I Meme, You Meme, We All Scream for Book Memes!

Memes, memes, what would we do if it weren't for memes? Probably get something productive done, I suppose. The Cynic tagged me, so I must comply. I guess there's utility in it, because it gives us a collective knowledge of one another, and helps us put things in context.

Today it's books. I am also a book person, and I've got a lot, though not as many as I'd like, nor the time to even read all that I have. Here's the reply to today's tasker:

(1) Number of books I own: About 500. I keep them on shelves, in boxes, in drawers, in the back of my car, you name it.

(2) Last book bought: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Bought it, haven't had time to finish it...go figure.

(3) Last book I read: A Concise History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. A school book, but a good, quick overview of the problem and peace process.

(4) Five books that mean a lot to me:

- The Bible. An old standby, perhaps a cliche, but I do read it a lot and it keeps me away from shoal water....most of the time.

- The Lord of the Rings (plus the Hobbit). A classic struggle between good and evil, and a world where you can still smoke a pipe in a pub and not get asked to leave.

- F. Paul Wilson's Adversary Cycle (The Keep, The Tomb, The Touch, Reprisal, Reborn and Nightworld). Another good vs. evil series, but with a different twist. Wilson masterfully weaves what appeared to be three separate story lines into one in the end. Amazingly, no one has put this out in a boxed set.

- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Read it before the movie or the TV series. When you read it you'll laugh so hard you'll wet your pants.

- The John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Not his most famous works, but classic pulp sci-fi from the era.

And, like most social diseases, memes are best when shared, so I will tag Dr. Demarche, Curt and the Cog.