Meme

FINALLY have time to do this. I even forgot who tagged me now. LoL

1) Total number of books you own
Let's see: at home (KCH) there are 3 cupboards full of books, but that's the family books, so I'd estimate a 1/2 cupboard as mine. Then I sent a bag-full of books home with my sister, enough probably to fill one shelf, and I STILL have books here to bring home, so about one cupboard full? But I don't think that's enough, I want more!! :>

2) The last book you bought
Lonely Planet's Europe on A Shoestring! Go figure what it's for.. I'll be reading it in my holidays.

3) The last book you read
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Amazing book, lovely, simple but direct prose. Overall it really shows the neediness and the hardships those Oklahoma migrants went through as they moved to California to find work, and how the industrialisation of things takes the human touch, the natural touch, out of things and the vicious cycle that kills everyone. The ending is a bit weird though, I'd have wanted to see the grapes of wrath ripen, picked and pressed for wine.

4) 5 books that mean a lot to me
No. 1: The Bible. Enough said.

Ok, the next 4 are in no particular order, because I have no idea which books really mean a lot to me. Actually, a lot of them mean a lot to me. :P

No. 2: Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.

No. 3: The whole Enid Blyton series, especially the Mallory Towers series, which I think was instrumental in shaping my childhood.

No. 4: Judy Blume's books, for the "secrets" of growing up they revealed to me.

No. 5: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. Also in the same category would be Red Sky in the Morning by Elizabeth Laird. Go read to find out why I like them.

Yeah, I cheated. I put more than 5 books into that list. But how can anyone be limited in the books they like? These are the books that shaped the childhood and teen years of my life, and as my adult life progresses, I hope different books will help shape it, books that will mean as much to me as the books above. Maybe Davidson's Principles of Clinical Medicine will replace them, once I've finished with it (not very likely haha).

And who do I tag? Rachie, M-R, Jasmine, and whoever else who might like to do this. I don't really know who else would enjoy thinking through their books.

On the related note of books, I came across a list of books that are or have been challenged in the US, challenged meaning that someone (or -ones) appealed for it to be banned from US libraries and from being accessed by children. I'm really glad that the list never made it to our shores, because I've read quite a lot of the books on the list, and those books were the ones which made an impact on my life.

Also read a related article, talking about the same banned/challenged books and why they were challenged.