‹‹ ? Catalogue # ››

I got this idea from Kristin, to make a list of all the books I’ve read. It’s going to take a while…

Last Updated July 21, 2005

Book Title (Year written), Author. Date finished. Comments.

A
Adam Bede (1859), George Eliot (aka Mary Anne Evans). Sometime in 2000. I read this for my freshman year HS English Honors class. Long, laborious read, but worth it. Sad, but with a powerful message.
Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl (1947), Anne Frank. Not sure when, maybe 1997-1998. Such a sad story, but it’s uplifting to see how she doesn’t hate or curse the Nazis, she just wishes they could all live in peace.
And Then There Were None (originally published as Ten Little Indians) (1939), Agatha Christie. Not sure, maybe 1996-98? Interesting mystery novel, but mysteries aren’t really my thing.
Antigone (ancient), Sophocles. 2000? I think I read this for my freshman English class. YAY GREEK!
Alicia: My Story (1988), Alicia Appleman-Jurman. 2001. I read this for my sophomore year history class. It’s like Anne Frank, about a Jewish girl during WWII, but a lot more action packed and exciting.
Anne Series, L.M. Montgomery. 1997-2005.

Anne of Green Gables (1908). 1997. I love this series so much. The books are even more magical than the PBS series. I love Montgomery’s writing! This is a gem.

Anne of Avonlea (1909). 1997. Anne has finished her education at Queen’s in this book and returns to Avonlea to teach. It’s still got the original charm.

Anne of the Island (1915). 1998. Anne finally gets together with Gil in this novel, and that is the only reason I like it. She goes to Redmond college, blah blah… pretty boring.

Anne of Windy Poplars (1936). 1998. Anne and Gil are still waiting to get married, and Anne goes to Kingsport to teach at a school. She wins everyone over (once again, this is getting old) and it is pretty slow moving. I wanted more Gil in it. 😛

Anne’s House of Dreams (1922). 2005. Anne and Gil FINALLY get married in this one. They move to Four Winds Harbor. I really like this one (I actually JUST read it!) because it has more Gil, and also because it isn’t the world against Anne, like the previous four. It has a lot more memorable characters with storylines that are extremely relatable. Probably my second favorite of the series.

Anne of Ingleside (1939). 2005. It seems Ms. Montgomery went back and wrote more about the early lives of the children and Anne’s settling in to Ingleside. I don’t know whyever for, because this one was pretty boring.

Rainbow Valley (1919). 2005.I think I would have enjoyed this book better if I read it when I was younger. As it is, I found this one painfully boring. It’s all about Anne’s children, Mary Vance and the children of the manse.

Rilla of Ingleside (1921). 2005. This book focuses on the last Blythe child, fifteen year old Rilla (named after Marilla Cuthbert). It is set during WWI. I think I like this book second or third best, I can’t decide if I like it more than Anne’s House of Dreams. A really enjoyable read. It’s the last book (chronologically) in the series. It’s also interesting because it gives a small glimpse of what life was like for Canadians during the war, something I don’t know much of as an American.

Anthem (1945), Ayn Rand. Probably 1999 or so. Really quick but interesting read about a world where everyone has been stripped of their identities, and a man’s discovery of his own identity.
The Art of Loving (1956), Erich Fromm. 2002. I had to read this for my English AP class senior year, but it’s an awesome read for anyone. It’s nonfiction, a study of what love is and what isn’t, and how we can understand it. Really good.
Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People (2000), Helen Zia. 2005. Pretty good history of Asian Americans in the United States, but a better one (history-wise) is Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans. She can get a bit preachy and liberal at times, too.

B
Beowulf (unknown), Unknown. 1999. I had to read this for my freshman year of English in HS. It’s a tough read, and I didn’t really enjoy it that much. Then again, I was never into the epic hero story.
Beloved (1987), Toni Morrison. 2002. Read this for my junior year HS English AP class and MAN, is this book seriously messed up. There are some disturbing scenes, but it’s purposeful. You won’t ever forget reading this book.
Blood Wedding (????), Frederico Garcia Lorca. 2002. I had to read this for my junior year English class. It’s a really sad read.
The Bone People (1983), Keri Hulme. 2002. I had to read this for my senior year English AP class. It’s the first book I ever read that was set in and about New Zealand. It’s a really awesome read, I really reccomend it.
Bridget Jones’ Diary (1999), Helen Fielding. 2005. I read this in about 2 days, it’s v. funny and v.g.!

