Book meme
Barb challenged me to complete this book meme. I have to confess that I had no idea what a meme was, although I was relieved when one of my most literate friends also revealed their unfamiliarity with the term. Turns out I should have been a “better” biologist and read more of Richard Dawkins. Look here if you need an explanation too.
Total books owned, ever;
This is a hard one. At work I have 3 books, 4 if you count my thesis. At home in Ithaca, I have 83. I brought about 15 of them to America 2 years ago, the rest are newly acquired or brought from Sydney on visits home. In Sydney……. 2 bookcases, each about 3 feet wide with 5 shelves on each, and overflowing with my books and all the ones my Mum has squashed in as well. If the average book is half an inch thick, and I have about 30 feet of books, I’m going to estimate 720. And I think I’ve given away or lent something in the order of 30 books. So my total lifetime accumulation is around 830.
Last book I bought;
The last book I ordered was the new Harry Potter (only a few hours to go :D), but the last book I actually bought was “Reading Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi. It was bought at Philadelphia Airport on my way to Aspen in June – still only about half way through, but it’s a good read. I’m starting to think I should read Lolita next. Nabokov actually lived in Ithaca, and wrote some of Lolita in a house about 3 blocks from mine.
5 books that mean something to me;
Not to be interpreted as the 5 most significant, and in no meaningful order.
“Poems and Prose” by Gerard Manly Hopkins. Is it strange that I really enjoy some of the literature I studied at highschool? Hopkins is my favourite of the poets, although Blake is up there too. For a taste, read The Windhover.
“The Story We Find Ourselves In” by Brian McLaren. This is the second book of a trilogy exploring what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the 21st century. A must read IMHO.
Lonely Planet Guides – various destinations. Because they represent my love of travel, both memories of places visited and possibilities for future trips.
“God in the Dock” by CS Lewis. This book was a gift from my Year 12 english teacher – he bought a book for each of the students in the class. The inscription is filled with encouraging words, while the book itself opened me up to the idea that it is OK to question both God and established religion. It's also an easy introduction to Lewis - a great thinker, but sometimes a bit hard to read.
The Peter Rabbit series by Beatrix Potter. Childhood favourites, I had “The Tale of Tom Kitten” and Andrew had “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”. Michael and Lynda had some too, although I can’t remember which titles. I eventually bought the conmplete stories for myself. Click here to enjoy storytime online.
That's me. I think the idea is that I tag a few people to do their own book meme and the process continues - I'm tagging Matt, Erika, and Adam.
Total books owned, ever;
This is a hard one. At work I have 3 books, 4 if you count my thesis. At home in Ithaca, I have 83. I brought about 15 of them to America 2 years ago, the rest are newly acquired or brought from Sydney on visits home. In Sydney……. 2 bookcases, each about 3 feet wide with 5 shelves on each, and overflowing with my books and all the ones my Mum has squashed in as well. If the average book is half an inch thick, and I have about 30 feet of books, I’m going to estimate 720. And I think I’ve given away or lent something in the order of 30 books. So my total lifetime accumulation is around 830.
Last book I bought;
The last book I ordered was the new Harry Potter (only a few hours to go :D), but the last book I actually bought was “Reading Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi. It was bought at Philadelphia Airport on my way to Aspen in June – still only about half way through, but it’s a good read. I’m starting to think I should read Lolita next. Nabokov actually lived in Ithaca, and wrote some of Lolita in a house about 3 blocks from mine.
5 books that mean something to me;
Not to be interpreted as the 5 most significant, and in no meaningful order.
“Poems and Prose” by Gerard Manly Hopkins. Is it strange that I really enjoy some of the literature I studied at highschool? Hopkins is my favourite of the poets, although Blake is up there too. For a taste, read The Windhover.
“The Story We Find Ourselves In” by Brian McLaren. This is the second book of a trilogy exploring what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the 21st century. A must read IMHO.
Lonely Planet Guides – various destinations. Because they represent my love of travel, both memories of places visited and possibilities for future trips.
“God in the Dock” by CS Lewis. This book was a gift from my Year 12 english teacher – he bought a book for each of the students in the class. The inscription is filled with encouraging words, while the book itself opened me up to the idea that it is OK to question both God and established religion. It's also an easy introduction to Lewis - a great thinker, but sometimes a bit hard to read.
The Peter Rabbit series by Beatrix Potter. Childhood favourites, I had “The Tale of Tom Kitten” and Andrew had “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”. Michael and Lynda had some too, although I can’t remember which titles. I eventually bought the conmplete stories for myself. Click here to enjoy storytime online.
That's me. I think the idea is that I tag a few people to do their own book meme and the process continues - I'm tagging Matt, Erika, and Adam.
posted by Julie at
4:21 am
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