My literary ambitions....

As promised here is a complete list of the books that I want to tackle before the end of 2010. The list of books is probably not complete because more will be added I'm sure. This list is simply the list of books that I currently own. If you would like to borrow one of these books shoot me an e-mail and we can work something out :) I hope this encourages you to make a reading list for the year as well. LETS GET READING!!!

- The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War - H.W. Crocker III
- From Colony to Super Power: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 - George C. Herring
- A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror -- Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen
- The Hemingses of Monticello -- Annette Gordon Reed
- The Road to Disunion: Secessionists Triumphant -- Freehling
- Liberty and Freedom: A visual History of America's Founding Ideas -- David Hackett Fischer
- The Politics -- Aristotle
- Fall of the Roman Republic -- Plutarch
- How Rome Fell -- Adrian Goldsworth
- The Shield of Achilles -- Phillip Bobbitt
- The Enemy within: 2000 years of witch hunting in the western world -- John Demos
- The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades -- Robert Spencer
- Albion's Seed -- David Hackett Fischer
- Liberty's Blueprint -- Michael Meyerson
- 1776 -- David McCullough
- The Drillmaster of Valley Forge -- Paul Lockhart
- Saratoga -- John Luzader
- Battle Cry of Freedom -- James McPherson
- Nathan Hale -- M. William Phelps
- Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution -- Mark Puls
- American Creation -- Joseph Ellis
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln -- Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Lincoln as I knew him: Gossip, Tributes and Revelations from the Best Friends and worst enemies -- Harold Holzer
- Clash of Extremes: Economic Origins of the Civil War -- Marc Egnal
- Confederate Emancipation: Southern Plans to Free and Arm Slaves during the Civil War -- Bruce Levine
- Confederate Raider -- John Taylor
- The Summer of 1787 -- David Stewart
- The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Jefferson -- Cambridge
- The Impending Crisis -- David Potter
- The Templars -- Barbara Frale
- Hitler's Empire: How the Nazis ruled Europe -- Mark Mazower
- A History of Russia -- Riasanovsky
- The Romanovs -- Lindsey Hughes
- The Soviet colossus -- Michael Kort
- The French and Indian War -- Walter R. Borneman
- The Mind of a Patriot: Patrick Henry and the World of Ideas -- Kevin J. Hayes
- The Birth of Freedom -- Jon E. Lewis
- The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization -- Anthony Esolen
- The FBI -- Rhodri Jeffreys - Jones
- Legacy of Ashes: History of the CIA -- Tim Weiner
- Lies My Teacher Told Me -- James W. Loewen
- The Bondage Breaker -- Neil T. Anderson
- Victory Over the Darkness -- Neil T. Anderson
- William Ewart Gladstone: Faith and Politics in Victorian England -- David Bebbington
- The Communist Manifesto -- Marx and Engels
- The Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren
- Miracle at Philadelphia -- Catherine Drinker Bowen
- God's Final Word -- Ray Stedman
- No Small Snakes: A Journey into Spiritual Warfare -- Gordon Dalbey
- Healing the Masculine Soul -- Gordon Dalbey
- Don't Waste your Life -- John Piper
- The Search for Christian America -- Noll/Marsden/Hatch
- How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones -- Dutch Sheets
- Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters to the Most -- Wes Stafford
- The Silence of Adam -- Larry Crabb
- The Tempting of America: The Political Seduction of the Law -- Robert Bork
- Leave us Alone: Getting the Government's hands off our money, guns and lives -- Grover Norquist
- Liberal Fascism: The secret History of the American Left form Mussolini to the politics of meaning -- Jonah Goldberg
- Blowback: The costs and consequences of American Empire -- Chalmers Johnson
- Politically Incorrect guide to the Constitution -- Kevin R. C. Gutzman
- The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the world -- Niall Ferguson
- John Adams -- David McCullough
- One dayin the life of Ivan Denisovich -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell -- Susanna Clarke
- The Count of Monte Cristo -- Alexandre Dumas
- The Three Musketteers -- Alexandre Dumas
- The Great Gatsby -- Fitzgerald
- The Partner -- John Grisham
- Archangel -- Robert Harris
- Scarlet Letter -- Hawthorne
- Screwtape Letters -- C.S. Lewis
- The Lost: Search for six of six million -- Daniel Mendelsohn
- The Hobbit -- J.R. Tolkien
- Lord of the Rings -- J.R. Tolkien
- The Shack -- Young

The joy of the Library!

On Saturday the Wife and I went out on a little adventure. Our first stop was at the local Maplewood Menards. We had to trade a broken lamp in for a replacement. I know it sounds like a blast, DON'T KNOCK MY LIFE! Anyways after that business was concluded we made our way to the Maplewood Library (see picture below)

I know that most people already know the magnificent pleasures that a library can bring a patron, but let me tell you something. It was amazing! It sounds so ridiculous but I loved being in this place. Surrounded by books that I was allowed to take for free! I don't know why I haven't taken advantage of this earlier. Libraries rule!!! At this time I would like to make a plea for anybody who is reading this blog to check out your local libary. If they don't have the specific book you want to read, request it through an interlibrary loan. Below are three books that I checked out that I have wanted to read but didn't want to buy... now I don't have too!!!!!

With so much information available it is a intellectual crime for our generation to not be better read. Please sign off of facebook, get in your car, and go to the Library. You'll be surprised at what you find there! Being at the Library inspired me to read as much as I can about as much as I can. I have decided that before the end of this year, I want to read everybook in my house. For my next post, I will be composing a list of the books that Hannah and I own and which ones I haven't read. As I read and finish each one, I hope to give it a little plug on this blog for the few readers that I have. If you are interested in borrowing any of the books that I mention, feel free to contact me and I'll send it to you!