On my nightstand

Last semester, I was so terrified of nursing school that I didn't think I would be able to concentrate on anything but nursing for sixteen weeks, and that all day, every day would be consumed by nursing.  While I spent quite a lot of time reading and studying nursing, I had enough free time that I managed to watch a considerable amount of bad television.

You see, because I was convinced I couldn't read anything but nursing texts, I didn't have a book on hand.  (Not quite true.  I'm a reader; I have shelves of books.  I just didn't have a book at the ready.  I need a plan.)  This semester I plan to manage my downtime a little differently.  I need to have a book to read.  I just do.  If I don't have something focused to do when I'm not studying, I end up randomly channel surfing and watching old episodes of Cold Case.

Just before Christmas, I shared the books on my nightstand.  While I didn't finish everything on it, I did read a lot, including some "extra" books not on the table.  So now I give you my nightstand today, with an updated list of then to now.

What's gone?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  (My GoodReads review.)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  Turns out, when you only have a couple of chapters to read, it goes pretty quickly.
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry.  Same reason as above.
Consider the Oyster.  I'm not sure why this disappeared.  I must have put it away with something else because I didn't read it.  Now I'm going to have trouble finding it, because it surely isn't where it is supposed to be.
The Best American Essays 2012.  I read a little bit of this, but it has moved to back on the shelf.  It isn't shelved, though.  It is sitting on top of its brothers.  This makes it really easy to just grab if I want a finite amount of reading, say, for the bath.  (This happens often, actually.  I will need something to fill twenty minutes and only twenty minutes.)
In the Woods.  Three stars out of five.
The Passage by Justin Cronin.  This has been moved over until spring break.  It is a doorstop of a book, and it has a sequel (which is currently available at the library-- I had to stop myself from checking it out and giving myself over to both of them).  I think it needs some undivided time, so this one will be back.

Still around:
Cloud Atlas.  Haven't started.
The Night Circus.  Haven't started.
World War Z.  I'm about 2/3 through.  I love it, but it doesn't need to be read in one sitting.  It is a series of vignettes about the Zombie War, so I can read one and put it down.  Makes me curious about the movie.
The Knitter's Almanac.  Always there.
An Everlasting Meal.  Ditto.

New:
A Big Truck Went By by Jonathan M. Katz.  About the earthquake in Haiti and the aftermath of all the "support".
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater.  This is Book 3 in her Wolves of Mercy Hill trilogy.  (Book 2, Linger, is out in the living room right now.  That's what I'm currently reading.)  It is Young Adult, but well-written yet quick.  So far I'm about halfway through Linger.  The first book, Shiver, was a bit better, but Linger is keeping me going.
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris.  It sounded good at the library but I can't remember what it is about now.  It won an award of some sort.  (Clearly my criteria for checking books out of the library is nonexistent.)
Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon.  I find Chabon to be hit or miss.  I loved The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Wonder Boys, but I've found some of his new stuff hard to get into.  I'm hoping that I love this; it is a big sink-into book with lots of drama (or so I hope).
Drop Dead Healthy by A. J. Jacobs.  I like this kind of "schtick lit."  A.J. Jacobs was one of the first to do it, with his The Know-It-All, which I've read, and I've read all the rest of his stuff.  Why stop now?  And, I figure, this kind of has a little bit to do with health so I can trick myself into thinking I'm not completely ignoring school.  Hah!

And because no photo shoot in this house is complete without some interference by the Fluffy Gang: