I haven’t yet been tagged in the book meme going around St. Blog’s Parish, but the questions about books interested me, an inveterate reader, so I figured I’d leap into the fray untagged.
- Total books owned: Likely in the thousands. Every few years, I tend to collect enough to open a used bookstore in my house. I purge them by donating to libraries or used bookstores, and then the vicious cycle starts again. My name is Michelle and I’m a bookaholic.
- Last book purchased: We Have a Pope!, an upcoming biography of Pope Benedict XVI by Matthew Bunson. I bought it through Catholic Answers and am eagerly anticipating receiving a copy when the shipment arrives. <Commercial>If you want to purchase a copy, too, GO HERE.</commercial>
- Last book read: Benedict XVI by John L. Allen Jr. Although some of Allen’s later books, such as Conclave and All the Pope’s Men, are very good, I understand now why Allen himself thinks this book (originally written when the Pope was Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) is not one of his best. It is not so much a biography of the Holy Father but uses him as a pretext to discuss Allen’s own liberal views. Allen said recently that he wished he had been able to write new material to preface the U.S. edition of the book, but did not have the opportunity. Apparently, though, the U.K. publisher did allow for a new preface.
- Five books that mean a lot to me: The Bible (natch), God Help Me! These People Are Driving Me Nuts by Gregory K. Popcak (very helpful), Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating (first Catholic book I read), Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer (favorite romance novel), Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (favorite book growing up).
- Tagging: Since I wasn’t tagged myself, I won’t tag another blogger; but feel free to answer one or more of the questions in the comments box. Consider yourself tagged, if you like. 🙂
(Nod to Selkie for inspiration to do the St. Blog’s Book Meme.)
Total books owned: Approx 4,000. Not sure, acquired a lot recently, passed on a lot recently.
Last book purchased: Clementis Papae VIII Decretales (Sentis ed, 1870). I rarely buy new books. Too expensive. Instead I get review copies, and build my library and bibliography at the same time.
Last book read: Joseph Pieper, Guide to Thomas Aquinas (which reminds me, I have to return that to Fr. LaF, but my son is reading it now.) BTW: my reading list is always posted at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/enpeters/personal_reading.htm
Five books that mean a lot to me: Does Shakespeare count as 1 or 20? Waugh, Brideshead Revisited; Chase, The Tyranny of Words; Berman, Law & Revolution; Chambers, Thomas More; ‘most anything by Chesterton.
Tagging: I don’t do that, either.
How many books do I own? I have no clue; I would guess somewhere around 1000. I have your run of the mill Christian Books that inspire but when people ask me what books I have found most inspiring, I tend to pick from the non-direct Christian books, simply because I found beauty in the most unlikely of places.
I wise man can discover the secrets of soaring not only in studying a bird’s ability to stay aloft but also the failure of stones to fly.
Some that top my list are:
The Book of Five Rings
To Kill a Mocking Bird
Man’s Search for Meaning
Total books owned: Including plays? Yipes. Couple thousand, I’d think.
Last book purchased: Praying in the Presence of Our Lord : Prayers for Eucharistic Adoration by Fr Benedict Groeschel. (I never knew either of my grandfathers, so I’ve made Fr Benedict mine by proxy!)
Last book read: Four Witnesses by Rod Bennett.
Currently reading: Salvation is from the Jews by Roy Schoeman & Empire Falls by Richard Russo.
5 books that mean a lot to me: LOTR by Tolkien, Till We Have Faces by Lewis, D-Day by Ambrose, Shoeless Joe by Kinsella, & almost any one book by Mark Helprin but especially Winter’s Tale.
Tagging: Don’t tag – don’t get tagged! 😉
Michelle:
Your a bookaholic huh? As long as you don’t have blackouts and forget where you parked your car after reading a book I would say you’re doing fine.
O.K., I confess, I am not much of a bibliophile. I collected books for a while, but when we started having babies I got out of the habit of reading for pleasure. I tried to use any extra time like that for painting or drawing. Also, I am a slow reader. Not by necessity (I can actually read quite fast), but because if I find an author worth reading I prefer to really soak up the writing. I might read the same paragraph 3 or 4 times.
Some Favorites-
1)The Bible
2)DEAD BRITISH GUYS –
-Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy” (+ everything else)
-Tolkien (Everything)
-C.S. Lewis’ “The Abolition of Man” + everything
3)SAINTS
-Augustine’s “Confessions”
-Teresa of Avila – “The Interior Castle”
4)SOCIAL/POLITICAL
-P.J. O’Rourke – “Eat the Rich”
-Thomas Sowell
5)FICTION
-William Goldman’s “The Princess Bride” (better than the movie)
–
I also love good children’s books. The Laura Ingalls Wilder books are terrific for reading aloud to the kids (please forget the TV series).
I am now reading James Bradley’s “Fly Boys” (history), “Stephen Hawking’s Universe” and I can recommend Jimmy Akin’s “The Salvation Controversy”.5)
1) Number of books: I don’t know. I’m a homeschooler, so if I don’t count them, then I can tell my husband that I really don’t know.
2) Last book purchased: Catholic Dating in an Oversexed World by Fr. Morrow. Found it a bit too old for my teenager.
3) Last book read: Monster by Frank Peretti. I’ve read most of his books, and my husband and I saw him give a live “show” once. He’s a Protestant that “gets it”.
4) 5 books that mean a lot to me: Only 5? The Bible, my monthly Magnificat, Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum (my homeschooling bible), The Cardinal (I’m a light reader), The Joy of Signing (we’re teaching my youngest to sign).
5) I’ll tag no one, because their list will be way more interesting than mine.
The Cardinal is a great book.