If You're As Sick As I Am Of This Weather...

I think I can pretty much speak for everyone that Winter can leave now.  The wind howled all last night and the only reason it wasn't a blizzard was because (thankfully???) we had an inch of ice on top of the snow.

So I thought now might be a good time to do some reading.  I normally read biographies with art how-to books and the occasional "chick lit" sprinkled in.  But over the years I've read some "classics" so a) I can feel sorta "well-read" and b) because I sub-taught in many, many English classes and thought I should read what the kids were reading.  I'm ashamed to say that if the subject matter was particularly dark, I likely didn't read it.  I don't like dark movies either, though I know they often have important messages.  (Author's note:  some of these aren't necessarily "classics" but were enjoyable reads.)

I've comprised a list in no particular order and surely I've missed some.  If titles (well, probably most) have movie versions and if I liked the movie better/didn't read the book, it's not on this list.  Perhaps they will appear on a movie list someday.  I would like to challenge you to even read one of these soon!  I have several more I plan to do as well.

Death of a President- William Manchester

Watership Down- Richard Adams

The Grapes of Wrath- John Steinbeck

The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver

The Good Earth- Pearl S. Buck

The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway

Girl With A Pearl Earring- Tracy Chevalier

Little Women- Louisa May Alcott

The Bible (of course, the best book of all, even if you were just reading it as literature)

House of the Scorpion- Nancy Farmer

The Screwtape Letters- C. S. Lewis

The James Herriott Animal Story Collection

Clan of the Cave Bear Series- Jean Auel

Call of the Wild- Jack London

Moby Dick- Herman Melville

Uncle Tom's Cabin- Harriet Beecher Stowe

Twilight Series- Stephenie Meyer

Series of Unfortunate Events Collection- Lemony Snicket

Harry Potter Series- J.K. Rowling

Tuesdays With Morrie- Mitch Albom

Hunger Games Trilogy- Suzanne Collins

The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini

The Secret Life of Bees- Sue Monk Kidd

Their Eyes Were Watching God-  Zora Neal Hurston

War and Peace-  Leo Tolstoy  (abridged version only-the regular one will drive you crazy with several names per character!)

To Kill A Mockingbird- Harper Lee

A Tale of Two Cities-  Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens

The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Copper Sun- Sharon M. Draper

Well, I hope this inspires you to get reading!  Unfortunately, Winter isn't over yet!

Until next time,
Gale