I got the most touching letter from my step-dad yesterday.

A little background on my family...my step-dad is an asshole. I had accepted his asshole-ness as a child, working as hard as I could to get out of my house. There were moments in my life where we would get along rather well. We would watch action movies, the A-Team, he taught me how to cook. I knew I was his favorite but all of the illusions of happy family were shattered during the times he would lose his temper and smack me in the face or the one time he pinned me against the kitchen counter with his hands around my neck. (blah blah blah dysfunctional childhood cakes).

I left my house second semester of my senior year. My SD had been making comments to me that I found ianppropriate (lewd ones). I think now that he was playing at me like an adult but the comments were odd ones to say to your 17 year old stepdaughter, who you had raised since she was 5.

So 7 years have gone by since I moved out. I didn't talk to my mom for three of those years. I have a good relationship with her now but the relationship with SD has been strained. He has calmed down some but I ignore him when he gets belligerent anyway. He can't touch me now. We talk about mundane and safe things and he is still the guy I call when my check engine light went on or when I can't remember how long to cook the meatloaf.

I have been begging SD to give me his Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun. He has like 13 and the 9 doesn't take the bullets he reloads without jamming. I love shooting it when I go up there and I am really comfortable with that gun. I asked my mom about it after Father's Day (which I sent him a nice BBQ basket for). She called me later and said he was sending me a letter.

I got the letter yesterday. It gave me instructions on how to get my Handgun Safety Certificate so he can transfer ownership. (yay) Then he went into how things are going with my older deadbeat sister. He said that somehow he gets the blame for everything that went wrong in our lives. (He was a problem but definitely not to blame. Everybody chooses their own path in life. I chose to rise above any abuse, my sister did not. The only thing my childhood is responsible for is making me a stronger person.) Then he went on to say that life doesn't come with instructions and he is sorry for any mistakes that he made. He said that he is proud of what I have made myself and proud to call me daughter.

Wow.

*sniff*

So that was pretty cool. Especially from someone whose favorite line was "You're not my kids."

I had a good night last night. I am getting a gun, I got approval that I thought I would never get, and I learned the rest of my form in Tae Kwon Do. Which is still kicking my ass.

I will go lift weights tonight. I have slacked off majorly since I dislocated my shoulder (in January!). I am so weak in the arms it is ridiculous. So off to the gym! Three days a week! Dammit!

Not the clearest picture but this is what my car looks like! 

Baby Zion sleepin' 

Friday Five

1. What candy is sitting on your desk (or closest to you) right now?

Almond Roca, Jelly Bellies, Tootsie Rolls, and licorice. This is all the work of evil Bossman who doesn't care if I am trying to watch what I eat or not!

2. What was your favorite candy as a child, and why?

I loved cordial cherries. My favorite grandma would keep them in her house and we would eat them in the summers that we would visit.

3. What is your least favorite type of candy?]

I am not a fan of Heath Bars.

4. Name a candy that brings up a vivid memory and describe the memory.

Candy necklaces. I loved using them as flirtation devices when I was a teenager. It was fun getting guys to bite your neck.

5. If you *were* a piece of candy, what candy would you be, and why?

I would be a Blow Pop. I love Blow Pops. I think it is just because of my oral fixation. I like sucking on them until I get to the gum. I never bite the Blow Pop!

Hi, I'm Hammie and I'm a Republican. *hi, hammie*

I'm moderate but conservative. I supported the war. I voted for Bush. Now with the next election looming, I am torn.

I know that Bush's economic policy sucks. I am not thrilled with the deficit. I believe in the tax cuts but I also know that something is not right.

I think that once we turn over power to the Iraqi government we need to get our guys out.

I support gay marriage. I am pro-life myself, but would never force my opinion of that on someone else. I am pro-medicinal marijuana.

I am also pro-gun. In fact, my step-dad is giving me a 9mm as a gift this month. I believe in being able to protect my home.

As you can tell, I have issues.

So I am not sure I am going to vote for Bush again. But I do know I sure as hell am not going to vote for Kerry.

What other alternative do I have?

David just associated me with a baby gorilla. Because I am inquisitive.

Should I be insulted?

My Hero

HammieLove did something yesterday that reminded me of one of the reasons of why I love him so much.

He was driving home and the car in front of him swerved from the left side of the road to the far right and in the process, they hit a cat. HL was looking all around trying to figure what they were swerving to avoid when he saw the driver and passenger (two young guys) stick their heads out the window to look at the cat (whose back end was crushed but was still alive -- HL said it was a horrible sight) and they were laughing. The fuckers had swerved IN ORDER to hit the cat. So when they all were stopped by road construction, HL got out of truck and walked up to the car. Before the guy could say anything,

*WHAM*

HL punched him across the face, busting his nose open. The passenger started yelling "Drive! Drive!" but HL got one more in at the base of the skull and jaw before the guy could get away.

I bet that guy will never do that again because he never knows who will see.

Unfortunately, HL was driving the company truck so if the lady behind him was calling anyone (she was on her phone) and reporting him, he could get fired.

Although I would rather work to jobs knowing what a noble guy I have than have had him sit there and do nothing.

Borrowed from Nance...

three things i'm wearing
1. Matching blue Victoria's Secret bra and undies
2. My little piece of hardcore - bike chain bracelet and ring
3. Ralph Lauren True Romance

three things currently on my desk
1. Pictures of my kitties
2. An orchid that a client gave me
3. A whole lot of paper

three things i want to do before i die
1. Have a couple of kids
2. Learn a different language
3. own my own home

three good ways to describe my personality
1. friendly
2. Fun
3. optimistic

three bad things about my personality
1. impatient
2. tad bit overdramatic
3. unfocused

three things i like about my body
1. eyes
2. chest :)
3. my hair

three things i don't like about my body
1. tummy
2. thighs
3. knees (because they don't work properly!)

three things most people don't know about me
1. I was the smart kid in school. Now everyone thinks I am a ditz.
2. I wanted to be a stripper for a long time.
3. I used to be bi-curious. Curiousity killed the cat though which is why I am straight.

three things i say the most
1. Are you kidding me?
2. It was so funny...
3. On the bright side...

three places i want to go
1. new york city
2. Ireland
3. Australia

last three things i've eaten today
1. Red Bull
2. Donut
3. Does toothpaste count?

I Could ...
If They Would
If they would find a cure when I'm a kid...
I could ride a bike and sail on rollerblades, and
I could go on really long nature hikes.
If they would find a cure when I am a teenager...
I could earn my license and drive a car, and
I could dance every dance at my senior prom.
If they would find a cure when I'm a young adult...
I could travel around the world and teach peace, and
I could marry and have children of my own.
If they would find a cure when I'm grown old...
I could visit exotic places and appreciate culture, and
I could proudly share pictures of my grandchildren.
If they could find a cure when I'm alive...
I could live every day without pain and machines, and
I could celebrate the biggest thank you of life ever.
If they would find a cure when I'm buried into Heaven,
I could still celebrate with my brothers and sister there, and
I could still be happy knowing that I was part of the effort.


June, 2000
© Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
Used with permission from Journey Through Heartsongs, Hyperion, 2002


Mattie died today of a rare form of MD. I think that it is amazing that such a young man could touch an inspire people the way that he did. You can read about him on the here. When I hear about someone like Mattie, it makes me feel like a wimp for crying about my earache.

*ugh*

I am not feeling well today. I got the beginnings of an earache last night and now I feel shaky and hot. I want to go home but then I'll get the " You're always sick" when in fact I haven't called in or gone home sick in months.

I hosted our suite at the Padres game last night. It was a lot of fun.
The group of clients was a lot of fun and I think I got a couple of good leads for the BossMan to follow up on.

I want to go home.

It's good to be bi

Polar that is. That is what my therapist thinks I am afflicted by - manic depression to the layfolk. I have to say that I would not be surprised but I am witholding any feeling towards it until I actually see the shrink for diagnosis.

