Gratitude Tag

Hi again!

It's Friday night and I'm bored... So, here's another tag/ journal prompt thing I found on Pinterest.  This is technically a 30 day challenge, but I'm condensing it down into just one post instead.

Here we go!

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1. What smell are you grateful for today?

Fresh brewed espresso

2. What technology are you grateful for?

My iPhone and work computer

3. What color are you grateful for?

Orange.  I used to visit my local music shop and mess around on the different instruments, and I fell in love with a Yamaha Precision Jazz Bass (which is metallic orange).  I started taking lessons and ended up playing bass in my high school's jazz band for 3 years.

4. What food are you most grateful for?

Pizza with extra cheese

5. What sound are you grateful for today?

My dog's barks of excitement when I get home from work

6. What in nature are you grateful for?

The sunshine

7. What memory are you grateful for?

I'm most grateful for running into Corey at the Fayetteville Public Library on April 18, 2016.  We reconnected (as cheesy as that sounds), and everything fell back into place.  We picked up right where we left off, and it was absolutely wonderful.

8. What book are you most grateful for?

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero- it has truly changed my outlook and overall attitude towards life in general.

9. What place are you most grateful for?

Orange Park, FL

10. What taste are you grateful for today?

Mocha

11. What holiday are you grateful for?

New Year's Day

12. What texture are you grateful for?

Soft, fuzzy blankets

13. What abilities are you grateful for?

My intelligence, my ability to read anything and everything, and my musical talent (if you can really call it that)

14. What sights are you grateful for today?

Snapchats from Corey

15. What season are you grateful for?

Fall

16. What about your body are you grateful for?

My eyes, because they're my favorite feature, and they're pretty crucial to my quality of life.

17. What knowledge are you grateful for?

I'm grateful for my knowledge regarding teaching, child development, and pedagogy.

18. What piece of are you grateful for?

The coverart of "Take This to Your Grave" by Fall Out Boy

19. What touch are you grateful for today?

Rhaegar's soft bunny fur

20. Who in your life are you grateful for?

Corey, Raechel, Sammi, Mom, Dad, and Drew (and the fur babies!)

21. What song are you most grateful for?

"The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" by Fall Out Boy

22. What story are you grateful for?

The story of Harry Potter- I can't say it was a part of my childhood, but it was my life in high school and college.

23. What tradition are you grateful for?

I love the fact that my family has always celebrated Thanksgiving dinner together.  For the past 23 years, we've all hung out on Thanksgiving Day, and I hope to keep the tradition going for as long as possible.

24. What challenge are you grateful for?

My job is not the easiest, and I'm definitely not in this position for the fame and fortune.  I hear a lot of negative feedback on a daily basis, I usually don't hear "thank you," and teaching can be extremely frustrating and trying at times.  But I love my kiddos, and I'm so thankful for my colleagues (especially my math coach!).  This year has thrown me many curveballs, but I'm grateful for all the challenges and obstacles I face because I know I'm becoming a better and more effective teacher each and every day.

25. What moment this week are you most grateful for?

Working with my colleagues and math coach to successfully implement a weekly math camp for my fifth graders.

26. What form of expression are you most grateful for?

Music or writing; I can't live without playing/ listening to music, or books, so they're tied for first place!

27. What small thing that you use daily are you grateful for?

Pencils

28. What small thing that happened today are you grateful for?

One of my students had an "ah-ha" moment today during core instruction.  

29. What friend/ family member are you grateful for today?

Corey and Sara

30. What talent or skill do you have that you are grateful for?

I'm extremely grateful for my musical talent.  I absolutely love playing the piano and the bass, listening to music on Spotify, collecting CDs, and creating playlists to fit my various moods and musical tastes.

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Thanks for checking out my blog, and I hope to see you again soon :)

Keri <3

What I'm Reading 2017

Happy New Year!!

I'm typing this a few hours before the clock actually strikes midnight, but I figured I would get this all written up while I was thinking about it :)

This year, I'm challenging myself to complete the "2017 Reading Challenge" that I found on Pinterest.  I've attempted one of these challenges in the past, but I never actually finished it.  I usually just keep track of the number of books I read each year, so I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit!!  I'll add a section at the end of this post for books that don't quite fit into any of the categories listed in the challenge itself.  I hope to read at least 30 books this year.

