The Book Meme

Katherine E. tagged me for this great book meme. Since I have been a book-lover and reader of anything from cereal boxes to phone books from the age of three, it's no surprise that I couldn't answer the questions with just one book!

Total number of books?
In the crate beside the bed,
patiently waiting to be read,
On all my shelves at work and home,
here's the total of the tomes: 456

Last book read? Kind of cheating on this one as I am actually still reading, Creation Continues by Fritz Kunkel. It's for my Bible study group and the idea is a chapter a week but I keep running on ahead, I'm enjoying it so much. Before that it was Humble Leadership by Graham Standish.

Last book bought? I actually bought two at once:The Heartsong of Charging Elk by James Welch. Bought because it was recommended by the mayor of Minneapolis on MPR on a feature in which public figures recommend a recent favorite book. Not yet read. And in the same shipment, Forgiving and Forgiven by William Countryman....halfway through and loving it

Five meaningful books?
Markings by Dag Hammerskjold I first encountered this book when I was in high school. His thinking changed mine forever. I still have that copy of the book complete with the comments written in my high school hand.
The Book of Common Prayer What can I say? It's just kind of all right there. Everything a liturgy and book and language geek could ever desire in one place!
Amazing Grace (or pretty much anything) by Kathleen Norris.
WomanPriest by AllaRene Bozarth I read this a long time ago, or it seems so, and it made possible the idea of priesthood.
Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Steven Cope. Read it every five years or so whether I need to or not.

How about favorite children's books?
A Wrinkle in Time, The Little Prince, Hope for the Flowers, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables