Again With the Book List

Hathor and Chelfea have recently posted this meme, which is also making its rounds on Facebook and is similar to a list several of us did a while ago (of which I've since read 10 more). This one apparently is based on the BBC's Big Read's "search for the nation's best-loved novel."

My results, with ones I've read in bold and ones I want to in italics, plus asterisks for books I haven't read by authors I have:

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien (entire trilogy + The Hobbit)
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (most of it)
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (7-for-1!)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens*
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare * (complete seems rather extreme...)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot*
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens* (seriously, why all the Dickens??)
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy*
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky*
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck *
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens*
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen*
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen*
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (see also No. 33)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne ('have somehow only read parts!)
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez*
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy*
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen*
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens*
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
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (again, most of it...)
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
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*
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker (own this one, but got too creeped out...)
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett*
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*
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
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Alb
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
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*
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (see also No. 14)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

So... that's 42/100? But, seriously, all that Dickens and Austen--and, for that matter, Hardy--is killer. I know Heather might disagree with me on this one, but I think the best book (or maybe two) of each should suffice.

Also, I just noticed that the list I posted here is not at all the same list as the BBC one I linked to above. That one has, for example, far more Terry Pratchett (and fewer of Austen, Dickens, and Hardy! ). Maybe I'll work on that list later.

More Reviewing

First, yesterday's promised meme: first sentences from the first posts of each month of the year.

January: So someone in the blogosphere posted a list of Books Read in 2007, and I wish I could find it, because that list was far more impressive than mine will be, even though it inspired me to post my own.

February: I shot this video Sunday, the first of our two-day thaw, on which we hit 37 degrees.

March: Well, Internets, my stomach, love handles, and shoulders are covered in a smattering of tiny red bumps.

April: Friday: While working at the coffee shop, saw this guy cutting the sidewalk and later saw Critical Mass, accompanied by lots of cops on bikes and a few in cruisers--in solidarity, I think.

May: So as promised, I attended my 10-year reunion last weekend.

June: I write from the Seattle Central Library, where rain is running down the fancy diamond-paned high-tech glass above and around me here on the 10th floor.

July: Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins and soy milk [remember those three weeks where I posted everything I ate? FASCINATING.]

August: Some of you are dying to know what my exam questions are.

September: Hello again, Internets.

October: Here's my new hair (and a few of my books):

November: Today is Day One of NaBloPoMo!

December: I somehow didn't realize until after I posted yesterday that it was my last post of NaBloPoMo!

Next, Books of 2008:
1. Umberto Eco, The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana
2. Nick Hornby, How to Be Good
3. C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew
4. C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
5. C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy
6. C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian
7. C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader"
8. C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair
9. C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle
10. Eli Gottlieb, Now You See Him
11. Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
12. John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men
13. Willa Cather, My Antonia
14. Richard Morgan, Altered Carbon
15. Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
16. William Gibson, Neuromancer
17. Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi, The Monster of Florence
18. Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
19. Richard Morgan, Broken Angels
20. Richard Morgan, Woken Furies
21. Janet Fitch, White Oleander
22. Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
23. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
24. Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance
25. Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux
26. William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch (mostly... thanks to his cut-up method, it's pretty repetitive, so I think I read pretty much everything at least once, though I didn't soldier through to the bitter end)

You can keep up with what I'm reading over at my book blog.

Year in Review: 2008

Remember this? I know the cool kids are doing a new meme, which I'll probably get to eventually, but for now I'm sticking with this old one--you know, for continuity.

1) Where did you begin 2007?
On Deanna's couch!

2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Thinking we were working things out, but mistaken.

3) Did you travel?
To Vegas and Palm Springs for Spring Break; to L.A. for Jeni's wedding; to Seattle for my 10-year reunion; to Honolulu for vacation; to DHS and Yucca for the summer (with San Diego and Hollywood); to Lincoln for kicks; to Chicago for Thanksgiving; from Palm Springs to Seattle for the holidays.

4) Did you lose someone or something you love?
Well, yes--not least, the Bruise. In retrospect, I probably kind of loved it.

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
This year, no, thankfully.

6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
A cute cop came to make sure I was okay when the Bruise broke down. And one who looked almost young enough to be my son came to check us out on this last trip.

7) Did you start dating someone new?
No, but I did accept a few dates--an accomplishment for me.

8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Again, no objects. But, again, lots of school fees and rent. Lots of travel, if I count everything.

9) Did you know anybody who got married?
Yes! Jeni got married... and probably other people, though I can't remember them now.

10) Did you get in any car accidents?
Yes. I'll probably write about that later.

11) Did you attend any sporting events?
Hmmmm. Does the Twin Cities Marathon count? I was definitely there.