To be honest, I don't care what it is as long as they can fix it and make me feel better.

So many people seem surprised that I talk about therapy and depression with such candor. I think that there is too much of a stigma that surround this disease. There is nothing that I can do to control the weird things that are happening in my head. Why be ashamed? I always knew I was nuts. Now everybody else knows!

Just kidding.

I am glad that I am getting help though.

Zion came home on Saturday. I have pictures here at work, I just have to figure out how to scan them into my computer. She settled right in, no separation anxiety or anything. I think that she was happy to be in a clean and quiet environment. She follows me around like a puppy. It is very adorable. The other cats are getting used to her. Dozer cuddled up to her while we were sleeping on Saturday night, but he would never let us see it in the daytime. I woke and saw them. Once Dozer realized I was watching, he moved. He is such a boy!

We went to the Scottish Highland games yesterday. HammieLove said it was nothing like the Ren Faire but I totally think that it was. The only difference I saw was that these people were really Scots as opposed to the people at the Faire pretending to be English. I have to say that hot bodies in kilts are VERY sexy! *rowr*

Back to work...

I was in a poetic mood on Friday, but not THAT poetic. I didn't realize that it had posted three times!

If thou must love me, let it be for naught
Except for love's sake only.
Do not say, 'I love her for her smile, her look, her way
Of speaking gently, for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'.
For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may
Be changed, or change for thee -- and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry:
A creature might forget to weep who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.

Elizabeth Barret Browning

Apparently I was a posting maniac yesterday. Must've been the Red Bull.

I went to a knock off purse party last night. I didn't see any Gucco purses that I liked but I did get ONE thing.

See, I have this bracelet. It is made out of a bike chain. It reminds me of my dirt bike and the desert. I call it " My little piece of hardcore." Now I have a littler piece of hardcore. The purse lady spotted my bracelet and brought me over a matching ring. Sweet! I bought it right away. It only fits on my wedding ring finger so I made HammieLove put it on me.

Then I said " Look, you have the balls and I have the chains!"

I crack myself up, yo.

Speaking of...

Bush's "Machinehead" is on right now. The universe is conspiring to relax me. Or make me horny.

That's a good Friday topic...

What is a favorite song to have sex to?

Discuss.

There is something about the music of Tool that totally relaxes me. Here I am a little stressed out, listening to a different radio station because Jamie's boyfriend's band is going to be on, when a Tool song comes on.

Instant relaxation. I had forgotten what an effect it has on me. Marilyn Manson does the same thing. And old Bush. Color me odd.

I think I will have to track down my old CD when I get home.

Okay, so I fell off the cigarette wagon. I only had one though. Maybe I need the patch?

I went out to the balcony to bum a smoke and there were a group of my friends out there. They pointed out a pack that someone had left. I figured whoever left wouldn't have minded that I took one. Then this girl came out, we'll call her Bitchy McFakey-Racky Pants (BMP) and asked if anyone had seen her pack. I gave it to her and said that I had bummed one. She snatched it and left. All of the other girls looked at me like "WTF?" For some reason, BMP has never liked me. I don't think I have ever done anything to her. She has always been rude and aloof. It bothers me a little bit. I hate rude people, especially when they are rude for no reason. It makes me feel like a high school outcast who is shunned by the popular girls.

Not that she is popular. (Except with the guys - 'cause she's a slut.)

Ooh, that was catty.

*rowr*

You know what my new mantra is?

No Drama.

Jamie ( who is sixty days sober tomorrow! Yay Jamie!) told me that I always have a crisis. This week, I am trying really hard NOT to have a crisis.

Both bosses gone to a conference at the same time? No problem.

Avalanche of phone calls and irate clients as a result? Piece of cake.

Freeway shut down because a historic bridge caught on fire right before rush hour? No sweat.

NO DRAMA.

What Finding Nemo Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Most people say I am a Dory...look something shiny!

