Fifteen books meme
Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.
1. The Earth's Children (series), by Jean Auel
2. The Chronicles of Narnia (series), C.S. Lewis
3. Deep Survival, by Laurence Gonzales
4. Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond
5. All Creatures Great and Small (series), by James Herriot
6. The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
7. The House of God, by Samuel Shem
8. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
9. Spanish Steps, by Timothy Moore
10. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
11. By the River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept, by Paulo Coelho
12. My Side of the Mountain, by Jean George
13. The Curse of Chalion, by Lois McMaster Bujold
14. Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice To All Creation, by Olivia Judson
15. Bitchfest: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture, compilation
1. OK, I know, it's cheesy Paleo Porn. But, nevertheless, the protagonist Ayla is someone I'll always have a bit of egocentric affinity with. Also, her 'fish out of water' childhood as a Cro-Magnon woman being raised by Neanderthals honestly reminded me a lot of my childhood experiences as a young intelligent female being raised in the Mormon religion. Also also, even though all the many pages about throbbing manhoods and delicate flowers does get a little cliched, I remain very grateful that my earliest exposure to sex scenes treated the topic in such a sex-positive and non-misogynist way. This went a long way towards countering the sexual shame that was being constantly preached at me in real life.
2. The only "safe" (read: non-satanic) fantasy I was really allowed to read as a child. I reread the books over and over. I especially identified with little Lucy in the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. While I was still very much in child, I had some much-older sisters who were already verging on adulthood (like Susan) and of course there were the cruel bully older brothers (like Edmund). Except when I was growing up the magic Jesus-lion Aslan never showed up to defend me. Oh well!
3. I will forever be grateful to canyonwren for recommending this book to me on our very first hike together some 4 years ago. This book helped me to understand how our own brains trick us into seeing what doesn't exist and remembering what never happened, all the while completely failing to see the obvious in front of our faces. It's changed the way I think about how I think.
4. A good long hard look at White European Privilege. Diamond's other book Collapse is also interesting but much longer and much dryer to chew on.
5. I credit these books with fostering my curiosity of all things gross and purulent. I never tired of reading about all the arms stuck up birthing cows and, oh, dear gods! The Artificial Vagina filled with boiling hot water! Although, I never ever did figure out what was the big deal about a Yorkshire Pudding.
6. Everybody who eats food in America needs to read this book. Know where your food comes from. Decide what your relationship with food will be.
7. This is the newest addition to the list and for that reason I almost hesitated to add it, wondering if it will hold the test of time. But, I think it will. The satire is incredibly witty, yet the brutality of medical education in the 70s is right up there with the Lord of the Flies. In the end, despite all of the horrors, he still manages to capture the real essence of what doctoring should be.
8. An acquaintance randomly mailed me this book when I was 18 and going through personal hell. This book taught me to dream.
9. My sister picked this up at random in an airport bookstore and sent it on to me after she finished it. It is - hands down - the most accurate description of what it's like to walk the Camino de Santiago. Except that most pilgrims don't even have a cranky donkey along for added humorous fodder. Even if you haven't taken this crazy 500-mile trip, it's still howlingly funny travel writing.
10. My father taught some kind of business psychology course at Cal State when I was a child, and he used this book as a part of his curriculum. Despite that, it's a wonderful book. And someday, I think I really need to acquire an Icelandic Pony and name him Thlayli.
11. I found this book on my own after being introduced to Coelho by #8. This book taught me to love fearlessly, and to carry on imperfectly.
12. Another one of my childhood escapist fantasy books. I absolutely would have loved to run away from home and live in a tree. Also, the wildcrafting and wilderness skills were always particularly exciting to read about.
13. I decided to only list one of Bujold's books. This one is my favorite. I love the antihero Caz, and personally identify with him more than any of her other characters.
14. Everyone who thinks they know what kind of sexual practices are "normal" and "natural" needs to read this book. Mother Nature is one hell of a pervy freak.
