William Faulkner: The Sound and the Fury: An Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Contexts Criticism (Norton Critical Editions)
I shirked Faulkner in High School and picked this up on a whim. It is very interesting, but a horrible book to read on the train. Requires a lot of concentration. I even read the Sparknote, though after I had finished the first chapter, so I had to go back and slog through that mess again just to understand what the hell he was talking about. ()

John Irving: The World According to Garp
Boy, why didn't anyone tell me this was depressing!? I had Robin Williams in my head the whole time, which was not a bad thing. Now I have to really watch the movie, of which I'd only seen tiny fragments before. (****)

John Kennedy Toole: A Confederacy of Dunces (Evergreen Book)
The most recommended book on the Stern show. It was very funny, though not laugh out loud as some have suggested. Witty. Maybe I saw too much of myself in Ignatius. (****)

William Shakespeare: Julius Caesar (Bantam Classics)
9th Grade English. (**)

William Shakespeare: Macbeth (Shakespeare, Signet Classic)
10th Grade English. (*****)

Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
When i get bored of fiction, I read another chapter of the Tipping Point. I'm not quite buying it. Nadine's a big fan, though. ()

Ian McEwan: Atonement : A Novel
I'm only a few pages in. I haven't gotten to whatever she is going to eventually atone for having done. ()

Marcel Proust: Remembrance of Things Past : Swann's Way & Within a Budding Grove (Vintage)
Yes, I'm really reading Proust. I'm reading 12 pages a day in Sustained Silent Reading at school. I'll be done the first volume (of 6) by the end of the school year. (*****)

Danger Doom: The Mouse and the Mask
MF Doom and Danger Mouse. Crazy. Will change the way you think about Hip-Hop, if you haven't started thinking about Hip-Hop yet.

Paul Simon: Concert in the Park
Fantastic. "America" gets me every time.

Peter Gabriel: Secret World Live
Every song easily surpasses the original recording, which is usually not true of live albums. Even "In Your Eyes" is refreshed, and "Red Rain" just sparkles.

Tom Petty: Highway Companion
Wildflowers is iconic in my musical history. This album doesn't disappoint. I think his lyrics are even better than ever, even if the melodies are a little repetitive.

Jurassic 5: Feedback
Wow, these guys are fantastic. More Chali 2NA on this album, which is what the last one lacked. Better beats, better music, great record.

Fire Fire
M.I.A.: Arular
This is one of those strange songs where my musical tastes intersect with the tastes of my students.

Long Way
Antje Duvekot: Little Peppermints
WERS plays this song continually on the Coffeehouse in the morning.

The Needle and the Damage Done
Neil Young: After the Gold Rush
Howard Stern turns me onto these great classic rock songs and I have this proustian moment remembering my father listening to the same songs. Did I mention I was reading Proust?

Froggy Went a Courtin'
Bruce Springsteen: We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions
I heard this on an old cartoon. The Boss does an awesom version.