The rain is a pain on my window pane.
Ahh...so poetic, eh? I didn't get much sleep last night. My asthma kicked in at some ungodly hour again and so I sat and listed the the rain coming down. It's still coming down. While it is dreary and colder outside, we did a quick walk around the house last night to see what is growing (and what is being dug up by the *^$!&* squirrels). My tulips, iris', daffs, hyacinth, daisies, pansies and several other perennials are making their way to the surface, bright green to dark green poking through the mulch I threw on them last fall. We already have one flower! The purple vinca (one of the hardiest plants on the planet, I swear) has one welcoming flower already.
I had to take Tabitha back to the vet today. We went in last Friday since she hasn't been eating her allotted 1/2 cup of food a day for a couple of weeks. I was especially worried since I had given her a treat of wet food not too long ago and am not sure if it was of the tainted manufacturer. She eats dry food 99.9999% of the time so I couldn't begin to tell you what I bought. While she was being poked and prodded by the vet, she reacted to her kidney region. Damn. I was hoping this might just be her adjusting to the new smells from the crib and changing table in the baby's room. They did blood work and called me on Monday. Nothing abnormal but they wanted her to come in for an x-ray and to try again to extract urine (she was not very forthcoming last week). And they suggested I call the cat food manufacturer to see if they had changed the formula on her food. Did that earlier this week, nothing new there and the food doesn't expire until June 2008. Another dead end.
So I dropped her off at 8am this morning and am impatiently waiting for the phone call to go and pick her up. How long does it take? Is something wrong, did they hurt her while doing the x-ray?? I fear that my baby girl (Tabitha) is too afraid and won't be able to produce any urine. I really can't handle this...I'm a basket case when it is Tabitha - who I must say, has been like my baby for the last 7.5 years. It was so hard to walk out of there this morning and not be with her while she went through this.
What am I going to do if this ever happens to baby girl Whitcomb? If I react like this when it is my pet how nutty will I be if it is my kid?
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Bingo & Beer at the Brew-Ha-Ha
A couple co-workers and I went to We Gotta Bingo last night at the Lowry Theatre. It's an interactive comdey along the lines of Tony & Tina's Wedding. We had a good time and I had some personal laughs as the premise of the show surrounds two St. Paul parishes being forced to consolidate at the Archbishop's request. My parish is in the exact same boat (except we don't have to physically combine the church.... yet). The perspective protrayed in the show is quite obviously over the top but based on what I have experienced with the discussions between our two parishes - not as far off as some might think. I kept thinking to myself that it would be wonderfully healthy fun for all the parish members of our combining churches to go and get a dose of humor about what we are trying to do. However, it could backfire on me...
The food was fantastic (catered in by either Cosetta's or Pazzaluna), some of the best lasagna I have ever had and the space was nice, a bit loud but that was part of the show. The polka band covering bands from Blondie to Outkast was one of the highlights for me. Nothing like seeing a 60 year old woman singing 'Hey Ya' by Outkast. This was also when 'Father Duncan' asked me to get up and shake it with him. Pretty funny to watch a pregnany lady and a priest shaking their goods.
All and all it was a good time had by all (especially the table of drunk ladies next to us!).
The food was fantastic (catered in by either Cosetta's or Pazzaluna), some of the best lasagna I have ever had and the space was nice, a bit loud but that was part of the show. The polka band covering bands from Blondie to Outkast was one of the highlights for me. Nothing like seeing a 60 year old woman singing 'Hey Ya' by Outkast. This was also when 'Father Duncan' asked me to get up and shake it with him. Pretty funny to watch a pregnany lady and a priest shaking their goods.
All and all it was a good time had by all (especially the table of drunk ladies next to us!).
Monday, March 26, 2007
81' and snow on the ground
Crazy weather we are having. We hit over 80' today. I can't remember the last time we were this warm this early. I went for a walk after work and had a smile when I noticed some neighbors still have some snow on their lawns, mostly in areas where there is quite a bit of shade or where the snow was piled very, very high. We went for a walk yesterday around Como. There was still quite a bit of ice on the lake but it appeared to be very thin. Some were in 'chunks' for lack of a better term. They looked like very tiny icebergs and sounded like wind chimes when they ran into each other.
