Book List

I've been meaning to compile a to-read list for ages. However, every time I try to do so, it turns out to be a disorganized nightmare. I'm thinking that if I do it in the blog, I'll have the ability to access it more often. Now, let's hope I can re-remember what I want/need to read! In fact, I think I might turn this blog into a book blog! Woo hoo! I'd love it, but I feel sorry for anyone who tries to read it...

Edit: If the title is in green, that means I own it. Hooray!

Acheve, Chinua
Things Fall Apart

Adams, Douglas
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Adams, Richard
Watership Down

Addams, Jane
Twenty Years at Hull House

Alcott, Louisa May
Little Women (again)
Little Men

Alexander, Robert
The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar

Anita, Tarr C.
J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan In and Out of Time: A Children's Classic at 100

Atwood, Margaret
The Handmaid's Tale

Austen, Jane
Emma
Mansfield Park
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility

Baldwin, James
Go Tell it on the Mountain

Bawdin, Nina
Carrie's War

Beagle, Peter S.
The Last Unicorn

Bennett, Alan
The Complete Talking Heads
The History Boys
The Uncommon Reader

Berendt, John
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Blume, Judy
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret

Bradbury, Ray
Farenheit 451

Braddon, M. E.
Lady Audley's Secret

Bradley, James
Flags of Our Fathers

Bronte, Charlotte
Jane Erye

Browne, Hester
The Little Lady Agency

Burgess, Anthony
A Clockwork Orange

Caldwell, Laura
The Year of Living Famously

Calloway, Colin
Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America

Capote, Truman
In Cold Blood

Chaucer, Geoffrey
The Canterbury Tales

Chevalier, Tracy
Girl with a Pearl Earring

Chopin, Kate
The Awakening (again)

Clancy, Tom
The Hunt for Red October

Coelho, Paulo
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream

Colt, George Howe
The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

Conrad, Joseph
Heart of Darkness (again)

Davies, Peter Ho
The Welsh Girl

Dew, Robb Forman
The Evidence Against Her

Dickens, Charles
A Christmas Story
A Tale of Two Cities
Bleak House
Great Expectations (again)
Oliver Twist

Doctorow, E. L.
Ragtime (again)

Eliot, George
Middlemarch
Silas Marner

Ellison, Ralph
Invisible Man

Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Self-Reliance (again)

Eugenides, Jeffrey
Middlesex: A Novel

Faulkner, William
As I Lay Dying
The Sound and the Fury

Fischer, David Hackett
Paul Revere's Ride (again)
Washington's Crossing

Fitch, Janet
White Oleander (again)

Fitzgerald, F. Scott
The Great Gatsby (again)

Foer, Jonathan Safran
Everything is Illuminated

Follett, Ken
The Pillars of the Earth

Forester, E. M.
A Room With a View
Howards End

Fresan, Rodrigo
Kensington Gardens

Gibbons, Kaye
Ellen Foster

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
The Yellow Wallpaper

Golden, Arthur
Memoirs of a Geisha

Goldman, William
The Princess Bride

Golding, William
Lord of the Flies (again)

Gregory, Philippa
The Constant Princess
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Queen's Fool

Gruen, Susan
Water for Elephants (again)

Hansberry, Lorraine
A Raisin in the Sun

Hardy, Thomas
Jude the Obscure
Tess of D'Ubervilles

Hawthorne, Nathaniel
The Scarlet Letter

Heller, Joseph
Catch-22

Hemingway, Ernest
A Farewell to Arms
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The Nick Adams Stories
The Sun Also Rises

Herbert, Frank
Dune

Hosseini, Khaled
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Kite Runner

Huxley, Aldous
Brave New World

Irving, John
A Prayer for Owne Meany
The World According to Garp

Isenberg, Nancy
Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr

James, Henry
The Aspern Papers (again)
The Bostonians
The Portrait of a Lady

Joyce, James
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
The Dubliners
Ulysses

Kerouac, Jack
On the Road

Kesey, Ken
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Kidd, Sue Monk
The Mermaid Chair
The Secret Life of Bees

Kingsolver, Barbara
Prodigal Summer

Kinsella, Sophie
Remember Me?

Kipling, Rudyard
Kim

Kostova, Elizabeth
The Historian

L'Engle, Madeleine
A Wrinkle in Time

Lalwani, Nikita
Gifted

Lamb, Wally
She's Come Undone

Lamott, Anne
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Lee, Harper
To Kill a Mockingbird (again)

London, Jack
The Call of the Wild

Kingsolver, Barbara
The Poisonwood Bible

Maguire, Gregory
Lost
Mirror Mirror
Son of a Witch
What-the-Dickens
Wicked (again)

Mansfield, Katherine
The Collected Stories (again)

McCourt, Frank
Angela's Ashes
Teacher Man: A Memoir

McCullough, David
1776
John Adams
Truman

McEwan, Ian
Attonement
On Chesil Beach

Middlebrook, Diane
Anne Sexton: A Biography

Miller, Arthur
Death of a Salesman (again)

Milton, John
Paradise Lost

Mintz, Steven
Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood

Mitchell, Margaret
Gone With the Wind

Montgomery, L. M.
Anne of Green Gables series (again)
Kilmeny of the Orchard

Morrison, Toni
Beloved

Nabokov, Vladimir
Lolita

Nemirovsky, Irene
Suite Francaise

Niffenegger, Audrey
The Time Traveler's Wife

Notaro, Laurie
Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood
We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive

O'Brien, Tim
The Things They Carried (again)

Orwell, George
1984
Animal Farm

Packer, Ann
The Dive From Clausen's Pier

Pearl, Matthew
The Dante Club

Plath, Sylvia
The Bell Jar

Rand, Ayn
Atlas Shrugged
The Fountainhead

Rivenbark, Celia
Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank: And Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom

Rotundo, E. Anthony
American Manhood

Russo, Richard
Bridge of Sighs
Empire Falls

Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de
The Little Prince

Salinger, J. D.
Catcher in the Rye (again)
Franny and Zooey

Schocket, Eric
Vanishing Moments: Class and American Literature

Scott, Sir Walter
Ivanhoe
Waverly

Sebold, Alice
The Lovely Bones

Sedaris, David
Me Talk Pretty One Day (again)
Naked

Seton, Anya
Green Darkness

Sinclair, Upton
The Jungle

Steinbeck, John
East of Eden
The Grapes of Wrath (again)

Tolkien, J. R. R.
Lord of the Rings

Tolstoy, Leo
Anna Karenina

Updike, John
Rabbit, Run

Vivante, Arturo
Truelove Knot: A Novel of World War II

Walker, Alice
The Color Purple

Warren, Robert Penn
All the King's Men

Waugh, Evelyn
A Handful of Dust
Brideshead Revisited

Welsh, Irvine
Trainspotting

Wharton, Edith
The Age of Innocense
The House of Mirth

Wick, Lori
The Princess

Whiteley, Opal
Opal: The Journal of an Understanding Heart

Whitman, Walt
Leaves of Grass (again)

Wiesel, Elie
Night (again)

Wilde, Oscar
Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wilder, Thorton
Our Town (again)

Winsor, Kathleen
Forever Amber

Woolf, Virginia
Mrs. Dalloway
To the Lighthouse

Divert Thine Eyes

Disclaimer: On the off chance that anyone reads this.... don't bother this post. I just needed some sort of typing program thingie to compile my homework for the semester, since Kresge doesn't have Word at the front desk. Bah humbug.

Or, if you'd like to pity me, please continue reading.
Friday, September 7th:
HST 390:
- Read Lears, Something for Nothing, Intro (p. 1 - 24)

Weekend of September 8th:
HST 390:
- Print and read Gene Wise, "'Paradigm Dramas' in American Studies: A Cultural and Institutional History of the Movement," American Quarterly 31 (1979) from JSTOR.
- Print and read Robert F. Berkhofer, Jr., "A New Context for a New American Studies?" American Quarterly 43 (1991).
- Print and read Steven Watts, "The Idiocy of American STudies: Poststructuralism, Language, and Politics in the Age of Self-Fulfilment," American Quarterly 43 (1991). (For Wednesday)
- See two optional articles listed in the syllabus.
ENG 401:
- Read Hamilton's Biography: A Brief History (page 128 by Tuesday, finished by Thursday).
- Read Menard's "The Biography Business" on e-reserve.
HST 322:
- Read Ellen Carol DuBois's "Outgrowing the compact of the Fathers: Equal Rights, etc" on JSTOR.
- Begin reading Gender and Jim Crow.

Back in the States!

Finally back in Michigan, and it feels good. Sorry I didn't write much in the last couple of weeks. Our (otherwise AMAZING) apartment in London didn't have wireless, and then we also didn't have the internet at his aunt and uncle's in Harpenden.

So, I'll give a quick run-down of what I can remember in my current jet-lagged state of mind.
- ***Got Engaged!*** Sean proposed on the "forbidden lawn" at Brasenose, right before we left for London. It was terrific, and I didn't really expect it until the last 10 or so seconds. It made the rest of the trip sooo much better, since neither of us were anxious about it after that. YAY!
- London was fabulous. The apartment was more of a resort, complete with Romanesque marble 2-story indoor pool, full kitchen, and everything only a 5 minute walk from our door. Far better than a hotel!
- Saw a very cool exhibit at the Imperial War Museum! It was all about the London children of WW2, and I could have spent the whole weekend there! In fact, I wish I could go back. Plus, I found Rhubarb Wine for Mom and Dad.
- I bought so many books that I wasn't sure if I would be able to close my suitcase!
- We got upgraded on the flight home by a very nice BA employee. It's probably all because Sean mentioned the engagement, so that's awesome! It made the long trip home much more enjoyable.
- I have a mountain of laundry to do, and tons of other things on a list.

Can't think of much to write about right now, which is probably a good thing. I've gotta get moving! Hopefully I'll see you all soon!

stalling.

Well, I'm getting down to my final hours here in Oxford. I can't say that I'm happy to go, but I don't really want to stay here much longer, either. I'm not homesick, but I do miss home. I think, mostly, I'm just missing Sean, and my sister. Throughout the trip, I've stopped at odd places and laughed at jokes, thinking how much they would have loved to be here and experience the same things. And, how much more I would enjoy it if they were here with me.

Even though I sound a bit forlorn, I really have had a ton of fun. Our group got along brilliantly, and managed to stay out of any really serious trouble. We were ordered to "disperse" a few times by the porters, and tiptoed across the forbidden lawn when we thought no one was looking. Tom led a sing (and dance) a-long on Cornmarket Street at midnight. We finally found out that the well-endowed unicorn in the great hall is meant to symbolize virginity. It's rained more than it's been sunny, but we've made the most of it. Joe's room became a piano bar, and the roof became "Boots". The guys managed to find the only place in town which would sell us Americans coffee after 3 in the afternoon, and they're greatly profiting off of our addictions. AHH! GIANT PARAGRAPH! Steve's luggage never made it to Oxford, but it did spend time in Paris, London, Africa, Romania, and probably Baghdad. Copa became our home. We learned the difference between candy and sweets. Angie knit hats in the bar - very sexy. We saw the Harry Potter release come and go, and have been lamenting on the book ever since. (By the way, good book - terrible epilogue.) I've made fantastic friends, who I'll be sure to still hang out with once I get back to Oakland. A lot of us have made some pretty big changes in our lives. Some people ended relationships, some people began new ones. I've learned a bit about myself, and made some decisions about what I want to do in life, and where I'm going next. I've spent too much money and eaten too much chocolate, and I've developed a strong attachment to coffee and mochas. We learned to pick out tourists in a crowd, and despise them for taking over "our" city. Shopping in Oxford is amazing, and I wish I had come with an extra $6000 to spend just in Primark and Next Clearance.

There's loads more. Lots of sheep and rain. I've had a great time, but I'm ready to move on to the next thing. Sean flies in tomorrow morning, and I'm going out to the airport to meet him. We'll come out to Oxford at some point and pack up all of my junk, and then I'll leave Brasenose. I'm shocked that it's over already, but I'm also glad. Well, I will be if I ever get my paper finished. It's awful, and I'm just dragging it on longer by doing this blog instead.

Anyway, here's the plan for the next few days. Sean and I will be in London starting on Friday. We have some friends in town we might meet up with, but other than that we're just going to hang out and do touristy things, and catch up. That's what I'm most excited for. I'll finally have someone here who I can share the trip with. I've made some great friends while here, but it's just not the same. Anyway. London until the 3rd, and then we're spending the weekend in Paris. After that, it's back to London, and then north to Sean's aunt's house until Wednesday. We fly out of Heathrow that afternoon, and I should be back in Michigan Wednesday night. Hooray for 5-hour time differences!

The only thing holding me back right now is this stupid paper. I hate it with a passion, and until it's finished I'll feel like I'm in this awful limbo. Bah humbug. Back to work. While I sit and think about it, the list of things I need to do before I leave expands like Oxford in a flood. Back to work!

I'm famous!

So, Audrey, what has been the most exciting part of your trip, thus far? What made your hands shake and your knees knock? Was it seeing Buckingham Palace? A performance of Macbeth in Stratford upon Avon? Going backstage at the National Theatre (which was terrific, by the way)? James Bond Night?

No, no. None of that.

The most exciting thing happened to me last night. After seeing Saint Joan at the National Theatre, I met John Lithgow!

AHH!

It was awesome. Before the show, some of the guys had spotted a few celebs in the audience. John Lithgow, Ed Harris, and Alan Rickman were all at the National last night. Lithgow was sitting only about 15 feet away from us! He was there with what I'm assuming is his son. Anyway. As I was leaving, after the performance, I looked behind me and THERE HE WAS!

At the coat check, I had to say something. I just couldn't pass it up. So, in my high nervous voice came a little "Mr. Lithgow?"

"Yes?" (He smiled at me!)

(All in a rush now) "I thought you were amazing in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels!"

"Thank you! You're so sweet!" (awesome handshake)

And then I turned bright red, wished them a nice night, and started bouncing around like a balloon losing its air.

That was awesome.

Oh, and everything else is cool, too. hahaha

And the clouds open up and God says 'I hate you Alfalfa'

I'm alright, but England is rather soggy. I'm not sure how widespread it is on American news, but a good chunk of England is under water right now. We're having the worst flooding in history here. My friends house just a few minutes south of Oxford will be under water by nearly 6 feet by tomorrow night. There are hundreds of thousands of people without water and electricity, and half a million still stranded in their flooded houses. It's pretty bad.

So far, I'm alright in the city center. About a mile away, the canals are about to overflow. I was just there this afternoon to take some pictures. Word is that tomorrow the Thames will overflow here in Oxford. Luckily, my school (Brasenose) is on higher ground and in the center of Oxford, so we shouldn't have any trouble. Even if we do, our program ends on Friday and most of the group is heading home.

I just looked out my window at the "dreaming spires" of Oxford - tons of peaks belonging to old churches and colleges which create a gorgeous skyline. But, past the spires I can see a relief helicopter coast by every few minutes. The mood here is one of giddy worry. Everyone's nervous, of course, and yet they're cheerful. Loads of jokes and smiles, just making the most of it. I can only imagine what it'd be like if Lake St. Clair back home overflowed. But, no need to worry about that, since the lake is dying. :P

My friend Damian, who lives in Abingdon (about 15 minutes south) is clearing out his house today. We were going to go to one of the Oxford museums today, but instead he's loading up all of his electronics and taking them to his aunt's. Tomorrow, if the Thames escapes its banks, then his house will be swamped. If anyone's interested, you can find pictures on the BBC's website, and on foxfm.co.uk (the radio station I've been listening to all day).

Oxford is in pretty good shape, with just the west side of town starting to go under. Only one or two roads are closed. I think everyone in the group, save for myself, went to Blenheim Castle for the afternoon, so they're missing out on all of the fun.

Stay tuned for pictures. I'll pop them in to lengthen the post once I take them off of my camera.

Hooray!

A quick post before I go back to work on my homework. The horrific flooding around England hasn't caused me too much grief, yet. I was caught in London during some serious flash-flooding, and I'll try to get the videos of that up as soon as I can.

Harry Potter. Amazing on so many levels.
Went to London for the HUGE line party, where people had been sleeping out on the cement at the doors of Waterstones for days, from all around the world. It was pretty much a block party in the center of London with thousands of people dressed up and singing and chanting and holding up hilarious signs.

Finished the book almost exactly 24 hours after I got it into my hands.
It was well written, entertaining, and brought nearly complete closure. I still have some questions, but it was good! Worst part was the epilogue, hands down. I was expecting so much more.

Anyway, just writing to say that I'm alive. Once I plow through the homework I have piled up again, I'll write more.