One last thing- I'm trying to accomplish this without re-reading anything.  Wish me luck!

If you would like to see each of my reviews on the books I've read so far, just click on the title and the link will take you straight to the review post for that book.  Just in case you wanted to get a little preview for any of them- no spoilers, I promise!!

Ok, enough chit-chat.  Here's what I'm reading in 2017.

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2017 Reading Challenge

1. A book you read in school

Animal Farm by George Orwell (I didn’t have the opportunity to read this in school, but I know it’s part of the curriculum for tons of high schools, so it counts)

2. A book from your childhood

Fruits Basket Collector's Edition Vol. 1 by Natsuki Takaya (I never actually read this series, but I know it was a huge deal when I was in middle school!) 

3. A book published over 100 years ago

4. A book published in the last year

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

5. A non-fiction book

Crazy is My Superpower by A. J. Mendez Brooks

6. A book written by a male author

The Martian by Andy Weir

7. A book written by a female author

Fairest: Levana's Story by Marissa Meyer

8. A book by someone who isn't a writer

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

9. A book that became a film

Room by Emma Donoghue

10. A book published in the 20th century

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

11. A book set in your hometown/ region

12. A book with someone's name in the title

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

13. A book with a number in the title

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

14. A book with a character with your first name

There are honestly no characters that I've found that have my name (with the correct spelling) besides Carrie by Stephen King, but I didn't want to include anything I've read in previous years.  So, this is a stretch, but I'm going to cheat a little bit...

The characters in Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake all have pretty unique names, so we'll just pretend that this fits the criteria for the challenge ;)

15. A book someone else recommends to you

The Death of WCW: 10th Anniversary of the Best-Selling Classic- Revised and Expanded by R. D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez (recommended by Corey!)

16. A book with over 500 pages

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

17. A book you can finish in a day

milk and honey by Rupi Kaur

18. A previously banned book

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit (I'm sure some school district, somewhere in this country has banned this book for some reason or another...)

19. A book with a one word title

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

20. A book translated from another language

21. A book that will improve a specific area of your life

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson (honestly, I just strive to be a more intelligent human, and I try to learn at least one new thing each day)

22. A memoir or journal

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

23. A book written by someone younger than you

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

24. A book set somewhere you'll be visiting this year

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (I'm not planning on visiting Scotland this coming year, but I would love to go at some point in my life)

25. An award-winning book

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Amazon Best Book of the Year, Indie Next List Book)

26. A self-published book

Other books:

- Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

- The Young Elites by Marie Lu

- The Rose Society by Marie Lu

- The Midnight Star by Marie Lu

- Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

- Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

- Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan
- Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

- The Coven by Cate Tiernan

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If you're interested, here are my other "What I'm Reading" posts:

• What I'm Reading 2016
• What I'm Reading 2015
• What I'm Reading 2014
• What I'm Reading 2013

Thanks for checking out my little blog!  I hope to talk to you again soon- until then, Happy New Year (again)!  I love you all and am so thankful for you :)

Keri <3

The Ultimate Book Tag

Good evening!

I'm bored and don't know what else to do with myself.  So, what better time to do (yet another) book tag??  I found this on Book with Bite :)  I just Googled "book tag" and found some pretty awesome questionnaires.

Let's get started!

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1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
No, thank goodness!  I love reading on long road trips.

2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?
Right now, I'm obsessed with Hunter S. Thompson and Sarah J. Maas.  HST is obviously a critically-accalimed journalist/ author, so I don't really need to say much about him.  Honestly, his writing is so raw, and he somehow maintains a crazy amount of realism even though he's trippin' out of his mind.  Sarah J. Maas, author of A Court of Thrones and Roses and the Throne of Glass series.  Oh my goodness, she's insanely talented, and I haven't found another fantasy author that even comes close to her style.  Her books are still considered "YA" (I believe), but she writes some intense/ steamy sex scenes; she somehow manages to do it without making it disgustingly smutty.

3. Harry Potter series or the Twilight Saga?  Give three points to defend your answer.
Harry Potter, no doubt about it!  a. The characters in HP are so well-developed and dynamic characters, b. the plot (or lack thereof) in the Twilight Saga is absolutely horrendous, and c. J.K. Rowling is one of the most amazing and inspiring women on the face of this planet.  Sorry, Twihards.