The ducks were everywhere! I saw three male mallards perched on top of a neighbors roof, it was the first time I had seen this particular perch. Tabitha is currently sitting in the window staring outside at the wildlife (it's night and I've got the lights off so she can see further). She is loving the warm weather and seeing the birds zooming around the yard.
The ducks were everywhere! I saw three male mallards perched on top of a neighbors roof, it was the first time I had seen this particular perch. Tabitha is currently sitting in the window staring outside at the wildlife (it's night and I've got the lights off so she can see further). She is loving the warm weather and seeing the birds zooming around the yard.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Activity
Baby girl was busy last night when we laid down for bed. I was wiped out earlier in the eve and fell asleep while watching Mythbusters. As I began to read before turning out the lights she started moving like mad. This time I could feel her kick/hit on the outside. I told Pete to sit down quickly. He looked at me like I was mad until he saw I had my hands on my belly and said with some excitement, "Is she moving?". I nodded and told him where to put his hand. And of course she stopped moving. We tried again a couple of times until I told Pete to just stay there for a bit and she would start again. Finally after a few minutes he felt her kick. He stayed there for a bit longer and felt about three more kicks. He was pretty excited to feel that and said he imagines her in her little 'bubble' flailing about trying to make an escape. Considering how much I move when I sleep I think baby girl might just be emulating her mother.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Batwoman? Superwoman?
Ahh...my nephews can always make me laugh. They are both getting to an age where they kind of understand that I am having a baby. Below is some of the fun we had this past week with the boys.
My sister called on Monday to find out how the ultrasound went and if we had any indication of the sex. I shared the good news which she passed onto her sons Alex (4)and Ryan (2). Alex immediately began asking if he could talk to me. He got on the phone and said,"Aunt Holly, can you name her..um..Batwoman?" Alex is a HUGE superhero fan and has as many superhero costumes as some little girls have princess dresses. I told him Uncle Pete and I would add it to the list of names we have in mind and asked him if he had any other suggestions. "How about Spiderman, I mean Spiderwoman? Or Superwoman? She could be Wonder Woman".
"Hmmm, Wonder Woman, I hadn't thought of that. I like that one."
"Yeah, but we wouldn't want her to dress like her", he said in his serious Alex tone. At this point I had to maintain my control and not start laughing, lest he think I am laughing at him.
"Yeah, Alex," I responded, "you're right, we wouldn't want her to dress that way." I love that he says this - the innocence. I'll have to remind him of this when he is 16 and sneaking Playboy into the house.
We saw the boys on Saturday and initiated baby Whitcomb into the family zerbert (or raspberry) game. Ryan gave my belly a zerbert and ran away giggling hysterically. "Can the baby hear what we are saying?" asked Alex. "Yes, the baby can hear you. Cousin Whitcomb is going to know your voice when he/she enters the world", I responded. Alex's eyes got wide and his mouth formed an 'O' - he thought that was so cool. Ryan proceeded to walk back to give my belly another zerbert but instead of giving one he got really, really close and whispered loudly, "zzeerbeerrt".
Later, Alex asked if he could listen to my belly in the hopes he could hear the baby inside. He laid his little head on my belly for about a minute. I asked if he heard anything and he sat up and responded matter-of-factly, 'No'. "Maybe next time", I said.
At that point Ryan began asking if he could see the baby. "Can I see the baby?" "Can you show me the baby?" "Can I look down your throat?". We had to explain it doesn't quite work that way. He went on to ask "How does the baby come out?". "Does it come out of your mouth? Out of your stomach?" Hmmm... I'm not touching that one. The good thing about a 2 year old is he can easily be distracted so we began talking about something else and dropped that topic quick!
My sister called on Monday to find out how the ultrasound went and if we had any indication of the sex. I shared the good news which she passed onto her sons Alex (4)and Ryan (2). Alex immediately began asking if he could talk to me. He got on the phone and said,"Aunt Holly, can you name her..um..Batwoman?" Alex is a HUGE superhero fan and has as many superhero costumes as some little girls have princess dresses. I told him Uncle Pete and I would add it to the list of names we have in mind and asked him if he had any other suggestions. "How about Spiderman, I mean Spiderwoman? Or Superwoman? She could be Wonder Woman".
"Hmmm, Wonder Woman, I hadn't thought of that. I like that one."
"Yeah, but we wouldn't want her to dress like her", he said in his serious Alex tone. At this point I had to maintain my control and not start laughing, lest he think I am laughing at him.
"Yeah, Alex," I responded, "you're right, we wouldn't want her to dress that way." I love that he says this - the innocence. I'll have to remind him of this when he is 16 and sneaking Playboy into the house.
We saw the boys on Saturday and initiated baby Whitcomb into the family zerbert (or raspberry) game. Ryan gave my belly a zerbert and ran away giggling hysterically. "Can the baby hear what we are saying?" asked Alex. "Yes, the baby can hear you. Cousin Whitcomb is going to know your voice when he/she enters the world", I responded. Alex's eyes got wide and his mouth formed an 'O' - he thought that was so cool. Ryan proceeded to walk back to give my belly another zerbert but instead of giving one he got really, really close and whispered loudly, "zzeerbeerrt".
Later, Alex asked if he could listen to my belly in the hopes he could hear the baby inside. He laid his little head on my belly for about a minute. I asked if he heard anything and he sat up and responded matter-of-factly, 'No'. "Maybe next time", I said.
At that point Ryan began asking if he could see the baby. "Can I see the baby?" "Can you show me the baby?" "Can I look down your throat?". We had to explain it doesn't quite work that way. He went on to ask "How does the baby come out?". "Does it come out of your mouth? Out of your stomach?" Hmmm... I'm not touching that one. The good thing about a 2 year old is he can easily be distracted so we began talking about something else and dropped that topic quick!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
The first countdown
Only 4 more days until we learn if we are having 'baby girl' or 'baby boy'. I've been feeling girl for the last couple of weeks. Any thoughts out there? KMD, are your psychic abilitites kicking in? Any guesses?
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Supporting the US economy
Well, we knew it had to happen eventually. This is what happens when one purchases a 20+ year old house with the original water heater and furnace. Last night around 10:30pm as we were settling into bed the carbon monoxide detector sprang to life and shouted it's alerting bleats from the lower level. The alarm went off earlier this year but that was a result of exhaust from the car settling into the lower level (our bathroom vents into the garage and hence the garage vents into the house). This time we had both been home for a few hours so that was not the cause of the alarm.
Full disclosure: I have grown even more paranoid since becoming pregnant. I flipped out.
We placed a call to Xcel to have a tech come out and look at the furnace. Of course, they staff lightly for such late night calls and it took the guy 2 hours to finally get to the house. He left by 1:00 AM and said our levels weren't that high but that we might want open the windows for a bit to clear out the current levels, 'limit the use' of the furnace and have someone come out ASAP today. I turned the heat way down b/c my paranoia had yet to abate, despite his reassurance that we would be OK. There are reasons doctors tell pregnant women to quit smoking - carbon monoxide being one of them. I did a quick look online while the tech was checking things out (note to self - stay off the internet when ultra-paranoid) and read some semi-scary info about low-birth weight and other factors resulting from carbon monoxide in the womb.
When the heat kicked on at 5:00 AM this morning I jumped out of bed and turned it down again (we have it pre-programmed). And again when I got up about an hour later. I didn't sleep too well, worried about how this is impacting baby Whitcomb.
