Update!

Okay. I haven't read quite as many books on the list as I thought I would. I keep coming across so many good books on my own! The perils of working in a library, I guess. 


The To Read List:

A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks - Rhiannon McClure

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson - Rhiannon McClure

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jen Lawson - Christy Atkins

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - Courtney Atkins

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez - Gil Montoya

An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling -  Barbara Shoumaker

Watership Down by Adams - Sarah Wolfe

Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson - Jenna Talley

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Rikki Gee

If I Gained the World by Linda Nichols - Marilyn Eubanks

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher) by Lee Childs - Kathy Atkins

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Kevin Alexander **

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank – Kevin Alexander **

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - Diane Randle

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - Diane Randle

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Leguin - Diane Randle

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon - Diane Randle

Wool by Huge Howey - Jason Craft

PS I Love You by Cecilia Ahern – Gina Adams

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski - Brad Bullock

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - Amanda White

Taggarung by Brian Jacques - Amanda White

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - Amanda White/Lance White

Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis - Kevin Alexander

Animal Farm by George Orwell - Lance White

1984 by George Orwell - Lance White **

Mind Hunter by John Douglas - Kevin Alexander

A Wolf Story by James Byron Huggins - Stephanie Dillon

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes - Julie Alexander

Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - Mara Alexander *NEW*

 **Books I have read before and have decided to read again**

Books Recommended that I have read previously:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet – Sarah Wolfe

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer – Jenna Talley

Promise Me Tomorrow - Lori Wick - Jennifer Watson Bato

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – Sarah Wolfe

List Update!

The To Read List:

A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks - Rhiannon McClure

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson - Rhiannon McClure

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jen Lawson - Christy Atkins

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - Courtney Atkins

A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez - Gil Montoya

An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling -  Barbara Shoumaker

Watership Down by Adams - Sarah Wolfe

Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson - Jenna Talley

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Rikki Gee

If I Gained the World by Linda Nichols - Marilyn Eubanks

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher) by Lee Childs - Kathy Atkins

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Kevin Alexander **

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank – Kevin Alexander **

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - Diane Randle

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - Diane Randle

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Leguin - Diane Randle

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon - Diane Randle

Wool Omnibus by Huge Howey - Jason Craft

PS I Love You by Cecilia Ahern – Gina Adams

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski - Brad Bullock

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - Amanda White

Taggarung by Brian Jacques - Amanda White

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - Amanda White/Lance White

Space Trilogy by CS Lewis - Kevin Alexander

Animal Farm by George Orwell - Lance White

1984 by George Orwell - Lance White **

Mind Hunter by John Douglas - Kevin Alexander

A Wolf Story by James Byron Huggins - Stephanie Dillon

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes - Julie Alexander

Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - Mara Alexander *NEW*

 **Books I have read before and have decided to read again**

Books Recommended that I have read previously:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet – Sarah Wolfe

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer – Jenna Talley

Promise Me Tomorrow - Lori Wick - Jennifer Watson Bato

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – Sarah Wolfe

Suggestions that were summarily ignored as they were not given in the spirit of the request and that were probably supposed to be humorous, and kind of were but mostly proved that sometimes even your close friends can be jerks:

50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James – Joel Daws

List update! So far I have read 4 books from the Rec List (and a third of a fifth book). Also, seven books that weren't recommended but were available online so I could read during down time at work, while still looking busy. 

The To Read List:

A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks - Rhiannon McClure

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson - Rhiannon McClure

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jen Lawson - Christy Atkins

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - Courtney Atkins

A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez - Gil Montoya

An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling -  Barbara Shoumaker

Watership Down by Adams - Sarah Wolfe

Lord Foul's Bane by Thomas Covenant - Jenna Talley

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Rikki Gee

If I Gained the World by Linda Nichols - Marilyn Eubanks

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher) by Lee Childs - Kathy Atkins

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Kevin Alexander **

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank – Kevin Alexander **

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - Diane Randle

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - Diane Randle

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Leguin - Diane Randle

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon - Diane Randle

Wool Omnibus by Huge Howey - Jason Craft

PS I Love You by Cecilia Ahern – Gina Adams

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski - Brad Bullock

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - Amanda White

Taggarung by Brian Jacques - Amanda White

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - Amanda White/Lance White

Space Trilogy by CS Lewis - Kevin Alexander

Animal Farm by George Orwell - Lance White

1984 by George Orwell - Lance White **

Mind Hunter by John Douglas - Kevin Alexander

A Wolf Story by James Byron Huggins - Stephanie Dillon

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes - Julie Alexander

Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - Mara Alexander *NEW*

 **Books I have read before and have decided to read again**

Books Recommended that I have read previously:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet – Sarah Wolfe

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer – Jenna Talley

Promise Me Tomorrow - Lori Wick - Jennifer Watson Bato

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – Sarah Wolfe

Suggestions that were summarily ignored as they were not given in the spirit of the request and that were probably supposed to be humorous, and kind of were but mostly proved that sometimes even your close friends can be jerks:

50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James – Joel Daws

Title: The Host
Author: Stephanie Meyers
Recommended by: Courtney Atkins

Don't let the fact that this book was written by the same woman who wrote the Twilight series sway your opinion, here. It is so different from those books I have a hard time believe that they were written by the same woman. The Host has two main female characters and they are both great examples of strong women. But they're strong in completely different ways.
 I was going to try and tell you about the plot of The Host but I think it'll end up just confusing us all. It's about an alien invasion. It's about family and friendship and love. And it's finding all of those things in places you never would have expected.
It's been two days since I finished reading this book and I actually miss the characters. Luckily, I heard last night that Stephanie Meyers is planning on writing 2 more books in this story line. I can't wait to read more about this universe.
Bottom Line: I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone. Men, women, young, old - it doesn't matter. Everyone.

Title: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Author: Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess)

Recommended by: Christy Atkins

This book is amazing. It is a hilarious memoir of a girl from Texas raised by a taxidermist father and a long-suffering mother. It is so incredibly funny, but there are some chapters that are touching and emotional. I'm not ashamed to admit I cried during two of the chapters. (I cried with laughter during most of the others) The only caveat I offer about this book is the language. Well, that and the mentions of drug use. This book is laden with profanity and fairly inappropriate content, but that's part of it's charm. It's an  incredibly honest look at growing up, getting married, starting a family and all the things that make you who yo are. 

Actually, one more warning: Don't read this book in public. You'll look like you're having some sort of fit trying not to laugh hysterically. 

Bottom Line: I would recommend this to anyone who isn't easily offended or scandalized. This book is not for the faint of heart. But it is so, so good. 

Title: The Girl's Guide to Hunting & Fishing 

Author: Melissa Banks

Recommended by: Rhiannon McClure

This book is hailed as the beginning of the so-called "Chick-Lit" genre. (Don't even get me started on the term chick-lit.)  It may have sparked that genre, but it is so much more than what Chick-Lit has come to mean. It's a collection of short stories in the same universe and mostly centered around Jane. She is witty and  a little broken and very, very real. On the surface, it's about Jane's relationships with her family and her boyfriends (and, in one story, her neighbors) but what this book is really about is how Jane relates to herself. 

Bottom Line: I don't know that I would recommend this book to everyone. It's very good and I liked it quite a bit, but I know that the style isn't for everyone. I would, however, recommend the last chapter to everyone. It is fantastic view of what happens when you listen to others instead of yourself (even if 'others' here means the authors of a self-help book.)

I just realized I never posted about my trip to London! I promise one day I will do write about all of that. But this is not that post. The other day someone I work with noticed I got my haircut, which is always satisfying. However, she then followed it up with "did you cut your bangs yourself?" Which is not quite so satisfying. After several days of compulsively smoothing my bangs I decided two things.
First: my bangs are awesome, okay. Awesome.
Secondly, there are some questions polite people don't ask other people. But obviously some people haven't quite grasped that concept. And what is this blog for, if not to educate and enlighten?
So, then. Let's review.

Amanda's Top Three Things 
You Should Never Say To A Stranger/Acquaintance.

"When is the baby due?" You know what? Let's just get this one out of the way first. I'm not even going to include it as one of the three. Why are people still doing this? If you're still asking strangers/vague acquaintances/anyone anything about the pregnancy you're sure they're right in the middle of, this list isn't for you. It's too advanced for you. You need to go back to Social Interactions 101 - the remedial level.

1. "You look tired/sick." Nothing says "Hey, you look like crap!" quite like asking someone if they're tired.
2. "Did you cut your hair yourself/Make that yourself?" Because it's awful! What did you use, a weed whacker? The truth is if someone did do something themselves that they would normally pay a professional to do they will probably be so proud that they bring it up themselves. "Did you notice my bracelet? I made it out of Popsicle sticks and dental floss. Saw it on Pinterest."
3. "When are you going to get married?" Or the married version: "When are you going to have kids?" This question just gets to me every time. Well, I got three separate proposals this week but I thought I'd wait and see what else is coming along. The answer to this question is basically "when the time is right." No, wait. The answer to that question is basically "Mind your own business. Please." People don't live their life on your timetable. The pregnancy thing is even trickier. Some people would love to be pregnant but are having trouble conceiving or already know that they just can't conceive. It's a painful subject and couples shouldn't be forced to discuss it for the sake of curiosity or worse, just to make idle conversation. Some people have already decided that kids just aren't for them. Bottom line: unless you're immediate family and asking about when you're going to get grandkids or nieces and nephews - Don't Ask.
   
   
   
   When all else fails, remember the words of the Fresh Prince.

Okay, folks, I have finally compiled all of the books suggestions I received. There are 29. Some I have already read but decided to read again because I first read them in high school and I’m thinking I might have a better understanding now. Some I had already read fairly recently (within the past 5 years) so I decided not to read them again. One suggestion I ignored completely. Thanks, Joel.  I’ve already read the first suggestion that I received – A Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks, which was recommended by Rhiannon McClure.  I’m about 2/3 of the way through with Christy Atkins’ suggestion – Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jen Lawson (also known as The Bloggess online). It is fairly inappropriate and completely hilarious. I love it. I’m also reading The Host by Stephanie Meyers because I’ve heard good things and Courtney Atkins and I wanted to read it together before the movie came out. It’s a really interesting concept and, despite being written by Meyer, contains zero vampires.

