So Jacqueline tagged me for the book meme. Generally, I am not a big proponent of these meme things that go around the blogs. But hey, here we are, and Lucky is not quite ready for debut, so lets talk about books.

Let's begin with the story of my bookshelf. My bookshelf is this not-fabulous wooden thing from the garden section of Target. One day, I was annoyed with its rampant disarray and wanted to just get rid of it and all of the books. It looked awful and messy and was a serious eyesore. I was in the midst of a major room overhaul which had thus far included painting the walls. So I painted the wooden thing with leftover wall paint and organized the books by spine color. So much more pleasing this way! I kept my books.

Total number of books in your house:
ummmm. maybe 150? Here they are:

Sam has claimed the white shelf. He pushed all the books on one side to the back and likes to jump up there and lounge. I don't have the heart to evict him.

The last book you bought was:
by Malcolm Gladwell. I had just read and was unimpressed, but felt like the idea had potential. I thought maybe the good arguments were in The Tipping Point. But I ended up equally unimpressed. and now I own both. argh.

What was the last book you read?
by Steven Landsburg. This is one of those books that changed the way I saw the world. He makes points that are often in conflict with the mainstream media and unspoken but established cultural worldviews. For example, he equates zealous environmentalism with a form of religion. I found it refreshing.

Write down 5 (or 6) books you often read or that mean a lot to you.
by Jean Baudrillard.
by Steve Krug. Its about web usability, one of my favorite subjects.
by Elizabeth Zimmerman.
by Roland Barthes. No, its not about the Greek/Roman myths. More about societal norms.
by Susan Sontag. Photographs are everywhere, but I didn't really get what they meant until reading this.
by Bob Glover. I am a serious runner. Not saying I am seriously fast or anything, but I run. Last year, I ran the NY marathon. This book spends a lot of time on my bedside table.

Who are you going to pass this onto and why?
Grumperina, because I bet she is really well-read; Purly Whites, a favorite new knitblogger who everyone should read; and Stephanie, because I am curious.

Maybe these meme things are ok. They are like get-to-know-you activities done on retreats. And since we knit bloggers mostly talk only about knitting, maybe this is good for us! Thanks for tagging me, Jacqueline!