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May 04, 2005
Me! Tagged!
How very exciting this has never happened to me before.
Here are the questions that Jacqueline put to me:
1: What is the total number of books in your house?
A couple of hundred, maybe. I get rid of lots, because I only give space to books I really love. If I love it and want to lend it to people, or reread it, I keep it. Anything I can't finish, or I just think 'meh', is given away or goes to the charity shop. Non-fiction/reference books are a slightly different case. I don't collect books. I have a friend who almost shrieks at the thought of giving away books, but I dont see an intrinsic value in them. They are objects, and as a general trend I try to shed objects - because they do seem to accumulate almost unbidden.
2: What was the last book you bought?
The last book I bought was Small Island by Andrea Levy. It's about two couples, an English couple and a Jamaican couple, and their experiences in World War II and in London immediately post-war. It's good, a lovely easy read; a gripping story well told, and very tender I think, in it's renderings of people's attitudes.
3: What was the last book you read before reading this?
The last book I finished? Or the last book I looked at? The last book I finished was A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I was expecting more: with a title like that, can you blame me? I mean it was good and everything, fantastic technique, but (for me) put-downable, and didn't leave me entirely satisfied.
The last book I read some of is Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. This is real comfort reading, about big country houses and independently wealthy, clueless girls. I'm a bit obsessed with the 1930s and 40s at the moment.
4: Write down 5 (or 6) books that you often read or that mean a lot to you and why?
Hm ok. In order that they occur to me:
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. I love this gentle comedy and it reminds me of my schoolfriend Tara. We read this at around the same time when we were about 15, and would giggle about it endlessly. I reread it whenever I have the flu or am feeling sorry for myself. I recently had to buy a new copy because the original one had finally fallen to pieces.
Perfume by Patrick Suskind. The first time I met my husband, I bought him a copy of this.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Hey I'm a chick. I can't help it. It's just so good.
Life a Users Manual by Georges Perec. A man is painting a dissection of a Paris apartment block, and the book tells the story of the lives of it's inhabitants. It stays with me.
That's four. I could do more but that will do for now.
5: Who are you going to pass this onto and why?
I'd like to know what Ashley, Nona and Vicki read.
Posted by Amelia at May 4, 2005 08:17 AM
Comments
The good thing about these lists is I always get ideas of other things to read. You have listed about 4 books that I now want to read.
Posted by: Jacqueline at May 4, 2005 12:14 PM
P&P is on my yearly re-read list, too (along with Cold Mountain and Grapes of Wrath). I'll have to check out the others on your list - thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Sara at May 4, 2005 02:01 PM
Thanks for the tag Anna -- I'll post my responses either today (May 4th) or tomorrow -- depending on how long the book counting takes :)
Posted by: nona at May 4, 2005 11:24 PM
What a great sweater from a few posts ago! I've never used Calmer, but I like the idea that it's so responsive to blocking. I also love your sidebar image.
Posted by: Lynne at May 5, 2005 11:09 PM