Menu Plan Monday

Man, I can't believe that another week's gone by. . .and I only blogged once. (I am totally embarassed about that, too - trust me, I am!) I have been so incredibly busy this week. I worked Monday, Thursday, and Friday, and we were incredibly busy ~ people seem to get sick when the weather turns cold! I did have the chance to become close with 2 patients and their families this week, which is always nice. . .usually, when we're this busy, there isn't time to visit and spend quality TLC time with patients. Anyway, One more week until we leave town for the Thanksgiving holiday.
I have to confess something, and if you have any advice for me, PLEASE leave a comment! Stonewall is a PICKY EATER. and I mean PICKY! As in, he ONLY likes hotdogs, cheese pizza, PB&Js, fish sticks, McDonalds's chicken nuggets, cheese, and most fruit. We offer all types of food, and we can't get him to willingly try anything. It usually turns into a battle of wills. . .he usually wins. Rev. has decided that now is the time, and he has even threatened to throw away all the hotdogs. I just don't want our mealtimes to be yelling and crying matches. . .but, I hate feeling like a short-order cook. I want to sit down for a family meal where we all eat the same meal. . . but I HATE forcing Stonewall to eat stuff. . .I think it only makes him want to eat it less. Anyway, now that I have that off my chest, on to our week's menu.

Monday ~ Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos (I use whole wheat tortillas, this meat, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, shredded cheese), Mexican Rice (brown rice with salsa and black beans mixed in)

Tuesday ~ Black Bean Soup (I've decided to make it in the crockpot this time, as suggested by one of my wonderful commenters)

Wednesday ~ Lentil Haystacks (We missed them last week)

Thursday ~ Beef Stew, Corn Casserole, green salad

Friday ~ Leftovers

Saturday ~ Stuffed low carb burgers, sweet potato fries

Sunday ~ Out to eat after church, we're leaving home tomorrow, and I don't want to have any leftovers.

SOAP ~ Philippians 1:12-14

S: Philippians 1:12-14
12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

O:First, we have to look back. Paul here, is saying in light of what happened. . .so, what happened? We must remember first, that Paul is writing this letter while a prisoner in Rome. (When he wrote the letter to the Church in Rome (Romans), he spoke of how much he wanted to go the Rome to minister and preach there, but the Lord hadn't opened a door for that ministry, instead sending Paul elsewhere. (Romans 1:9-13).
What dire circumstances he faced (though, he faced worse, being beaten at times, stoned once, imprisoned several times, run out of many different towns, and ultimately crucified upside down on a cross. . .all for Christ! Surely a lesser man would have been defeated after facing even a few of these things, but not Paul. These trials and persecutions almost seemed to make him stronger in his resolve to serve God and preach Christ to all.
We see in verses 12-14 how Paul used his imprisonment to be a witness to the very guards who were imprisoning him. . .and that because of his consistent Christ-like attitude and continualy sharing of the Good News of Christ, many of these Roman Guards came to have a relationship with Christ as well. How awesome is that!
It seems as if Paul's imprisonment is serving to advance the gospel on 2 fronts. Outside of the church, as in the guardsmen who are hearing Paul preach about Christ and coming to know God because of it, and in the Church itself. Paul states that his "brothers" are more courageous and fearless because of Paul's imprisonment. These Christians saw God protect Paul, even in prison. They saw Paul's ministry blessed, even in these horrible circumstances, and they were imboldened in their own ministries.

A: If the Christians in Rome were encouraged through Paul's sufferings and imprisonment, shouldn't I be, too? I don't face imprisonment for sharing the gospel. Public ridicule? Maybe, but not likely. . .being "left out" of activities and conversations. . .possibly, but are they really activites or conversations that I want or need to be a part of, No. Paul found joy in the worst of circumstances, because he was serving the Lord, and sharing in the suffering of Christ. How can I find joy in my circumstances? I have great opportunities everyday at the hospital to minister to people in need. Some are not believers and need the hope, comfort, and healing that ONLY God and give. . .I am joyful that God can use me to share with them His LOVE and POWER. Some are believers, but are physically hurting. . .I am joyful that God can use me to pray with them, and that God can use me to perform his healing and comfort to these families. I can share my life with my church family, with my co-workers, and with other moms around me, so that they may be encourage by God's faithfulness in my life.

P: Heavenly Father, You alone are Worthy. You are faithful to me, even in my most dire circumstances, when I am overwhelmed with life. You give me strength to endure. I ask that you will bring people into my life, at church and at work, that need to know You. I love to share your Love and Salvation with others, give me the courage to do this, like Paul had. In the name of Your precious Son, Jesus, Amen.

