Book Meme

Bradi has tagged me for a book meme. I’m supposed to tell you six book-related things about myself and then tag six others to do the same. I don't have a damned clue how to go about this, and there's a good chance this will never get published. But I'll give it a try.

1. The Little House on the Prairie books were my favorites growing up. I learned a lot about how things were done back then, through the eyes of a little girl: I learned about making maple syrup and maple candy; about butchering a pig, which included making headcheese, roasting the pig's tail (a treat!), and blowing up the bladder as a balloon to play with; how they sewed all their clothes and made mattresses stuffed with straw. I sewed a skirt, shirt, nightgown, bonnet, mattress (stuffed with batting, not straw) and a quilt for my Holly Hobby doll.

2. One of my all-time favorite books is Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson. I was first introduced to Ms. Jackson in the eighth grade, when my English class read the short story Charles (which is part of that book). I am currently rereading this book for the eleventy-millionth time. My copy is literally as old as I am, and falling apart worse than I am.

3. The most books I've ever read by one author is the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman. I started reading these in (I think) the early 90s. I read maybe 7 or 8 of them, stopped reading all together for a few years when I had a baby and was otherwise occupied, and then picked them back up a few years ago. In my absence he had written quite a few more of them, so I had a great time devouring them all to catch up. But now that I am caught up, I have to wait for him to publish the next one. :( I have read 21 of these so far, and am waiting for the latest to come out in paperback. A few years ago I emailed the author about my disappointment about some character developments. He emailed me back, assuring me it was not the last we would see of that character. True to his word, things are now back on track. And also, the author's wife, Faye Kellerman (also an author) has the same birthday as me.

4. The first book I ever got emotional about, I cannot even remember the name of. I was in the first grade, and I got this book out of the school library. It featured pictures of ragdolls as the illustrations, and I cannot remember the storyline but something sad happened and made me cry. I took this book out every week for I don't know how long. And thus began my habit of obsessing over things.

5. The furthest away I ever sent for a book was for a used copy of The Sunflower Forest by Torey Hayden, ordered on Ebay from England. I had read it years prior and decided I had to re-read it and own it. By that point it was rather hard to find a copy of it.

6. The last books I've purchased are Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs, and The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I haven't even received them yet.

I am not going to tag anyone for this, as I figure everyone I know on the interwebs has already been tagged and I'm too lazy right now to check. If you are reading this and have not been tagged previously, and would like to participate, please consider yourself tagged.