Book you.

   It appears I have been 'tagged' by Jodi to participate in the 'book meme.' I shall endeavour to contribute something meaningful to the discussion.

The exercise in question goes like this:

1. Number of books I own:
   Oh, my. I have never counted them. I have been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. I have also never made much use of the library, because I can read a good book over and over again. I prefer to own them. Currently on my book shelves I would have to estimate that I have about 300-400 books. I sold off about 50 books at a recent yard sale, and I probably have at least 50 more sitting in boxes in my basement, waiting for a trip to the used book store. The vast majority of them fall into the category of science fiction/fantasy, but my wife's historical fiction collection is quickly becoming a significant fraction of the whole. In addition, I have a small collection of classics from university that I cannot bring myself to part with.
   I know that my book count isn't really that high compared with many of you. In my defence, I'm picky. I agonize over what books to buy, and rarely take a flyer on something without some kind of recommendation. So, I tend to buy new books slowly, and reread the ones I already own frequently.

2. Last book I read: 
   Hmm, lessee. I just finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, which was a pleasant diversion. I am currently engaged in a book called The Other Wind, by Ursula Le Guin, a part of her Earthsea Archipelago series. Languishing on my bedside table, partially read and waiting to be finished are The Lions Of Al Rassan, by Guy Gavriel Kay, and Ringworld's Children, by Larry Niven. Two days ago at a used book store here in Ottawa, I picked up a hard cover edition for six dollars of The Island Of The Day Before, by Umberto Eco, and I am already engrossed in that. Eco is a wonderful writer who is perhaps best known as the author of the novel The Name Of The Rose, upon which a motion picture was based, starring Sean Connery, and Christian Slater.
   Waiting for me to read in the near future are Angels And Demons, and The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown. I'm not sure how interesting I will find them, but my wife has them, and everybody else in the world seems to have already read them, so I thought I should give them a try. Sitting up on my bookshelf, as well, are David Brin's Kiln People, and William Gibson's Pattern Recognition. Both have earned significant praise, and I can't wait to read them. Also something I look forward to reading will be The Third Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever. Right now, only the first book of three has been published, so I will probably wait for the entire series to be available in paperback before tackling those. I wonder if Stephen Donaldson's prose will be as bombastic as it was in the first two Thomas Covenant trilogies.

3. Five Books That Mean A Lot to Me:
   Atheist though I am, I find The Holy Bible to be a remarkable work of literature with a wealth of insight into the human condition, and messages that carry great value to everyone, be they religious or not.
   Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., is as relevant today as it was thirty years ago. The tragedy of war is that it is truly a children's crusade. The old men, the generals and presidents, sit in their offices, and strategy rooms, and bunkers, while the children--and I don't care what you say, eighteen and nineteen year olds are still children by a long shot--are sent out to the front lines to fight, and die. So it goes.
   Dune, by Frank Herbert, was the first time I realised how dense a novel could be. Herbert explores several themes at the same time, including the responsibility of Godhood, the politics of the feudal system of government, the ecology of desert reclamation, and the effects of an economy that depends upon a single product. My Dune books (there are eight of them) are so thumbworn I will probably have to replace several of them when next I try to reread them.
   Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay. Never has any writer affected my emotions so powerfully in any book. 'Nuff said.
   My wedding photo album. I know, that's pretty sappy, but I take it out and look at it fairly regularly. Excuse me, I have to go tell my wife I love her.

   My choices of other bloggers to tag will follow. I have to figure out who hasn't already done this. I don't know if I will be able to find anyone to whom it will be new. I'll try.