Elizabeth Gilbert meant to do this (if you read this book, or even the summary, you'll know that she's not the fondest of the insutuion). However, my sister and I did enjoy the play on words.

2. Some of her facts and quotes were awesome. My favorite: "Plant an expectation, reap a dissapointment". Not to say you should never have expectations, but rather you should be careful what they are. Afterall, people are people, not our Savior, not our end-all-be-alls.

I agree.

And after looking up some photos, I stumbled upon this.....

Elizabeth Gilbert and her hubby, themselves.
Too cute.

Has anyone else read this book? If so, I'd honestly love to hear your opinion!

xoxoxo

kel

what i've been reading lately

Okay, yes I am a huge book nerd. And I love that about myself (does that make me less humble?)

The last couple of books I've read have been amazing! So much so, I read them in a super short amount of time.

Curious yet?

The first book I read was Eat Love Pray.

My friend Ashley let me borrow this book and it is seriously one of my favorites now. I saw the movie awhile ago and I honestly disliked it. A lot.
I was a little apprehensive about reading it, but Ashley assured me it was amazing. Within the first chapter I was hooked and in love.

I think part of the book's charm is that you can relate. Even though I am not in my 30s, nor have I ever been married (let alone divorced) I know heartbreak. I've been there. We've all been there and Elizabeth just knows how to hit home with that reality. She shares her feelings (without bad mouthing her ex) and somehow I just kept feeling "Yes!! That's how I felt exactly! How did you know?"
Her journey in trying to get to know herself again and be able to survive on her own once again was mesmerizing. I constantly felt inspired.

I definitely am glad I read this book and of course recommend it!
Have any of you already read it? Or watched the movie? What were your thoughts??!? Do share.



The other book I read (and yes, I am a little bit embarrassed to admit this.....).
Twilight.

Here's the short version of how this all started.....

I didn't want to read the books or watch the movies. I honestly have been fighting this trend since it's very conception. Then, just a month or so ago it was on tv. Steven told me I should watch it, that I would really like it. It seemed like a me movie apparently. I fought it at first, but then of course gave in and stayed up until 1am watching the damn thing.

I was hooked.

I started watching all the movies (although I haven't gotten to see the newest-so don't ruin it!!). And now I am reading the books (which my 5th and 6th grade students have already beat me on). We have constant talks about the books. No joke.
I love my job.

So I got the first book. And by the way, trying to locate a copy at the library (at any library) was one of the most difficult and annoying tasks. Ever.
But I finished it (today actually) and I cannot wait to read the rest.

Ok, dork moment over with now.

So tell me- how many of you are on the Twilight bandwagon with me? And how do you think the movies and books compare? I'm seriously curious!!


-kel

recently read books

I made a goal for myself to try and read 10 books before the end of 2011. I actually just completed this goal (6 months early too!!) I have to say, I love that I have gotten back into reading as much. I also love that I have a ton more books waiting to be read (which is what prompted Week 5's list).
I thought I might share with yall the recent books I've been flipping through. And if you've read any of them, or have any suggestions, please feel free to comment!!

1. Under a Cruel Star by Heda Margolius Kovaly

I actually had wanted to read this book for a while. It was an assigned book for a history class I wanted to take a few years back, but while shopping at a local book store for used books, I stumbled upon it again and had to get it.
This book was pretty good. It is centered around a women during World War 2 as she searches for freedom, while being hunted for her religion. The book goes beyond WWII though and also talks heavily about her life, her husbands, and her sons during the Cold War under Communist reign. Her accounts are not very detailed, because she is writing after several decades of the incidents; however, she does share a lot of her experiences during a long time period and gets very real.
A great read for history lovers.


2.Surviving the Angel of Death by Eva Mozes Kor and L.R. Buccieri

Another great read if you like learning more about WWII and the Holocaust. It's very sad and tragic, but it is another look at the Holocaust through the eyes of a young child and her twin. The story tells of how life in concentration camps was for she and her sister, living as experiments for the evil Dr. Mengele. A definite tear jerker, but so honest and a true must read!


