Monday, January 2, 2012

Book List 2011

Inspired by some friends as well as my 8th grade reading log, I decided to keep track of all the non-school and non-Luke books I read this year (because if I kept track of all the Luke books I read, I would have Barnyard Dance on the list approximately 20000000 times!).

I read a LOT. I love to read. I am always reading something. This year's books were marked by many free kindle books, which I read because, well, they were free. There was a lot of Christian literature on there that I probably would not have read otherwise. I also tend to read books more than once, and there are several books on here that I have read before (is that cheating? I don't know!) -- I marked them with an asterisk, and you'll see that I was rereading a lot when I was studying for and taking my exams. I need to be better this year about writing down all the authors. I could do that now, but I just don't feel like it. ;)

Anyway -- some favorites of the year (for books I hadn't read before):
Columbine by Dave Cullen. I LOVED this book. I thought it was fascinating and I am so glad I bought it.
The Hunger Games Trilogy. I fell in love with this, without even expecting to. I can't wait for the movie.

I also really liked The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards and Skip by Stan Meihaus. However, I must note that both of those authors have personal connections to me -- Kim was a professor of mine in college (I was in her class the day she sold The Memory Keeper's Daughter) and Stan is my cousin. So I am probably more likely to like those books anyway! :)



2011 Books

1. Ender in Exile Orson Scott Card

2. Lake of Dreams Kim Edwards 1/23/2011

*3. Heartbeat Danielle Steel

*4. We Need to Talk about Kevin Lionel xxxx

5. Fat, Forty, and Fired Nigel Marsh 2/20/2011

6. Talk of the Town Lisa Wingate 2/27/2011

7. Leaves book

8. My Life in Film

9. One Night @ the Call Center 3/28/2011

10. Listen

11. Vanishing Acts Jodi Piccoult

12. Testimony Anita Shreve

13. 13 Blue Envelopes

*14. Chasing Harry Winston

15. A Very Special Delivery

16. The School of Essential Ingredients 5/10/2011

17. Heaven is for Real 5/10/2011

18. Wings 5/10/2011

19. Julie and Julia Julie Powell about 5/22/2011

20. Hunger Games Suzanne Collins 5/30/2011

21. Catching Fire Suzanne Collins 6/2/2011

22. Mockingjay Suzanne Collins 6/7/2011

23. Body Surfing Anita Shreve 6/10/2011

24. My Horizontal Life Chelsea Handler 6/14/2011

25. Spoiled

26. Twenty-Something

27. Diary of a Mad Fat Girl 6/25/2011

28. The Truth about Dating 6/27/2011

29. This Fine Life: A Novel 6/30/2011

30. One Day 7/3/2011

31. Sisterhood Everlasting 7/4/2011

*32. From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 7/7/2011

33. Mostly Good Girls 7/11/2011

34. House Rules Jodi Piccoult 7/14/2011

35. Falling Together 7/17/2011

36. Tempest 7/20/2011

*37. The Chase LJ Smith 7/26/2011

*38. The Kill LJ Smith 7/27/2011

*39. The Pilot’s Wife Anita Shreve 8/1/2011

40.Maggie come lately

*41. The First Assistant

*42. Prep Curtis Sittenfeld

*43. Behaving Like Adults Anna Maxted

*44. She’s Come Undone Wally Lamb

*45. Lummox

*46. The Man of my Dreams Curtis Sittenfeld

47. The Help Kathryn Stockett 9/12/2011

*48. Remember Me Sofie Kinsella

*49. Strip City Lily Burana

50. Skip Stan Meihaus

51. Tell No One Harlan Coben

*52. Skinny Dip

*53. Ender’s Game 10/8/2011

*54. Something is Rotten in the State of Maryland 10/9/2011

*55. The Giver Lois Lowry 10/11/2011

*56. Talk of the Town

*57. The Dive from Clausen’s Pier

*58. The Trouble with Catherine

*59. Good in Bed Jennifer Weiner

*60. Girls in Pants 11/25/2011

61. Stars Collide Janice Thompson

62. Columbine Dave Cullen

63. Beautiful People Wendy Holden

64. Delivered with Love Sherry Kyle

65. Kill Alex Cross James Patterson 12/15/2011

66. Homefires

67. The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky 12/25/2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Something new.........

Amongst the exams (I passed!), the teaching (wraps up this week!), Thanksgiving, playing with Luke, and other fun, Hal and I have been cautiously expecting good news.

On Friday, we found out that Luke will have a little brother in April! Nathan will be here sometime around April 20th. His ultrasound looked great, although we have to get some pictures of his heart at our next appointment since he was being stubborn for that particular portion of the scan. We were relieved and so excited about having a household full of two little boys under two! What blessings!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Happy Halloween!

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From our puppy to yours!!!!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Exams

My PhD comprehensive exams start Wednesday with a lovely little 4-hour torture on theory. I AM SO TIRED OF READING! I can't wait for this to be over. I hope I have studied enough -- because God help me if I fail and have to take these things over again. OMG, I can't even think about it.

So I have Wednesday (theory), Friday (stigma) and the follow Wednesday (law) with an over-the-weekend take home on Methods. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Then, the verdict will come in November, when I meet with my committee to orally defend my answers. After the defense, they kick me out into the hall and decide if I passed or failed. In the meantime, I'll be puking in the hall! :)

Monday, July 25, 2011

Study recruiting!

I am recruiting facebook users to participate in a 10-minute survey about facebook use after a friend or loved one has died. If you are over 18 years old and interested in participating, please visit: https://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/553551/Digitial-life-after-death-An-examination-of-Facebook-and-mourning. Please repost!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

10 Months Old!

(One day, I am going to actually do his month post on time. And then he'll be a year old and I won't be doing them anymore, lol!)

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Luke turned 10 months on the 12th.

At 10 months, Luke:
~Waves! (Sometimes I think it's the milk sign. He makes the milk sign/waves a lot while nursing.)
~DANCES ALL THE TIME
~Responds to "How big is Luke?"
~Got antibiotic-worthy sick for the first time (ear infection in both ears and a viral throat infection)
~Weighed 23 lbs., 9.5 oz. at his 10 month sick appointment
~Still only has his two bottom teeth, but seems to be working on others
~Likes to climb on Layla. We have worked to really restrict this.
~Enjoys Elmo's World on Sesame Street
~Loves my dad!
~Loves books.
~Eyes are STILL blue with brown streaks in the middle. I would love it to stay that way.

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(Yes, he's holding onto a cable box. He loves electronics.)

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(He was attacking me in this picture -- that's why he was so happy!)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

9 Months Old!

Luke was nine months old on the 12th!

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At nine months, Luke:
~Weighs 22 lbs., 10 oz., and is 29 inches long
~Has blue eyes with brown spikes in the middle
~Cruises
~Tries to get to the dog's water bowl approximately 10,000 times a day
~Eats a TON throughout the day
~Loves playing in water
~Claps
~Jabbers a lot
~Has two teeth, the bottom two
~Likes playing with my cell phone and the remote, and he'll bang on my laptop
~Laughs a lot
~Will stand up in his crib


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