Suzanne tagged me to do this book meme. I’ve always been a little shy about admitting what I read, probably because I’m afraid it won’t measure up to the high standards of some people I know. The more blogs I read, though, the more I decide my standards are just fine. The snobs can just go to hell. So, here goes…

Total number of books owned: Surprisingly, not very many, other than textbooks. This is for two reasons: 1) I’ve moved many times in my 41 years and for that reason, I streamlined several years ago and got rid of pretty much anything that had no sentimental attachment. 2) I work in a library. (And you know, just saying that reminds me that I have a fantastic job, even with all the stress lately.)

Last book bought: I just bought three textbooks for my Podcasting, Vodcasting and Blogging and Beginning Adobe Illustrator classes: Secrets of Podcasting, by Bart G. Farkas; Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content by Biz Stone (based on the first few chapters, it’s horribly outdated and a poor choice for a textbook, IMO) and Adobe Illustrator CS3, Classroom in a Book. Pretty sad, eh?

Last book read: Other than textbooks, the last book I read was Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. Jennifer Weiner mentioned  it recently on her blog and I like her stuff, so I thought it’d be interesting to see what one of my favorite authors likes to read. On the recommendation of Denise, however, I just picked up She’s Such a Geek and I’m enjoying it so far. I also have A Long Way Gone by Ismael Beah, but the first four chapters have already made me cry and I’m a little afraid of it.

Five Books that Mean a Lot to You:

As I was going through this list, I realized I have the same association with books that I do with music. The book itself isn’t always the important part; sometimes it’s who or what I remember when I read it that matters most to me. (And I am a HUGE re-reader.)

• Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster - my Dad gave me this book for Christmas when I was eight, the year he and my Mom split up. It is the one book that has gone with me through every move (and there have many) that I’ve made since then. And it’s in my bookcase at this moment, a mere 10 feet from where I’m sitting.
• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury - I read this in high school and I still remember reading The House of Usher II out loud to my mom and just loving the way he wrote. I think it was the first time I really appreciated the way certain writers make their words flow.
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I love it because it was the first book that I ever had to read for a college English class (when I was 32 years old) and so it’s a symbol of the greatest positive life change I’ve ever consciously made. I hate it because it was the beginning of four years of endless discussion and analysis of what the author was really saying. I don’t care what the author was really saying. I just want to lose myself in the story.
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell - My third grade teacher at Glann Elementary, Mrs. Kolbeck, read this book to our class. I read it on my own later and eventually owned a copy (it’s not on my bookshelf now, though… lost in a move, perhaps). I loved this book. It won a Newbury Medal.
• The Bobbsey Twins at the Seashore by Laura Lee Hope - Just about any Bobbsey Twins book that I’ve read would fit the bill here, but this is one that I actually still own. The copy that I have was reprinted in 1950, although it doesn’t seem to be a revised edition (the mode of transportation was still by buggy and train, and the characters of Sam and Dinah were definitely stereotypes from the era). As politically incorrect as they are, I love the early Bobbsey Twins books. I was so young when I read my first one that I can’t recall who gave it to me. They, along with my parents who are both avid readers, were instrumental in developing my love for reading. It’s only fitting that I ended up with my own set of twins years later.

Best Five Books You Read in the Last Year:

This will be tough, since I seem to do so little reading other than textbooks when I’m taking classes. This summer, I spent a lot of time with books on CSS, preparing for when I have time to build my own blog template. But there were a few non-educational books that I managed to work in. Let’s see if I can remember what they were:

• Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner - I love this book. I recommend this book. Go forth and read it.
• A Widow for One Year by John Irving - I picked this one up at work, intrigued by the title. It took me a couple months to pick it up and I didn’t really get into it at first. The majority of reviews I’ve read indicate people like the first half, but not much beyond that. I enjoyed the entire book.
• Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen - One of my favorite bloggers, Mir from WCS, mentioned this book in the comments of someone asking for reading suggestions and it was the first thing in a while that made me laugh out loud. This is why I love blogging. I’ve discovered a new favorite author as a result…
• Lucky You also by Carl Hiaasen - The characters are just so… you just have to read it, ok? Loved this one, too!
• Marley and Me by John Grogan - another recommendation from a blogger, but unfortunately I’ve lost track of this lady.

You’re tagged if you wish. A few people I’d like to tag don’t have blogs, so I’ll name them… and if they’re so inclined, they can email me:

• Dad
• Kat
• L at work

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