Hi. I'm Hammie and I am a stressaholic.

* hi hammie! *

I picked the wrong week to quit smoking (again.)

Is it weird that it is 70 degrees outside and I have my space heater on? I am ALWAYS cold.

So I am probably going to working for another couple of hours. *sigh* I knew I shouldn't have taken lunch.

On the bright side? LadyBoss got the go ahead to give me overtime pay. *woot*

Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On

5.2 on the Richter scale is pretty impressive. The initial jolt about knocked me off my feet. Luckily, I was at the Recorder's office, which is only on the second floor. I think I would have been a little more freaked out if I had been in my office, which is only on the fifth floor, but in an old building.

One of our high up managers bolted under his desk. It was an appropriate move, but... hee!

I remember in school, we would have earthquake drills where we would have to duck under our desks, foreheads to the ground, hold on to one leg of the desk with one hand and cover the back of our neck with the other. Because that huge chunk of concrete coming right for me is going to miraculously not break my neck because of my hand. *sigh*
Of course, that might have been better than just standing there like I did. It's kind of like a roller coaster! As long as something is not going to bust my melon, I enjoy the ride! I like turbulence in airplanes too. I am a nut.

And some dummy bolted out the door at the Recorder's. That is the WORST thing to do in an earthquake, dummy! Stay inside or you might get a brick dropped on your head!

To give Tornado, Blizzard and Hurricane folks a little perspective, the '89 quake that leveled San Francisco was a 7.1 on the Richter scale.

Time to go home and see if everything is in tact! (And to soothe the freaked out kittens..by the way, Zion comes home tonight!)

Ahhh, the silence

My sister and nieces headed back to AZ yesterday. I am going to miss them a ton but the empty apartment was BLISS yesterday. Much napping and catching up on non-kid-friendly Tivo'd shows commenced.

We went camping over the weekend at little Lake Dixon which is about five minutes from our house. We "roughed it" in the RV. The girls had a good time. Our fishing expedition lasted all of 20 minutes before they lost interest. HammieLove and I took Britt (the youngest, she's six) hiking. We hit some boulders that she wanted to explore and ended up free climbing about 100 feet up. They were at a gradual incline, nothing too dangerous, but the climbing was technical. Britt handled it like a pro. It was a fun time (but I am sore!!)

How freaky was Six Feet Under?

BigBoss let us out early! Have a good weekend all!

Hammie Gone!

This is funny. Extremely funny. It make me want to live in Kansas.

I saw the film in it original format when I was six. S-I-X. I have perverted older siblings who made the discovery in my parent's bedroom.

If you think about it, it explains a lot about me because well, I am a nympho.

I have almost finished reading Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier (which is off of the list). This book has a twist that rivals the Sixth Sense. I was blown away! It is also beautifully written and entertaining without being archaic (which is cool considering it was written in 1938). A classic romance without being a bodice ripping kind of book (no sex at all to speak of...)

Which is kind of disappointing.

Kidding!

Really.

No, really.

I have Penthouse Forum for that.

Was that TMI?

Wow, I am silly today.

Must be the Care Bear.

Bondage Bear


Which Dysfunctional Care Bear Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


This one is actually fitting.

Maybe today at lunch I will go and get me new license plate frame made.

"If you're gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair!"

I wish that I was a govenment employee today. Not because I want the day off to go to the beach. Really.

President Reagan is the first President of my generation to die. I was watching part of the pre-funeral activities (including Nancy kissing the flag draped coffin -- made me cry) and I wished that I could watch the whole thing. I like experiencing history while it is happening. I just wish I could be at home watching. Hell, I wouldn't mind watching here at work, but I think I would get in trouble.

Reagan was elected for his first term 2 weeks after I was born. The first eight years of my life, he was President. I remember I had a Webster (remember that show? What ever happened to that kid?) book that showed Webster going to the White House and eating Jelly Beans with the President.

Today is the true end to an era.

Only in California

I just had an avocado sandwich. Avocado, cheese, tomoatoes and sprouts.