4. Do you carry a book bag?  If so, what is in it (besides books...)?
I carry a bag to and from school, but I usually just carry my wristlet/ wallet thing.  However, I do take a book with me pretty much anywhere I go :)

5. Do you smell your books?
Nope, but I don't judge.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?
I don't really pay attention to that, but I can't help but love the little illustrations in the HP books!  They add a nice touch depending on the type of book you're reading.

7. What book did you love while reading, but discovered later it wasn't quality writing?
Probably the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast.  I read them while I was taking a ton of intense classes my sophomore year of college.  They weren't awful, from what I remember, but the quality was definitely lacking.  I don't know, I'm just not a huge fan of this series.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood?
I have a heart-warming story, if that'll work for ya!  I'm a fifth grade teacher, and I kept a lot of my childhood books for my classroom.  One of my kiddos started reading The Rainbow Fish the other morning and he had a huge smile on his face!!  I love when my kids discover books I've previously read :)

9. What is the thinnest book on your bookshelf?
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

10. What is the thickest book on your bookshelf?
A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire #5) by George R. R. Martin

11. Do you write as well as read?  Do you see yourself in the future being an author?
I'm published in the University of Arkansas' Inquiry (a journal for undergraduate research/ thesis papers).  I wrote an honors thesis entitled "The Effects of Peer Mentoring on Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder" in 2015.  Honestly, academic writing is probably my favorite (I know, I'm a werido), but I also like writing the occasional short story.  I don't think I would ever publish anything other than academic papers, unless I posted it here.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, is an incredible writer!  He has a blog called Rassle Tribune where he reviews wrestling matches on a weekly basis.  Check it out if you're a mark like us ;)

12. When did you get into reading?
My parents read to my brother and I every night before bed, and I know that's where my love of reading stems from.  We had a program called Accelerated Reader in school- basically, you read books and answers several comprehension questions on a computer afterwards.  I'm still in love with the program, and I hope I can find some way to get it into my current school.  Pizza Hut also had a program called BookIt.  If you read a certain number of books, your teacher gave you a card for a free personal pan pizza!  How cool is that?!

13. What is your favorite classic book?
"The Odyssey" by Homer (even though it's technically an epic poem)

14. In school, was your best subject Language Arts/ English?
I was all about my education and got As in almost all of my classes.  ELA was always my favorite subject, but I think my overall best subject was math in elementary school.  My best subject through middle/ high school and college was ELA for sure!

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated, what would you do?
I would say "thank you," and hopefully re-home it to someone who would like the book.  I'm not big on returning presents, honestly.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
I'm not sure if it's a lesser known series, or if I just hadn't heard about it until this year, but I really enjoyed the Legend series by Marie Lu.  It's set in a dystopian society in which the different classes are divided into sectors.  It reminds me more of the Hunger Games series, but it's unique in its own right.

... and I just thought of another series I wanted to mention!!  The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor is so incredible!  There's magic, romance (ugh, but whatever), demons, etc.  Seriously, if you need a new series that's quick and easy to read, check this one out!

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?
I don't film YouTube videos or anything, but I'm sure my worst habit would be looking in the view finder instead of at the camera.  I only say that because I'm really bad about doing that on FaceTime with Mom haha

18. What is your favorite word?
Umm... I'm not really sure if I've seen this in a book recently, but I like the word "facetious."  It's a fun word to say and it's not overly common in our day-to-day lives.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb?  Or all of the above?
I honestly don't know the difference, but I would identify as a nerd, I guess.

20. Vampires or fairies?  Why?
Fairies- A Court of Thrones and Roses series is all about Fae and human relations.  It's pretty awesome, and you should definitely check it out sometime!

21. Shapeshifters or angels?  Why?
Laini Taylor made me fall in love with angels.  Her angels can be total assholes, but they can be cool at times.  I like the thought of ancient beings that possess endless amounts of knowledge and power.