3. Persuasion by Jane Austen

This one I read with a pen pal/blogger pal of mine. I love Jane Austen books, but had yet to read this one. Truthfully, while I did enjoy it overall, it felt a lot like her other books- same basic story and basic characters. However, the love letter between the two main characters at the end of the story is one of the sweetest things I have ever read. Ever. I think I reread it a million times over and each time it was just as romantic.
If you love Jane Austen books, this is a must read. Just keep in mind that it will be very similar to her others (most notably for me, Pride and Prejudice).


4. In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke and Jennifer Armstrong

I borrowed this book from a friend of mine who also loves WWII type books. It's a very unique look of the war. The story is based on a young girl who becomes a nurse and is separated from her family while WWII breaks out, trying to first get back to her family and then to solely survive , her journey leads to an interesting destination. She ends up working for Nazis as a server and house servant, but then learns about the close ghetto jailing Jews. She quickly starts helping and even housing the hunted Jews.
This was a remarkable story and I loved it. Reading about her and her friends strength and courage gave me restored faith in humanity.



5. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I borrowed this book from my sister who loved it. With the movie coming out, I decided to go ahead and read it before seeing it on the big screen (I prefer reading the books first and seeing the movies last). The book had more of an interesting plot than I anticipated, but I still wasn't fully in love with it. I tried, but this just wasn't one of my favorites. Even still, I read the entire thing (because I despise not finishing books). My honest opinion would be to skip it and see the movie...the movie actually (in my opinion) does a better job at telling the story than the actual book.


6. Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

I should first mention that I don't particularly like Chelsea Handler. She's a litte crude for my taste; however I surprisingly wanted to read her books, including this one (especially because as a kid I read Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret). The book was just like her....random, crude, and yet still funny. Some parts I wish I could have skipped, some seemed to bizarre to be real, and some were so hysterical my ribs hurt from laughing.
While this isn't a book I'd but on my top 10 of favorites, it was a funny (and quick) read. I honestly would suggest it as a summer fun read.


7. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson

The third book of the series, and perhaps one of the best! I loved, loved, LOVED this book. It was extremely long, but I read it quickly because I couldn't put it down. It has more politics in it than the first two, but it nicely puts a nice to end to everything. This trilogy has made Larsson one of my all-time favorite authors. I just hate he is no longer alive to write more.


8. The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman

I was almost embarrassed to admit that I read this one.... Truth is, at first I thought it would be the stupidest thing I ever spent time on. True, my mom and other ladies of the church have liked it and sworn by it, but I didn't think it would be my thing. While it's not the best book I have ever read, it had some really thoughtful and great points. I feel like after reading this book I know more about my and my significant other and our needs. I would really suggest this book (especially if you are a Christian, since it talks largely about Christ's part in our life and discusses Bible topics).


9. I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max

To start with, I should admit I broke my rule here....I saw the movie first. I wasn't sure I would like the book, but the movie included Logan from Gilmore Girls (seen above) so I had to give it a shot. While it was insanely crude and made me blush just watching it, it was also extremely funny. I then decided to try it out on my new kindle. While the book is even more inappropriate and ridiculous, I enjoyed it for the most part. The talk of sex and drinking makes this book closely rated to X, but if you enjoy that type of humor (or are unphased by it) I'd suggest giving it a shot.
The main idea of the book is a series of short stories based on the craziness that he calls life while taking advantage of easy women and drinking until he can't even see. Definitely different from what I've read before.....
(But try the movie too....cause that was great!)


10. A Million Miles in A Thousand Years by Donald Miller

My all-time favorite author and his most recent book....how could this book not be awesome? As always, after reading a Donald Miller book, I felt completely rejuvenated and inspired. His books (including this one) are so honest and you feel more like you're having a conversation with this 30-something-year-old Portland guy than just reading a book about him. I would highly suggest this book!!! (And for that matter any other book he has written).
The book's main focus is on story- what makes a story and what makes a story good, then applying it to life. Donald Miller does an awesome job of answering all of these and makes you feel like all is possible.


-kel

never judge a book by it's movie

I just finished reading this book:



And I am currently watching this:

(the Swedish movie with subtitles)

One June goal down (To finish reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest). I have to admit...it was awesome! I loved it just as much (if not more) than the other 2 in the series.
Now, I'm sitting in my living room watching the Swedish movie version of the book. And yea, I'm totally one of those annoying people that points out every difference from the book and the movie.....which is why I'm watching this one on my own. haha There are a lot of differences in the two, but surprisingly the movie was well done (even with it's changes) and I am really enjoying it.