Yum.

I am fixated on food today. Oral fixation because I quit smoking?

Or is Grace getting in my head?

This is one of my favorite reads. Apparently Rance is a celeb ( exactly who he is a closely guarded secret) but he is witty (and on location, which is why there are guest bloggers.)

Go back and read the archives. He cracks me up!

Licorice is good.

mmmmmm...licorice.

You have an entrancing kiss~ the kind that leaves
your partner bedazzled and maybe even feeling
he/she is dreaming. Quite effective; the kiss
that never lessens and always blows your
partner away like the first time.


What kind of kiss are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


**Rowr**

I feel good - So good *bum*bum* So good!
I love having good days! Got a good night's sleep last night, ate breakfast this morning... *grin*

I went back to Tae Kwon Do last night after a 5 month hiatus. Man am I out of shape! It felt really good to be back though. One of my favorite instructors has left, but the new full time ones are really fun (and cute!). I got a lot of "We missed you!" (which is always nice). I am a little sore today, but it is good sore! And I slept like a baby.

Day Two with no cigarettes. I am doing pretty good, though I was sorely tempted when I was at the gas station this morning.

How are you today?

Back from vacay

Relaxed and refreshed, right? Yeah, right! Having my sister and her two daughters staying with us in our tiny apartment is anything but relaxing. Just too many people.

We are having fun though. We went to Sea World on Sunday ( a total blast). We did a lot of shopping. HammieLove got his bonus and we used part of it to redecorate. New couch (not the one I wanted, but it is nice and comfy) new chair, new flat screen TV. Throw in some cute retro Americana decor that I found and my little house looks so cute!

Plus my wonderful sis decided to help me out with the depression thing and thought that cleaning my house from top to bottom would help. It did! It looks like a professional maid came through. I am very grateful.

Today I am back at work and a little crabby. Went to bed later than I should have, I haven't had any caffeine today in an effort to curb my soda/Red Bull addiction, and I quit smoking (again). This after HammieLove sat my down for a "talk" which still make me feel 12. He is worried about my health, blahblahblah cancer-cakes. Besides the fact that I have chronic asthma and I can't consistently work out if I am smoking. Which in turn makes me feel like crap because I am used to working out.

So I threw away my BRAND NEW (that hurt) pack of cigs. It is for the best.

Doesn't stop me from being crabby though.

On the bright side, David emailed me. I was happy to hear from him, a little freaked out to hear that he had read my blog (I never thought anyone I KNEW would read this...S'cool though). I think that we will not be able to hang out this summer without totally freaking HL out, but that is my own fault. I do think that over time, when HL feels more secure, we will be able to be the great friends that we have the ability to be. We always made better friends than a couple.

So, David, if you read this...

I value you as my friend. You showed me a lot of things over that week and helped me cross a threshold within myself that I had been battling a long time. There is nothingthat I regret about my time spent with you. Our day at the Faire was the most fun that I had had in a long time. I love you as my friend and one day this will all be water under the bridge and we will look back and laugh.

Initri

Alias fans unite!

This is what is going on over at Support Alias to let the ABCimians know that we not only want our show back (it is scary that it was pushed back to January) but we want it back better.

Hello Members of SupportALIAS!!!

Well, it's FINALLY that time... Time for your first mission! OPERATION: Dead Drop is a go! Instructions follow, so PLEASE READ!

WAIT...WHAT IS OPERATION: DEAD DROP?
If you don't know already about OP:Dead Drop here is the basic synopsis: Anyone who would like to participate in the OP, please buy/find/scrounge/whatever a brown paper bag or two. We will write on/decorate/etc. these paper bags and then mail them to some key people at ABC as a sign of our support for our beloved show.

WHEN ARE WE DOING THIS?
Monday, June 7th is the day that we would like to have everyone's bags POSTMARKED, in other words, mail your paper bags on June 7th. Even if you live over seas, or in Canada, etc. We will NEVER be able to get the paper bags to arrive on the same day, so we'll settle for them being postmarked on the same day. Besides, it'll be great for them to get them for 1-2 weeks.