22. Spirits or werewolves?  Why?
Spirits mostly because ghosts/ demons fascinate me.

23. Zombies or vampires?
I haven't really read a lot of books with zombies, so I'll go with vampires.  Not Twilight vampires; more like Interview with the Vampire vampires.  I like that they're ancient and have tons of knowledge (I know, it's the same reason why I chose angels), but they also have their quirks and silly little characteristics.

24. Love triangle or forbidden love?
I.  Hate.  Love.  Triangles!  I can enjoy forbidden love stories once in awhile, if I'm in the mood.  But most of the time I reach for books without a lot of romance involved.

25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
Ugh, I can't stand romance books, so I'll have to go with action-packed books with a few love scenes mixed in.  That's why I adore Sarah J. Maas' writing so much!!

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Thanks for checking out my little blog.  Hope to talk to you again soon,

Keri <3

Furry Friend Tag

Hello!

I'm coming at you today with the Furry Friends tag.  I don't really remember how I found this (probably when I was binge watching YouTube videos late at night...), but if you want to answer the questions, I found them at this website.  Let's get started!
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1. What is your pet's name?
   Charlee and Dany
2. What kind of pet is he/she, and what breed?
   They are both little dogs- Charlee is a nine-pound miniature pincer (min-pin), and Dany is a three-pound Yorkshire terrier (yorkie).
3. How long have you had your pet friend?
   I've had Charlee for almost 4 years, and I've had Dany for a little over a year.
4. How did you get your pet?
   I adopted Charlee from a local animal shelter.  They said he was a stray, but he definitely had an owner and probably got out of the fence because he's so small.  Dany is also from a shelter, but she was an owner surrender.
5. How old is your pet?
   Charlee is 6 years old and Dany is 2 years old.
6. What are some quirky things about your pet's personality?
   No one is going to believe me unless you've heard her do it, but Dany purrs like a cat!  She was raised with a cat so I'm assuming she just learned how to imitate the noise from hearing the cat purr.  Charlee snores like a lawn mower even though he's so small!  Seriously, when he's dead asleep, he is so noisy... He also likes to burrow under blankets no matter how hot it is.
7. What does your relationship with your pet mean to you?
   I've had dogs since I was born, so I'm definitely a dog person, and I can't see myself living without at least one dog.  Honestly, I cherish every second I have with my pups simply because their lives are so much shorter than ours.  I read a quote the other day that perfectly sums it up:
   "Dogs are just a part of your whole life, but you are their whole life."  I spoil Charlee and Dany like their my kids (and so does my mom!), so I would say my relationship with them is very important to me :)
8. What are some of your favorite past times with your pet?
   Dany will play fetch for hours!  If you throw one of her toys, she'll bolt after it even if she's asleep or in another room.  Charlee likes to take naps and bark at the neighbor dogs.  He also likes lounging on the porch and being read aloud to (I told you, I spoil them).  They both love sunbathing.
9. What are nicknames that you call your pet?
   Charlees has an alter ego, named Frank.  When he's hyper, or acting like a typical min-pin (shaking, whining, eyes bugging out of his head, etc.), we call him Frank.  I also call him Little Charles sometimes.  Dany's full name is Daenerys Targaryen (duh), but we also call her Mother of Dragons and Khaleesi.

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Thanks a ton for reading my random blog!  Hopefully I'll talk to you again very soon.

Keri <3

50 Things That Make Me Happy Tag

Hi!

I wasn't sure what to post today, but I knew I wanted to post something positive and uplifting.  I've been having a bit of a rough couple of weeks, so I thought this would be something I could look back on whenever I'm feeling a bit down.  Hopefully this can help some of you guys out too :)

I encourage you to write a journal or blog post about things that make you happy.  It's kind of tough, but if I can come up with 50 things, so can you!

PS- I found this tag on Nicola's blog.

