Obviously, since I'm an English teacher, I really enjoy reading. Just so my students know that I practice what I preach, I thought I'd keep an online journal of all the books I'm reading throughout the school year. This way, you can see that I'm not just assigning books because I like to torture you, I'm a true believer in the joys of reading.

If you are interested in reading any of these books, you can probably borrow it from me...I tend to buy books rather than go to the library. Also, if you have books you'd like to share, I'd be happy to read anything you bring me.

P.S. Remember, I'm reading these books in addition to the required books that we cover in class, so don't complain to me about your homework being "too much reading." As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing.

Look up these books and others at Amazon.com!

SEPTEMBER 2002 (8)

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian - Dramatic chronicle of a rural woman's legal ordeal when she is accused of killing a laboring mother under her care.

An Inconvenient Woman by Dominick Dunne - Based on a real-life LA society killing, Dunne tells the story of a wealthy, powerful man and his mistress's fight for recognition after he dies.

Thinks... by David Lodge - Another academic farce from the master. Set in an English university, Lodge explores human relationships, intellectual pursuits, and how the two frequently interfere with each other.

Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen - An early effort by the columnist/novelist. An adolescent girl is suddenly confronted by her family's hidden drama.

Disobedience by Jane Hamilton - A seemingly "normal" family slowly unravels and regenerates in light of the mother's affair.

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx - Beautifully written account of an unassuming man's emergence as a journalist.

Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane - Memoir of a black South African boy's escape from the limited life into which he was born. Very inspirational.

The Cigarette Girl by Carol Wolper - Trashy fun, a la Bridget Jones.

OCTOBER 2002 (7)


Porno by Irvine Welsh - Sequel to Trainspotting, one of my favorite books of all time. In this, Sick Boy returns home and sets up yet another illicit moneymaking scheme.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk - The understated source of the phenomenal Brad Pitt/Ed Norton movie. Every American with a Y chromosome should read this book...or at least see the movie. It encapsulates exactly what makes it so hard to be a man in America today.

The Coming of the Terrans by Leigh Brackett - Science-fiction from the screenwriter of The Empire Strikes Back.

The Halfling and Other Stories by Leigh Brackett - Short stories with a cosmic twist.

The Promise by Chaim Potok - Sequel to The Chosen, following Danny and Reuven through college and the beginning of adulthood.

Shanghai Baby by Wei Hui - Chinese bohemian life, told from the perspective of a Shanghai partygirl.

Blind Faith by Joe McGuiness - True-crime account of an East Coast family man and his wife's untimely murder.

NOVEMBER 2002 (6)


Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk - Bizarre supernatural tale of a book that contains a nursery rhyme that kills.

Glue by Irvine Welsh - Set in the same community as Trainspotting, the story of four boys growing up in a lower-class Scottish neighborhood.

Ming by Robert Oxnam - Historical fiction, star-crossed lovers in Ming dynasty China are swept up in the political conflicts of their age.

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes - Graphic novel upon which the indie movie was based. Short, but powerful.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen - Empowering story of three kids who stop a construction project from destroying an endangered owl's habitat.

Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold - Historical fiction, based on the life of turn-of-the-century magician, Charles Carter.

DECEMBER 2002 (6)


High Fidelity by Nick Hornby - The basis for the John Cusack movie, though set in London. Typical thirtysomething male angst.

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk - Another cast of weirdoes populate this novel, where a young man supports his mother by pretending to choke on his food in fancy restaurants.

Speaking with the Angel edited by Nick Hornby - Collection of short stories from major contemporary authors. Proceeds go to support education for the autistic.

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton - A school nurse is falsely accused of abusing a small boy.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie - Two young men and their relationship with a tailor's beautiful daughter in rural China.

Catfight: Women and Competition by Leora Tanenbaum - Examines how women compete with, and sometimes undermine, each other in a male dominated society.

JANUARY 2003 (7)



Shot in the Heart by Mikal Gilmore - Story of Gary Gilmore's life, as told by his brother, Mikal.

The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll - True story of Carroll's drugged-up, crime-ridden adolescence.

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King - Yet another supernatural romp with the king of horror. Something about aliens and telepathy and a retarded boy...movie to follow.

Dog Eat Dog by Edward Bunker - Ex-con's bare bones tale of other ex-cons and their heist.

Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Junior - True story of the youngest and most successful "paperhanger" in history. Basis of the very cool Spielberg movie.

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury - Collection of creepy tales from the pulp master.

The Book of Illusions by Paul Auster - A depressed academic unwittingly becomes involved in the last days of a brilliant, reclusive silent film director.

FEBRUARY 2003 (7)


The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton - A naive young woman is caught up in a deadly conflict between her alcoholic husband and her sadistic mother.

About a Boy by Nick Hornby - Heartwarming story of a cool, commitment-phobic man's relationship with a nerdy, needy boy.

Trying to Save Piggy Sneed by John Irving - Collection of essays and stories by the acclaimed novelist.

The Crazed by Ha Jin - A young man is emotionally devastated by the stroke-induced insanity of his mentor. Set against the backdrop of the 1989 student protests in Tianamen Square.

Another City, Not My Own by Dominick Dunne - Dunne's pseudo-memoir of his experience covering the OJ trial. Red herring cameos by Andrew Cunanan.

The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve - A woman discovers her pilot husband has been living a dual life.

The Bridegroom by Ha Jin - Collection of short stories set in modern China.

MARCH 2003 (11)


Talking from 9 to 5 by Deborah Tannen - An accessible analysis of the different ways men and women communicate, and how it affects them in their jobs.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - A young girl watches from heaven as her family falls apart in the aftermath of her unsolved murder.