BAG DECORATION
As far as the decoration of the paper bags is concerned... they're supposed to be individual, so decorate it as you please. Include what you'd like, go as far out there as you'd like, or as simple as you'd like.

Here are the recommended inclusions:

1- Please put SupportALIAS.com somewhere on the bag
2- The phrase "OPERATION: Dead Drop"
3- The phrase: "Our Loyalties Aren't Flexible. We love ALIAS. End of Story."
4- Include your name, state and age so they are aware of the demographics.

Other things you might want to include:

1- A SupportALIAS business card with your info/pic on it (check the Develop Plans forum on the website!)
2- The Rambaldi eye
3- At least ONE reason why you love ALIAS (if you'd like to combine the 47 Reasons, go on ahead )... but try to put a main one on the bag, as who knows if our long lists will get read.
4- Photos, lists, or proofs-of-purchase of any ALIAS items you may own so they know how much we're investing in this show as well.
5- A short and kind note about your love and your concerns for the show

So that's it... but remember, we don't want them all to look identical, so heck, get creative!!!

MAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Whatever you do, DO NOT mail the paper bags without some sort of envelope!!! Most paper bags are extremely flimsy and would get caught in the sorting mechanisms at the Post Office (I tried to print on one with my inkjet printer and learned the hard way that they jam very easily).

The BEST WAY to mail the paper bags would be to enclose them in a document size (about 9x11) manila envelope. Depending on the weight of your paper bag (and what all you include with it) the 1st class USPS fee will be approximately 60 cents (unless you really go overboard). So just throw two stamps on it and you should be okay (but if you're in doubt just use the postage scale at your local post office to double check).

TO WHOM ARE WE MAILING THEM?
Since the goal is to let the big wigs at ABC know that we love ALIAS and that we don't them to forget about it, the big wigs are at the top of our mailing list. If you can only send one paper bag PLEASE SEND IT TO THE HEAD OF ABC: Stephen McPherson. If you'd like to send more (hey, that's your prerogative) then below is a list of additional people you may want to consider. Please note though that everyone's basically go to the same address before you go crazy with the paper bags!

Stephen McPherson; President, ABC Primetime Television.
ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Building 23, Room 26
Burbank, CA 91521

JJ Abrams
ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Building 23, Room 26
Burbank, CA 91521

Anne Sweeney; Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks.
ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Building 23, Room 26
Burbank, CA 91521

Mark Pedowitz; President, Touchstone Television.
Touchstone Television
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Building 23, Room 26
Burbank, CA 91521

Jeff Lindsey; Ratings/Viewership
ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Building 23, Room 26
Burbank, CA 91521



So that's it. I hope that I have covered everything. If you notice anything that I have forgotten to cover please let me know. I will be sending out a reminder email on June 6th just so that no one forgets!

Thanks to all of you for your support!

So if you are an Alias fanatic like me, get on board!

Books

61 out of 400 isn't bad, right? I think I need to read more of the classics. Myabe I will go to the library. I think that I owe a ton of late fees. It would be worth it since I have been devouring books lately. It sucks to spend 10 bucks on a book when I finish them in about 2 days.

HammieLove will be getting his bonus next week. $2500 baby! That MIGHT have been my engagement ring money had I not,you know, LEFT him three weeks ago. It's okay though. He's buying me the couch I really want! :)

I am having a bad day, depression wise. I am trying to snap out of it, which is not so easy. You know what helps though? Looking out the window and seeing the sparrows attack people on the street! They must be protecting a nest or something, but there are four birds, two on each side of the street, that are whapping people upside the head. It is HI-LARIOUS!

I have Friday, Monday and Tuesday off. That is good news. Too bad my sister is being a Schedule Nazi about my nieces. SHE told us we would have them on the weekends that they were here, so we made plans to go to Sea World, a Padres game, camping. Now she is freaking out on us saying we are monopolizing their time. I am so frustrated with her!

