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The Book Meme
I've been tapped by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ravurian and mayflo to do the book meme.
1) Total number of books owned?
They're kidding with this one, right? I mean, we read and write for fun! I'll go round this a bit by telling you I have a large collection of children's series, another hefty clump of history books - especially Civil War era and Tudor England stuff - and classic British mysteries.
2) The last book I bought?
Together, I bought Brief Lives (a Sandman graphic novel) by Neil Gaiman, and The Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault.
3) The last book I read?
The Secret Pilgrim by John LeCarré
4) Five books that mean a lot to me? (Not including Harry Potter - that's a gimme; and not including mine or yours)
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
I love all of the Narnia books - I was huge fan from an early age (we even used to "play Narnia" at recess). This one is my favorite, and it's the book that taught me that a journey is an excellent focus for any book.
Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy and its sequel Smiley's People by John LeCarré
John LeCarré is one of my absolute favorite authors. If you just think he's a writer of spy novels, think again. He comes up with some of the most vivid descriptions I've ever seen, and his characters are just stunning.
The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck
The book that taught me to apply my intellect to study my own spirituality. Another book of his I liked is People of the Lie, a chilling description of evil.
Roughing It by Mark Twain
This book opened my eyes to Mark Twain, who's a lot funnier and more contemporary than I'd ever imagined from just reading Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. I really fell in love with all his travel books (they're non-fiction).
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Not that it's a particular favorite, but I chose this book to discuss on my high school Advanced Placement English essay and was awarded an obscene number of college credit hours for it, which saved me a boatload of tuition and allowed me to graduate after 4 years, even after imploding the second semester of my junior year when all I took was Future Worlds and all I did was write a paper on organic gardening while licking my wounds over a dramatically failed love affair with an alcoholic artist and musician.
I'm supposed to tap some of you to do the meme thing, too - but most of you already have. If you haven't, consider this an invitation.
ravurian and mayflo to do the book meme.1) Total number of books owned?
They're kidding with this one, right? I mean, we read and write for fun! I'll go round this a bit by telling you I have a large collection of children's series, another hefty clump of history books - especially Civil War era and Tudor England stuff - and classic British mysteries.
2) The last book I bought?
Together, I bought Brief Lives (a Sandman graphic novel) by Neil Gaiman, and The Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault.
3) The last book I read?
The Secret Pilgrim by John LeCarré
4) Five books that mean a lot to me? (Not including Harry Potter - that's a gimme; and not including mine or yours)
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
I love all of the Narnia books - I was huge fan from an early age (we even used to "play Narnia" at recess). This one is my favorite, and it's the book that taught me that a journey is an excellent focus for any book.
Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy and its sequel Smiley's People by John LeCarré
John LeCarré is one of my absolute favorite authors. If you just think he's a writer of spy novels, think again. He comes up with some of the most vivid descriptions I've ever seen, and his characters are just stunning.
The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck
The book that taught me to apply my intellect to study my own spirituality. Another book of his I liked is People of the Lie, a chilling description of evil.
Roughing It by Mark Twain
This book opened my eyes to Mark Twain, who's a lot funnier and more contemporary than I'd ever imagined from just reading Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. I really fell in love with all his travel books (they're non-fiction).
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Not that it's a particular favorite, but I chose this book to discuss on my high school Advanced Placement English essay and was awarded an obscene number of college credit hours for it, which saved me a boatload of tuition and allowed me to graduate after 4 years, even after imploding the second semester of my junior year when all I took was Future Worlds and all I did was write a paper on organic gardening while licking my wounds over a dramatically failed love affair with an alcoholic artist and musician.
I'm supposed to tap some of you to do the meme thing, too - but most of you already have. If you haven't, consider this an invitation.
no subject
Specifically, I don't think I've laughed quite as hard or as well in years as I did during the scene wherein Daniel finds everything out. Everything about that scene, the dialogue, the flow, everything, was absolutely perfect and I shall now go off and die of happiness intertwined with burning jealousy.
Another thing? I am consistently amazed by people who can write their characters having fights and getting through those fights. I think it's a by-product of the fact that I don't really have knock down drag-out fights with people, I have highly communicative fights that pretty much end where they start, and so I can't write conflict well. At all. But oh dear lord, hon, do you ever. Ever.
Thank you so much for this story, it was beyond brilliant.
no subject
The fight scene was finished early and was one of the few I didn't fuss with afterwards. Must be the upbringing - I've seen enough silly ranting arguments.
no subject