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk - The last survivor of a suicide cult tells his life story as he crashes a plane to join his family.

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk - Deformed by a shooting accident, a former model joins forces with a beautiful drag queen and her former fiance on a drug-induced joyride.

Holes by Louis Sachar - Stanley Yelnats (a palindromic name if ever there was one) is the unluckiest boy in the world, until he lifts the curse that has plagued his family for generations. The movie's coming out in April...check it out. UPDATE: A great adaptation...faithful in all the ways it matters.

Babycakes by Armistead Maupin - Book 4 in the Tales of the City series. MaryAnn and Brian try to have a baby, and Michael recovers from Jon's death.

Sure of You by Armistead Maupin Book 6 in the Tales of the City series. MaryAnn is presented with a chance at fame and glamour in NYC.

Born Blue by Han Nolan - A young girl, born to a heroin addict and raised by a series of abusive foster families, clings to her love of the blues as she seeks a home.

Boys and Girls Together by William Goldman - This early novel by the acclaimed screenwriter follows a group of boomers from childhood through adulthood.

The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve - While researching a double ax murder on a remote New England island, a photographer suspects her husband of having an affair, leading her to do something unspeakable.

Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard - When his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend dissappears, a federal law enforcement officer has to rely on his psychic abilities to track down his rival.

APRIL 2003 (6)


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling - I got a copy of the British/Canadian version of the bestselling first book of the series and devoured it in 4 hours. Minor differences in spelling and colloquialism (sneakers are called trainers), but still a great read.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling - I couldn't resist re-reading every other book in the series.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling - Book three.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling - Book four...an impressive, lengthy build-up to the next book in the series, due out mid-June.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers - This guy may not be modest, but he doesn't need to be. A genuinely mind-blowing read, not so much for the content, but for the presentation. Publishing gimmick, it may be...but it's an EFFECTIVE publishing gimmick.

The Picturegoers by David Lodge - An early work by one of my favorite academics. This novel about a worn-out movie theatre at the heart of a working class London suburb is a harbinger of the intricately woven human tapestries to come.

MAY 2003 (7)


The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde - An absurd comedic romp by the original fop. One of my favorite plays of all time.

Lady Windemere's Fan by Oscar Wilde - A more serious offering by Wilde, focusing on the hypocrisy and secrecy that shrouds women's reputations in polite society.

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde - Similar criticism of social hypocrisy, but with a focus on what men have to hide.

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett - Moving, eloquent tale of a woman who has been widowed by her gay husband discovering his hidden past.

Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier - Beautifully written story of two mothers and two daughters facing the social shifts of post-Victorian England.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - A hostage situation in a fictional Latin American country inspires love between the terrorists and their victims. Bizaare premise, true...but somehow, it works.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch - The daughter of a beautiful murderess grows up in foster homes, learning to transcend her mother's tragedy.

JUNE 2003 (4)


Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen - This is the first "grown-up" book that my son read before I did. Again, Hiaasen has a coolly subversive, but not preachy, environmentalist message about what individuals can do to preserve our planet.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - I've read it twice already, what else is there to say?

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates - Their inability to cope with a shameful secret tears apart the perfect American family.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder - The first book in a series of pioneer classics, about 19th century life in the woods of Wisconsin. My seven-year old daughter is reading these for the first time, so I thought I'd read them all over again, too. These were some of my favorites when I was a kid.

JULY 2003 (8)


Striptease by Carl Hiaasen - Bizarre, but very engaging story about a virtuous stripper, ineffectual law enforcement and corrupt politicians.

Kindred by Octavia Butler - Historical science-fiction, about a young black woman from the 20th century who is repeatedly forced to travel back in time to save the life of her white slave-owning ancestor.

Red Sorghum by Mo Yan - Revolutionary Chinese love-in-the-time-of-war story...it was made into a critically acclaimed film by Zhang Yimou, starring Gong Li.

How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen - Short, sweet reflection on the ways reading brought joy into her life and shaped her into the successful writer she is today.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - Powerful, fragmented stories about Vietnam.

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Book two in the series, and the most widely-read. It's a shame that most people are more familiar with the television show (which started off weak and became ridiculous) than the original book.

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder - More pioneering life in Minnesota.

Summerland by Michael Chabon - A fairy tale about baseball, family and the intersection of different worlds.

AUGUST 2003 (9)


The Cider House Rules by John Irving - This is one of the books that changed my life. Its moral: Be of use.

Crime Wave: Reportage and Fiction from the Underside of LA by James Ellroy - Wickedly funny in places, poignant in others. Ellroy's reflection on his mother's murder, and the ways it has shaped his oeuvre, ties in beautifully to his coverage of the OJ trial and other high-profile crimes.

Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon by Chuck Palahniuk - Portland is a strange town. Chuck Palahniuk is a strange man. He knows the strangest things about Portland, and shares them with the world in this travelogue of oddities.

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder - The Ingalls family heads into the Dakotas, after a bout with scarlet fever that costs Mary (Laura's older sister) her sight.

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Probably the darkest, most depressing of the series. Six long months of constant blizzards seems like a good reason not to move to South Dakota.

Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - The town of De Smet grows into a community.

Those Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Laura grows up, falls in love, gets married.

The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Fairly raw and unedited, this book was not complete when Wilder died.

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder - The story of Laura's husband, Almanzo Wilder, growing up on a farm in New York State.

Well, that's my year of books. All told, I averaged about seven-plus books a month, one and two-thirds books a week, a quarter of a book per day. And that's not counting the ones I taught, which I had to read two or three times. This is what I do for fun, because I love it.