I'm excited to start this and hoping I can find the time in between being a first-year teacher and a grad student...

I just finished The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime

Oh! You must be so busy! What are you teaching? And what are you doing your graduate studies in?

I teach middle school English, and I'm doing grad studies in urban education. It's been a very interesting experience, that's for sure!

being a mother of an Aspie and a teacher of those on the Autism spectrum...that is perfect book for a new teacher!

I loved the book, and when I was younger I used to work at a camp that had several kids who had Asperger's. It was a really interesting way to tell a story, from the perspective of someone who reminded me of one of my kids.

Just finished Truth. I definitely enjoyed it- Pratchett is always a fun read.

I forgot, I also read A Piece of Normal A Novel while I was at my parents' house over the holidays.

4. Twilight

5. New Moon

6. Eclipse

I can't believe how quickly I've been powering through this series...and I am definitely hooked. Funny how I refused to read them for so long...

Hehehe, they are totally worth reading!

7. Breaking Dawn An interesting end to an addicting saga :)

I totally agree!

:) I've now gotten half my female students hooked on the books too!

8. The Audacity of Hope Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

9. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

I figured reading some classics might be a good idea too

Jessica wrote: "9. [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass|24213|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass|Lewis Carroll|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167520662s/..."

I know how you feel! I have an English Degree and I sometimes feel really bad about the amount of crap lit I am reading, but then I think that I did my time reading the classics and don't feel as bad LOL

10th book! Hooray for being in double digits :)

10) The World According to Garp Overall a book I think I enjoyed, but its hard to be completely sure. It was certainly weird, but by the end I was invested in what happened to Garp, so overall a good experience.

weird, but oh so compelling and true! Read A Prayer for Owen Meaney...I love that one!

Definitely will read Owen Meany- now that I've read one John Irving I absolutely will keep reading, if only to see what other somewhat crazy situations he puts his characters in

11) The Gates of Rome

12) The Killer's Tears

Overall a book I liked, but kind of strange. This is the kind of book that probably needs a couple of readings (and isn't too long that you can't do that) to fully understand the layers of meaning in the story.

13) Motherless Brooklyn

I really loved this book. Letham's style is really entertaining, and for an English dork/teacher like me, its got a great use of similes and metaphors (not that I would use this in the classroom). His main character, a man with Tourette's syndrome, is investigating his boss's murder while telling about his past with this man who has shaped his life. He is funny without trying too hard, and you come to really empathize with Lionel as he tries to solve the murder and find his place in the world.

14) The Things They Carried

This was truly a fantastic read. A lot of times I find that war stories can get boring, since they are often so beyond my own experience, but O'Brien has an incredible way with words that led me to really become involved with his characters. Each chapter is its own unique, engaging story, and I highly recommend this book to any reader.

15) A Painted House by John Grisham

This was a truly lovely book, and not what I was expecting from John Grisham (even though my roommate had warned me it wouldn't be). Very similar in narration style to To Kill A Mockingbird, although it deals with somewhat less weighty issues. It was a page-turned in its own way, and even though Grisham was discussing 1950s Arkansas instead of the courtroom, he still shows what an engaging storyteller he is.

16) Oryx and Crake

I really liked this Margaret Atwood book, and I was afraid I wouldn't after I really wasn't a fan of The Handmaid's Tale (I know, I know...). I found the story of Oryx, Crake, and Jimmy/Snowman so much more engaging, and a kind of terrifying look at what the end of the world as we know it could be like.

17) My Sister's Keeper

This one nearly had me sobbing on the subway this morning. Definitely worth the read, but make sure to do it someplace private :)

Jessica wrote: "17) My Sister's Keeper

This one nearly had me sobbing on the subway this morning. Definitely worth the read, but make sure to do it someplace private :)"

Haha! I agree - I read it on a plane and felt like an idiot. Wasn't the most uplifting book for a vacation choice but it certainly made the time traveling fly by.

18) The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

19) Confessions of a Shopaholic

A new series to be addicted to...and a fun, quick read.

20) Shopaholic Takes Manhattan

Definitely addicted :)

21) Fahrenheit 451

One of the first dystopian novels that I really liked. They tend not to be my genre of choice, but I thought Bradbury's was realistic enough to be believable, and left some hope at the end.

Jessica wrote: "21) Fahrenheit 451

One of the first dystopian novels that I really liked. They tend not to be my genre of choice, but I thought Bradbury's was realistic enough to be believable, an..."

That book was great - it totally spooked me with all the things in there so easily relatable to life in current times.

Definitely! It wasn't so far off from things that I see happening today, which is why I think I liked it more than others I've read.

22) Shopaholic Ties the Knot

23) Prodigal Summer A Novel

24) Shopaholic and Sister

25) A Confederacy of Dunces

Finally halfway! This one took me forever to read because I kept getting my mind stuck on "This character is too ridiculous for words" but I'm glad I finally finished it.

26) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

27) Shopaholic and Baby

28)

My first graphic novel- didn't think I would like it but it turned out to be a really interesting read.

29)

30) The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

31) Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

This book took me a bit to get through, but it was incredibly inspiring. Mortenson's devotion to building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan is incredible, and it helped to remind me why I work with challenging populations as a teacher as well.

32) Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

I loved this book. Gilbert has an endearing writing style that really makes you pull for her as she describes her journey through one year of her life. This book is a powerful testament to self-love and how to create your own happiness and is a valuable read for anyone who has ever struggled with either or both of those things.

33) Interpreter of Maladies
34) March

My roommate is making his way through the Pulitzer Prize winners and I'm picking up the ones he finishes- and both of these were fairly deserving of the prize!

Jessica, did you start reading the George RR Martin books yet? If so, how do you like it so far, or have you finished the series?

I haven't started yet! Been caught up in the rest of my TBR pile... but hopefully I will soon!

35) Olive Kitteridge A Novel in Stories

Loved this book...and I'm not usually a fan of novels told in stories, but this one was masterfully put together.

36) The Graveyard Book- I loved this book. Neil Gaiman never disappoints (at least not for us sci-fi/fantasy lovers). Definitely worth picking up, and a very quick read.

37) Shutter Island

Another quick read- this one had me on the edge of my seat (and I finished it during my lunch break at school...).

38) The Dante Club A Novel

Getting close to the last 10!

39) Daughter of Fortune A Novel

I wasn't sure about this book at first, but I really got into it as I kept reading! Eliza drove me crazy at first, but she became a really likable heroine in the end.