i'm on a roll!

i mentioned earlier that i am not one to make lists. actually, i'm not one to make lists about what i am going to do. however, i do like to make lists of things i've accomplished. that seems to motivate me better.. like i've got a good habit i don't want to bust.

so i want to make a list of all the books i've read since the beginning of the year. it may not seem too impressive.. but if you know me, you'll understand. pretty sure i've read more books in the last six months than i have in the previous two years. here it is:

1-4. Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet (mom gave them to me to read, so i went for it)

1. Vision in White

2. Savor the Moment

3. Bed of Roses

4. Happy Ever After

5. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (really frustrating, really great)

6. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (one of Travis's faves. and one i've wanted to read forever)

7. I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis (historical fiction set in Renaissance Florence. my favorite on this list.)

8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (another i've always wanted to read and so glad i finally did. very interesting)

9. Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani (a re-read. kind of sad, but really cool. Trigiani always writes about women who are super talents in their field and yet gives all of them a soft side.)

10. [in progress] Run with the Horsemen by Ferrol Sams (i told Travis i needed something that would make me laugh and he told me to read it. only 60ish pages in and i've already laughed aloud several times.)

11. [in progress] Love Wins: a Book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell (our Bible study group is currently reading/discussing this. and it's really great. i think the key, though is realizing who Bell is writing to. you should read it.)

so there you go! since we got married and combined our libraries, i've had a bunch of good choices for 'what to read next.' they range from classics i've always wanted to read, books i haven't gotten to yet, re-reads because i want to see if i still love it as much as i did the first time, and completely new ones i've never heard of.

so, what's on deck?

when i finish 'Horsemen', i think i'll opt for something heavier. my first inclination is

1. Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead.. just because it would be a huge challenge and, therefore, totally rewarding. Another good option would be

2. Stieg Larson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I bought it in an airport last summer and haven't even cracked it open. I'd love to finish out the series after that.

other honorable mentions for possible next-reads:

3. Jeffrey Archer's False Impression (about corrupt art dealing),

4. Sarah Dunant's Birth of Venus (historical fiction also set in Renaissance Florence. a re-read),

5. George Orwell's 1894 (started it and never finished it. would like to try again), or

6. C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia (read them all in middle school. attempted to read again until i realized that book 4 of our series -originally belonging to Trav- has a big chunk that's been torn out. so we'll have to do something about that first)

also, all suggestions/recomendations are more than welcome!