Menu Plan Monday

Another week gone by. . .another week closer to Thanksgiving! We are going to Arkansas for Thanksgiving to spend time with Rev's family. Rev's father "Big Daddy" works in Saudi Arabia, but will be in the states for Thanksgiving, so we are going to spend some time with him. Rev's Mom "Bubbles" will be playing hostess not only to us, but also to both of Rev's brothers, Uncle Patrick and Uncle Beck. (Stonewall and Skywalker are the only grandchildren on this side of the family, so they will be spoiled rotten!) Aside from the rather long, boring drive there, we should have alot of fun and some really, truely COLD weather for a change!

Our whole family has been SICK this week. I've had a sinus infection for going on 2 weeks now, and am still not really better, but my bronchitis is improving at least. Skywalker had croup last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and when we went in to see his pediatrician Monday, he also had a sinus infection and an ear infection. The problem is, the Medicine she gave us is so disgusting, I can't get him to take it half the time. . .he jsut spits it back out (I even tried hiding it in juice and milk, and the boy KNOWS it's there). So, he is slowly recovering. Then, Stonewall started running fever Thursday night, and again last night, and has a bad cough, so I am guessing he has a sinus infection too! UHHGGG! (Rev. has been complaining of a sore throat, too, not to leave him out.) I am hoping that we are all on the mend, but it's been a rough week.

Foodwise, we did well, except that we skipped the Quesadillas in favor of leftover spaghetti and meatballs, so you will see quesadillas again this week. The crockpot Asian Short Ribs with Cabbage and Carrots was AMAZING!!!!!!!!! I used "country-style" beef ribs because I couldn't find any "short ribs" at Walmart, and I substituted Splenda-brown surgar blend in place of the plain brown sugar. The entire meal was delicious, the cabbage and carrots had great flavor, and this cooked all day without burning, which is a plus! It did have kindof a funny smell while cooking (I guess the cabbage), but it tasted great, and we will definately be having this again soon!

On to this week. The days denoted with * are the days that I will be at work, so I have scheduled either crockpot meals, or something that Rev. can throw together himself. And, Wednesday is both Soccer Practice and Church night (I teach the preschool class, and then have choir practice after), so it is quick and easy this week! I have included links to the recipes if you are interested. Have a great week!

*Monday ~ Crockpot Turkey and Black Bean Chili, spinach salad

Tuesday ~ Sweet & Spicy glazed Salmon, whole wheat cous cous, steamed asparagus

Wednesday ~ Quesadillas made with whole wheat tortillas, and leftover chicken and black beans from last week

*Thursday ~ Lentil Haystacks

*Friday ~ Crockpot Pepper Steak, brown rice, steamed snow peas

Saturday ~ Either leftovers or going out to eat. . .we'll see what Rev wants.

Sunday ~ Crockpot Pork Chops, brown rice, spinach salad

Yankee or Dixie?

I found this fun little quiz, and thought I'd share it with you. Supposedly, it analyzes you accent/dialect to tell you if you are yankee or dixie. . .As if I don't already know I'm totally Dixie! Anyway, here's my results:

96% (Dixie). Is General Lee your father

Well, no, General Lee is not my father, and I'm sure that my Yankee Mom would be unhappy to see this. . .but, I am a southern girl through and through! And even though she may not admit it, being from New Jersey and all, my sweet Mom is a Southern Girl now, too!

Stonewall's Birthday!!!!!!!!

Today is Stonewall's 5th birthday. I can hardly believe that my first child, the tiny baby boy is growing up into such a sweet young man. He was born at 6:54pm on Wednesday, November 5, 2003. I was scheduled for an induction on Thursday, November 6, but due to my increasing blood pressure, my OB/GYN decided to induce a day earlier. I was definately ready, I had already been on bedrest for 7 weeks, and was TIRED of it! When we arrived at the hospital, I was already dialated to 4cm, so my doctor broke my water right away, and I was able to have an epidural before any labor pains started! my entire labor lasted about 9 hours, but I was totally comfortable until he was crowning. My sweet baby boy, Stonewall was born weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and 21 inches long. He did have a bit of a cone head at first, and a bright red stork bite on his forhead. Here are some pics of him throughout his life:

I don't have any of his infant pictures on this computer, I will try to scan some in and show them later, as Stonewall was one of the 2 most beautiful baby boys ever born (Skywalker is the other!).

Stonewall at about 10 months old. . .He has the brightest smile!