 There is no deadline on suggestions. If you have a book you think I just have to read, please tell me! 

In case you were wondering, the books that I think everyone should read are Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Sometimes I think Persuasion instead), The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  

See the lists of books below!

The To Read List:

A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks - Rhiannon McClure

The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson - Rhiannon McClure

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jen Lawson - Christy Atkins

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - Courtney Atkins
Redeeming Love - Theresa Driskell/Melissa Vallia

A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez - Gil Montoya

An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling -  Barbara Shoumaker

Watership Down by Adams - Sarah Wolfe

Lord Foul's Bane by Thomas Covenant - Jenna Talley

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Rikki Gee

If I Gained the World by Linda Nichols - Marilyn Eubanks

Killing Floor (Jack Reacher) by Lee Childs - Kathy Atkins

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - Kevin Alexander **

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank – Kevin Alexander **

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - Diane Randle

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey - Diane Randle

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Leguin - Diane Randle

In the Company of Others by Jan Karon - Diane Randle

Wool Omnibus by Huge Howey - Jason Craft

PS I Love You by Cecilia Ahern – Gina Adams

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski - Brad Bullock

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis - Amanda White

Taggarung by Brian Jacques - Amanda White

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - Amanda White/Lance White

Space Trilogy by CS Lewis - Kevin Alexander

Animal Farm by George Orwell - Lance White

1984 by George Orwell - Lance White **

Mind Hunter by John Douglas - Kevin Alexander

A Wolf Story by James Byron Huggins - Stephanie Dillon

Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes - Julie Alexander

 **Books I have read before and have decided to read again**

Books Recommended that I have read previously:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet – Sarah Wolfe

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer – Jenna Talley

Promise Me Tomorrow - Lori Wick - Jennifer Watson Bato

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – Sarah Wolfe

Suggestions that were summarily ignored as they were not given in the spirit of the request and that were probably supposed to be humorous, and kind of were but mostly proved that sometimes even your close friends can be jerks:

50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James – Joel Daws

In which there is no talk of London. But there is excessive use of capslock.

Alright. Who wants to talk about London? Well, too bad. First we're going to talk about Iceland and airports and seemingly unending plane rides where it is impossible to sleep because EVERYONE AND THEIR GRANDMOTHER KEEPS WALKING AROUND. WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST STAY IN YOUR SEATS FOR FIVE MINUTES!?!

Ahem. Anyway.

So. Because we found a great deal we flew on IcelandAir, which is relatively new to the United States. We left Denver at 5:15pm on Wednesday, May 24th and flew to Reykjavik, Iceland. The flight was 7 hours and 20 minutes. Seven hours. It was about as great as it sounds. I sat in an aisle seat thinking it would let me stretch my legs out every once in a while, but as I calmly mentioned earlier people were walking around the entire flight and managed to brush up against me every time. So, no sleeping. The flight from Iceland to London was about 3 hours, so we got into Heathrow just after 11am.  I was a little cranky. Just a smidge. But whatever, let's not talk about that. Let's look at pictures!

The plane! With individual screens for the in-flight entertainment

Iceland! Well. The airport.

One of the options on the in-flight entertainment is to watch

your progress on a map. It is both mind-numbingly dull and fascinating at the same time.

Do you know how sleep deprived people

chose breakfast in an airport in Iceland? Basically by picking anything they recognize that doesn't involve salmon.

Seriously, Iceland loves it's fish.

Icelandic potato chips and a "Coke Light" - Breakfast of Champions.

Icelandic cheese popcorn and a chocolate muffin.

Breakfast of people sitting next to Champions

This is what I stared blankly at while waiting for the plane.

I was pretty weirded out by the evil looking kid, until I realized it was a picture of someone

diving underwater. I was still pretty weirded out. No idea what it was advertising.

It has seriously been too long since I've posted. And I keep saying that, don't I?
I should really stay on top of this thing.
Obviously the 6 months straight of daily posting did not pan out.
Turns out not every day needs to be written up in a blog. Most of mine would read: Went to work. Came home. Sat on couch. The end. Scintillating, right?

It's been so long since I've updated that I'm having trouble remembering all the things I need to update about.
Let's start with The List first. I did a few things that I can mark off. I did a big one that I wasn't sure I'd have the nerve or opportunity to do - I sang karaoke. Life Church had a karaoke night at Nicky's (a local Mexican restaurant) so a bunch of us decided to go. Rhiannon and I sang The Beatles' "Hey Jude." It was so much fun. Singing with someone was way better than trying to do it myself. By the end we had everyone singing along, though I think that has more to do with the fact that it's almost impossible to hear "Hey Jude" and not sing along. Seriously. Try it for yourself. Play that song and see if you're not Na-na-na-na-ing your little heart out by the end.
There is video of my brilliant karaoke debut, but I'm not posting it here. Most of you will have seen it on Facebook anyway.
So, there you have it. Number 87 on The List: check!