Another Book Meme

I'm way overdue in playing along with Patrick the Paragraph Farmer's book meme, but I plead busyness. Now that school is out, here goes:

1. Most treasured childhood book(s)?

Nancy Drew (My mom saved them all, so PalmGirl has read the same ones I always had my nose in.)
Anne of Green Gables


2. Classic(s) you are embarrassed to admit you’ve never read?

Working through Omnibus with the PalmKids has significantly reduced this category for me, but I've still never read The Lord of the Flies, anything by Ayn Rand, Brave New World, The Grapes of Wrath, just to name a few.
I'm not embarrassed, though. I figure I'll get to them one day.

3. Classics you read, but hated?

Like Patrick, I hated Catcher in the Rye. Hated it!
I also really didn't like Gulliver's Travels. And don't tell anyone, but I can't stand the Lord of the Rings series.


4. Favorite genre(s)?

It's hard for me to narrow that down. I love historical fiction, history, biography, books about education and teaching, theology, Latin texts and grammar books, and lots more.

5. Favorite light reading?

legal and detective thrillers from folks like Michael Connelly

6. Favorite heavy reading?

Theology. Right now I'm very slllllloooooowwwwwlllly working through Packer's Knowing God.

7. Last book(s) you finished?

How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer

8. Last book(s) you bailed on?

Not because I didn't like it, but just because I didn't have time -- Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg. I'll try to get through it this summer, but PalmPilot has it right now.

9. Three (only three!) books on your nightstand?

Honolulu by Alan Brennert
Pompeii by Robert Harris
Knowing God by J.I. Packer (I've been reading it for over 5 months now!)

10. Book(s) you’ve read more than once?

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
Anne of Green Gables
several of Maeve Binchy's books


11. Book(s) that meant the most to you when you were younger (i.e., college/young adult)?

The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Boettner (my uncle gave it to me as a high school graduation gift, and it rocked my world)
The Pleasures of God by John Piper


12. Book(s) that changed the way you looked at life?

The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Boettner
The Pleasures of God by John Piper
Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Age of Opportunity by Paul Tripp

13. Favorite books

The books in #12 above, plus:

John Adams by David McCullough
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis
Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis
When People Are Big and God Is Small by Ed Welch
Peacemaking Women by Tara Klena Barthel and Judy Dabler

14. Favorite author(s)

C.S. Lewis, Maeve Binchy, John Piper, Doug & Nancy Wilson, just to name a few.

15. Desert Island Book (apart from the Bible and a wilderness survival text)

Stepping Heavenward - Elizabeth Prentiss


BONUS! Desert Island Book for Your Worst Enemy

I suppose it would be unusually cruel to inflict the aforementioned Catcher in the Rye, the Left Behind series, and books on open theism on anyone -- desert island or not. It would be a recipe for serious despair & depression. In order to love my enemy, I'd give him/her a Bible and Piper's The Pleasures of God.

If you take up this meme, please leave a comment and let me know so I can add more books to my wishlist.