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These are the 50 things that make me happy:

1. "Defying Gravity" (from the Broadway show, Wicked)
2. Seeing Charlee and Dany's excitement when I come home every day
3. Knowing that I got through a tough breakup and have come out a better person
4. The support of my friends and family
5. The fact that I have a bachelor's and master's degree in education
6. Bubble baths
7. My tattoos
8. Starbuck's mocha frappechinos (with an extra shot of espresso)
9. I've written an honors thesis and a masters thesis
10. Books
11. My blog
12. Music 
13. Playing the piano
14. Candles from Bath and Body Works
15. Writing (both academically and for fun) 
16. Going to concerts
17. The public library
18. Maurice's and Torrid
19. Buying makeup (especially eyeliner and liquid lipstick)
20. Weekly meetings with my therapist
21. Good hair days
22. Naps
23. Vacations to Orlando, FL
24. Looking forward to having my own classroom in the near future
25. Cinnamon chip muffins from Einstein's
26. Instagram
27. Taking pictures of my two adorable dogs
28. Foxes
29. Watching YouTube videos after a long day
30. Trips to Lush
31. Cooking/ baking random things
32. Coloring 
33. My education
34. Watching Fixer Upper with Mom
35. Long roadtrips with friends
36. Looking at pictures/ souvenirs from my trip to London
37. Strawberry Sprites from Sonic
38. Hour-long conversations with Raechel
39. Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold, and Thirty Seconds to Mars
40. Learning a new song on the bass guitar
41. Frosted Flakes cereal 
42. Comfy jeans
43. Shirts that show off my tattoos
44. Sitting in my favorite chair with a fluffy throw and binge-watching Netflix
45. Reading on rainy days
46. Walking around campus on sunny days
47. Goodreads
48. Online shopping
49. Moving to Florida in May/ June of this year
50. Random arts and crafts projects

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Hope this helped some of you guys look on the bright side!  I'll talk to you again asap.

Keri <3

What I'm Reading 2016

Hi there!!

Let's keep this short and sweet- here's a list of books I've read throughout 2016. Anything marked with (*) is a re-read.   If you would like to follow me on GoodReads.com, check out my profile here.

Little side note- I'm also attempting to complete the "Rory Gilmore Challenge" (even though I've never seen the show...). There are 339 books total, so I'm positive the challenge will take a few years to complete. 

So, I was kind of over-enthusiastic this year with my goal setting. I started out thinking I could read 52 books this year (about one a week), but that quickly changed to 50. Since I had only read 40 books by December 29, I changed my final number to 42. I'm not sure if I'll make it (I'm typing this on the 29, and I don't really know if I'll be able to squeeze in 2 more...), but I'm going to try! Here goes nothing!!

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1. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
2. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
3. Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glas by Lewis Carroll
4. The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
5. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
7. School's Out - Forever by James Patterson
8. Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
9. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
10. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
11. The Final Warning by James Patterson
12. Max by James Patterson
13. Fang by James Patterson
14. Angel by James Patterson
15. Nevermore by James Patterson
16. Maximum Ride Forever by James Patterson
17. It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History by Jennifer Wright 
18. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 
19. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
20. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
21. Beloved by Toni Morrison
22. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
23. Cress by Marissa Meyer
24. A Court of Thornes and Roses by Sara J. Maas
25. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
26. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
27. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
28. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
29. The Shining by Stephen King
30. Partials by Dan Wells
31. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
32. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
33. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
34. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
35. Winter by Marissa Meyer
36. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas
37. The Assassin and the Healer by Sarah J. Maas
38. The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas
39. The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas
40. The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas
41. The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
42. You are a Badass- How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

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Thanks for keeping up with this year's reading challenge!  Talk to you soon :)

Keri <3

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

Hi there :)

I have to admit, I've never seen a single episode of Gilmore Girls (but it is in my Netflix queue!)... But, I have seen this pin floating around on Pinterest of the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge.  Apparently, someone listed all the books that she reads or mentions throughout the entire series.  There is a grand total of 339 on the list!  That's a lot of books!!

One of my New Year's resolutions is to read more books, and just become more "well read" in general.  I thought this list was a good place to start.  I've looked it over, and it has a bunch of classics and well-known literary works that I probably should have read at some point in high school/ college.  Either way, I hope to finish this list some time in the near future, but it probably won't happen within one year (actually, I can almost guarantee you it won't happen this year).  But, I am going to keep an ongoing list and check each book off as I go.

Let's get started on this insane reading challenge!

Quick notes- I have bolded the titles that I've read, and these books are in alphabetical order by title (not author).

