Literature

Apparently I was tagged in a crazed meme game and didn't even realize it. Herein I make up for my tardiness with a fabulous personal statement on my reading habits.

Total number of books?
Too many. As in, we had a personal library and it was a room. I dunno, hundreds, thousands?

Last Book read?
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. And (not that you asked, but) I loved it. It was perfect airplane reading. The main character is fun and silly but not pathetically stupid. Possibly my favorite by Kinsella, and I've read all her books. Wow, I am feeling so girly right now. I do enjoy disrupting assumptions from time to time.

Last Book Bought?
Atonement by Ian McEwan. I look forward to seeing the movie and I hate reading a book after seeing its movie, so I put this to top of my bedtime reading stack (Alongside Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour which I also purchased secondhand recently and which is also wonderful). Atonement is slow moving and sort of absorbing. Languorous describes the style and mood quite well. You feel from the get-go that something bad is going to happen, see it all being set up, but have no control. You continue because you sense eventual redemption (um, the title?). Of course I also sense the redemption will in most cases be too late. C'est la vie. Read an excerpt on Powell's.

Five meaningful Books?

1. Notes to Myself - A gem shared with me by David (who got it from his mom) many years ago, this collection of personal reflections by Hugh Prather has served in times of need as a blissful reminder of not being alone or excessively weird or an idiot for what I feel and think. There is little we can do to control thoughts, nothing to control feelings, so spending days or years worrying and beating ourselves (and those we love) up over what goes on in our heads is such a waste. Make note of it and go on with your life. This is a beautiful book in the best tradition of self help literature--earnest, amusing, grounded; it doesn't beat you over the head, though it will give you a soothing mental workout. Read an excerpt on Amazon.
2. Being Peace - I recall standing in a Buddhist bookstore in San Francisco one day in 1989, discovering the work of Thich Nhat Hanh. In college I kept with me little snippets from this book as reminders for self acceptance and joy in living at peace with oneself and the world. A fabulous introduction to mindfulness. Read excerpt. Right up there is Peace is Every Step, by the same author and a bit more practical.
3. Angle of Repose - When asked what my favorite book is, I often list this one first, and I've written plenty about it elsewhere if you want more of my opinions. I found this only after I was well grown. I had seen most of the places mentioned in the story and I love local history. Take all that into account and maybe it explains why I felt so deeply for this book; or maybe it's because it is just amazingly well written. Wallace Stegner put into this Pulitzer Prize winning book a little of everything--history, romance, family drama, a multi-generational saga, tragedy, travel, and above all beautiful prose. Another languorous story, but with enough different characters and storylines to keep a rewardingly slow pace. Read an excerpt on Powell's. Here's a reader's guide, if you feel so inclined. Or read another fan's views.
4. Free to Be You and Me - If I ever have kids, they will be made to read this book and embrace it whether they want to or not. :) A collection of stories, poems, songs, and pictures chosen for their acceptance of human differences, this book helped shape the way I view the world. It's a quintessential 70's nonsexist children's book, in support of the Ms. Foundation. Some might point out the agenda associated with the creators, but I see nothing wrong with the content of this book which I believe makes essential reading for children. You can read opening pages on Amazon or get some more background at Wikipedia.
5. Forever - Speaking of life lessons, Judy Blume books were for me, like many others, the safest, warmest possible welcomer to all things girl growing up. Contrary to what you might think of my education and childrearing views, I don't believe contemporary literature is always the best choice for children's reading. (Read more on the history of children's lit.) In too many cases literature written these days for young people is like empty calories. It's fine as a supplement to a steady basic diet of complex, nourishing foods. Unfortunately, that's not generally the case. Where was I headed with this? Right, Blume is exceptional in the Children's and Young Adult literature genres. Her writing is modern, honest, open, and informative--not-so-simple calories that happen to go down easy. In real life, kids make some smart choices and some dumb ones. Blume reflects this in her writing, and never seems to pass judgment. She also holds up no rose colored lenses. Life is lived, and lessons, hopefully, are learned. As it should be. Goodness, don't you love that I am so non-moralistic? ;)