Ghosts/Summer Ind. Study Response

For my required book, I read Kite Runner, and trust me, I feel just as unoriginal as the rest of the class. It was worth the read, though. I recommend it just as much as everyone else. Furthermore, if you're one of the many Kite Runner fans in the class, I highly recommend The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. It's a powerfully uplifting book that paints a vivid and eye-opening picture of South Africa. And it's a double plus because the story is brilliantly crafted and written.
Anyway, I was under the impression that we had to read two books of our choice until Emily Morgan informed me we had to read Ghosts. My second book was going to be Cold Mountain and I still plan to read it. Since intention is half of an action, I think that should count for something. But other than Ghosts, I didn't read any other books--not even Harry Potter. Shocking, I know. I did, however, read a collection of poems throughout the summer from Poem a Day: Volume 3. I got up to August 17 and then the book disappeared, which I'm still immensely upset about. I recently discovered for myself that poetry is soul food, and currently I am very hungry.