I completed my 50 Books Challenge in 2011, and I’m gearing up to start another for 2012! I’d like to start with a list of books that I have, right now, sitting on my Nook (or on my computer) waiting to be read. This is not a set-in-stone reading list, as there are more books here than I could possibly read in one year, and I am sure there will be new books that I’ll want to read in the coming year. (For example, the next Iron Druid book, Tricked, comes out in April! I can’t wait!) I do think it will be interesting to look back in December and see how this and my “read in 2012″ lists compare.

1. At least some of the 27 unread Doctor Who New Series Adventures books sitting on my hard drive.

2. And, of course, some of the 226 Target Doctor Who and Eighth Doctor Adventures that I haven’t read yet. Yes, be prepared, I’ve barely scratched the surface of Doctor Who obsession in my reading.

3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Somehow I made it through childhood without ever reading this book. I’m thinking I am going to read it to my kids.

4. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. I picked up a nicely illustrated hardcover of this at Barnes & Noble on a whim, and then never read it. Now I’ve got the epub, and I plan to get cracking! I’ve always had something of a fascination with the work, due to being the first great piece of literature written in Italian. Of course, I can’t read it in Italian, but I still think that’s cool.

5. The rest of The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In 2011 I read A Study In Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Next up is The Hound of the Baskervilles.

6. Lysistrata by Aristophanes. I saw this one advertised when I was getting The Illiad, and it looked interesting. I always did enjoy ancient Greek lit.

7. Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I like Austen. I’ve read at least one of these books before, but I am not sure which one. I think it was Pride and Prejudice.

8. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Aisling loves Disney’s Peter Pan, so I am hoping she will enjoy the book.

9. Real Vampires Hate Their Thighs, Real Vampires Have More to Love, and Real Vampires Don’t Wear Size Six by Gerry Bartlett. More of the Glory St. Clair books, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

10. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I’ve heard that the book is very different, but I want to give it a shot.

11. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. One of the classic sci-fi novels that Mark loves.

12. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. This is one that I know I only read parts of in school, but I loved Chaucer’s acerbic wit! I’m excited about this one.

13. Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox, and The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton. Mark is a huge fan of Chesterton, and I thought I’d see what the fuss is. The first of these books is one of his serious works, while the second is the beginning of the Father Brown mystery series.

14. Undead and Unwelcome, Undead and Unfinished, Undead and Unworthy, and Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson. More books in the Queen Betsy series, which I had started a couple of years ago and then got burned out on. I plan to give them another try.

15. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Another classic sci-fi fave of Mark’s. His favorite movie, Blade Runner, is based on this book.

16. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I downloaded this for Christmas, but didn’t have time to read it. Yet.

17. The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Two more that I read in school and can’t remember if I finished them.

18. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is yet another book that my high school teachers ruined by having us read part of the book and then watch the movie. I intend to correct this.

19. Anansi Boys, American Gods, Neverwhere, Coraline, Stardust, and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Who doesn’t love Neil Gaiman?

20. The Underground History of American Education: An Intimate Investigation Into the Prison of Modern Schooling by John Taylor Gatto. This is a homeschool classic that I should have already read.

21. The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm. Inspired by the recent rash of fairy tale related TV shows. I’ve actually already read some of these, but there’s so many that I’ve barely made a dent.

22. The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton. Something every American should read at some point. I ought to also get The Anti-Federalist Papers eventually.

23. Dune by Frank Herbert. More of Mark’s classic sci-fi. Hey, he read Catch-22 for me.

24. The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. I read these in college, but I have this feeling that I didn’t finish one or both. Doesn’t hurt to read them again, right?

25. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I’m dying of curiosity to know what this book is actually about. It’s everywhere in pop culture, but I’ve never actually read it.

26. On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Possibly one of Mark’s favorite books, ever. We had it as an audio book once, and were listening to it at night, but I kept falling asleep. It was read by some actor with a very nice, soothing voice, that put me right out like a light.

27. The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Another of Lewis’ books, Surprised By Joy, is one of my favorite books of all time. (Not to mention The Chronicles of Narnia.) Looking forward to more by this great author.

28. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Lowry is the author of another one of my favorites, The Giver. Anna read Number the Stars last year, and told me it was great.

29. Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang, In the Company of Vampires, and Zen and the Art of Vampires by Katie MacAlister. These are the Dark Ones books. I got tired of these a while back, but I thought I’d give them another try.

30. The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I am certain I read this in school, but I barely remember it. Thought I’d read it again.

31. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien. A classic story that I plan to read to my kids.

32. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I read Atlas Shrugged in 2011, and Anthem is one of my favorites from high school. Looking forward to The Fountainhead.

33. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Mark says I won’t like this one, but I always thought it sounded interesting.

34. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. This is one that Mark likes. I’ll be honest that I am not excited about it. I figure, if I read it and don’t like it, at least I’ll be able to say why.

35. A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest by William Shakespeare. One of the silly romance novels I read recently quoted Shakespeare quite liberally, and got me in the mood. For Shakespeare, I mean.

36. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. I  love My Fair Lady, and can’t wait to read this.

37. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This one came free with my Nook, and I’ve never read it.

38. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I really enjoyed Of Mice and Men, so I’m hoping I will enjoy this one, too.

39. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Always wanted to read this one.

40. Dracula by Bram Stoker. Also came free with my Nook.

41 Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was one of my idols in high school. Before I met Mark, I planned to have two sons named Henry David and Edgar Allan.

42. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. A fun adventure story that I’m hoping my sons will like.

43. Beowulf by Unknown. This is one of those books that we read in school, that I can’t remember whether we read the whole thing or just an excerpt.

44. Candide by Voltaire. I’ve heard this is funny. We’ll see.

45. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. I really enjoyed The Time Machine in 2011, so I’m excited to read this one.

46. The Once and Future King by T.H. White. I’ve been dying to read a good Arthurian novel for a while now.

47. Night by Elie Wiesel. I can’t remember who recommended this book to me, but I heard it was good.

Wow. Looking over my list, it looks very ambitious. A lot of heavier books and classics. Honestly, it’s not that I’m such a high-brow reader (ha! like you didn’t already know that!) but that classics are more likely to be available for cheap or free out there on the internets. I’ll probably only read 10 or 15 such books, and spend the rest of my time with cheap sci-fi / fantasy and romance, but that will be fun, too!

Once the end of my goal was within sight, I kinda got lazy. I went from being 2 books ahead (according to my little tracker on Goodreads), to being 2 books behind. With number 49, below, I am caught up again, but I’m down to the wire and still 1 more book to go! It will be close, but I know I can make it! I just have to pick something short but enjoyable, something worth ending the year on! In the meantime…

49. To Tame a Highland Warrior by Karen Marie Moning, read December 26

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the series that began with Beyond the Highland Mist. The first book was about the romance of Hawk and Adrienne, while the second is about Hawk’s best friend, Grimm, and Grimm’s childhood love. In the past, when I have read a romance series that tells the story of a different couple in each book, it’s basically the same story over again with slight variations. For example, the Dark Ones books are all about mysterious ancient vampires called (obviously) Dark Ones, who each are seeking their predestined One True Love. Sure, each book has a different setting, and the characters all have their own quirks and obstacles, but it’s the same story over and over. Which is probably why I only read about five of them.

To contrast, To Tame a Highland Warrior is COMPLETELY different from Beyond the Highland Mist. It’s set in the same supernaturally-soaked 16th century Scotland, and the heroes of both books are friends, but there the similarities end. We have all new characters, a new setting, new backstory. The mythology even changes; the villains of the first book are Gaelic fae, while the heroes of the second are the famed Berserkers of the Norse.

There is one more similarity between the two books, in that Karen Moning has once again taken my emotions for a wild and crazy ride. My feelings about Grimm, the hero, ran from curiosity, to hatred, to sympathy, to feeling like my heart had been ripped out and stomped all over on his behalf, to joy as all the traumas of his youth were finally resolved. Better yet, I felt immense empathy for the heroine, Jillian, as though we were riding the emotional roller coaster together.

I’m definitely interested in finding out what happens in the next book, though I wonder whether Moning will keep changing things up, or just stick with the Berserker theme. (That would be too easy, wouldn’t it? I hope.)

48. The Princess Bride by William Goldman, read December 26

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes, I finally finished The Princess Bride!

