Book meme
The latest book meme has been passed to my via Dev Thakur at Against a dictatorship of relativism .
Total number of books I've owned:
Not sure, but I expect that I would need to use an exponent to describe the number. Let us just say that God could have told Abraham that his descendents would be as numerous as amount of books that Jeff has owned.
Last book I bought:
Well the last haul contained Pope John Paul II's Memory and Identity and Cardinal Ratzinger's God and the World.
Last book I read:
Like some others I don't confine myself to reading one book at a time, though I normally limit this to one book per room. Recently I finished reading Our Lady and the Church by Hugo Rahner, A Tour of the Summa by Msgr Glenn, Hail Holy Queen by Scott Hahn, St. Benedict and St. Therese by Dwight Longenecker, Worthy is the Lamb by Thomas J. Nash.
Five books that mean a lot to me:
Like most book lists this one will include the caveat of not including the Bible or the Catechism since they are assumed.
R.A. Salvatore series (including the Icewind Dale Trilogy) about the Drow Elf Drizzt Do'urden. I started reading this series before my conversion, but it sparked some questions for me. Drizzt grows up as part of what is an evil race and struggles against his birth right to reject evil and to do good by helping others. I found some of themes and especially the chapter introductions to be very Catholic in their understanding sometimes. I was drawn to characters such as Drizzt who displayed heroic virtue when at times it would have been easier for him to take an easy road and avoid problems his ethical understandings brought him. This made my ponder in my own life why I was attracted to characters such as these, though I wasn't always doing the same in my own life.
Frank Sheed's Theology and Sanity which is just an amazing book in its very lucid and easy to understand treatment of theology. A must read for all.
G.K Chesterton's The Everlasting Man is the first book from him that I had read so it has a special place for me. He simply blew me away in that almost every paragraph made me pause and think. The view of history on a grand scale and his view of man made many things click for me. I was still on my way into the Church when I read this and after reading it I considered it almost criminal that before investigating the Catholic Church that I have never heard of him. Though it is understandable why a secular society would want to ignore his writings.
Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series. My love of reading started with SF as a child really took when reading his books. The idea that human civilization could be guided by a group of elites who helped them especially appealed to me when I was still a raging liberal. Of course his propensities for puns didn't turn me away either.
I declare a tie on this one between St. Teresa of Avila's autobiography and St. Augustine's Confessions St. Teresa's common sense, her humor, and her striving for perfection have made a big impact on me. This book humanized saints for me more than any other. St. Augustine's masterpiece spiritual biography also showed me that saints aren't just some plastic thing on a dashboard. The following quote really spoke to me since I had spent most of my life as an atheist.
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
I will inflict or pass this one to Victor Lams, Zorak (Happy Birthday), Dave Armstrong, Tom at Disputations and Christopher Blosser.
Known as 
It was strange running into your post on your readings this morning. I had just been thinking about St. Teresa of Avila and meaning to read more of her when I happened upon your comments and quote. It motivated me immediately to go to Amazon and to order her autobiography.
As it is said, nothing happens by accident.
Thanks.
Benedict XVI's "Truth and Tolerance" is also a great pick. It's got a 2004 date, but it mostly reprints essays spanning the last 30+ years. Highly recommended!
I can't believe I had forgotten about Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series. I probably wouldn't like them now but this does make me want to get "I, Robot" from the library.
Jeff - I love that section of "Confessions" as well, it really stood out to me as I was rediscovering my faith. A couple of years ago, a good priest friend of mine had us listen to a beautiful song by young Catholic songwriter/singer Martin Doman, called "Song of Augustine" that is one of my favorite songs to listen to. I would highly recommend that you (and anyone else who loves those lines of Augustine) check it out--go to Domini Ministries at www.martindoman.com (the album it is on is "Praying Twice")
Some of the lyrics are:
O Beauty so ancient, and yet so new
Too late I have known You, too late I have loved You
I stand here in need of Your mercy,
Rebuild me; in You, fill my soul
Let me seek You; my soul thirsts for You
You have made me O God, to live forever in Your love
And my heart will not rest, until it rests in You
You were always near me, when I was far astray
You stretched your hand out to me
But I turned away.
I reached out for creation, not Creator;
The beauty created by Your hand
But even in the shadows, Your love
Broke through
(His Praying Twice: Volume II album also has a couple of great songs on it that are his originals -- I've noticed that his original compositions are his best ones!)
Hmmm... Glad I haven't had to answer it. I'd have to admit that I last book I read was the one I finished last night.
"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish."
Kids...
:)
Speaking of Chesterton, this free ebook site seems replete with many titles with his name on them. Sort of makes having a PDA worthwhile.
Click the URL for that goes with this post to display a list of available titles.
Murel, Chesterton is a real treat! I'm thinking he's banned in American schools, I didn't discover him until I was far away from college.
Oh, and, Jeff's: "...St. Teresa's common sense, her humor, and her striving for perfection.."
In the words of Bill Murray ala Groundhog Day:
"me... me... me again..."
Alright, I'll start trolling for humility.
I'd guess I've owned between five hundred and twelve hundred books. I don't recall the title of the last book I bought -- something snatched up furtively at a used bookstore -- but the last book I finished was J. P. Hailey's The Wrong Gun.
Though I wouldn't put it in those terms myself, you could say the following books all mean a lot to me: Jacques Maritain's Art and Scholasticism; the Hawthorne Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home's A Memoir of Mary Ann; G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown Omnibus; St. Catherine of Siena's Dialogue; and Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide.
I have to say in thinking about reading books, and just the ability to want to read, came sometime ago when someone told me about an old priest named Padre Pio. I had no idea who he was, let alone that he had been dead for over 30+ years. After listening to a conversation about this priest an older gentleman said he had been told by Padre Pio to say a rosary for me, I was sufficiently creeped out. This was 11 years ago, and this sparked me to go find out who this Padre Pio was. I was now looking to find a book about some Padre that told a little old man to pray for me. I who hadn't even finished a Readers Digest in the last 20 years. Since finding the book on Padre Pio, I have lost count of the books I have now read. And now with the internet, I have reading material that is endless. But I must admit this blog is one of my favorites to read. Thanks Jeff,( and Padre Pio)