The Book Challenge

I got this from Dan – who tagged me “it”.

1. Total Number of Books I’ve Owned:

Okay, so the “I’ve Owned” tells me they want to know all in all, as opposed to how many books I currently own. So – I have no idea. I have owned thousands and thousands of books in my lifetime. Thousands. Stacked high to the moon. I have no idea how many books I own now.

2. Last Book I Bought:

Break, Blow, Burn, by Camille Paglia

3. Last Book I Read:

Miracle at Philadelphia, by Catherine Drinker Bowen

4. Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me:

Charlotte’s Web, by EB White. I can barely type the title of that book without getting verklempt.

Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh. I’ve never done a post on what that book means to me … but all I can say is: it had an enormous impact. Maybe the biggest impact ANY book ever had on me. Harriet is basically why I picked up a pen and started scribbling stuff down in a notebook when I was 10 years old.

Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle. The vision in this book – of the redeeming power of love (even in the face of great danger, and terror, and separation from those that you love) has gotten me through many a dark hour. I cherish this book.

Mating, by Norman Rush. I wrote about the book here. I haven’t met another person who loved this book as much as I did, but that doesn’t matter. This book shook me to my very core. Still does.

Hopeful Monsters, by Nicholas Mosley. I’ve read this novel so many times my copy is literally falling apart.

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7 Responses to The Book Challenge

  1. the book challenge

    Sheila requested I participate in this wee survey and I will happily oblige…

  2. Dave J says:

    “…one of those emails that end with: ‘Forward this to 10 people or your hair will spontaneously combust in 10 minutes.'”

    Aren’t those totally obnoxious? Chain letters are threats, and e-mail ones are even more obviously fake than the old snail mail variety, so why do people think it’s OK to threaten their frinds like this? Because they’re actually worried it might be real? Send people who send you chain letters threatening metaphysical catastrophe to here:

    http://www.kith.org/logos/things/chain.html

  3. Blatant theft

    Okay, technically Sheila tagged Emily but it looks like an interesting list so I’m stealing it. Maybe Dave will do the same. 1. Total Number of Books I’ve Owned: Several thousand. Seriously. And I still have most of them. 2….

  4. Book Challenge

    Sheila tagged me 1. Total Number of Books I’ve Owned: Probably around 1200. I have 600 downstairs now, plus a few boxes full of paperbacks in the attic. 2. Last Book I Bought: The one I’m reading now, Freethinkers: A…

  5. The book challenge

    You know how you get those emails asking you to answer a survey and send along to a certain number of people? I ignore those emails, usually, but when a friend calls me out on her blog to participate, I really have to comply. (Just kidding, Sheila.) …

  6. DeAnna says:

    How fun. I did this in my head…yanno…since I wasn’t tagged or anything. ;)

    It would be hard to pick just five books though and some might be a little embarrassing because sometimes the stupidest books have the biggest impact on me for some reason!

    A Wrinkle in Time would definitely be on the top of my list too.

  7. I’m It

    Because I got tagged by Sheila, I guess I have to play this one. 1. Total Number of Books I’ve Owned: Like Ken and Sheila, thousands. I probably have somewhere around 500 or so now. 2. Last Book I Bought:…

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