Stonewall a few days before Christmas, after his 2nd birthday, riding his new tricycle.

Stonewall at his 3rd birthday party, Cowboys!

Stonewall the morning of his 4th birthday party, with yogurt all over his face! (You should see Skywalker!)

Look at my Strong Batman! This picture was taken a few weeks before his 5th birthday.

A curse and a prayer. . .

Curse you, Daylight Savings, Curse you! My sweet, adorable, good little children have a schedule, that usually runs like clockwork. Up at 7:30am, breakfast, play or school, lunch at 11:30, play, nap (for Skywalker), snack, playtime, Supper at 5:00, Bath at 7:30, bed at 8pm. But for the last 4 days, have they abided by this perfect little schedule? NO. Why, you may ask? It is BRIGHT as day in our house at 6:00am now, and my sweet precious boys' bodies have yet to adjust to the new time schedule. So, they are up at 6:15-6:30 EVERYDAY so far. . .yet, for some strange reason, they can still make it to 8:00 at night. . .so, as I said before, Curse you, Daylight Savings!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And, now, on a much more serious note, our Country has a new President-elect, Sen. Barack Obama. If you have read my blog before, you know that I was not supporting Sen. Obama during the campaign. . .but I digress. Sen. Obama has his work cut out for him, to say the least. I truly believe, that we need to commit ourselves to pray daily, to pray without ceasing for our country and for Sen. Obama, and his leadership. That the Lord will ultimately guide his decisions, and the future of our country. I don't believe that we can necessarily change Sen. Obama's views or policy ideas, but at least we can pray for protection from some of them.

Our Heavenly Father, Lord of my life, Savior of my soul. You truly are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You have sovereignty over the whole earth, and everything in it, all of creation is Yours! We are a nation of sinful people, we, as a nation, have turned our backs on you, and turned to sinfulness, we are guilty of pride, we are guilty of self-importance, we are guilty of sexual immorality, we are guilty of tolerance, of lowering our godly standards and morals to earthly ones. . .we are guilty of idolatry, we are guilty of greed, gluttony, and carelessness of others. God, I confess these sins to you, I ask forgiveness for myself personally, and I ask forgiveness for the nation. I pray for a Revival in the land, of Christians being reinvigorated in our service of you, that we may be a light in this nation for YOU, and that you would choose to use us to lead others to you. . .So that they may receive your precious gift of salvation. God, we believe that it is by Your GRACE, through faith in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the Cross that we can have fellowship with you, that we can follow you as our leader. I claim the truth that YOU are my leader, not some man on earth. Lord, God, I thank you for my country, for all that it stands for. . .Justice, Liberty, Freedom for ALL. I am thankful that I live in a country where we are free to Worship you, free to share You with others, so that they may know their Creator. I am thankful for the opportunity to vote, that so many of us took advantage of yesterday. Though, God, you know my heart, and know that I am sad at the outcome, I know that You can use Sen. Obama just as You could have used Sen. McCain, if he will submit to your Will for both his life and for our country, so I pray that you will soften his heart to Your Will for our country and for the world. . .bring strong, Godly advisers into his life that will lead him towards Your Will, not away from it. Preserve our capitalistic, free market system, and protect us from socialism. God, I pray for our soldiers, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan right now: protect these men and women who will soon be under the command of Sen. Obama. Let his decisions protect these soldiers, enabling them to do their job in winning this war on terrorism, that our world may be a safer place, free from Radical Islamic Terrorism. I truly believe that the war we are fighting is a holy war, and that YOU will overcome these Islamofacists in Your timing, if we are patient. I also pray that you will place a hedge of protection around Senator Obama himself, and his family in the weeks leading up to his Inauguration and the years following, that nothing bad happens to him or his family.
In the name of Jesus Christ I Pray,
Amen.

VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, we have finally arrived at Election Day: November 4, 2008! This election cycle has lasted SO long! And, it is almost over. I have to say, that I am scared for the results, and excited. If my candidate wins, it will be a big upset, at least according to the Main Stream Media that has been bombarding the news with polls that the other candidate is leading by double didgets in some circumstances.

This post is simply a friendly reminder, no matter your political affiliation, to GO VOTE TODAY!

I am voting for McCain/Palin, and here are a few reasons why (not by any means a comprehensive list!)