Has anyone else read the book or watched the Swedish movies?? (By the way, I am totally excited for the English release this December!!!)

Back to my movie. :)

xoxo
kel

Help out my school!! (pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top??)

On April 30th, Barnes and Noble will be helping out my school. What's really awesome abot this is that 20% of what anyone buys (if you mention Sheffield Elementary) will go straight to our school!!

The even better part??? You don't have to come to this specific Barnes and Noble (it's just where we might be.... hehe).
You can purchase books from any Barnes and Noble that day, or even order from them online!

All you have to do is mention my school's name (Sheffield Elementary and/or our school voucher #: 10441897) and we get 20%!

Our school could really use this (couldn't any?)

So pretty, pretty please if you have any books in mind, or just have a love of book shopping, please wait and do it on April 30th at Barnes and Noble!!!!


much love
kel

So I happened to stumble upon this awesome site while looking up some things for my writing lessons for this week. I decided to check it out and here is one result list I found..... if you try it, let me know who it works for you! I love, love, love to read and sometimes have a hard time finding books that I like, so I'm super excited to have found this site. So please share your thoughts!!

-kel

Here are the results for
Searching for God Knows What
by Donald Miller:

Title	Info/Buy
Rob Bell - Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith
Erwin Raphael McManus - Soul Cravings
John Ortberg - When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box
Mike Yaconelli - Messy Spirituality: Christianity for the Rest of Us (Hodder Christian Books)
Ravi Zacharias - Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Truth of the Christian Message (Extreme Series)
Rob Bell - Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality And Spirituality
J.I. Packer - Knowing God
Philip Yancey - The Jesus I Never Knew
George Macdonald - The Princess and Curdie (Puffin Classics)
John Eldredge - Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive
Philip Yancey - What's So Amazing About Grace?
Jack Welch, Suzy Welch - Winning: The Ultimate Business How-To Book
C S Lewis - Mere Christianity
Lee Strobel - The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
Beverly Lewis - Annie's People, Vols. 1-3 (The Preacher's Daughter, The Englisher, and The Brethren)
Beverly Lewis, David Lewis - Amish Country Crossroads: The Postcard, The Crossroad, & Sanctuary
- Holy Bible
Saint, Bishop of Hippo Augustine, Saint Augustine, Henry Chadwick - The Confessions (Oxford World's Classics)
Shane Claiborne - The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
Arthur Hughes, George MacDonald - The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics)
C. S. Lewis - Mere Christianity (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis)
G.K. Chesterton - Orthodoxy
John Eldredge - Wild at Heart
Martha Beck - Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Transformation and Unconditional Love
Ted Dekker - Blink
C. S. Lewis, Fritz Eichenberg - Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
C. S. Lewis - The Great Divorce
C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity
Anne Lamott - Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
Stephen Crane, Pascal Covici - The Red Badge of Courage (Penguin Classics)
Annie Dillard - Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (Perennial Classics)
Francine Rivers - A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion S.)
George Bernard Shaw, Nicholas Grene - Pygmalion (Penguin Classics)
C. S. Lewis - The Screwtape Letters: Letters from a Senior to a Junior Devil
C. S. Lewis - The Cosmic Trilogy: "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra" and "That Hideous Strength"
Jim Collins - Good to Great
Ted Dekker - Black (CIRCLE 1)
Victor Hugo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Penguin Popular Classics)
J.R. Moehringer - The Tender Bar
John Grisham - The Last Juror
Gary Paulsen - Hatchet
Willa Cather - My Antonia
Leif Enger - Peace Like a River
Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Henry David Thoreau - Walden: AND Civil Disobedience (American Library)
Augusten Burroughs - Dry
Ayn Rand - Anthem (Centennial Edition)
Robert Louis Stevenson - Treasure Island (Penguin Classics)
Jon Krakauer - Into Thin Air: Personal Account of the Everest Disaster
Dante Alighieri, Allen Mandelbaum - Inferno: the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri