More Book Fail to work on.

See this is where not going to a traditional high school really failed me- lit class. If this were a list of must-reads from Japan and India? I bet I would have a healthy start. This is from the BBC, a must-read list of books. They say that most people will have only read six of the items on here. The X's are ones I have read. A lot of them are on the other list that I had started, and have been working towards, so maybe we'll just go from this one? Either way it's fun.


1 Pride and Prejudice -
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien -X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - X
6 The Bible - X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte -
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell - X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman -
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens -
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott -X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy –
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller -
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare -
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier -
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien - X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk -
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger -
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger -
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot -
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell -X
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald - X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens -
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - X
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky -
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck -
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame -
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy -
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens -
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis - X
34 Emma - Jane Austen -
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen -
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini -
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres -
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - X
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell -
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving -
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins -
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery -X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy -
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood -
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding - X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan -X
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel -
52 Dune - Frank Herbert -
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons -
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen -
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth -
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon -
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens -
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley -
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon -
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck - X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov -
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt -
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold -
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas-X
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac -
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy -
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding -
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie –
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville -
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens -
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker -
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett -X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson -
75 Ulysses - James Joyce -X
76 The Inferno – Dante -
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome -
78 Germinal - Emile Zola -
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray -
80 Possession - AS Byatt –
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens -
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell -
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker -
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro -
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry -
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom -
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton -
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad -
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery -X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks -
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams -
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole -
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute -
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas -
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare -
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo -

So far? 27.

Leaving space for the divine.

So many times in life have I felt like the rest of the commitments or pressures outside of my home were sucking out the spiritual aspect of parenting and putting too much focus on the practical and the "must-do's" like making sure meals are made, baths are given, clothes are washed, play dates are organized, etc. And I let it happen. And I think this is a shame because some of the most magical aspects of being a parent for me have come when sharing with my daughter an experience with Spirit. So, I leave this book by my bed where I see it everyday, and this is a nice reminder to me to not get too bogged down in the practical so that I leave room for the spiritual, divine, and magical. I also pick it up from time to time and read it, which is even better! I get so worried sometimes about crushing the more sensitive parts of my little girls spirit, and this book has provided me much comfort and creativity in honoring the parts of her that are in tune with parts of the world most people don't see. And honoring and getting in touch with those parts of myself.

I believe that I last wrote about my experiences with discomfort in the god language with principle number one, Know that God Loves You. (I have accepted the fact that one of my biggest spiritual tasks is getting over my past experience with "GOD" and getting to know the presences looking out for me in a way that is purely my own.) I think because of this I put the book down for a while. But since getting beyond that principle I am only continually inspired by what this book is saying. It was almost as if Principle #2 catered to the UU in me. It is "Trust and Teach That All Life is Connected" and is something I wholeheartedly believe to be true. And it is a principle that is definitely at work in our home. My daughter spends a good portion of time trying to better the lives of bugs, animals, people, and plants that we see everyday because "if I were a ladybug on the sidewalk Mommy, I would want someone to help me home and not squash me!" And while reviewing the suggested journal ideas and activites to get us more involved with our community, Emily delighted in quite a few of them. Watching her express her concern for the world around her tugs at my mommy pride heartstrings, as well as moves me to help her make the world she will be living in a better place.

Principle #3 has had a most profound affect on me. It is quite simple. And it is something I really strive to do more of. It is simply "Listen to Your Child". What a difference it makes too. Lately, I have made a point to not do any work during the day while Em is home with me because that was the whole reason for not taking any classes aside from online ones this summer, was to give myself the freedom to be with my child, to see the world from her eyes, and discover where that takes us. I realize how impatient of a person I can be when I know that there are things I will need to be doing next, or when things aren't moving fast enough for me, and I believe one of the lessons I have to learn from my child is how to slow down. The other day while laying in bed at rest time, Emily put a hand on each side of my face, looked me deep in the eye and said "Mommy, I love you. And it makes me happy to play with you and not have to wait while you work." These little gems are my child revealing to me her needs, wants and desires. It was a wake up call to the fact that I was unintentionally telling my child that homework came before her. One thing I hope to foster in my relationship with my daughter is an unquestionable respect for each other and the ability to be able to say things like this to each other, now, and as she grows. I plan to re-read this chapter and try some of the suggestions they have for building in "Listening time" to daily routines with children; and also to let the very concept of making room for listening become built into my life. I don't ever want her to feel like she won't be heard when she voices her thoughts.


In following the principles and ideas picked up from this book, tomorrow I will be packing a lunch, some pens and paper, and a blanket and heading out to the arboretum where we have been watching frogs grow from eggs, to tadpole, to full-blown frog, and just taking our time to be together, to watch nature, and to draw or write what ever comes to mind. Emily has been so interested in telling stories that incorporate what she is seeing in the world around her, and I want to give her the chance to process parts of the world outside of the media obsessed world she sees on a daily basis.

30 books to read before your 30

I found this list of books everyone should read before they are 30. So far, with 2 years left, I am failing. The small print ones are the ones I have read and actually remember enough to count for something. I read others in high school but was too busy being a bitter unhappy teen to actually try at school, so they don't count...

1. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse – A powerful story about the importance of life experiences as they relate to approaching an understanding of reality and attaining enlightenment.
2. 1984 by George Orwell – 1984 still holds chief significance nearly 60 years after it was written in 1949. It is widely acclaimed for its haunting vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive, 24/7 surveillance tactics to manipulate all citizens of the populace.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – The story surveys the controversial issues of race and economic class in the 1930’s Deep South via a court case of a black man charged with the rape and abuse of a young white girl. It’s a moving tale that delivers a profound message about fighting for justice and against prejudice.
4. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – A nightmarish vision of insane youth culture that depicts heart wrenching insight into the life of a disturbed adolescent. This novel will blow you away… leaving you breathless, livid, thrilled, and concerned.
5. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway – A short, powerful contemplation on death, ideology and the incredible brutality of war.
6. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – This masterpiece is so enormous even Tolstoy said it couldn’t be described as a standard novel. The storyline takes place in Russian society during the Napoleonic Era, following the characters of Andrei, Pierre and Natasha… and the tragic and unanticipated way in which their lives interconnect.
7. The Rights of Man by Tom Paine – Written during the era of the French Revolution, this book was one of the first to introduce the concept of human rights from the standpoint of democracy.
8. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau – A famous quote from the book states that “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” This accurately summarizes the book’s prime position on the importance of individual human rights within society.
9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez – This novel does not have a plot in the conventional sense, but instead uses various narratives to portray a clear message about the general importance of remembering our cultural history.
10. The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
11. The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton – A collection of thoughts, meditations and reflections that give insight into what life is like to live simply and purely, dedicated to a greater power than ourselves.
12. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
13. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham – Arguably one of the best children’s books ever written; this short novel will help you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. It’s most notable for its playful mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie.
14. The Art of War by Sun Tzu – One of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It’s easily the most successful written work on the mechanics of general strategy and business tactics.
15. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – One of the greatest fictional stories ever told, and by far one of the most popular and influential written works in 20th-century literature. Once you pick up the first book, you’ll read them all.
16. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
17. Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot – Probably the wisest poetic prose of modern times. It was written during World War II, and is still entirely relevant today… here’s an excerpt: “The dove descending breaks the air/With flame of incandescent terror/Of which the tongues declare/The only discharge from sin and error/The only hope, or the despair/Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre–/To be redeemed from fire by fire./Who then devised this torment?/Love/Love is the unfamiliar Name/Behind the hands that wave/The intolerable shirt of flame/Which human power cannot remove./We only live, only suspire/Consumed by either fire or fire.”
18. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller – This book coined the self-titled term “catch-22” that is widely used in modern-day dialogue. As for the story, its message is clear: What’s commonly held to be good, may be bad… what is sensible, is nonsense. Its one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. Read it.
19. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Set in the Jazz Age of the roaring 20’s, this book unravels a cautionary tale of the American dream. Specifically, the reader learns that a few good friends are far more important that a zillion acquaintances, and the drive created from the desire to have something is more valuable than actually having it.
20. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – This novel firmly stands as an icon for accurately representing the ups and downs of teen angst, defiance and rebellion. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable teenage mindset.
21. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – A smooth-flowing, captivating novel of a young man living in poverty who criminally succumbs to the desire for money, and the hefty phychological impact this has on him and the people closest to him.
22. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – This book does a great job at describing situations of power and statesmanship. From political and corporate power struggles to attaining advancement, influence and authority over others, Machiavelli’s observations apply.
23. Walden by Henry David Thoreau – Thoreau spent two years, two months and two days writing this book in a secluded cabin near the banks of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. This is a story about being truly free from the pressures of society. The book can speak for itself: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
24. The Republic by Plato – A gripping and enduring work of philosophy on how life should be lived, justice should be served, and leaders should lead. It also gives the reader a fundamental understanding of western political theory.
25. Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.
26. Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
27. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – This is the granddaddy of all self-improvement books. It is a comprehensive, easy to read guide for winning people over to your way of thinking in both business and personal relationships.
28. Lord of the Flies by William Golding – A powerful and alarming look at the possibilities for savagery in a lawless environment, where compassionate human reasoning is replaced by anarchistic, animal instinct.
29. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – Steinbeck’s deeply touching tale about the survival of displaced families desperately searching for work in a nation stuck by depression will never cease to be relevant.
30. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – This anticommunist masterpiece is a multifaceted novel about the clash between good and evil. It dives head first into the topics of greed, corruption and deception as they relate to human nature.
31. BONUS: How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
32. BONUS: Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.

Hairstyles of the Damned review

This book was recommended by someone I know. I will admit that the cover was what caught my eye most about this book. Should have been a sign right then and there that I should put it down. But ya know. I didn't. So there. It's angsty and may have been appealing 15 years ago in an "I'm a teenage outcast looking for something to identify with" kind of way. It's also a little to much. I read the first part, was mildly interested in the narrator but just couldn't identify enough to keep going. I skimmed through the rest to see what happens and put it down.

Overall opinion? Meh.

oh books

I want to read this book about nature deficit disorder. We talked about it briefly in my global health class the other day and it got me to thinking. What are the effects on childrens' and society's development of the continuously decreasing exposure to natural and wild lands? I think about the role that the forest played in my development and I can't even begin to fathom what I would be like or the life I would lead had I not had the incredible opportunity to explore that world. Had I not been shown that so much life exists there, the plants we eat, and the hidden magical things in the woods, like the whirlpools and natural hot springs we used to find.

It is a scary thought that children grow up AFRAID of what is found in nature because as they age that fear leads them to put effort into avoiding or getting rid of whatever they are afraid of, which is the last thing we need, really.

Let's all just go camping!