1. 1984 by GeorgeOrwell
2. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 

3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay byMichael Chabon
5. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
6. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 

9. The Archidamian War by Donald Kagan
10. The Art of Fiction by Henry James
11. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
12. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
13. Atonement by Ian McEwan
14. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
15. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
16. Babe by Dick King-Smith
17. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by SusanFaludi
18. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by DaiSijie
19. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
20. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 

21. Beloved by Toni Morrison
22. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney 

23. The Bhagava Gita
24. The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied theNazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews by PeterDuffy
25. Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women byElizabeth Wurtzel
26. A Bolt from the Blue and Other Essays by MaryMcCarthy

27. Brave New World by AldousHuxley
28. Brick Lane by Monica Ali
29. Bridgadoon by Alan Jay Lerner
30. Candide by Voltaire
31. The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
32. Carrie by Stephen King 

33. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
34. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
35. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White 

36. The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman
37. Christine by Stephen King
38. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
39. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
40. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
41. The Collected Stories by Eudora Welty
42. A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
43. Complete Novels by Dawn Powell
44. The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
45. Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker
46. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
47. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
48. Cousin Bette by Honore de Balzac
49. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
50. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
51. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
52. Cujo by Stephen King
53. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by MarkHaddon

54. Daughter of Fortune by IsabelAllende
55. David and Lisa by Dr Theodore Issac Rubin M.D
56. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
57. The Da Vinci -Code by Dan Brown
58. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
59. Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
60. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
61. Deenie by Judy Blume
62. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
63. The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by TommyLee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx
64. The Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso) by Dante
65. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood byRebecca Wells
66. Don Quixote by Cervantes
67. Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhrv
68. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 

69. Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems by EdgarAllan Poe
70. Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook
71. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
72. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by MarkDunn
73. Eloise by Kay Thompson
74. Emily the Strange by Roger Reger
75. Emma by Jane Austen
76. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
77. Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by DonaldJ. Sobol
78. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
79. Ethics by Spinoza
80. Europe through the Back Door, 2003 by RickSteves

81. Eva Luna by IsabelAllende
82. Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
83. Extravagance by Gary Krist
84. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
85. Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore
86. The Fall of the Athenian Empire by Donald Kagan
87. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by GregCritser
88. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
89. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
90. Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein
91. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by MitchAlbom
92. Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce
93. Fletch by Gregory McDonald
94. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
95. The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
96. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
97. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
98. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
99. Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
100. Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
101. Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
102. George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdomof our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg
103. Gidget by Fredrick Kohner
104. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
105. The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
106. The Godfather: Book 1 by Mario Puzo

107. The God of Small Things byArundhati Roy
108. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Alvin Granowsky
109. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
110. The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford
111. The Gospel According to Judy Bloom
112. The Graduate by Charles Webb
113. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
114. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

115. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
116. The Group by Mary McCarthy
117. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
118. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K.Rowling
119. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K.Rowling 

120. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by DaveEggers
121. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 

122. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders byVincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
123. Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare
124. Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare 

125. Henry V by William Shakespeare
126. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
127. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by EdwardGibbon
128. Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris
129. The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton
130. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
131. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
132. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer

133. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr.Seuss 

134. How the Light Gets In by M. J. Hyland
135. Howl by Allen Ginsberg
136. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
137. The Iliad by Homer
138. I’m With the Band by Pamela des Barres
139. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
140. Inferno by Dante 

141. Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence andRobert E. Lee
142. Iron Weed by William J. Kennedy
143. It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton
144. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
145. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
146. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare 

147. The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain
148. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
149. Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito
150. The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by RobertAlexander
151. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly byAnthony Bourdain
152. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
153. Lady Chatterleys’ Lover by D. H. Lawrence
154. The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 by GoreVidal
155. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
156. The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield
157. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
158. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

159. Lies and the Lying Liars WhoTell Them by Al Franken
160. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
161. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
162. The Little Locksmith by Katharine ButlerHathaway
163. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
164. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
165. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
166. Lord of the Flies by William Golding 

167. The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
168. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
169. The Love Story by Erich Segal
170. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
171. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
172. The Manticore by Robertson Davies
173. Marathon Man by William Goldman
174. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
175. Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
176. Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman
177. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
178. The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
179. Mencken’s Chrestomathy by H. R. Mencken
180. The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
181. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 

182. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
183. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
184. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

