Book meme

Spotted this meme on Glamour Mama's blog, and followed it around the vox network, reading all the great entries.  Also found one more question to go in the meme along the way.  Does it make me kind of pathetic to do this, even though I wasn't tagged?  Oh well... one more bloggish thing I don't know about yet.

Total number of books owned:

Well I dutifully went off to count them, but I admit I stopped counting at 500... based on that number, I estimate the number to be in and around, erm, 1000 books.  Shh... don't tell G.

Last book bought:

I've been pretty strict about not buying new books for myself anymore... partly because, well... did I mention that I already have 1000 books, the majority of which have not yet been read by me?    And partly because money's tight these days, and even if I were loaded, it's hard to justify spending upwards of $20 on a book that I'll read in a few days and then be unable to re-sell anywhere else for more than 50 cents.

But pardon my complaining.  The last two books I bought were Cradle the Thought by Tracy D. Nelson and Eragon by Christopher Paolini.  The latter is on my tbr shelf, I'm saving it for a rainy day.  Cradle the Thought is a journal for a mom to record thoughts on her baby's first year.  It's got weekly/monthly questions to answer.  While I think a blank journal, an ability to articulate all the thoughts spinning in a sleep-deprived head, and the time to keep up with it is ideal, I found that this is something I actually make the time to do more often than not.  I had one for my first baby, and I loved it so much I got another one to use with my second.

Last book read:

The last book I finished was The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman.  This is the third book in his His Dark Materials trilogy.  Honestly don't have a lot to say about it... I don't feel a lot of inspiration for writing book reviews, as evidenced by the lack of them here, despite my intentions to keep up with them.

All I can say is that I recommend this trilogy, it's a good read.  (Hm, I wonder why publishers aren't knocking down my door to send me free review copies?)

I'm currently reading Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins, Mirage by Soheir Khashoggi, and Nighttime is my Time (or something equally odd) by Mary Higgins Clark.  The first two are good so far, the latter was passed on to me by my mother (actually I gave it to her... got it free from a cereal box deal) and I'm having trouble getting through it.

Five books that mean a lot to me:

The Stone Angel, A Jest of God, and The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence

Well, I'm cheating and lumping these together as one book, even though each one is amazing on its own.  The Stone Angel was required reading in high school.  I liked it then (amazing, those academics choosing what books for us to read in school really did get it right a lot of the time, despite what we thought back then), but I've re-read it countless times since, and each time it gets better and better.  Hagar Shipley is, perhaps, one of the most intriguing, unforgettable, tragic characters I've ever encountered.  The climax of this novel sees very little occur in the way of 'action,' but it gives me goosebumps every time.

A Jest of God was the least meaningful of the three of these novels, but it introduced me to another fascinating character, and had me feeling almost physical pain for the emotional struggle she went through.  And finally, The Fire-Dwellers first made me aware that my mother is a person in her own right, not just Mom. 

A Good House by Bonnie Burnard

Well first of all, the writing is magnificent.  Magnificent writing - always a good thing.  It's on this list because I closed the last page on the book with a profound sense of the importance of family.  One of those things I "knew" before, but this book brought it home to me on a much more conscious and purposeful level.  After reading this book I would never allow myself to forget that the most influential, important, and meaningful relationships in my life are with my family - no matter how crazy they make me. 

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Sorry to repeat myself, but again... the writing in this novel just blew me away.  Like Burnard's writing in A Good House, Lawson has a deceivingly simple writing style, but if you look beneath the surface, it's just overflowing with depth and meaning.  And again, it stuck with me because it spoke to me of family ties, the sacrifices we make for one another, and the love that endures the most terrible hardships.

It also got to me in another way that I'm not sure how to describe without spoiling the book.  I learned that it's foolish to assume that something is all about you, be it good or bad, and that it's wrong to make assumptions about the motivations of other people, even people you know and love.  Okay, vague and clumsy explanation, but that's the best I can do.

Obasan by Joy Kogawa

I can't believe how long it took me to get around to reading this book, about the experience of a Japanese-Canadian girl and her family during/after the war.  The girl's age and the time frame is pretty much the same as my dad, and her experience told me a lot about what my dad, uncle, and grandparents lived through.  It renewed my interest in my dad's childhood, and encouraged me to open a dialogue with him about it all.  The whole thing actually resulted in his writing out his "life story" for me to read... something that I'll treasure for as long as I live.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Atwood is hit and miss with me.  Some of her books are among my favourites, and others I could hardly get through.  As for why this one is meaningful to me, well, go and google one of the 4 trillion reviews of this powerful book and you'll see. 

Reviewing my list, I see there's a decidedly Canadian leaning towards my choices.  As in.... 100% Canadian.  Why, I don't know - I do try to read Canadian authors when possible, but certainly the majority of the authors I read are from the United States.  Does a Canadian writer speak to me in a way that a writer from another country simply does not? 

Five authors that mean a lot to me:

Margaret Laurence.  Author of the first book that made me truly realise the value of great characterisation, and how one book can be nothing more than a good read while another can be timeless, life-altering literature. 

Timothy Findley.  Not only did he write Not Wanted on the Voyage (which rightfully belongs on the list above), but he wrote The Wars and a multitude of other ridiculously good books.  He's also the author I would most like to meet, although sadly he passed away recently. 

Stephen King.  I devoured his books when I was a kid.  He was the author that saw me through the transition from kids' books to adults' books.  The Stand is still on my list of all-time favourite books.  I love that a horror novelist can transcend the stereotypes that some may have about horror writing - King is a master storyteller, and when he's in the mood, he can create good characters with the best of them.

Margaret Atwood.  The Edible Woman and The Handmaid's Tale are two of my favourites.  Her writing style seems to change from novel to novel, which is something I admire.  I see her as deeply intelligent, with a lot to say, and fortunately, a lot of people to listen.

Judy Blume.  Okay, I could only really come up with four, but writing about how Stephen King took me from adolescent to adult reading reminded me of one of the authors of those adolescent books, Judy Blume.  Was there one girl my age who hadn't read at least one book by Blume?  One who didn't giggle and finish the sentence when hearing "I must, I must, I must...."