Ok, I know it took me ages to finish, but it was NOT because I did not enjoy it. IT WAS AMAZING! It’s just that Aisling, for whatever reason, has decided lately that she does not want me to read to her (EVER), and has been causing problems every time I try to read. Every two sentences she’ll start acting up, so that it takes me FOREVER to read even one page. I’m going to let her pick the next book, and I’m hoping that will help.

In the meantime, the rest of the family LOVED The Princess Bride. We laughed, we cried, we held our breath. Literally — at one point I came to the end of a tense scene, and Anna let out a huge breath, and I laughed and said, “Anna, you’ve seen the movie, you know what happens!” William Goldman really spun a terrific tale of romance and high adventure.

Admittedly, I did feel that he carried the joke a little too far in the 30th Anniversary edition, considering that it contained nearly 100 pages of extra material — about the original Morgenstern manuscript, legal troubles with the Morgenstern estate, Goldman’s trips to Florin, and his attempts to abridge the sequel, Buttercup’s Baby. Which might have been halfway interesting, if it weren’t 100% BS, LOL. As it was, I quit after about 20 pages, and feel satisfied having read the actual story.

(The funny part is, I didn’t realize that there was a bunch of “extra” at the end of the book. So I was reading to the kids, and Mark was standing around listening when he really should have been leaving for his eye doctor appointment, and I told him, “You might as well go. There’s like 60 pages left.” So he left, and the story ended 3 pages later.)

All in all, I can’t wait to watch the movie again. The whole book I’ve been hearing the dialogue in the actor’s voices (especially Andre the Giant!), and I’m super excited to see it again!

Now that I am just about caught up, here are the latest two reviews from my 50 book challenge!

46. Amusing Grace: Hilarity & Hope in the Everyday Calamity of Motherhood by Rhonda Rhea, read November 23

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Normally, this is the kind of book that I avoid reading. But my grandmother sent it over, and I noticed that it was signed by the author, so I thought I’d give it a try.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad book. It’s not poorly written, the theology seems sound. It’s just that this entire genre makes me feel utterly hopeless and worthless. Firstly, due to my own issues, my life as a mother is nothing like the lives of the sort of women who write these books. They’re trying to find humor and grace in shuttling their kids to activities, waging the war against messy homes, and vacationing with very small children. I, OTOH, read about these things wistfully, and shed a few tears wishing that was my life.

Secondly, the links made between real life events and Scripture are tenuous at best, and the analogies do not help me understand in the least. Talking about the “paths” driven down taking kids to soccer practice gives no insight into how one should practically “acknowledge the Lord” so He can “make your paths straight.” No, seriously, I don’t get it, and I really want/need a more practical understanding of how to live for Christ. But all I find in these “uplifting” books and “Mom’s Bible studies” is cute stories and platitudes with a Bible verse stuck on at the end.

I guess this book is probably very good for… whatever it’s supposed to be. Just not for me.

47. Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning, read December 13

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A girl I met at my favorite bar recommended this series to me. From what I read in the reviews, this one is supposed to be the weakest book in the series, but I liked it. I usually like funny romance novels, and this one is serious, but it really tugs on your heart strings. Parts of it seriously made me want to cry with empathy for the hero.

It does use that oh-so-cliche device of romance novels, “the misunderstanding,” wherein the hero and heroine spend part of the book hating each other for something that never really happened and could easily be cleared up if they would just SPEAK. Actually, it used that a couple of times. I suppose that romance novelists use this to create conflict without making the reader hate either of the main characters, but I just find it frustrating. Still, it’s in every single romance novel you will ever read, so I can’t count it against this one.

I have to finish three more books before the end of the year to reach my goal, but I am suffering from some serious reader’s burnout. I have 62 books on my Nook, and another three or four in paperback, and I don’t feel like reading ANY of them. I’ve started several books that I would normally enjoy, but I can’t seem to get into any of them!

I have been reading The Princess Bride again. (Oh, what’s that you say? I’ve said that before? It’s not that I don’t enjoy reading it — it’s a great book! It’s just that I am awful at setting aside time to read to my kids every day. But I swear, I am going to finish it this time; I’m more than halfway done!)