1) Pro-Life

2) Stronger on War/Military issues. . .definately NOT a "cut-and-run" approach which, in the long run, will leave us in a much bigger mess than before

3) Sen. McCain does not have a long history of voting "present"; he takes a stand on issues

4)Taxes: Sen. McCain will give EVERYONE a tax cut, NOT just select groups of people. When EVERYONE gets a tax break, EVERYONE wins because that is how jobs are created, benefits are increased, and raises are given. You can BET that I, personally, will not be getting a raise at all over the next several years if Obama's tax plan is implemented, because my company will have much less money around to dole out.

5) HealthCare: As a RN, I DO NOT want the government to be in control of health care in any way, shape, or form. . .I mean, Medicare and Medicaid are already horrible programs, what makes people think that they can do better with more people to take care of? Also, my hospital will end up with LESS money in the long run for the same amount of patients/procedures, which again cuts into my raises, and probably will start affecting ancillary staff (Nurse Aides, Unit Secretaries, EKG techs, even respiratory, physical therapy, etc) which will eventually increase my workload for the same amount of money. . .BAD BAD BAD!!!!!! Not to mention, that once the government gets control of healthcare, it will be the government making YOUR health care decisions, NOT YOUR DOCTORS! The government will decide if that surgery is really necessary, or if you really need those antibiotics that the doctor ordered. And yes, I realize that Obama's plan will not IMMEDIATELY give us government run universal health care at first, but that is is end game here, make no mistake about it!

6) Sen. McCain has a long record of reaching across the aisle to get things done. . .Sen. Obama simply does NOT. 97% of the time, he has toed the party line.

7) I just LOVE Gov. Sarah Palin. I agree that after her blowout at the convention, she did have a rough patch including the interviews with Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson, but since then, she has totally blossomed. I like the fact that she is NOT mainstream Washington. I like the fact that she has EXECUTIVE experience. I like the fact that she is a MOM just like me (Though, I'm a soccer mom, not a hockey mom). I like the fact that her children are with her on the campaign trail (I mean, whatever happened to Sen. Obama's children after the convention? You see the Senator and Michelle Obama everywhere, but the kids are MIA). I like the fact that she got "punked" by that Canadian DJ and took it so well. I like her history in Alaska, and what she's done there, and I am excited to see her in the VP role.

8) I like Cindy McCain. Did you know that despite her being "filthy stinkin' rich" (which is all some people see) she got her Masters in Special Education and was a teacher? Did you know that she founded the American Voluntary Medical Team (AVMT) in 1988, leading several medical missions to developing and war-torn nations during the Team’s seven-year existence?

Did you know she serves on the board for Operation Smile? Did you know that she handpicked a child while in Bangledesh, and brough the child back, telling Sen. McCain that they were going to adopt her? (I just totally love that!)

So, for all these reasons, and many others, I cast my ballot for Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin today!

Menu Plan Monday

Another week gone by, and it's once again time for Menu Plan Monday. If you're not familiar with MPM, it is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie, you should check it out!

Lask week was good. I do have to admit, Saturday, instead of just making grilled chicken, I tried a new recipe because I had the ingrediants on hand: Parmesean Crusted Chicken, and it was phenomenal! Rev was skeptical at first, but he did like it. Stonewall kinda liked it, but Skywalker wouldn't even try it. . .Oh well, you can't please everyone!

I was a little disappointed with the Crockpot chicken and rice recipe. . .it was a little lacking in flavor, I guess I'm so used to making it with canned cream of mushroom soup? And, it got a little overdone. (I set the crockpot on high for 4 hours, and then it automatically turns to warm. But, Rev didn't know that, and had to leave the house, so he tried to be very helpful and turned the crockpot to low (which reset the timer for an additional 8 hour!) Oops!) The good news, is, when he realized his mistake, we picked up a pizza from Papa Johns with a Whole Wheat crust, just for me!

Anyway, this week is going to be busy, since we have Revival Services at church Sunday through Wednesday.

Monday ~ Crockpot Spicy Black Beans with Turkey Smoked Sausage, Brown Rice, and salad

Tuesday ~ Cornmeal crusted Tilapia with Zucchini and Tomatoes, and green salad

Wednesday ~ Quesadillas made with whole wheat tortillas, leftover spicy black beans and leftover chicken (from last week), southwestern rice (brown rice mixed with black beans and salsa

Thursday ~ Crockpot Asian Short Ribs with Cabbage and Carrots, whole wheat cous cous

Friday ~ Leftovers or Pizza night

Saturday ~ Blackbean burgers (using the leftover spicy black beans) on whole wheat buns with spinach, tomato, and co-jack cheese, green salad, baked sweet potato fries

Sunday ~ We're trying to have those Taco Bowls again. . .for some reason, I never make then when I plan them. . .We always end up going out to eat.

