Book Tag

I've answered some of these questions in my last post, but I will play along because it's fun. I love to read how everyone else answers these questions.

My Reading: When I was a kid, I was an advanced reader. Back then, the teachers weren't quite sure how to address my needs. They sent me to the next grade for reading, but that didn't seem to help much. Somewhere along the line, I lost interest in reading. I also lost my mother and my world changed dramatically. I lived with my grandparents. My grandfather spent his retirement watching soap operas and reruns of Roseanne. My grandmother read all the time, but it was the National Enquirer, Star, Globe, and Weekly World Report (I tried unsuccessfully to convince her that a baby cannot be born with a ring on its finger, that a baby's birth weight couldn't be 30 pounds, and that spaceships hadn't found where God lives). Weekly World Report did convince me that people actually bought and read outlandish fiction (some of those people, like my grandmother, even believed the fiction to be true). As a result, we didn't read much. I read my assignments for school and college, but never read for pleasure until my sister gave me the first Ariana book by Rachel Ann Nunes. After I read that book, I realized that I enjoyed reading and dove into it head first. I now read every day and buy as many books as I can.

Total Number of Books Owned: This is hard. As I wrote in an earlier post, we turned our original living room into a library, with shelves from the floor to the ceiling, to house all of our books. I'd love to have one of those huge libraries where you need a ladder to reach the top shelves, but for now I can reach the top shelves in my library. We have so many books and on Saturday, after my son's soccer game, I let my kids go to the thrift store and pick out more books. While there, I happened to find Peace Like A River by Leif Enger which Josi Kilpack had reviewed so I snatched it from the shelf. I'll count all my books one of these days, but not today.

Last Book I bought: I did buy Peace Like A River but it was at the thrift store. The last book I bought retail was Ghost of a Chance by Kerry Lynn Blair. I'm reading it right now and truly enjoy the humor and the story. I'm a Blairfanatic (is that a word?).

Last Book I Read: The First 2000 Years by Cleon Skousen. He has an amazing store of knowledge about ancient times and prophets. I learned a lot while reading this book as a companion to the Old Testament. I'm now on the next book in the series.

Five Meaningful Books: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli spoke to me because the main character is so different from what's "cool" and despite the ridicule from the other kids, she's happy, kind, and thoughtful. Teaching by the Spirit by Gene R. Cook made me think differently about teaching and speaking in Sacrament Meeting. Raising Up a Family Unto the Lord by Gene R. Cook taught me principles about raising a family that I hadn't considered before. Believing Christ by Stephen E. Robinson helped me to see how important it is to not only believe in Christ, but to believe Christ when he tells us to come unto Him and that through Him we can be with Heavenly Father again. Of course, the scriptures would be included. I would also add the series I'm currently reading by Cleon Skousen because these books have made me see and understand things I didn't before. His books have helped me to remember and truly digest the stories in the Old Testament.

I tag: Karlene Browning, Patricia Wiles, David Woolley, and Terrie Bittner.