Books Meme
Tagged by rykea.
Total number of books I own: I am afraid to answer this question. I'm really not certain, and it's hard to judge because Patrick and I share sooo many books. I'd guess at somewhere between 250 and 500. Yeah, big range. But I've got a LOT of books. And I'm really not entirely sure who owns what, anymore. The big bookshelf downstairs is double-loaded... *shrug* I'll tell you how many I own when I move out and take them all with me. XD
The last book I bought: Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder. I picked up her first book because of the title (Poison Study), and it's premise. And fell in love with her characters, setting, and everything else. This one is loosely related, and doesn't really feature new characters, but takes side characters from her first trilogy and tells their story. It was a fabulous read. I'm looking forward to the next one, which comes out in September.
The last book I read: Alanna: The First Adventure. This is ancient. We've owned it since the mid-90s, but it was originally published in the 80s. I read the quartet to which this belongs every summer, probably. It's an entirely refreshing experience. They're always a happy read for me.
Five books that mean a lot to me: Hopefully Rykea will forgive me for the lack of De Lint, but these five were what came to me first as being really meaningful. He's fantastic, and several of them have meaning, but these ones have been...formative.
[+] The Random House Book of Poetry for Children is one of the books that introduced me to literature. From "Chocolate Cake" to the witches' speech from Macbeth, this book is an amazing collection, and is still a favorite of mine, Patrick's, and my parents'. If I'm in the mood for poetry, or fond memories, it's where I go.
[+] The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Whatever people say, this book is fantastic. (I know some people dislike it, for reasons I just don't understand.) It's an amazing adventure story, it's captivatingly written, and as I continue looking into Old English for my studies, I'm discovering how well-educated it is. It's so amazing, in many ways, I think, because of how much of the essence of Anglo-Saxon storytelling it holds.
[+] Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This is not the first Sci-Fi novel I've read - that was probably one of the Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights books. Nor is it the most recent. I read it the summer after first year, I think. I wish I'd read it sooner - I identify all too well with Ender. And I learned from the reading. The introduction made me realize why I read and why I love it so much (I hadn't thought about it before, and it was a very profound moment for me - that realization was, I think, part of why I'm now doing Literature). And I also learned something that I'll never forget. The Enemy's gate is DOWN. ^^
[+] Song for the Basilisk by Patricia A. McKillip. This was the first of McKillip's books that I read - the cover caught my eye. It's a beautiful painting, crafted as if it were a tapestry. It feels like magic, just looking at it. And that's what was, and still is, inside. It plays with magic and music and identity, wrapping it all up in a story about death, survival, and vengance. She remains one of my favorite authors, and I hope that I'll have a complete collection, some day. Her novels are high fantasy at its best, telling wonderful tales, but lacking the intense focus on swordplay that you frequently see.
[+] Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce. This was the first Tamora Pierce book that we read, and as such holds a very special place - evidenced by the fact that it's beginning to fall apart.The first couple of pages actually have fallen out. While this probably isn't my absolute favorite, it's among them, with an important place as the first, and it is very good. Good enough that it got me hooked on her writing, which means I owe this book a great deal of love.
Total number of books I own: I am afraid to answer this question. I'm really not certain, and it's hard to judge because Patrick and I share sooo many books. I'd guess at somewhere between 250 and 500. Yeah, big range. But I've got a LOT of books. And I'm really not entirely sure who owns what, anymore. The big bookshelf downstairs is double-loaded... *shrug* I'll tell you how many I own when I move out and take them all with me. XD
The last book I bought: Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder. I picked up her first book because of the title (Poison Study), and it's premise. And fell in love with her characters, setting, and everything else. This one is loosely related, and doesn't really feature new characters, but takes side characters from her first trilogy and tells their story. It was a fabulous read. I'm looking forward to the next one, which comes out in September.
The last book I read: Alanna: The First Adventure. This is ancient. We've owned it since the mid-90s, but it was originally published in the 80s. I read the quartet to which this belongs every summer, probably. It's an entirely refreshing experience. They're always a happy read for me.
Five books that mean a lot to me: Hopefully Rykea will forgive me for the lack of De Lint, but these five were what came to me first as being really meaningful. He's fantastic, and several of them have meaning, but these ones have been...formative.
[+] The Random House Book of Poetry for Children is one of the books that introduced me to literature. From "Chocolate Cake" to the witches' speech from Macbeth, this book is an amazing collection, and is still a favorite of mine, Patrick's, and my parents'. If I'm in the mood for poetry, or fond memories, it's where I go.
[+] The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Whatever people say, this book is fantastic. (I know some people dislike it, for reasons I just don't understand.) It's an amazing adventure story, it's captivatingly written, and as I continue looking into Old English for my studies, I'm discovering how well-educated it is. It's so amazing, in many ways, I think, because of how much of the essence of Anglo-Saxon storytelling it holds.
[+] Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This is not the first Sci-Fi novel I've read - that was probably one of the Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights books. Nor is it the most recent. I read it the summer after first year, I think. I wish I'd read it sooner - I identify all too well with Ender. And I learned from the reading. The introduction made me realize why I read and why I love it so much (I hadn't thought about it before, and it was a very profound moment for me - that realization was, I think, part of why I'm now doing Literature). And I also learned something that I'll never forget. The Enemy's gate is DOWN. ^^
[+] Song for the Basilisk by Patricia A. McKillip. This was the first of McKillip's books that I read - the cover caught my eye. It's a beautiful painting, crafted as if it were a tapestry. It feels like magic, just looking at it. And that's what was, and still is, inside. It plays with magic and music and identity, wrapping it all up in a story about death, survival, and vengance. She remains one of my favorite authors, and I hope that I'll have a complete collection, some day. Her novels are high fantasy at its best, telling wonderful tales, but lacking the intense focus on swordplay that you frequently see.
[+] Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce. This was the first Tamora Pierce book that we read, and as such holds a very special place - evidenced by the fact that it's beginning to fall apart.The first couple of pages actually have fallen out. While this probably isn't my absolute favorite, it's among them, with an important place as the first, and it is very good. Good enough that it got me hooked on her writing, which means I owe this book a great deal of love.