C
A Call To Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. (2001), Edited by Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard. 2002. I had to read this for my junior year English class. Hearing the speeches is one thing, but reading them, and actually seeing how eloquent, intelligent, and well thought out these speeches were… to me, they’re even more inspiring on paper.
The Canterbury Tales (1386), Geoffrey Chaucer. 2001. I think I read this for my sophomore year English class in HS. All I know is I hated it. Boring, boring, boring.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold (????), Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Maybe… 2002? I can’t remember what class I had to read it for, but I’m glad they made us. I prefer it over Autumn of the Patriarch (which I never finished), but it’s still surpremely sad. The storytelling style is really innovative and different though.
Cyrano de Bergerac (1898), Edmond Rostand. 2001. I read this for my sophmore year English class. Although I like the movie Roxanne, which is based off of this play, much better; this is a good read. It’s pretty amusing, yet sad.
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul I & II (1997-8), Various. 1997-8. I can’t believe I’m even including this here, but everyone read them and they are uplifting, so 😛
Death of a Salesman (1949), Arthur Miller. 2002? Great play, and personal for me in many ways.
A Doll’s House (1879), Henrik Ibsen. 2001. Really interesting little play, although dull at times.

E
East, West (1994), Salman Rushdie. 2003. I had to read this for my senior year English AP class. I think the first book I ever read by an Asian author. A collection of stories … I don’t remember it that much, hehe.
Emma (1816). Jane Austen. 2005. I read this for my British Lit class and I loved it! I love the movie Emma and the book was even better. I can identify with Emma’s naivete and her efforts to please everyone. I love Emma and I don’t care if people think it’s a chick novel. 😛
Escape from Egypt (1994), Sonia Levitin. 1996 or so. I found this in a young adult book section, it’s like a soap opera set during the time of Moses? Yeah. It was interesting for a 12 year old.
Einstein’s Dreams (1993), Alan Lightman. 2002. I had to read this for my junior year English AP class. It’s a really interesting fiction novel about Einstein, but also about his ideas and theories and how they would play out in reality I think? I dunno, it was a really good read though.

G
Geisha: A Life (2002). Mineko Iwasaki. 2005. I’ve wanted to read this ever since reading Memoirs of a Geisha, and I’m so glad I did. Iwasaki is the woman that Golden based Memoirs off of, but Sayuri and Mineko couldn’t be more different from each other. It’s hard to believe Golden even knew Mineko after reading this, it’s so different. It’s more informative and factual than Memoirs, but in my opinion more enjoyable.
The Great Gatsby (1924), F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2005. Read this for my Analysis of Literary Forms class at Fullerton. I really liked it, Gatsby is just so sad.

H
Hatchet (1987), Gary Paulsen. Probably 1996 or so. It’s such a riveting story about a boy who goes to visit his father, who lives in a remote part of Canada, but the pilot has a heart attack, leaving Brian to land the plane and figure out how to stay alive in the wilderness. His mother gave him a hatchet as a parting gift, and how valuable it turned out to be. Really good.
Hamlet (unknown), William Shakespeare. 2002. Ah Hamlet! At the time of this writing I have studied this play 4 times, but it just gets better everytime! The character of Hamlet is just so complex and pitiful. But he pulls it together in the end! And Ophelia, I think I really identified with her struggle between obeying her family and obeying her heart, which could drive anyone mad.
He: Understanding Maculine Psychology (1989), Alan Johnson. 2002. I had to read this for my senior year English AP class. It was okay, just talks about the psychology of man with the use of the story of the Fisher King.
Harry Potter and The Sorceror’s Stone (1998), J.K. Rowling. 2005. My boyfriend bought me a boxset of the first five books once the sixth book came out, so I thought I would start reading the series. This one was pretty good, I can see why so many people like it.

J
Jane Eyre (1847), Charlotte Bronte. 2001. I had to read this for my sophomore English class. It’s still one of my favorite books, I just love how Jane is so strong and has the courage to do the right thing… and she reaps what she sews in the end.