15. Just an all-round awesome "best hits" compilation of feminist writing.
1. The Earth's Children (series), by Jean Auel
2. The Chronicles of Narnia (series), C.S. Lewis
3. Deep Survival, by Laurence Gonzales
4. Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond
5. All Creatures Great and Small (series), by James Herriot
6. The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
7. The House of God, by Samuel Shem
8. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
9. Spanish Steps, by Timothy Moore
10. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
11. By the River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept, by Paulo Coelho
12. My Side of the Mountain, by Jean George
13. The Curse of Chalion, by Lois McMaster Bujold
14. Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice To All Creation, by Olivia Judson
15. Bitchfest: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture, compilation
1. OK, I know, it's cheesy Paleo Porn. But, nevertheless, the protagonist Ayla is someone I'll always have a bit of egocentric affinity with. Also, her 'fish out of water' childhood as a Cro-Magnon woman being raised by Neanderthals honestly reminded me a lot of my childhood experiences as a young intelligent female being raised in the Mormon religion. Also also, even though all the many pages about throbbing manhoods and delicate flowers does get a little cliched, I remain very grateful that my earliest exposure to sex scenes treated the topic in such a sex-positive and non-misogynist way. This went a long way towards countering the sexual shame that was being constantly preached at me in real life.
2. The only "safe" (read: non-satanic) fantasy I was really allowed to read as a child. I reread the books over and over. I especially identified with little Lucy in the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. While I was still very much in child, I had some much-older sisters who were already verging on adulthood (like Susan) and of course there were the cruel bully older brothers (like Edmund). Except when I was growing up the magic Jesus-lion Aslan never showed up to defend me. Oh well!
3. I will forever be grateful to canyonwren for recommending this book to me on our very first hike together some 4 years ago. This book helped me to understand how our own brains trick us into seeing what doesn't exist and remembering what never happened, all the while completely failing to see the obvious in front of our faces. It's changed the way I think about how I think.
4. A good long hard look at White European Privilege. Diamond's other book Collapse is also interesting but much longer and much dryer to chew on.
5. I credit these books with fostering my curiosity of all things gross and purulent. I never tired of reading about all the arms stuck up birthing cows and, oh, dear gods! The Artificial Vagina filled with boiling hot water! Although, I never ever did figure out what was the big deal about a Yorkshire Pudding.
6. Everybody who eats food in America needs to read this book. Know where your food comes from. Decide what your relationship with food will be.
7. This is the newest addition to the list and for that reason I almost hesitated to add it, wondering if it will hold the test of time. But, I think it will. The satire is incredibly witty, yet the brutality of medical education in the 70s is right up there with the Lord of the Flies. In the end, despite all of the horrors, he still manages to capture the real essence of what doctoring should be.
8. An acquaintance randomly mailed me this book when I was 18 and going through personal hell. This book taught me to dream.
9. My sister picked this up at random in an airport bookstore and sent it on to me after she finished it. It is - hands down - the most accurate description of what it's like to walk the Camino de Santiago. Except that most pilgrims don't even have a cranky donkey along for added humorous fodder. Even if you haven't taken this crazy 500-mile trip, it's still howlingly funny travel writing.
10. My father taught some kind of business psychology course at Cal State when I was a child, and he used this book as a part of his curriculum. Despite that, it's a wonderful book. And someday, I think I really need to acquire an Icelandic Pony and name him Thlayli.
11. I found this book on my own after being introduced to Coelho by #8. This book taught me to love fearlessly, and to carry on imperfectly.
12. Another one of my childhood escapist fantasy books. I absolutely would have loved to run away from home and live in a tree. Also, the wildcrafting and wilderness skills were always particularly exciting to read about.
13. I decided to only list one of Bujold's books. This one is my favorite. I love the antihero Caz, and personally identify with him more than any of her other characters.
14. Everyone who thinks they know what kind of sexual practices are "normal" and "natural" needs to read this book. Mother Nature is one hell of a pervy freak.
15. Just an all-round awesome "best hits" compilation of feminist writing.