Reading List

I've always loved to read.  I try to keep some kind of book on the bedstand, even if I don't touch it for weeks or in one case, months at a time.  I've been on a roll for about a year and a half now and I owe it all to the Twilight Series.  I burned through those between Thanksgiving and Christmas of '08. 

What was I to do next?  I was itching for another series.  I happened to be at the Unique Thrift Store in St. Anthony and I found two Harry Potter books for $2 a piece.  And these were HARD COVERS!  What a deal!
Again, page turners and I was done with the series by the time the 6th movie came out, which was July "09.  I was a little sad to see the series end.  I pictured myself as an actual character at Hogwarts.  Leaving all my friends behind just like high school graduation; saying goodbye. 

I am now in the 3rd book of, dare I say it out loud, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.  I know, I know.  It's a little immature for my brain, but the vocabulary is just right.  Not too big of words and not too small either.  I loved the movies so much I wanted to see if the books were any good. 

After I complete this series, I'm going straight into the Wicked Trilogy: Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men.  Then we'll see about the Lord of the Rings.  My sister already has The Hobbit and I have the first book of TLOTR.   I might be biting more than I can chew with this but I've been told that if I make it through the first 5 chapters of the Hobbit, I should be fine.

I've also been thinking about doing the classics.  With authors like Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens.  But I'm a little scared of the old English literature.  Will I be able to understand it?  Or will it go over my head? 

 I've heard that The Time Traveler's Wife is a wonderful book, but I loved the movie too much. I think I'd be setting myself up for disappointment.  The same goes for Nicholas Sparks.  Movies made based on his novels are SOOOO much better.  I don't get any emotional connection with his characters.  And the ending of The Notebook (book) was horrible.  If you haven't read it, spoiler alert.  Do Not Read Any Farther.  Skip to the Next Paragraph.  In the book, Allie and Noah has sex in the last scene, roll credits.  Okay:  if she has amnesia and she only remembers who they actually are for only 2 minutes, Noah better get on, have an orgy, and get done quick because she'll lose who she is and start screaming bloody murder, rape....  The nurses will come in to see what the heck is going on.  Can you imagine the embarrassment of walking in on two old roosters doing the dirty deed.  Oh, my eyes!  My eyes!  But the movie was much more eloquent, much more sadder.  They pass away in their sleep, holding each other in their arms, holding hands.  Proof that they were soul-mates.  They couldn't live without each other.  How sweet!  <  Sniffle  >  Pass the Kleenex.  Now that's being emotionally connected with the characters.


Now then.  Any suggestions of books that are too good to pass over?