Total number of books I've owned: Thousands and thousands. I was once incapable of giving away, throwing away, or even donating books. Since then I have learned that there are so many different groups and people who cannot get access to books as I do. Now, we still own a lot of books but I quite regularly give away books to my daughter, to kids at school, to various groups and to other teachers at school.
Last book I bought: Women of Mystery - a book of short stories by a group of very good mainstream women mystery writes. I bought it to give to a young girl at school who reads non-stop. She reads "bodice rippers" by African-American authors and after skimming through one, I decided she needed to broaden out her reading and thought introducing her to Faye Kellerman, Sara Paretsky, Ruth Rendell, Anne Perry and Mary Higgins Clark might be a step up. As an aside, she admits she never read at all before our school adopted the Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Program. Our children read twenty minutes each and every day at the beginning of their lunch hour.
Last book I read: White Male Infant by Barbara D'Amato - not much impressed.
Five books that mean a lot to me: They mean a lot to me for different reasons. Three of them are by Mark Twain.
The Diaries of Adam and Eve. If you love, or are loved, or want to make someone feel loved, this is a fine, fine book. It is available online as well. This truck a chord with me because when Felix and I were courting, and it was a very odd courting dance, for sure, I hit a point where I felt that my life, with my children, my volunteer work, my hectic schedule, teaching, and all of the other bits and pieces of my life, would really make his life too complex - change things too much for him. His life seemed so simple and ordered - I was afraid of changing it too much and having him resent it later. I quoted this part of the book to him:
This new creature with the long hair is a good deal in the way. It is always hanging around and following me about. I don't like this; I am not used to company. I wish it would stay with the other animals.He immediately quoted back Adam's statement at Eve's grave, long after they were driven from the Garden:
Wheresoever she was, there was Eden.
Forty years after she came into being, in Twain's book, Eve writes:
It is my prayer, it is my longing, that we may pass from this life together--a longing which shall never perish from the earth, but shall have place in the heart of every wife that loves, until the end of time; and it shall be called by my name. But if one of us must go first, it is my prayer that it shall be I; for he is strong, I am weak, I am not so necessary to him as he is to me--life without him would not be life; now could I endure it? This prayer is also immortal, and will not cease from being offered up while my race continues. I am the first wife; and in the last wife I shall be repeated.
Letters From the Earth. It's a wonderful book and it really goes to the heart of the human race and all of its faults and foibles.
Mark Twain on the Damned Human Race. Nobody writes like Twain.
The Federalist Papers. - Hamilton, Madison and Jay, Edited by Benjamin F. Wright. Reading the Founding Fathers words, knowing how strongly they felt, what commitment they held to our beginnings as a country. It is truly very powerful to read their words.
Safe, Not Sorry by Tanya K. Metaska
It's one of the earliest books I read on self defense, taking control, and making positive change. It's got a lot of anecdotal stuff in it and it is not "perfectly" written, but it opened my eyes. It can be ordered at townhall.com for $17.95 plus shipping.
Addendum - when I was married to my ex-maniac, I got my college education so I could make my escape. I did so by "sneaking" to classes, hiding my books, etc. Terrible punishments were exacted whenever I was caught out of the house without permission. We also had a wood stove for heat (I wasn't allowed to use the furnace without permission). One afternoon, I came home later than I should because I thought he would still be at work. He had gotten fired that day and was (1) home very early and (2) in a foul mood and (3) stupid drunk. When I came into the house it was blazing hot and as I cautiously looked around for where he might be, I looked down the stairs into the family room where the wood stove was and there he sat with the door open on the furnace. Almost simultaneously, I realised that the bookshelves were empty. I opened my mouth to speak, but then he held up my journal and said, "This is what happens when you don't listen." He then threw it into the fire.
Every book in my home, my journals (more than 25 years worth), every magazine, all of it - burned.
Felix gave me a book at our very first meeting and our courting revolved around trips to the range, to Borders and dinners where we talked and talked and talked.
Every woman should be so blessed.
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