15 things about books

Robert Gregory Browne tagged me for a book meme. You list 15 facts and personal preferences about books. It's my first meme!

1. Last year about this time I sold off approximately $300 worth of books from my collection. I don't regret it one bit.

2. At the same time, I donated approximately five moving boxes full of books to our AAUW yearly book sale.

3. At present, I own mostly paperback books. I seem to be on an unstated hardback moratorium.

4. I used to buy all my books used. Force of habit from grad school bag lady days.

5. Now I try to buy new books, since I understand better how an author's career depends on that particular exchange of capital.

6. As a child, my mother and I would go I would go with my mother to the downtown Huntsville (AL) Public Library once a week to check out books. We also checked out artwork to hang on our walls. I will never ever forget the smell of that building, especially the children's room, an odor I will always associate with inspiration and delight.

7. It never in a million years would've occurred to me to be afraid of germs in library books, as Anne Frasier noted, but now that I've read THIS, I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't be more careful. I do live close to Philadelphia.

8. My two children have approximately one-hundred books. The older is not even two and a half. About twenty of these are books from my own childhood. All but a handful of the rest were gifts.

9. We read POLAR EXPRESS to N last night for the first time. At bedtime he made D read it three times before he would allow the light to be turned off. He woke up an hour earlier than usual this morning, shouting, "My Express Book! My Express Book!" I had to begin the reading cycle again immediately. It has continued throughout the day. I cry every time I read the last page.
How many more days until Christmas?

10. My three favorite novels are, in no particular order, ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN (Twain), CEREMONY (Leslie Marmon Silko), and THE CRYING OF LOT 49 (Thomas Pynchon). I own multiple editions of each. I have lots of second favorites.

11. I have about twenty copies of my own book in my closet. I also have about ten copies of my grandmother's book of stories.

12. I own quite a few first editions by American authors. Do I read them? No. They sit on a shelf inside a closet where the light can't get to them. Brilliant.

13. Giving the gift of a book is one of the finest things one can do.

14. I have never seen my mother go to bed without a book in her hand. Ever.

15. I bought my mom a brick at my local library in thanks for instilling her love of books in me.

Oh, crap! I just realized (a few hours later) that I, too, need to tag people. I tag Christa M. Miller, Matthew Masucci, and Jason Evans to participate!