L
Language Myths (1998), Laurie Bauer & Peter Trudgill. 2005. I had to read this for my English in America class. It’s kind of interesting to read about the opinions and prejudices that people have about the English language and evidence that refutes it. Pretty much only interesting for English majors. 😛

M
Macbeth (unknown), William Shakespeare. 2001. I love how crazy Lady Macbeth is. You crazy, girl!
Memoirs of a Geisha (1997), Arthur Golden. 2005. I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading Geisha: A Life written by the woman Golden based his story off of. Apparently she was dissatisfied with the way he presented geisha and wrote her own version. Golden’s was very enjoyable though, I’d love to see how they differ.
Miss Julia (1888), August Strindberg. 2000.Because we all love it when snotty rich bitches get what’s coming to them!
My Brother Sam is Dead (1974), James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. 1995. Aw, is there anyone that hasn’t read this book? Probably. I read this in fifth grade for class. It’s a little book about the American Revolution and how Timmy’s brother is dead? I don’t really remember.

N
Nights in Rodanthe (2002), Nicholas Sparks. 2004. It was really sappy and melodramatic. Not your best, Sparky.
The Notebook (1996), Nicholas Sparks. 2004. This is my favorite Sparky book. It’s so romantic… I hope I have that kind of love. I definitely reccomend it for the hopeless romantic.

O
The Odyssey (um, ancient?) Homer. 1999. I read this for my freshman English class. I HATED it. Sorry, I know it’s a classic and all, but I really had to struggle to get through this one. I thought it would never end.
Oedipus the King (ancient), Sophocles. 2000. Read for my freshman English class. Anyone who has slept with their mom can relate… I mean, ew.

P
A Passage to India (1924), E.M. Forster. 2002. I had to read this for my senior year English AP class. Wonderful portrayal of race relations in colonial India.
Persuasion (1818). Jane Austen. 2006. I love Austen and my mother bought me an Austen boxset of her books for Christmas 2005. This was one of them and the last book Austen wrote. It’s kind of a sad tale about underappreciated Anne Elliot who refuses the marriage proposal of the only man she ever loved because her family objects to it. She always regrets it, but maybe all hope is not lost.
The Phantom of the Opera (1911). Gaston Leroux. 2004. I read this because I have always loved the play, but when the movie came out I got on a bit of a Phantom kick. I have to admit, the novel was a bit muddled and hard to follow at times, and I think ALW did a great job of translating it for the masses.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916). James Joyce. 2005. I read this for my British Lit class in college. It was a struggle to get through and I didn’t particularly enjoy it.

R
Rising Sun (1992), Michael Crichton. 2003. It’s been said that this novel is a bit racist and I can definitely see why one would think that. It has no redeeming Asian characters (that I can think of off the top of my head, having read this two years ago at least), but it’s action-packed and suspenseful.
The Return of the Native (1895), Thomas Hardy. 2000. I had to read this for my sophomore English class and I think the students really gave it a bad rap. Yeah, it is a bit slow moving (what British novel ISN’T?), but I really enjoyed it. Not half bad.
Romeo and Juliet (also known as the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet) (unknown), William Shakespeare. 2000. For my Freshman year English class. I know that everyone and their mom likes this play, but I really like it! It has to be my favorite Shakespeare play, as typical as that is. I love the language, I’ve studied it twice in my schooling so far, it’s just great.

S
The Shipping news (1993), Annie Proulx. 2002. I had to read this for my senior year English AP class. It’s really depressing, you’re hereby warned.
Shopaholic Series, Sophie Kinsella. 2004. including:

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2001). Aw, the one that started it all! This book had me hooked, and I was rolling with laughter everytime I read it. So funny! And the shopping! I related to Becky and her shopping ways, although I am not quite so extreme 😀

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (2002). This is the second in the series. It still had all the charm of the first book, and I loved seeing her in a new place. And of course, I can relate to a story about a shopaholic…

Shopaholic Ties the Knot (2003). I have to admit, while I love Becky and her quirkiness, by this novel it was starting to irritate me. How many times can we get Becky into situations with her wishy-washiness and indecisiveness? But I’m glad I read this one. 🙂

Shopgirl (2001), Steve Martin. 2004. I looooove this novella! Steve Martin is such a great writer! Definitely reccomend this one. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is I love so much about it, but it’s there!
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (ancient), unknown. 2000. Read for my Sophomore English class, and what can I say? I don’t like the epic poems. It’s better than the Odyssey, though.
The Sound and the Fury (1929), William Faulkner. 2002. For my Junior year AP class. This book was so hard to understand, but the writing style is really creative. I never would have thought to write from the perspective of a mentally handicapped person. It’s overall a really sad story, but it’s a great story of a Southern family.
Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans (1989), Ronald Takaki. Read at CSUF for an American Studies class on Asian Americans. Reading this book really opened my eyes to a whole part of American history I never heard of before. Did you know there were Filipinos in America as early as the 1500s? Neither did I. It’s really good.
Surfacing (1972), Margaret Atwood. 2003. Senior year English AP. I love this woman’s story. It starts out with her trying to find her missing father, but somehow she ends up reconnecting with nature in a freaky way. I would definitely reccomend it.

T
A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Charles Dickens. 2001. For Sophomore English class. So sad! It’s a classic for a reason, a heart gripping tale about the French Revolution, and just how f-ed up it was.
The Remains of the Day (1988). Kazuo Ishiguro. 2005. I read this because we watched the movie in my British Lit class and I loved it. I wanted to read the book in order to get a better understanding of it. It’s a nearly heartbreaking tale about an English butler who spends his life serving a Lord Darlington, forgoing all personal intimacy and his regrets about it at the end of his life.
The Teacher’s Grammar Book (2005). James D. Williams. 2005. I read this for my English Language in America class. You’d be surprised how many English speakers, like myself, have no clue what makes up the language we speak everyday. This is essential for English majors.
The Tempest (unknown), William Shakespeare. 2001. For my Sophomore English class. This is one of my least favorite Shakespeare plays; it’s too magical and weird.
The Things They Carried (1990), Tim O’Brien. 2005. For my Vietnam Lit class. A very moving portrayal of Vietnam War soldiers and the different ways the war affected them all. Very sad and interesting.
The Vietnam War (2001), Diane Yancey. 2005. For my Vietnam Lit class. Factual accounts of the war. For those who have no freaking clue what that war was about, as I didn’t when I started this class.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891), Thomas Hardy. 2001. Oh Tess, Tess! I read this for my sophomore year English class, and I still love it. It’s just so sad! Poor girl falls in love with a man who uses her, abandons her, etc. So sad. Read.
Tiger Eyes (1981), Judy Blume. 1996. Ohhh, Judy! You have ushered in generations of girls into puberty with your books! Including me! It’s about a girl whose father is shot, and how she and her family copes. Also deals with typical teen issues like sex, alcohol, mysterious boys in canyons…

W
The Wedding (2003), Nicholas Sparks. 2004. Lame sequel to The Notebook.
When the Legends Die (1963), Hal Borland. 1996. I just remember that my brother had to read this for his freshman year of high school and I, being a young child in want of books, read this book in elementary school. And comprehended it. It’s about a Native American boy and how he straddles his two cultures, American and Native American.
White Noise (1985), Don Delillo. 2005. Quite a disturbing novel, but it highlights how all of us in this capitalist culture run away from our fears and insecurities. Interesting, but depressing.
White Oleander (1999), Janet Fitch. 2000? I don’t quite remember when I read this, but I remember it was very graphic for my age. It was a little bit sad, but empowering how this girl could have very easily have become a drug addict, a prostitute, any number of things. She could have let her life be ruined by the terrible circumstances instigated by her mother’s crime, but she didn’t. She overcame it and found herself.
The Witches (1983), Roald Dahl. Aw, I think this is the only Dahl book I’ve read, but I loved it. It was so creepy and suspenseful! I really liked the movie with Anjelica Huston, too.
Woman Warrior (1975), Maxine Hong Kingston. 2002. It sort of reminds me of the Joy luck Club, but more compelling and more infused with she-power.

Y
The Yellow Wallpaper (1892), Charlotte Perkins Gilman. 2002. This is actually a short story, but it’s a really compelling portrait of sex relations at the turn of the century. It’s also really weird to see how this fugly yellow wallpaper drives this woman mad.
Yerma (????), Frederico Garcia Lorca. 2002. It came with the copy of Blood Wedding I have, so I read it. Short, sad.