MY FIRST MEME

Mitchell Hadley of Our Word and Welcome to It, has tagged me with the book meme.

1. Total number of books I own: If I just limit it to the ones in our house (not counting the ones at our schools), I'm guessing around 10,000. That's not a typo.
2. The last book I bought: Blow Fly, by Patricia Cornwell. I'm finding her work to be more and more predictable. But, it's great to take on an airplane - it takes my mind off the fact that I might crash, and it doesn't cause hangovers (my other method of handling the fear is to drink copiously).
3. The last book I read: Witness, by Whittaker Chambers. I had to get it in the public library, but it was worth it.
4. Five books that mean a lot to me:
Witness to Hope, by George Weigel - Still finishing it, but in spurts. I dip into it late at night. A great way to fall asleep.
How the Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill - One of those Celtic Pride things.
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier - One I read in early adolescence. The first anti-heroine of my acquaintance.
Rebecca's Tale, by Sally Beauman - Terrific follow-up to the original. I hesitated to read it, because I'd loved the first part. Usually, those follow-ups totally destroy good memories of the original, but this one ties up loose ends, and yet retains the enigmatic quality of Rebecca.
The Gathering Storm, by Winston Churchill - It reads just like Churchill talked. Pure Winnie! And, the movie they made out of the book is pretty good, too, even if Vanessa Redgrave is in it.
5. Tag five people: Keith (Thompson At Large), David (Sed Contra), Nykola (it'll give her something to do while she has jury duty), Rachel (ArmyWifeToddlerMom), Jimmie & Nicole (The Sundries Shack).