12) Did you move anywhere?
No moves!

13) Did you keep your new year's resolution?
Again, I don't think I made any.

14) What concerts/shows did you go to?
Nice Work Leroy, Mel Gibson and the Pants (sort of), Abraham... could that be all? A bunch of theater, especially Fringe Festival.

15) What movies did you go see in the theater?
Michael Clayton; Atonement; The Golden Compass; Be Kind, Rewind; Iron Man (x2); Made of Honor (cringe; would expunge if possible...); Shine a Light; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; Sex and the City; Mongol; Get Smart; Wall-E; Wanted; The Dark Knight (x2); Transsiberian (walked out); Pineapple Express; Tropic Thunder; Vicky Christina Barcelona; Burn After Reading; Quantum of Solace (x2); Australia. (Maybe more? I had help from this list.)

16) Did your hair color change?
Several semi-permanent shades, and Feria permanent once, with rather disappointing results.

17) Did you get any taller?
Nope--still 5'6.75" if I stand up really straight.

18) Describe your birthday?
Barrio and Town Talk downtown with a crowd; Labor Day festivities later in the weekend.

19) Did you get any new pets?
None.

20) What has been your favorite moment?
It might actually have been seeing my friends at about mile 17 on the TCM, holding a banner with my name. That was pretty amazing.

21) What's something you learned about yourself?
I can totally live without a car! (In Minneapolis, anyway...)

22) What has been your biggest worry?
Probably passing my PhD exams. Thank goodness that's over!

23) What was your best month?
Last year, I guess December trumped. This year, probably June--Hawaii! Other fun things, despite studying for my prelims!

24) What music will you remember 2007 by?
Probably my brother's music, again--Given the Time and Past the Future.

25) Who has been your best drinking buddy?
E? L? Seester?

26) Have you had to call the police on anyone?
I called the police when the Bruise was hit.

27) Have you gone skiing?
None this year, sadly.

28) Did you miss work due to illness?
Not that I recall.

29) Any like/love interests?
My lips are sealed.

30) Get anything new?
Some clothes--notably, a few jackets and a pair of rockin' boots. Ooh, and a new-to-me camera!

99 Things

I stole this from Erin. Things I've done are in bold. It's odd to me that on a few of these, I actually couldn't remember. I decided that if I didn't have a specific memory, I wouldn't mark it.

I've done a few things that are pretty cool (running marathons, seeing things in Europe), but what is more striking to me is the many things I haven't.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Memege

Tagged by Mandy...

A-Available or Single? Quirkytogether?
B-Best Friend: Several, from both high school and college.
C-Cake or Pie: My mom's pecan pie.
D-Drink of Choice: I love Dunn Bros' caramel macchiato!
E-Essential Item(s): Contact lenses. I'm an invalid without them.
F- Favourite Colour(s): Silver.
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? Worms--the sour ones!
H- Hometown: I think I probably still count Auburn; I lived there for six years and my parents stayed for another six after I left.
I- Indulgence: Sleeping in. I indulge too often.
J- January or February: I hate winter in the Midwest. This year, February was colder. Painfully so.
K- Kids: Teaching them this summer!
L- Life is incomplete without: Education.
M- Marriage Date: Bryant is my favorite wedding date--the last few were his cousin's, my sister's, and his brother's.
N- Number of Siblings: Two, a younger sister and a younger brother.
O- Oranges or Apples? "Although they are both fruit, they have infinite similarities and differences."
P- Phobias/Fears: Elevators, losing my sight, losing my mind.
Q- Favourite Quote: I like this one from Umberto Eco: "The need to fall in love. Some things you can feel coming. You don't fall in love because you fall in love; you fall in love because of the need, desperate, to fall in love. When you feel that need, you have to watch your step: like having drunk a philter, the kind that makes you fall in love with the first thing you meet. It could be a duck-billed platypus." And this one from Rainer Maria Rilke: "But those tasks that have been entrusted to us are difficult; almost everything serious is difficult; and everything is serious."
R- Reasons to smile: I have large teeth and use them to my advantage.
S- Season: Summer.
T- Tag Three: Voth, Daniel, Carissa
U- Unknown Fact about Me: I appear to be allergic to my new mascara.
V – Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? Vegetarian.
W- Worst Habit(s): I'd try to be original here... but procrastination and wasting time really are my worst habits.
X – X-rays or Ultrasounds?: I try not to make a habit of either...
Y- Your Favourite Foods: Recently, locally, and not cooked by me, I am loving soup from the co-op, Las Lomas tamales, the hummus and veggie sandwiches at the coffee shop, and the Bad Waitress's tofu scramble.
Z- Zodiac: Virgo.