This week's Top Ten List (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) asks us to choose ten books written in the last decade (or so) that we hope people will still be reading in 30 years time.  Since I haven't done a Top Ten in a while, this seemed like a good week to jump back in.  I mean, basically I just have to list my ten favorite books of the last ten years right?

As it turns out, wrong.  There is a difference between a book that you loved personally and one that you think that people should still be reading in 30 years.  For that kind of staying power it should be something that speaks to our common humanity and portrays something important about our society at large, in my humble opinion.  So, I have created a list not just of books that I love (though I do love them all), but that I think have something important to say about the human experience and the societies we create.

A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Mosseini-The eradication of the oppression of women is a major indicator of a society becoming more developed, and this book shows us why.

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins-Yes, I know it's YA and people are probably tired of hearing about it, but this book is so full of social commentary that I hope teachers are actively teaching with it 30 years from now-and that we have not yet taken our voyeurism and "reality" tv to that extreme.

The Harry Potter Series-Basically for the same reason as The Hunger Games.  Underlying the magic and whimsical elements is a solid foundation of social justice and equality.

The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger-OK, this one is mostly on the list just because I loved it so, but it does have some interesting things to say about the nature of relationships.

Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood-What The Handmaid's Tale did in highlighting reproductive choice, these books do for environmental issues, with some feminism thrown in.

Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich-This book puts the lie to the conservative claim that if you have a job and work hard you will get ahead in American.  Not if you are working for minimum wage, and Ehrenreich lived it to prove it.

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak-Amazingly beautiful, heart-breaking, transcendent and brutal, reading this book made me understand how the Nazi's affected the everyday German, and it is a great picture of courage.

Monster, Walter Dean Myers-Another YA title, this book illuminates the way that poverty and the need to survive can make people act against their own interests, and how incarceration affects teens.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Bookish Resolutions

Thanks to the lovely bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish for hosting this weekly event.  This week's topic is Bookish Resolutions.

I am not really a resolution person.  Let's just say that the few times I have made a resolution in January I was back to my pre-New Year's state by February.  Besides, as a teacher it feels like my "new year" is in August, when I go back to school.   But, there are a few things with regard to reading and blogging that I want to do in 2011, so I'll give it the old college try.

1.  Stop requesting so many books on Goodreads: Since discovering Bookswap in May, I've gotten about 60 books.  For a cost of about $4.00 each that sounds like a good thing, right?  Problem is, I already have enough books in my reading room to last me three to four YEARS without buying or borrowing another book.  Seriously, the rush of getting books in my mailbox for so cheap is just too good to pass up.

2.  Read more quality middle-grade and young adult books:  I am almost done with a masters degree in reading, and if I am going to work as a reading specialist as I hope, I need to stay current with what is out there for kids in all age ranges, not just the primary and intermediate grades I teach now.  Besides, my children's and YA blog Second Childhood Reviews is feeling neglected.

3.  Read all of the longer books on my shelf:  Last year I did the 100+ book challenge (here is my post about it), and as a result I avoided some of the longer books on my shelves.  I've already made headway on this goal.  I just finished Stephen King's Under the Dome this weekend, in all of its 1074 page glory.

4.  Get around to some authors I'm ashamed I've never read:  OK, I admit it, I have never read a Jonathan Franzen book, or Phillip Roth, or Dave Eggers, or Ian McEwan, or Salmon Rushdie, or Thomas Pynchon.  Shame, shame on me...I have books from at least three of these authors on my shelves waiting for me to get with the program.  The fact that all of these authors are men are not lost on me so...

5. Read more fiction by men who are not mystery or horror writers:  I'll admit a certain prejudice in my book buying and reading for female authors.  I mean, I read good female authors, like Atwood and Kingsolver and Allende, but nonetheless I should probably get some perspective from the other half of the population.

6.  Blog more about general literary topics:  In reading the many book blogs that I've found, I've come to realize that the ones I enjoy the most are the ones that do more than just review books.  They are the ones that take on interesting literary topics, and talk about reading in general.  I'll have to fit in more time for blogging, but that is doable.  My TV and XBox probably don't need quite so much of my attention.

What Am I Looking Forward To in 2011?-Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies at The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is one I thought I was going to have to skip-Most Anticipated Books of 2011.  Cuz here's the thing-I don't really keep up with the publishing world AT ALL.  Thinking on it that seems strange for a book blogger and voracious reader.  Shouldn't I know what my favorite authors are doing, or what the critics are saying about what my favorite authors are doing, or what new favorite authors of mine are out there waiting for me to discover them?

What keeps me from doing more to keep my finger on the pulse of the publishing world?  Aside from time, I'd say the most influential factors is the 500 books in my waiting-to-be-read room.

Yes, I said 500 books in my TBR room.  Some bloggers have a TBR pile or a TBR shelf, I have an entire room.  This stems from the many years that my mother, retired in Michigan with nothing but time for reading, gave me all of her books.  At 5-7 a week, that adds up quickly.  Since I average about a book or two a week in a normal year, there is no way I can keep up.  Mind you, I'm not complaining-who doesn't love free books?  Ditto almost free books!  When I discovered Goodreads bookswap I was over the moon!  You mean, I can clear my shelves of all but the few books I want to keep after reading, and get receive frequent gifts of reading in the mail for just the price of postage?  I'm in!

So, not one of the books on my Top Ten this week will be published in 2011.  Most of them weren't published in 2010.  But they are the books I am looking forward to reading this year nevertheless.

1.  Under the Dome, Stephen King

Normally when I get a new Stephen King book I devour it immediately.  However, I signed up for the 100 Book Challenge this year, and at over 1000 pages I knew that it would take me longer than normal.  I was into slim volumes this year!  With the challenge soon over (and me still 10 books away from the goal-grrr), I plan to pick it up right after the new year.

2.  Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie

For years I've been telling myself I was going to give Rushdie a try, and the whole fatwa thing makes this novel the obvious choice for me.  I also have The Moor's Last Sigh in mt room, but we'll see how I feel about Satanic Verses first.

3.  Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger

I've had this book on my shelves for a while now, and the plain truth is that I love The Time Traveller's Wife so much I'm afraid that this will be a disappointment.  But I've put it off too long-especially since my copy happens to be borrowed from my best friend.  She loves me and all, but eventually she'll start giving me those looks-you know those looks!

4.  You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know, Heather Sellers

This one just came out in October, and I lucked into an ARC on bookswap.  It's about a woman who has face blindness, and doesn't remember people's facial features.  The very idea of living your life never recognizing anyone is fascinating and terrifying!

5.  The 19th Wife, David Ebershoff

Ordinarily I stay away from books that are made into Lifetime movies, but this title sounds too interesting to pass up.  The story of a modern day murder in a polygamous community, tied with a mystery from the past.  I'm a little bit obsessed with the whole polygamy thing, in a train-wreck sort of way.  And according to the reviews I read of the movie, Lifetime actually made a movie that didn't suck!

6.  Room, Emma Donaghue

My book club has a rule that we will only read books that have come out in paperback.  With the many good books out there, sticking to that rule has never been a problem-until Room came out.  But being teachers, we have to stick to the rules!

7.  Kindred, Octavia Butler

I just finished her Patternist series, and I'm ready to read what many say is her best book.  Considering I've pretty much universally enjoyed her books, I think that's a safe bet regardless.

8.  My Fair Lazy, Jen Lancaster

I've got this rather strange notion in my head that Jen Lancaster and I are meant to be friends.  Like I'll be walking in the city one day, and there she'll be coming out of Macy's or something, and we'll strike up a conversation, which she will find so fascinating that she will ask me to lunch, and we will end up at Uncle Julio's downing margaritas and dishing on the latest gossip.  I know, it's a sickness.

9.  People of the Book,  Geraldine Brooks

I actually thought I would read this in 2010, but when I requested it from bookswap I didn't realize it was an audiobook.  I don't really do audiobooks-it feels like cheating.  Well, I don't really do audiobooks, except for ones written by celebrities and read by celebrities, which brings me to...

10.  Life, by Keith Richards

Aside from what I'm sure will be a really interesting story, the audiobook is read by Johnny Depp.  I mean, come one!

My First Top Ten Tuesday!

Since I have started participating in the Literary Book Hop hosted by The Blue Bookcase, I have found so many goo d, grown-up, literary blogs I can hardly contain myself.  Apparently that is exactly what I needed to get my own blogging back on track-I'm feeling inspired.  And since I, like many of us, enjoy lists, I was especially excited to find Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks Top Ten Topic is favorite holiday books.  Sadly, I know very little about holiday themed books for adults, since I find most of them incredibly cheesy.  Sentimentality for the sake of sentimentality is not really my thing.  However, I'm also a teacher, which therefore gives me an out to focus my list on children's books! (With the exception of Dickens-I mean really, it's Scrooge!)

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas-do I really need to explain?

A Christmas Carol-again, pretty self-explanatory, no?

Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins-This is one that I use with my students every year.  They love the story of the goblins, and how Herschel tricked them into lighting the menorah. 

The Polar Express-Chris Van Allsberg's trip to the North Pole is a delight! 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe-OK, not technically a holiday book, but it has Father Christmas in it, and I got the entire set for Christmas in 1981 when I was in sixth grade, so it feels like Christmas to me.  I read all seven books before going back to school in January.  If I could go back to one time in my life and relive it, it might be that week, wrapped in my quilt reading about Narnia on my bed, safe and warm with my parents in the next room.

 Little House in the Big Woods-The Christmas chapter is one of my favorites.  I'm not sure anything brought home to me at 8 how different my world was from Laura's like reading about how excited she was to get an orange for Christmas.

Well, I guess my Top Ten turned into my Top Six, but I'm alright with that.  I've gotten a peek at next week's theme, and I'll be able to make up for it then!  Happy Thanksgiving!