Buccaneer Bash

Stonewall and Skywalker had a combined birthday party last weekend, and decided to have a pirate party. We had a light supper for the kids, including Golden (Chicken) Nuggets, Pirate Faces (Smily Potatoes with a ketchup eyepatch), and treasure chest fruit salad. After they ate, w

e had a treasure hunt, complete with a treasure map that the kids had to follow. The treasure was a treasure chest shaped pinata. They, we strung up the pinata, and the kids had at it. . .that thing was impossible to break! We finally had to tear it open, come to find out, it was made from a THICK cardboard box!

After the pinata, we went back inside and had cake. I made a chocolate "pirate ship" cake, and a white "treasure island" cake. They were both covered in chocolate marshmallow fondant, and decorated. I was very happy with how they turned out, except for the fact that my pirates were Giants compared to the rest of the cake. (I made them first so they could harden).

And, of course, we opened presents before everyone left with their pirate loot bags filled with telescopes, eyepatches, a small treasure map, gold coins, and the candy from the pinata. (We had several other ideas for games, but I just didn't have time to get it all together, and honestly, the kids probably wouldn't have had the attention span necessary.)

Trick or Treat

Well, lets just get right out and say it. I am a horrible mom! I totally FORGOT the camera on Halloween. I have no "action" shots from last nights, so I just have to give you a play by play. I will share a picture with y'all, it's of the boys in their costumes, but we took it a couple of months ago, when we bought the costumes.

Skywalker is the Incredible Hulk, and Stonewall is Batman.

Last night, we had a "Trunk or Treat" event at church. It was a blast. However, I missed our full-fledges Fall Festival that we had done in the years past. . .I would actually LOVE to combine the events for next year. The cookout, games, prizes, facepainting, and more games from the Fall Festival, with the Trunk or Treat aspect mixed in. . .that would be a great evening, I think. This year, though, it was a trunk or treat. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, essentially, you are trick or treating, but instead of going door to door, you go around an open area, where everyone is, with candy in their decorated trunks. We put a toddler sized homemade scarecrow in our trunk, with some fall colored leaves and a green blanket, then had candy inside a big stray basket. Others had carved pumpkins, and all sorts of other non-scary fall decorations. The cars were parked in a large u-shape in the parking lot. The kids really enjoyed it, and we had a great turnout. The youth group was disappointed when they found out there wouldn't be the usual games, so they put on a few by themselves, including a facepainting booth, a kissing booth (with hershey's kisses), and a ring toss. Then, the youth group had a cookout and bonfire after the kids left. All in all, a great evening. I do have to admit, that there were several batmans last night. Several times when Stonewall ran off with a friend or to get more candy (It was a small, enclosed area filled with people I knew, so I didn't keep him too close to me the whole time) I started looking for him, and approached the WRONG batman! I felt so silly. . .but I always found him like a second later.

I do have to share something else with you. Skywalker's teacher at preschool was teaching them about how to go trick or treating, and they learned this "chant" for lack of a better word, with motions. If you ask Skywalker what you do on halloween, here is what he'll tell you: "Get yowa yitto bag weady. . .I walk down the stweet. . .I knock on the dowa. . .and I shout Twick owa Tweat!" (The poor child can't say his Rs or his Ls very well.)

100 books

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. (Now, usually, I am not a big fan of the NEA, I find them to be way too liberal for me, but I really like this initiative.) Here is their top 100 books, of this list, they estimate the average adult has read only six. Here’s what you are supposed to do:
*Look at the list and bold those we have read. (No, the movie doesn't count!)
*Italicize those we intend to read.
*Underline the books we LOVE . ( I am not very good at this blogging thing, yet, and I don't know how to underline. . . So I will put a * before these)
Share this list in your blog, too, if you like. (I found this from C*R*A*Z*Y??? I was crazy once! Check out her blog!

*Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
*Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (Probably my all time favorite, I've read it at least 6 times)
Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Bible - (I try to read everyday!)
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (I will not read it, nor can I recommend it, as it is atheist)
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
*Complete Works of Shakespeare (A good portion, anyway!)
*Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch - George Eliot
*Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (I really didn't like this one)
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
*Emma - Jane Austen
*Persuasion - Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden (I did enjoy the film, but haven't read this one)
Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
*Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Dune - Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Dracula - Bram Stoker
*The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
Ulysses - James Joyce
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Germinal - Emile Zola
Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
Possession - AS Byatt
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte's Web - EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Watership Down - Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet - William Shakespeare
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
*Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Looks like I have alot of reading to do!