As I was heading out the door for work Pete expressed the thought that all we would be doing today is spending money. The carpet installers are coming in to lay the carpet for the baby's room and we know we have to shovel out the dough for a new furnace. The silver lining in all this is we have a very good friend who owns his own HVAC business. I just talked to Pete and JR is already at the house measuring for a new heat blaster. Just knowing JR will advise us like he was looking/buying for his house makes me feel better about going home.
Doing my part today to keep the US economy going.
Full disclosure: I have grown even more paranoid since becoming pregnant. I flipped out.
We placed a call to Xcel to have a tech come out and look at the furnace. Of course, they staff lightly for such late night calls and it took the guy 2 hours to finally get to the house. He left by 1:00 AM and said our levels weren't that high but that we might want open the windows for a bit to clear out the current levels, 'limit the use' of the furnace and have someone come out ASAP today. I turned the heat way down b/c my paranoia had yet to abate, despite his reassurance that we would be OK. There are reasons doctors tell pregnant women to quit smoking - carbon monoxide being one of them. I did a quick look online while the tech was checking things out (note to self - stay off the internet when ultra-paranoid) and read some semi-scary info about low-birth weight and other factors resulting from carbon monoxide in the womb.
When the heat kicked on at 5:00 AM this morning I jumped out of bed and turned it down again (we have it pre-programmed). And again when I got up about an hour later. I didn't sleep too well, worried about how this is impacting baby Whitcomb.
As I was heading out the door for work Pete expressed the thought that all we would be doing today is spending money. The carpet installers are coming in to lay the carpet for the baby's room and we know we have to shovel out the dough for a new furnace. The silver lining in all this is we have a very good friend who owns his own HVAC business. I just talked to Pete and JR is already at the house measuring for a new heat blaster. Just knowing JR will advise us like he was looking/buying for his house makes me feel better about going home.
Doing my part today to keep the US economy going.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Week 19
Nearly half way there!
The babe is as large as a small zuke. He/she has been swimming around like mad the last week. I have put my hand on my belly to see if it can be felt externally but so far it seems to be only on the inside. Next week at this time we should know if we are having baby boy Whitcomb or baby girl Whitcomb, provided he/she isn't curled up in a fashion that will not allow us to see. I'm not looking forward to the 32 oz of water I have to drink beginning at 6am but it will only be for an hour.
Apparently the babe can hear things going on around it (outside of the blood coursing through my veins). It will learn to recognize my voice and according to babycenter.com, the heart rate drops when the babe hears its mother's voice. Pretty cool. I guess I better stop swearing now, eh?
I'm still able to wear some of my pre-preggers shirts but most of them are sitting on the floor in the baby's room. We're getting new carpet installed in there on Thursday afternoon so I have to come up with some sort of plan. I am looking forward to getting the crap out of there soon, I am willing to park my car outside all spring if it means I can clean out the room and get the crib and such in place. So much to do - seems like so little time!
The babe is as large as a small zuke. He/she has been swimming around like mad the last week. I have put my hand on my belly to see if it can be felt externally but so far it seems to be only on the inside. Next week at this time we should know if we are having baby boy Whitcomb or baby girl Whitcomb, provided he/she isn't curled up in a fashion that will not allow us to see. I'm not looking forward to the 32 oz of water I have to drink beginning at 6am but it will only be for an hour.
Apparently the babe can hear things going on around it (outside of the blood coursing through my veins). It will learn to recognize my voice and according to babycenter.com, the heart rate drops when the babe hears its mother's voice. Pretty cool. I guess I better stop swearing now, eh?