There is a bright side (besides the bird attacks):

The new Harry Potter Movie comes out on FRIDAY I can't wait!!

Since I was contemplating new books to read...I thought I would try this (Thanks, HWG!) I think it'll give me some ideas!

That Book Meme

*bold those you've read
*italicise started-but-never-finished
*underline those you own but haven't gotten to yet

*add three of your own
*post to your journal

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. 1984, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Susskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 1/2, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Gross-mith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews
201. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
202. The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan
203. The Great Hunt, Robert Jordan
204. The Dragon Reborn, Robert Jordan
205. Fires of Heaven, Robert Jordan
206. Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan
207. Winter's Heart, Robert Jordan
208. A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan
209. Crossroads of Twilight, Robert Jordan
210. A Path of Daggers, Robert Jordan
211. As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto
212. Microserfs, Douglas Coupland
213. The Married Man, Edmund White
214. Winter's Tale, Mark Helprin
215. The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault
216. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice
217. Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell
218. Equus, Peter Shaffer
219. The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten
220. Letters To A Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
221. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
222. The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
223. Anthem, Ayn Rand
224. The Bridge To Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
225. Tartuffe, Moliere
226. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
227. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
228. The Trial, Franz Kafka
229. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
230. Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles
231. Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
232. A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen
233. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
234. Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton
235. A Raisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
236. ALIVE!, Piers Paul Read
237. Grapefruit, Yoko Ono
238. Trickster Makes This World, Lewis Hyde
240. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
241. Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, Stephen Donaldson
242. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
242. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
243. Summerland, Michael Chabon
244. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
245. Candide, Voltaire
246. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl
247. Ringworld, Larry Niven
248. The King Must Die, Mary Renault
249. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein
250. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle
251. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
252. The House Of The Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne
253. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
254. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
255. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
256. Chocolate Fever, Robert Kimmel Smith
257. Xanth: The Quest for Magic, Piers Anthony
258. The Lost Princess of Oz, L. Frank Baum
259. Wonder Boys, Michael Chabon
260. Lost In A Good Book, Jasper Fforde
261. Well Of Lost Plots, Jasper Fforde
261. Life Of Pi, Yann Martel
263. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
264. A Yellow Rraft In Blue Water, Michael Dorris
265. Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
267. Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
268. Griffin & Sabine, Nick Bantock
269. Witch of Black Bird Pond, Joyce Friedland
270. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, Robert C. O'Brien
271. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt
272. The Cay, Theodore Taylor
273. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
274. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Jester
275. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
276. The Kitchen God's Wife, Amy Tan
277. The Bone Setter's Daughter, Amy Tan
278. Relic, Duglas Preston & Lincolon Child
279. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
280. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
281. Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry
282. The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum
283. Haunted, Judith St. George
284. Singularity, William Sleator
285. A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
286. Different Seasons, Stephen King
287. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
288. About a Boy, Nick Hornby
289. The Bookman's Wake, John Dunning
290. The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns
291. Illusions, Richard Bach
292. Magic's Pawn, Mercedes Lackey
293. Magic's Promise, Mercedes Lackey
294. Magic's Price, Mercedes Lackey
295. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav
296. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Jack L. Chalker
297. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
298. The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices, Brenda Love
299. Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace
300. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
301. The Cider House Rules, John Irving
302. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
303. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
304. The Lion's Game, Nelson Demille
305. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Stephen Brust
306. Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
307. Foucault's Pendulum, Umberto Eco
308. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
309. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk
310. Camber of Culdi, Kathryn Kurtz
311. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
312. War and Rememberance, Herman Wouk
313. The Art of War, Sun Tzu
314. The Giver, Lois Lowry
315. The Telling, Ursula Le Guin
316. Xenogenesis (or Lilith's Brood), Octavia Butler (Dawn, Adulthood Rites,
Imago)
317. A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold
318. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
319. The Aeneid, Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil)
320. Hanta Yo, Ruth Beebe Hill
321. The Princess Bride, S. Morganstern (or William Goldman)
322. Beowulf, Anonymous
323. The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell
324. Deerskin, Robin McKinley
325. Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey
326. Passage, Connie Willis
327. Otherland, Tad Williams
328. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay
329. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
330. Beloved, Toni Morrison
331. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
332. The mysterious disappearance of Leon, I mean Noel, Ellen Raskin
333. Summer Sisters, Judy Blume
334. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
335. The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev
336. Midnight in the Dollhouse, Marjorie Filley Stover
337. The Miracle Worker, William Gibson
338. The Genesis Code, John Case
339. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevensen
340. Paradise Lost, John Milton
341. Phantom, Susan Kay
342. The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Anne Rice
343. Anno Dracula, Kim Newman
344: The Dresden Files: Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
345: Tokyo Suckerpunch, Issac Adamson
346: The Winter of Magic's Return, Pamela Service
347: The Oddkins, Dean R. Koontz
348. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
349. The Last Goodbye, Raymond Chandler
350. At Swim, Two Boys, Jaime O'Neill
351. Othello, by William Shakespeare
352. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas
353. The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats
354. Sati, Christopher Pike
355. The Inferno, Dante
356. The Apology, Plato
357. The Small Rain, Madeline L'Engle
358. The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Richard E Cytowick
359. 5 Novels, Daniel Pinkwater
360. The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Juliet Marillier
361. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
362. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
363. Our Town, Thorton Wilder
364. Green Grass Running Water, Thomas King
335. The Interpreter, Suzanne Glass
336. The Moor's Last Sigh, Salman Rushdie
337. The Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson
338. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
339. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
340. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
341. Pages for You, Sylvia Brownrigg
342. The Changeover, Margaret Mahy
343. Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
344. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
345. Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo
346. Shosha, Isaac Bashevis Singer
347. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
348. The Diving-bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
349. The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston
350. Time for bed by David Baddiel
351. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
352. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre
353. The Bloody Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley
354. Sewer, Gas, and Eletric by Matt Ruff
355. Jhereg by Steven Brust
356. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
357. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
358. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
359. Road-side Dog, Czeslaw Milosz
360. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
361. Neuromancer, William Gibson
362. The Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
363. A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr
364. The Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault
365. The Gunslinger, Stephen King
366. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
367. Absalom, Absalom, William Faulkner
368. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
369. Dreamhouse, Alison Habens
370. Hyperion, by Dan Simmons
371. Prospero's Children, Jan Siegel
372. Gaudy Night, Dorothy Sayers
373. Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond
374. Enchantment, Orson Scott Card
375. Cetaganda, Lois McMaster Bujold
376. Beauty, Sheri S. Tepper
377. The Hour of the Star, Clarice Lispector
378. The Patron Saint of Liars, Ann Patchett
379. Sexing the Cherry, Jeanette Winterson.
380. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula Le'Guin
381. Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb
382. The Axis Trilogy, Sara Douglass
383. Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie
384. Sabriel, Garth Nix
385. Maurice, E.M. Forster
386. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer
387. The Wild Swans, by Peg Kerr
388. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
389. Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides
390. Welcome to the Monkey House, by Kurt Vonnegut
391. The Stranger, by Albert Camus
392. Angry Candy, by Harlan Ellison
393. Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
394. Motherless Brooklyn - Jonathan Lethem
395. The Brains of Rats - Michael Blumlein
396. Agent of Change – Steve Miller and Sharon Lee
397. The Diary of Anais Nin, Volume One
398. The Swiss Family Robinson – Johann Wyss
399. Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell
400. North and South, John Jakes
401. Watchers, Dean Koontz
402. Death du Jour, Kathy Reichs
403. A Is for Alibi, Sue Grafton
404. Postmortem, Patricia Cornwell
405. Nevernever - Will Shetterly
406. Street Boys - Lorenzo Carcaterra
407. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold