The 50 Books Project

The Premise

I tried this back in 2006, and failed. In my defense, the second half of 2006 got VERY stressful and reading for pleasure just didn't figure in to my priorities, sadly. So we're trying this again. I’ve sort of stolen the premise from Doppelganger, but I’m going to leave the in-depth analysis of the books to her, because that’s what her blog is all about. I’m just going to list the books I read, for both my preservation and in case you’re interested in what I am reading. And surprisingly, many people are. I’m often asked about what I’m reading or what I’ve read lately, probably because it’s well known that I’m a nerd. When I was a kid, as a punishment my parents would take away my books, a fact that shocked my friend Nina.

"What kind of parents would deny their child reading?!"

Mine, I guess. They knew how it was the one thing I would be lost without. No phone? No problem. No TV? No worries. No books? I was bored out of my skull, and instantly rectified my behavior.
Anyway. The premise is simple. I have from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 to read 50 books. This seemed like such a better resolution than, say, loosing weight or drinking less, both things you and I know I won’t do. And, bonus, it helps me justify my library fines. I’ll add books to
the list as I complete them.

The 2007 List

1. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
   
2. Diary by Chuck Palahniuk (reread)
   
3. You're the One That I Want: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar (Shut up. I never said these books had to be high class)
   
4. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris (Reread, thanks to the lovely Becky buying me my own copy)
   
5. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (awesome)
   
6. Macbeth by William Shakespeare (for Witchcraft in Literature)
   
7. Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book compiled by Frank Warren
   
8. The Witch by Thomas Middleton (For Witchcraft in Literature -- sucked, by the way)
   
9. The Witch of Edmonton by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker and John Ford (Witchcraft in Literature)
   
10. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker (thanks, Becky!)
    
11. Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman
    April Witch by Ray Bradbury (Witchcraft in Literature -- short stories, together I'm counting them as a "book")
    
12. Night by Elie Wiesel (Reread, for Creative Nonfiction. I forgot how devastating this book is in its simplicity)
    
13. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (Witchcraft in Literature)
    
14. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (Reread. Obviously, I'm going through a bit of a phase)
    
15. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike (Witchcraft in Literature — Dear Mr. Updike: You don't understand women at all.)
    
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
18. Kathy's Story: A Childhood Hell Inside the Magdalen Laundries by Kathy O'Beirne (completely sad and totally horrifying)
    
19. Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue (Witchcraft in Literature -- Really, really good, you guys)
    
20. Charm School Book One: Magical Witch Girl Bunny by Elizabeth Watasin (Witchcraft in Literature)
    
21. Harry Potter and The Prisioner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
22. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
23. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature)
    
24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Reread, Witchcraft in Literature -- JEZUZ. I never thought I would be sick of Harry Potter, but now having to cram through it for school I kinda am)
    
25. Girl With A One-Track Mind by Abby Lee
    
26. A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
    
27. The Cider House Rules by John Irving (Reread)
    
28. Drawing Down the Moon by Margo Adler (Okay okay, I didn't read the entire thing, but I read the majority of it, seeing as it's sort of an academic book, I skipped around a lot)
    
29. Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue (really, really good)
    
30. The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits by Emma Donoghue
    
31. Touchy Subjects by Emma Donoghue
    
32. Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth (Irish Novel)
    
33. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Irish Novel)
    
34. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
    
35. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce (Irish Novel)
    
36. At Swim, Two Birds by Flann O'Brien (Irish Novel)
    
37. The Commitments by Roddy Doyle (Irish Novel)
    
38. At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O'Neil (Irish Novel)
    
39. In the Forest by Edna O'Brien (Irish Novel)
    
40. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
    
41. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
    
42. Ant Farm by Simon Rich
    
43. Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill
    
44. Only in Your Dreams: A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar (Shut up. It was end-of-the-summer trashy reading, OK? Lay off)
    
45. Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle
    
46. The Know-it-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become The Smartest Man in the World by A.J. Jacobs
    
47. Pope Joan by Donna Cross
    
48. His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
    
49. His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman

The 2006 List

1. Nerve’s Guide to Sex Etiquette by Em & Lo
   
2. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
   
3. Good Bones and Simple Murders by Margaret Atwood
   
4. A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin (play version – I’m totally counting this)
   
5. Rule of the Bone by Russel Banks
   
6. Diary of a Mad Housewife by Sue Kaufman
   
7. The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
   
8. Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art by Jennifer New
   
9. Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
   
10. Black Hole by Charles Burns
    
11. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris (Reread -- I have library fines, surprise, surprise)
    
12. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
    
13. Adobe GoLive CS Tips and Tricks: The 200 Best by Adam Pratt and Lynn Grillo
    
14. Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe by Sandra Gulland (I am becoming such a fan of hers)
    
15. Found II compiled by Davy Rothbart
    
16. The Last Great Dance On Earth by Sandra Gulland (When I started The Many Lives... I was just a casual reader. By the third and final installment, I devoured the book within 24 hours. Highly addictive)
    
17. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Feilding (Reread, simply because I happened to catch the movie on cable one night and wanted to read it just so I could have an excuse to visualize Colin Firth in my head. Rowr.)
    
18. The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (Perfect for summer -- slightly trashy historical fiction)
    
19. Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor (Everyone talked this up, including my mother who raved about sneaking this book back when she in high school. I was only "meh" about it, though. Not helping was the fact that it's SO LONG. After the first 500 pages I couldn't figure out what else could possibly happen to this girl.)
    
20. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (Excellent)
    
21. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (Also excellent)
    
22. City of Glass by Paul Auster (Graphic Novel edition)
    
23. Fried Green Tomatoes At the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg (It's certainly been a chick-lit filled summer)
    
24. Mama Makes Up Her Mind: And Other Dangers of Southern Living by Bailey White
    
25. Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher (For class. A solid "Meh")
    
26. The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
    
27. Psychic Junkie by Sarah Sarah Lassez
    
28. I Thought My Father Was God edited by Paul Auster (Fantastic)
    
29. My Secret: A PostSecret Book compiled by Frank Warren (Kelly's secret is in here!)
    
30. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (Reread, I was feeling nostalgic)
    
31. The Poet and the Murderer by Simon Worrall (Interesting, but took a while to get going)
    
32. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (Reread, obviously, and shut up. The trailer made me want to read it again)