A book meme, filled in coz cairmen told me to...

[annwfyn]

1. Total number of books owned?

A lot. Erm...they are rather scattered at the moment. I think I have about half a shelf at pierot's place, two shelves in my college room in Oxford, two books cases in my bedroom in Lambourn, plus another book case downstairs in the study and a couple of shelves I've taken over, plus two large boxes of books that I never unpacked which got brought down from Edinburgh.

So. Quite a lot then.

2. The last book I bought?

I went on a book shopping spree in Canary Wharf and got 'The War At Troy', which is a re-telling of the Illiad, 'The Magician' by Raymond E Feist, and 'London: The Biography' by Peter Ackroyd. Oh, and I got a bit of tat about urban myths which I haven't really read yet.

3. The last book I read?

The last book I read was for my Masters, and was ‘Studies in Celtic Survival'. It was very interesting and I now know a lot more about Celtic Britain after the Romans left. The last book I read which wasn't for my Masters was me re-reading one of the Fading Suns sourcebooks - I think it was the Imperial Survey - Hawkwood Fiefs. I think the last proper book I read which had nothing to do with work was 'The War At Troy' by Lindsey Clarke, which worried me when I discovered that in my mind, Odesseus has an Australian accent.

The accent thing is entirely twicedead's fault, for reasons which may take too long to explain.

1. With pictures?

'The Scandanavian Character of Anglian England' by John Hines. It's another book for college and it was mind numbingly boring. With pretty pictures? Hrm. I'm not sure. I think I was flicking through one of pierot/ksirafai's comics the other day (not sure who owns it - one of the two). I can't remember the name though.

2. Nonfiction:

See above! I read a lot more non-fiction than fiction these days. 'London: the Biography' is the last non-fiction I looked at which didn't relate to early Anglo-Saxon England.

4. 5 books that mean a lot to me

Argh! That's hard. A lot of books have meant a lot to me for different reasons. All the books I read as a kid, for example, affected me a lot. Other books have gotten to me more recently. The books I've listed aren't my ultimate collection of books - rather just some books which have affected me in different ways.

• The Russian Century - a photographic history of Russia from the 1890s to the 1990s which I was given as a birthday present when I was about sixteen. It is one of my pride and joys - I love it to bits, I find it incredible to read and it is one of the things which sparked my deep and abiding love for all things Russian.


• Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials - I read this when I was in my twenties, but fell in love instantly. I just think these are amazing books, I want a daemon, and I love his take on religion and sin.


• Ursula le Guin - The Earthsea Trilogy - I actually think these affected me more than Lord of the Rings. I got given them by my mother when I was little, long before the fourth book was written. They are the most beautiful pieces of literature. I'm also horribly aware that Tenar and Ged actually warped my mind on what True Love is. I'm convinced that if a man says 'we have...let us call it trust. That is one of its names' I would fall over and do whatever he asked.


• The Princess of Siberia: The Story of Maria Volkonsky and the Decembrist Exiles - this book was given to me by my favourite tutor ever, John Gooding at the University of Edinburgh who I am still in touch with, and is the story of a woman who followed her husband into exile in Siberia after a failed rebellion against the Tsar. In some ways I've always regretted not continuing with Russian history at postgrad level. A bit of me thinks the Decembrists deserve a lot more research, but my Russian has never been good enough. Maybe one day.


• Ellis Peters - Brother Cadfael's Penance - this is the most recent book that I read and was really quite affected by. I've been reading Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael novels for years and always loved them. This is the last one she wrote before she died, and reading it I wondered if she knew it would be the last one. It is the most personal of all the Brother Cadfael novels - he goes in search of his son, who he never got to see growing up. It's about Cadfael questioning his loyalties, his place in the world. It's about family and different kinds of love, and it is really really wonderful. I might be biased after having read a lot of the novels, and feeling kind of weird, knowing that there wouldn't be any more, but I liked it.


• Rosemary Sutcliffe - Sword at Sunset - the best Arthurian novel ever written. Rosemary Sutcliffe is the reason I am studying the period I am studying. This book showed me a world I wanted to understand, wanted to know more about. It's gorgeous. I honestly think Rosemary Sutcliffe might be a genius.

5. 5 folks I'd like to see answer this meme (assuming they haven't already)?

God knows. Erm. I think most people have been there before me. Whoever wants to may answer. I shan't bully anyone. *looks angelic*

Although ksirafai is normally good on books. So I'll kick her.

Comments

[ksirafai.livejournal.com]

Give me a bit - I'm mostly stuck envelope-stuffing today (so if you happen to call and chat at me while I'm so doing, I won't complain... *anime eyes* :P) but will prod. :) Mainly because it entertains me.

Other than that, have had Worst Theory Ever of what happens if I see Xan. *facepalm* How come you might have the most traumatic life situations ever, but I manage to get into the mot trouble simply because I know stuff? :P

See, if _I_ was Xan and someone looking exactly like a punked up Aliana was presented to me as my ward/employer/whatever and acted like Ginnie, I'd look at her funny and think things about Urge and Doppelgangers...

*grins wryly* It's vitally important that you Don't Let Xan Near Me. :P

(I think I'm actually more scared of Xan than NCD, Thompson and probably Hela, too. :P)

[twicedead.livejournal.com]

The sword at sunset? I love that book! Rosemary Sutcliffe completely set my view of Roman Britain... The Eagle of the Ninth, Frontier Wolf, The Lantern Bearers... all brilliant stuff.