Today Is My Birthday!

Today is my birthday.  I'm 39! One of my students asked me how old I was and another told him you're not suppose to ask that! In all honesty, I have no problem saying how old I am.  So I'll say it again - I'm 39!  To celebrate I thought I'd make a list of 39 books, series or authors that have been a big part of my reading life.  Here they are:

1. The Outsider by S.E. Hinton
2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
3. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (first book I taught to students)
4. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
5. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
6. "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman
7. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
8. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
9. I'll Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
10. Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire
11. Inkheart by Cornelia Funk
12. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
13. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
14. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
15. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
16. The Giver by Lois Lowry
17. Light in August by Willian Faulkner
18. Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton
19. Brown Bear Brown Bear by Eric Carle
20. Hatchet by Gary Paulson
21. Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos (first book I read aloud to my students)
22. Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson
23. Trixie Belden Series by Julie Campbell
24. Bopsey Twins Series by Laura Lee Hope
25. Cricket in Time Square by George Selden
26. Sweet Valley High Series by Francine Pascal
27. The Stand by Stephen King
28. The Shining by Stephen King
29. Shindler's List by Thomas Keneally
30. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
31. Rules by Cynthia Lord
32. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
33. Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
34. Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
35. Sunflower Series - multiple authors
36. John Saul
37. Danielle Steele
38. Jonathn Kellerman
39. Patricia Cornwell

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that came to mind! In some way, shape, or form these books have played a role in my life whether as a child, teenage, college student, teacher, mom or adult.  They have, in some way, become a part of who I am.  39 years! Can't wait to read through the next 39!