185. The Mojo Collection: TheUltimate Music Companion by Jim Irvin
186. Moliere: A Biography by Hobart Chatfield Taylor
187. A Monetary History of the United States by MiltonFriedman
188. Monsieur Proust by Celeste Albaret
189. A Month Of Sundays: Searching For The Spirit And My Sister by JulieMars
190. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
191. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
192. Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff andJames Norman Hall
193. My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and It’s Aftermath bySeymour M. Hersh
194. My Life as Author and Editor by H. R. Mencken
195. My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by TimGuest
196. Myra Waldo’s Travel and Motoring Guide to Europe, 1978 by MyraWaldo
197. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult 

198. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
199. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
200. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
201. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
202. Nervous System: Or, Losing My Mind in Literature by JanLars Jensen
203. New Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
204. The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
205. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
206. Night by Elie Wiesel 

207. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
208. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism byWilliam E. Cain, Laurie A. Finke, Barbara E. Johnson, John P. McGowan
209. Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, MagicWheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell
210. Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski

211. Of Mice and Men by JohnSteinbeck 

212. Old School by Tobias Wolff
213. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
214. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
215. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
216. The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
217. Oracle Night by Paul Auster
218. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
219. Othello by Shakespeare 

220. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
221. The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War by DonaldKagan
222. Out of Africa by Isac Dineson
223. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
224. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
225. The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition by DonaldKagan
226. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
227. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
228. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
229. Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington
230. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
231. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeiland Gillian McCain
232. The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
233. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
234. The Portable Nietzche by Fredrich Nietzche
235. The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and theEducation of Paul O’Neill by Ron Suskind
236. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
237. Property by Valerie Martin

238. Pushkin: A Biography by T. J.Binyon
239. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
240. Quattrocento by James Mckean
241. A Quiet Storm by Rachel Howzell Hall
242. Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers
243. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 

244. The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
245. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by AzarNafisi
246. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
247. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
248. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
249. Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad byVirginia Holman
250. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien
251. R Is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
252. Rita Hayworth by Stephen King
253. Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Robert
254. Roman Holiday by Edith Wharton
255. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 

256. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
257. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
258. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
259. The Rough Guide to Europe, 2003 Edition
260. Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi
261. Sanctuary by William Faulkner
262. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
263. Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller by Henry James
264. The Scarecrow of Oz by Frank L. Baum

265. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
266. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
267. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
268. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
269. Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman
270. Selected Hotels of Europe
271. Selected Letters of Dawn Powell: 1913-1965 by DawnPowell
272. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
273. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
274. Several Biographies of Winston Churchill
275. Sexus by Henry Miller
276. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
277. Shane by Jack Shaefer
278. The Shining by Stephen King
279. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
280. S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton
281. Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut 

282. Small Island by Andrea Levy
283. Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
284. Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers
285. Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant inthe Making of the Modern World by Barrington Moore
286. The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht
287. Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos by Juliade Burgos
288. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker
289. Songbook by Nick Hornby
290. The Sonnets by William Shakespeare
291. Sonnets from the Portuegese by Elizabeth BarrettBrowning

292. Sophie’s Choice byWilliam Styron
293. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
294. Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
295. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by MaryRoach
296. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
297. A Streetcar Named Desiree by Tennessee Williams
298. Stuart Little by E. B. White
299. Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
300. Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
301. Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals by Anne Collett
302. Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
303. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
304. Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
305. Term of Endearment by Larry McMurtry
306. Time and Again by Jack Finney
307. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
308. To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
309. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
310. The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare
311. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
312. The Trial by Franz Kafka
313. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
314. Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett
315. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
316. Ulysses by James Joyce
317. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath
318. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

319. Unless by Carol Shields
320. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
321. The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyers
322. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
323. Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series) by Joe Harvard
324. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
325. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
326. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
327. Walt Disney’s Bambi by Felix Salten
328. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
329. We Owe You Nothing – Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews edited by Daniel Sinker
330. What Colour is Your Parachute? 2005 by Richard Nelson Bolles
331. What Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell
332. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
333. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
334. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee
335. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
336. The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
337. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
338. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
339. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Total thus far: 38 out of 339 (as of 1/1/2018)
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Thanks for keeping up with my progress on this reading challenge.  Check back soon for more updates and new posts :)

Keri <3