I'm still able to wear some of my pre-preggers shirts but most of them are sitting on the floor in the baby's room. We're getting new carpet installed in there on Thursday afternoon so I have to come up with some sort of plan. I am looking forward to getting the crap out of there soon, I am willing to park my car outside all spring if it means I can clean out the room and get the crib and such in place. So much to do - seems like so little time!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
College drinking and pregnancy
I never would have guessed it. My college drinking days just helped me deal with a pregnancy issue. I ate a late lunch today due to meetings and as a result found myself scarfing down my strawberries/vanilla yogurt combo. As I ran out the door to run some quick errands as my lunch hour I started to feel a bit odd. I wasn't sure what was happening to me. Suddenly I realized it was the dreaded heartburn. I should count my blessings that I have made it 18.5 weeks into my pregnancy with no heartburn, eh? Around week 14 I picked up some Tums at Target which have been languishing in the bathroom cupboard. (Note to self: pack them in my purse tomorrow.) I didn't really have time to run home and pick up the Tums and started to wonder how I would make it through the rest of the work day with this discomfort. Then it dawned on me!! The last time I had heartburn was college. We were at the bar, doing shots of buttery nipples (a combo of Butterscotch Schnapps & Baileys Irish Cream). Since we didn't have any Tums on hand at the bar (go figure) someone had the bright idea of chewing gum, specifically minty gum (spearmint, peppermint, wintergreen, etc). That seemed to help relieve the sensation to some degree. So, I grabbed the mints out of my purse and popped a couple in my mouth. By the time I pulled back into the parking lot at work the worst of the discomfort had passed.
Who would have thought those college experiences would come in handy at this point in my life. These are things I should remember when my kid calls me from the bar some day, right? That he/she might be learning a valuable lesson in life. Yeah right....
Who would have thought those college experiences would come in handy at this point in my life. These are things I should remember when my kid calls me from the bar some day, right? That he/she might be learning a valuable lesson in life. Yeah right....
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Not my building
Thank goodness this didn't happen in my building. I understand the challenges with overpopulation but still can't come to bring myself to condone thinning the herd. I had a hard time late last year when they closed off the priory near our house because the snipers were on the ground taking out the deer. We have many deer in our back yard and while it is frustrating when they eat the corn I have planted... they are such a cool beast to see tracking through the snow and frolicking in our yard.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Something is moving
I'm thinking it is the kid. Seems like since Wednesday I've had more 'activity' in my belly. On Wednesday I felt something like a bubble move across the middle of the inside of my belly. People have told me that it might feel like gas, another said it felt like a paint brush brushing inside of her belly. While I'm not sure if the kid is jumping around and stretching in there I know this is not gas. It's pretty cool.
Every once in a while I feel what seems like little kicks (I know they aren't but it's hard to describe) in my lower belly. This morning I threw some classical music in my backpack and the headphones and had the baby listen to some music while I worked.
Our ultrasound is slated for March 19th at 7am. We will be finding out what we are having since we are both planners. 17 days until we know if it is Baby Girl Whitcomb or Baby Boy Whitcomb!
Every once in a while I feel what seems like little kicks (I know they aren't but it's hard to describe) in my lower belly. This morning I threw some classical music in my backpack and the headphones and had the baby listen to some music while I worked.
Our ultrasound is slated for March 19th at 7am. We will be finding out what we are having since we are both planners. 17 days until we know if it is Baby Girl Whitcomb or Baby Boy Whitcomb!
Too close to work
I experienced the reverse effect of living so close to work today. While 364 days out of the year I am blessed with a 5 minute commute (10-15 door to door) and hardly any 'traffic' to speak of...today I had no excuse to not make it into work today because of the snow. My boss jokes that I could actually walk to work if the roads weren't clear. I am looking at a very lightly populated parking lot.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
BOOKS for the snowstorm
Per Carrie
In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of.
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. *A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. +The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. +The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. +The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. +I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. +Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible (parts of it)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. +Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. +Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. +One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. +Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. *Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. +Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. +The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
I'm amazed at the number of books on the list that I haven't read. Yikes! And I consider myself a reader. I guess brain candy doesn't really fit on this list (i.e. the rest of the S. King novels I have read like the entire Gunslinger series).
In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of.
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. *A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. +The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. +The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. +The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. +I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. +Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible (parts of it)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. +Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. +Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. +One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. +Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. *Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. +Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. +The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
I'm amazed at the number of books on the list that I haven't read. Yikes! And I consider myself a reader. I guess brain candy doesn't really fit on this list (i.e. the rest of the S. King novels I have read like the entire Gunslinger series).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)