Reading Goals for 2017

I want to build on a pretty successful 2016 by continuing and increasing a few things.

1. Read-read two books a month.
2. Read a minimum of one audiobook a month.
3. Finish the Kinsey Milhone series (4 down, all audiobooks thus far).
4. Read at least six nonfiction books.

Books Read in 2016

Goal: 50

More realistic goal in 2016 based on numbers from 2015 and 2014: 25

January:

1. A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

2. The Martian by Andy Weir

February:

3. Night Crossing by Don J. Snyder

4. Anything for You by Kristan Higgins

5. Night by Elie Wiesel

March:

6. The Cinderella Murders by Mary Higgins Clark

7. The Book Thief by Markus Zarkus

8. Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty

April:

9. The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty

10. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

May:

*11. As You Wish by Cary Elwes

*12. The Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

13. After You by Jojo Moyes

*14. Atonement by Ian McEwan

*15. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

June:

16. As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark

17. Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

18. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

*19. All-American Girl by Meg Cabot

July:

20. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

*21. Never Go Back by Lee Child

August:

*22. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

23. Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup

*24. Lethal by Sandra Brown

25. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

*26. Personal by Lee Child

September:

*27. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

28. Ten by Gretchen McNeil

*29. Brooklyn by Colm Tobien

October:

*30. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

*31. Argo by Antonio Mendez

*32. Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand

33. Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

November:

34. Faking It by Jennifer Crusie

*35. A Master of Disguise by Antonio Mendez

*36. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie

*37. Scandals of Classic Hollywood by Anne Helen Petersen

38. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie

*39. Mistaken Identity by Lisa Scottoline

December:

*40. Let's Explore Owls with Diabetes by David Sedaris

41. Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie
*42. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

43. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

*44. Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

*45. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton


Forty-five. I was soclose to my goal of 50, thanks in large (read: huge) part to audiobooks and Overdrive. God bless the public library system!

Nonfiction books read: 9. Very nice number, and again, all thanks to Overdrive and the public library.
Audiobooks (denoted by *): 22. Wow. Exactly half of the books I read were audiobooks. And at 23 books read-read, that still beats the last two years by 5 and 6 books respectively. Win-win.

Best fiction book of 2016:
Big Little Lies was a favorite, for sure! Can't wait for the miniseries on HBO.
Career of Evil. I stayed up late over the summer to finish it and then immediately began reading on Wikipedia to see when the next one might come out.
The Martian. So funny and enjoyable.
Anything for You by Kristan Higgins. (Why are her titles so interchangeable and forgettable?)

Best nonfiction book of 2016: 
This is the hardest decision and I don't think I can narrow it down:
Unbroken
Call the Midwife
Argo

Biggest yawn: 
Probably A Study in Charlotte, although I thought about Chasing Truth as well. Maybe I just don't like young adult novels. (Although I did enjoy Ten, but the angsty voice of the narrator also got on my nerves, come to think of it.)

Biggest surprise: 
Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy. I didn't hate it. In fact ... I liked it. (Shh!) Pleasant surprise.

Most enjoyable reading experience:

Some repeats here:
Unbroken
Call the Midwife
Fast Women

Book Read in 2015

Goal: 50

January:
1. In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins
2. Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

March:
3. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

April 

4. Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn

May:

5. The Rosie Project by Gaeme Simion

6. The Giver by Lois Lowry

7. The Compound by SA Bodeen

June:

8. The Rosie Effect by Gaeme Simion

9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerors Stone by J.K. Rowling

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling 

12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by  J.K. Rowling

July:

13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 

15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

September:

16. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

November:

17. A Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

December:

18. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins

Hmm. Only 18. That's one more than last year. Perhaps my goal for next year should be 29 instead of 50. Sigh.

Best book of the year: The Rosie Project

Biggest disappointment: A Royal Wedding. (Been there, done that.)

Most enjoyable experience: Harry Potter over the summer, although I was mostly anticipating getting the final book in the series.

Books Read in 2014

Goal: 50

Reached: 17

January:

1. A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
2. The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

3. The Most Important Year in a Woman's Life by the DeVrieses and Wolgemuths

February:

4. The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot

March:

5. The Antelope in the Living Room

6. Things I Wish I'd Known before I Got Married by Gary Chapman

April:

7. 17 Traits of Effective Teachers by Todd Whitaker

8. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

May:

8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

9. The Giver by Lois Lowry

10. The Miracle Worker by 

June:

11. Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

12. Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins

October:

13. Speak by Laurue Halse Anderson

November:

14. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

15. Veronica Mars by Rob Thomas

December:

16. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

17. I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark

Movies Watched in 2013

January:
1. Wreck
2. Jack Reacher
3. The Bourne Legacy
4. Pitch Perfect
5. Looper
6. Unstoppable
7. Hit and Run
8. Lincoln
9. Miss March 
10. Dangerous Minds
11. Double Jeopardy (half)
12. Man on Fire
13. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
14. Gran Torino
15. Coach Carter

February:
16. The Negotiator
17. Knight and Day
18. Identity Thief
19. Cars

March
20. Argo
21. Mansfield Park/What Happens in Vegas (half of both)
22. The Call
23. Playing for Keeps

April:
24. Olympus Has Fallen

May:
25. Disturbia
26. The Great Gatsby
27. Jack Reacher
28. The King's Speech
29. The Hangover
30. Parker
31. The Factory

June:
32. A Midsummer Night's Dream
33. 3:10 to Yuma
34. The Internship

July:
35. The Help
36. Date Night
37. Gangster Squad
38. Admission
39. Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone
40. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I moved, started a new job, got engaged, and allowed wedding planning to take over my life. I forgot to keep track of the rest! Fail!!!

Books Read in 2013

January:
1. Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn

February:
2. Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

March:
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
4. The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

April:
5. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (x3)

May:
6. Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers
7. Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
8. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

June:
9. Anthem by Ayn Rand

July:
10. Daddy's Gone A-Hunting  by Mary Higgins Clark
11. Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

August:
12. Far in the Wild by Deanna Raybourn

December
13. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (times 4)
14. The Heist by Janet Evanovich
15. Midsummer Night

New Year's Resolutions 2013

Generally I write about 30 to 40 goals in my journal because I'm awesome like that, but here is an abridged version.

1. Read 75 books. Well, wait. After last year's disaster, let's make that 60.
2. See 25 movies in the theatre. Only saw 23 last year. Waah.
3. Visit/host two college friends' visits.
4. Weekend getaway with besties for birthday.
5. Create/finalize curriculum for Modern Brit Lit.
6. Finish journal.
7. See four touring Broadway shows.
8. See a concert.
9. Weekend getaway--at least two others.
10. Pay off half of credit card (nearly maxed out. Again, waah!)
11. Maintain weight.
12. Try one new thing this year. (Last year: tubing and golfing.)
13. Go to four new places/restaurants/etc. in DsM.
14. Read two nonfiction books.
15. Have a GB girls reunion weekend.

Books Read in 2012

January:

1.The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie
2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
3. India Black by Carol K. Carr
4. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
5. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

March:
6. Hot Wheels and High Heels by Jane Graves
7. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
9. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

April:
10. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

May:
11. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (x4 for school)
12. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
13. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (x2 for school)
14. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
15. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
16. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

 June:
17. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
18. Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
19. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
20. The Lost Years by Mary Higgins Clark

July:
21. Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins
22.  Murder on Sister's Row by Victoria Thompson

August:
23. Doing Literary Criticism by Tim Gillespie

October:
24. Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman

December:
25. Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot
26. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

My goal was to read 75 books. I read 26. Worst reading year ever. Waaah! I'll make up for it next year? Maybe? Hopefully?

Movies Seen in 2012

January:

1. Waitress

2. BBC's Sense and Sensibility
3. The King's Speech
4. Downton Abbey Season 1
5. Unknown
6. Enemy of the State
7. Friends with Benefits

February:
6. One for the Money
7. What's Your Number
8. Morning Glory
9. Annie
10. Runaway Jury
11. The Woman in Black

March:
12. American History X
13. Arachnophobia
14. Tower Heist
15. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
16. Hugo
17. The Hunger Games
18. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

April:
19. 21 Jump Street
20. Mirror, Mirror
21. The House Bunny
22. American Reunion
23. Tower Heist
24. Valkyrie
25. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

May:
26. The Sitter
27. One for the Money
28. The Sound of Music
29. Aladdin

June:
29. Drive
30. Man on a Ledge
31. Rise of the Phoenix
32. Snow White and the Huntsman
33. Rock of Ages
34. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
35. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
36. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
37. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

July:
38. Ted
39. Safehouse
40. Magic Mike
41. Brave
42. American Reunion
43. American Gangster
44. The Book of Eli
45. The Dark Knight Rises

August:
46. ATM
47. The Change-Up
48. The Campaign

September:
49. The Bourne Legacy
50. Lawless
51. The Bourne Legacy
52. The Bourne Legacy
53. Office Space
54. The House Bunny

October:
55. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
56. Contraband
57. The Sandlot
58. Taken 2

November:
59. Fun Size
60. The Five Year Engagement
61. The Hunger Games
62. Flight
63. Inside Man
64. National Treasure
65. Seeking Justice
66. Argo
67. Bad Teacher

December:
68. The Bourne Ultimatum
69. The Hunger Games
70. The Hobbit

Eighteen Years Ago Today ...

Eighteen years ago today I was diagnosed with diabetes. I've been incredibly lucky to have had such amazing people in my life who have helped me: my mother who recognized the symptoms when I finally told them to her, and had me at the doctor and diagnosed in just a few hours. (Not to mention that my dad was on RAGBRAI so my mom had to find a baby-sitter, call my grandparents to come and get my siblings, track down my dad, and take me to the hospital on her own [where my dad met us] where the real process began). She literally saved my life.

There are two people that I trust with my life, who learned alongside me, and are the ONLY two people that I might defer to in a diabetic emergency. My dad who held my hand when I cried, gave me shots on Saturday mornings so I could sleep in without missing my usual dosage, needled (get it?) and harassed me when I needed it even though it infuriated me, and gave me so much encouragement it was sickening. I'm pretty confident that if I asked him to take care of my health for the rest of my life, he'd still show up every morning and evening to administer insulin. The other person is my best friend Nicole, who gave me shots, learned how to check my glucose levels and what all the numbers meant, wasn't grossed out by the shots or the blood, wasn't afraid to lecture or scold me if I needed it, and above all, more than any other person, made me feel NORMAL!!! I'm so grateful!!

Eighteen years--as my sister said, I could receive a diploma for diabetes.

Summer Plans 2012

Here's my annual "here are my plans for the summer" post.

1. Read 25 books (I'm sooo behind this year)
2. See 10 movies in the theatre
3. Spend some time on a boat and the water
4. River tubing trip!
5. Watch (some of? all?) the Harry Potter movies
6. Plan for Brit Lit
     a. The Importance of Being Earnest
     b. Lit Circles-- Sense and Sensibility
     c. Lit Circles-- Great Expectations
     d. Lit Circles-- Rebecca
     e. Lit Circles-- Jane Eyre
     f. Make quizzes for Unit 4
     g. Syllabus
     h. Opening week activities
7. Work out (twice a week maybe?)
8. Not spend too much money!!!!!!!!!
9. Visit my sister once or twice
10. Hang out with Nicole once a week or so and see the boys!
11. Read Doing Lit Crit
12. Read a book about TAG kids
13. Watch Revenge
14. Get caught up on my Tivo
     a. Suburgatory
     b. Suits
     c. Smash
     d. The shows from last summer
     e. Masterpiece (x2)
     f. The shows from this spring
15. Meg Cabot signing?
16. See Billy Elliot
17. See Idina Menzel
18. Go to one other concert
19. Update the photo album
20.Sort through the clothes in my closet and donate!
21. Clean my closet
22. Visit Kim?
23. Go to The Standard
24. Go to two or three other new (to me) restaurants/bars in Des Moines
25. Prepare LA11 stuff (if there is a need for it!!)

Books Read in 2011

January:

1. Callander Square by Anne Perry
2. A Crimson Rose by Katherine McMahon

3. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
4. Forever Liesl by Charmaine Carr

February:
5. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
6. Alchemy and Meggy Swan by Karen Cushman

7. Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman
8. Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke

March:

9. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
10. Dangerous to Know by Tasha Alexander
11. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie
12. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
13. Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
14. Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn
15. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

April:
16. Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
17. I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark
18. They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie

May:
19. The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
20. Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne
21. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
22. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Howard
23. Something Blue by Emily Giffin
24. My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

June:
25. The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
26. Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade
27. Zach's Lie by Roland Smith
28. Head Games by Mariah Fredericks
29. Maid Marian by Elsa Watson
30. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
31. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

July:
32. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
33. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
34. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
35. Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
36. Crossing Stones by Helen Frost
37. I Can't Keep My Own Secrets edited by Smith Magazine
38. Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russells
39. Girl, Stolen by April Henry
40. Do You Know the Monkey Man? by Dori Hillestad Butler
41. Harry Potter Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley
42. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
43. Sold by Patricia McCormick
44. Liar by Justine Larbalestier
45. Elizabeth I: Queen of Tudor England by Myra Weatherly
46. Blank Confession by Pete Hautman
47. The Boy Who Invented TV by Kathleen Krull
48. The Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia
49. I Feel Better With a Frog in My Throat by Carlyn Beccia
50. Shakespeare's Theatre by Andrew Langley
51. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies by Laura Ann Schlitz
52. Eureka! Poems About Authors by Joyce Sidman
53. No Girls Allowed by Susan Hughes
54. The Clock Without a Face by Scott Teplin, Mac Barnett, and Eli Horowitz
55. Jonathon Swift's Gulliver's Travels by Donald Lemille
56. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
57. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

August:
58. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
59. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
60. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
61. Sizzlin Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

September:
62. The Crimson Cipher by Susan Page Davis
63. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

October:
63. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
64. The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn

November:
65. Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins
66. The Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins
67. Blowing My Cover by Lindsay Moran
68. Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins

December:
69. Infamous by Suzanne Brockman
70. Night by Elie Wiesel

I only had 80 pages left before I read #71, and only Act V of Hamlet before #72, but alas! It just did not happen this year! My goal for the year was 75, so it's not toooo bad. I guess.

Movies Seen in 2011

January:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
2. The Town
3. Masterpiece Mystery: Sherlock A Study in Pink
4. Glory
5. Burlesque
6. Undercover Christmas
7. Masterpiece Mystery: Sherlock The Blind Banker
8. Knight and Day
9. Masterpiece Contemporary: Framed
10. The King's Speech
11. Black Swan
12. Mona Lisa Smile
13. No String Attached
14. A-Team
15. Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey

February:
16. Mamma Mia
17. True Grit
18. Just Go With It

March:
19. Beastly
20. Unstoppable
21. Red Riding Hood
22. The King's Speech
23. The Adjustment Bureau
24. Ghostwriter
25. The Tourist
26. The Next Three Days

April:
27. Masterpiece Classic: The 39 Steps
28. How Do You Know?
29. High Noon
30. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
31. Fair Game
32. Unknown
33. The King's Speech
34. Masterpiece Classic: Upstairs, Downstairs
35. Rio

May:
36. Salt
37. The Wizard of Oz
38. Something Borrowed
39. Waterworld
40. Masterpiece Classic: South Riding
41. Bridesmaids
42. Bridesmaids
43. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
44. The Hangover Part II
45. Collateral
46. National Treasure II: The Book of Secrets
47. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
48. National Treasure
49. Dr. Zhivago

June:
50. The Dilemma
51. Waiting for Forever
52. The Switch
53. The Day the Earth Stood Still
54. Firewall
55. Just Go With It
56. Easy A
57. Pirates of the Caribbean 4

July:
58. The Lion King
59. Kung Fu Panda 2
60. Timeline
61. Morning Glory
62. Masterpiece Mystery: Hallowe'en Party
63. Super 8
64. The Karate Kid
65. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
66. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
67. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
68. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
69. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
70. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
71. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
72. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
73. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

August:
74. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
75. Larry Crowne
76. Masterpiece Mystery: The Clocks
77. Star Wars

78. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
79. Runaway Jury
80. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
81. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
82. Masterpiece Mystery: The Pale Horse

September:
83. The Pelican Brief
84. The Lincoln Lawyer
85. Laws of Attraction

October:

86. Moneyball
87. Everything Must Go
87. The Young Victoria

November:

88. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (It's All About the Parents)

89. The Next Three Days

90. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

91. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

92. Tower Heist

93. Dear Santa

94. Truth Be Told

95. Pride and Prejudice

December:
96. Tower Heist
97. Cranford
98. Amelie
99. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
100. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
101. Christmas Vacation
102. The 12 Dates of Christmas
103. Home Alone
104. Elf
105. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
106. Mission Impossible 3
107. New Year's Eve
108. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
109. While You Were Sleeping
110. Phone Booth
111. The Cutting Edge
112. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
113. The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King
114. Larry Crowne
115. Van Wilder

Books That Have Made Me Cry

Disclaimer: I do not read weepers, i.e. books by authors like Jodi Picoult and about kids with cancer. Forget it.

That being said, here are :
The Books That Have Made Me Sob (Part 1 ... in a 10 Part Series):

1. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Sobbing underneath an evergreen in my background circa 8th grade.

2. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzgerald
This may be the first real memory I have of simply sobbing over a book.

3. Persuasion by Jane Austen.
Loneliness. Longing. Regrets. What's not in this book to cry a little over?

4. Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City
(I suspect this may just have been because of how I was feeling on the day.)

5. Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

6. The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins

7. Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Read it a second time and cried again.

8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Oh, Harry! Oh, Sirius!

9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Oh, Harry! Oh, Dumbledore!

10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Oh, Harry! Oh, J.K.!

Possible Harry Potter t-shirts

Idea #1:
Front side:
That's what Hermione does. When in doubt, go to the library.

Back side:
Hermione is my homegirl.
(I already had a t-shirt with this saying on it, but it's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!)

Idea #2:
Front side:
I solemnly swear I am up to no good.

Back side:
Something wicked this way comes.

Idea #3:
Front side:
Aren't you ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?
What's the point? You know it by heart. We can just ask you.

Back side:
I read it in Hogwarts, A History.



Other Ideas:
We could have all been killed--or worse, expelled.

Hermione, you're good on feelings and stuff, but you just don't understand about Quidditch.

I checked this out WEEKS ago for a little light reading.

Dream Emmy Ballot 2011

Best Drama
**The Good Wife
Friday Night Lights
Covert Affairs
House (it has been a very good season!)
Mad Men


Best Comedy
**Parks and Recreation (best comedy on TV right now with the best supporting cast ... and, yeah, I remembered about Modern Family)
The Office
Community
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory


Best Actor- Drama:
**Kyle Chandler
Hugh Laurie- House (last year was really his year, but come ON!)
Jon Hamm- Mad Men
(Hmm... I clearly don't watch enough dramas, so ... Timothy Olyphant and Steve Buscemi would be my other chocies, I guess, based SOLELY on what I've read, not watched.)


Best Actress- Drama:
**Julianna Margulies- The Good Wife (give the woman the damn Emmy NOW, please!)
Connie Britton
Elisabeth Moss- Mad men (fantastic!)
Piper Perabo- Covert Affairs
Mary McCormick- In Plain Sight
Kyra Sedgwick- The Closer
(Honesty, I'd be thrilled with the first four on the list ... but I think we can all agree that it's Julianna's win)

Best Actor- Comedy
Joel McHale- Community
Matt Le Blanc- Episodes
Steve Carrell- The Office
Jim Parsons- The Big Bang Theory
Matthew Morrison- Glee
(I left Alec Baldwin out. He's won so many times I'm a little sick of him.)


Best Actress- Comedy
**Amy Poehler- Parks and Recreation
**Courteney Cox- CougarTown
Tina Fey- 30 Rock
Lea Michele- Glee
(I'm torn between Amy and Courteney--both very deserving!)


Best Supporting Actor- Drama
**Alan Cumming- The Good Wife
Frederick Weller- In Plain Sight
Chris Noth- The Good Wife
Josh Charles- The Good Wife
Vincent Kartheiser- Mad Men
(I'm torn between Frederick Weller (who plays one of my absolute favorite characters on TV) and Alan Cumming, but I think I have to give the edge to Alan Cumming.)
[Side note: so far, brainstorming supporting actor drama has been the most fun!!]


Best Supporting Actress- Drama
**Archie Panjabi- The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks- Mad Men
Kiernan Shipka- Mad Men
(She won it last year and I think she has it in the bag for this year. Is it any wonder that creators the Kings call Alicia and Kalinda's relationship "the core relationship" of the show? The actors are fantastic!)
[Side note: The problem, I'm realizing, is that I don't watch enough dramas. Or at least, not enough dramas with supporting female characters.


Best Supporting Actor- Comedy
**Nick Offerman- Parks and Recreation
Aziz Ansari- Parks and Recreation
Chris Pratt- Parks and Rec
Danny Pudi- Community
Ty Burrell- Modern Family
Ed O'Neill- Modern Family
(I could fill this whole list with only actors from Parks & Rec and Modern Family, but if I have to narrow it down, I think the mustache should win it.)


Best Supporting Actress- Comedy
Aubrey Plaza- Parks and Recreation
Jane Lynch- Glee
Ellie Kemper- The Office
Julie Bowen- Modern Family
Allison Brie- Community
(There are about 10 other people I could name in this category, but I'm cutting myself off.)

Summer Plan 2011

Here's my annual "here are my plans for the summer" post.

1. Reread all Harry Potter books
2. Watch all Harry Potter movies
3. See HP7 Part 2 midnight showing
4. Read all the light hearted Jane Austens
5. Watch all the Jane Austen movies
6. Prep for my Brit Lit class
a. Vocab
b. Unit 2: Beowulf and Heroes unit
c. Unit 1: Medieval times
d. Prepare Hamlet
e. Find 10 more copies of Catherine, Called Birdy
f. Find 20 more copies of The Mousetrap or Three Blind Mice
7. Quality Learning seminar class
8. Children's Lit Update class
9. Weekend in Chicago with Kim and Ashley
10. SSR book recommendations for Language Arts 9
11. Work out consistently
12. Visit my sister a few times
13. Read Jane Eyre
14. Not spend too much money!!!!!!!
15. Family reunion in July
16. See my cousin's new baby
17. Pay a chunk of change off my credit card!!!
18. Hang out with Nicole once a week
19. Finish the book with Krysta and read one more
20. Read the books from my birthday
21. Read at least one nonfiction book
22. Watch Friday Night Lights
23. See Janet Jackson in concert!!!!
24. Go to Meg Cabot's book signing!
25. Sort out the photo album situation

Favorite Books of All Time

**I write this post yearsssss ago. Not sure why I never posted it. My guess is I wrote it in 2012 or 2013.

Favorite Authors of All Time:

1. J.K. Rowling
2. David Sedaris
3. Janet Evanovich
4. Deanna Raybourn
5. Meg Cabot
6. Mary Higgins Clark
7. Ernest Hemingway
8. Jennifer Crusie
9. Agatha Christie
10. F. Scott Fitzgerald

Of those ten authors, my favorite books that they have written:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (gun to my head ... that's really the only way I could choose. And ask me tomorrow and I'll choose "Deathly Hallows." And on Wednesday, I'll choose "Half-Blood Prince." And on ... well, you get the idea.)

2. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (This may be the easiest choice on the whole list. All his books are brilliant, but this one is genius.)

3. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (I remember when I began this series I thought they were the most original books I'd ever read, Stephanie Plum was the most original heroine, and Evanovich was the most hilarious author.)

4. Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn (but they are all gold. I've been saying for about the last year or two that she is truly my favorite author.)

5. Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot (but reeeeaally hard to choose!!! My favorite young adult book is probably "All-American Girl." Or perhaps a classic like "The Princess Diaries.")

6. Weep No More, My Lady by Mary Higgins Clark (I lied about #2. THIS was the easiest choice on the whole list. I have read this book upwards of twelve times.)

7. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway (So this is actually a collection of vignettes, not a novel. If I were to choose a novel I'd choose "The Sun Also Rises" which ranks as one of my top five classic novels. But "In Our Time" was the first Hemingway I read so it introduced me to his style and his sneak-up-and- punch-you-in-the-gut- sudden-poignant-lump-in- the-throat-for-reasons- you-can't quite- understand style of writing, so it has a special place in my heart.)

8. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. (Easy.)

9. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie (Definitely not her most clever novel, but my absolute favorite. I think I prefer her "adventure" mysteries over her "detective" mysteries, if that makes sense. Best choice for a new reader is definitely "And Then There Were None." Definitely.)

10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (No surprise there. Highly recommend "Winter Dreams," the short story he wrote first and later revamped into "The Great Gatsby." My second favorite novel though is "Tender is the Night."


Other Favorite Novels:
1. Rebecca by Daphen Du Maurier
2. P.B. Ryan's Nell and Will series
3. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
4. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
5. Persuasion by Jane Austen

25 Things You Didn't Know About Me

1. I took piano lessons for ten years while I was growing up. I hated practicing but now I'm glad my mom forced me to.

2. My two favorite activities as a kid were reading and swimming. My two favorite activities as an adult are reading and swimming.

3. I watch waaaay too much TV! My favorite shows are Glee, House, the Office, the Big Bang Theory, Covert Affairs, and the Good Wife.

4. I love to make lists and organize things!

5. I like to speak in foreign accents just for fun. Sometimes my sister and I will have conversations using foreign accents.

6. I graduated from the University of Iowa and bleed black and gold!

7. I have been best friends with the same girl for my entire life. We were born three days apart and were inseparable until we went off to college. We still live about five minutes from each other.

8. My favorite thing to do in the summer is go to the movies. I like to see good movies more than once and will see everything except horror movies.

9. I'm so bad in the kitchen that I don't really even know how to cut up a lemon.

10. My absolute favorite thing to do is go to the movies. This summer a few of my favorites were Salt, Inception, and Ramona & Beezus.

11. I like to read magazines while I blow dry my hair. My favorites are TV Guide and InStyle.

12. I spend most of my money traveling. This summer I went to New York City; Denver, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon.

13. I love board games (my favorite is Trivial Pursuit) and I'm very competitive! I make my siblings play with me whenever we're visiting my parents and I expect to win every time.

14. Since I was in middle school, my goal every year is to read 100 books. I've never made it. (I usually end up between 73 and 76. This last year was my worst. I barely made 40.)

15. I'm fascinated by languages.

16. I need to stop buying boots. I have ten pairs that I wear frequently ... and plenty more that are too uncomfortable for a teacher like me to stand in all day.

17. When I was growing up I wanted to be a flight attendant so I could see the world ... until I discovered that I was five inches short of the height requirement.

18. I am obsessed with the Today Show. I don't like to face the day until I hear Matt Lauer's or Meredith Vieira's voice.

19. I like scarves. I bought 12 on a trip to New York City last summer.

20. I love board games (my favorite is Trivial Pursuit) and I'm very competitive! I make my siblings play with me whenever we're all together and I expect to win!

21. I love to see plays and musicals. I saw five this summer: Jersey Boys; Promises, Promises; The Addams Family Musical; Lend Me a Tenor, and South Pacific.

22. After reading a book about Helen Keller in fourth grade, I taught myself the American Sign Language's manual alphabet. I'm still really good at spelling but not very good at reading it.

23. I could live without my iPod and my phone and I could probably live without my computer, but Icould never give up my Tivo!

24. I'm so visual that sometimes I watch TV with the closed captioning on because I can understand better if I can read the words.

25. I took gymnastics for years as a kid. I can't do handsprings anymore, but sometimes I still feel the need to go outside and do cartwheels.

Top 10 TV Moments

by Rix and Trix
(cause we're sisters like that)

1. Sydney, you've been missing for two years. (Alias)
2. Veronica and Logan kiss on the balcony (Veronica Mars)
3. Monica and Rachel lose the apartment to Joey and Chandler (Friends)
4. The finale of "Pier Pressure" ... it all comes together (Arrested Development)
5. "Two Cathedrals." Nuff said. (The West Wing)
6. The Christmas episode warms hearts all over Hollywood. (Studio 60)
7. Marian almost dies in the cave and Robin Hood gets all emotional. (Robin Hood)
8. Miranda's mother dies and Carrie goes to the funeral. (Sex and the City)
9. Pam gives her speech during "Beach Games." Nuff said. (The Office)
10. "They Shoot Gilmore, Don't They?" (Gilmore Girls)