Books, books, books!

Brett has tagged me to provide answers to these book questions, so now, after a brief vacation delay, I will answer his queries to the best of my abilities:

Number of books I own:
This is an uncountable number. My guess would be 282, give or take a few that I have loaned but that have not been returned, but this is purely a guess. Yes, I have a book addiction. I have been trying to whittle my collection down by donating books or selling them at Half Price Books, but it seems that before I can do that, my dog engages in his own brand of recycling by eating the books. He has a remarkable ability to find them in dog-proof (or so I thought) places where I have hidden them! And it hurts me to see books that have been chewed.

Last book I bought:
The Wonder Spot, by Melissa Bank (a second effort by the author of The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing). As often occurs, this was an impulse purchase in the airport on the way home from my recent business trip. I don't know what it is about the airport, but I am VERY prone to impulse purchases of reading material there.

Last books I read:

· Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why, by Joanne Gordon

· Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding (re-read)

· Newcomer's Handbook New York City, no specific author

· Take Big Bites, by Linda Ellerbee

· A Thousand Days in Tuscany, by Marlena de Blasi

Five books that mean a lot to me:
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery. I received this series of books as a Christmas gift from my aunt and uncle when I was about 10 years old. Before Christmas Day was over, I had already read the entire first book and cried my eyes out over the death of Matthew, Anne’s adopted father. I had always been a reader, filling pages and pages of lines with books I read during my library’s summer reading program. But I think it was the way this book involved me that let me know I will be a reader for life, and was a preview of the magic powers of escape one can find in a book.

The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand. This is the first book I remember that had a profound impact on me. I read it while travelling alone in Europe, during a six-week hiatus I had negotiated before starting a new job. I was somewhat stunned at leaving my first firm ever, but knew it was time. The book inspired me, reminding me that life is too short to settle or compromise one's ideals. I have read it again many times over the years, and it always reinvigorates me.

Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett. I loved this book, with its great story and simple writing. But the reason it means a lot to me is that I actually attended a reading and book signing by the author, where she actually made some personal remarks that inspired me. In my book she wrote, "Read everything, write well, have a thrilling life." It was around this time that I started actually believing that there could be something different in store for me, a dream that is just now coming to fruition for me.

Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl. This book entertained me, with its descriptions of food and wine intertwined with the very interesting story of the author's life. It also showed me that a low-key writing style like mine can actually support a book!

Constitutional Law by Nowak and Rotuda. I read this in law school while taking my favorite course of all time (in which I made my best grade of all time--a sure indicator of my interest!). Nothing else interested me quite so much . . . I love both the procedural and substantive aspects of constitutional law. And now I hope to make it my career!