book meme

Cyndy at Riverrim tagged me with this meme (my first tag!).

Now, because I work in a library, I've added a bit of information so you can easily find these books. If you choose to go to your library rather then buy, the call number should be very similar there as well because most North American libraries use the Library of Congress call number system these days.

Name Five of your Favourite Books

1. Title: Fugitive information : essays from a feminist hothead
Author: Hagan, Kay Leigh.
Publisher: [San Francisco] : Pandora, c1993.
Subject(s): Feminism, Patriarchy
Call Number: HQ1150.H34 1993

Kay has a deeply poetical and personal way of writing, and I have an affinity with hotheaded feminists. :) One of the interesting things about her writing is that she passes it before a wide net of women, and includes some of their comments on the essays in this book as well. I've also met Kay several times at the Michigan Womyns' Music Festival.

2. Title: When the wind blew /
Author: Brown, Margaret Wise, 1910-1952.
Publisher: New York : Harper & Row, [1977],c1937.
Call Number: PZ102.R74W49 1977

This is a children's book - makes me tear up with warmth at the end.

3. Title: S.C.U.M. (Society for Cutting Up Men) manifesto, with an introduction by Vivian Gornick
Author: Solanas, Valerie.
Publisher: [New York] Olympia Press [c1970]
Subject(s): Women--History.
Call Number: HQ1420 .S64x 1970

This book is... challenging. Valerie Solanas is most famous for shooting Andy Warhol in the 60s and writing this book. I don't know enough about her life yet to set this book in it's proper context, but I'm exploring. The late 60s and early 70s were a time of deeply radical feminism that often resembled misandry, and this book is the most pronounced example of that time. If you can get past the reactionary rhetoric, the point that most of the radical feminists of the time were making is still valid today.

4. Title: Woman and nature : the roaring inside her /
Author: Griffin, Susan.
Publisher: New York : Harper & Row, c1978.
Description: 1st ed. -
xvii, 263 p. ; 24 cm.
Call Number: PS3557.R48913W6 1978

Susan writes a very moving, and poetic connection between the subjection of women and the environment under patriarchy.

5. The Dragonsword Trilogy
Dragonsword, Duel of Dragons, Dragon Death

and,

The Strands Series
Strands of Starlight, Maze of Moonlight, Shroud of Shadow, Strands of Sunlight, Spires of Spirit

Okay, I'm cheating. These are two series, not just one more book, but they really do bear mentioning. These two series are written by a lady named Gael Baudino, who has since described herself as having lost her faith. I found that revelation quite sad. The series are scifi/fantasy, and on the surface - good stories. But I find both series transformative and moving, about sacrifice and compassion and change. I don't have the words to describe the impact these series have had on my life.

The first four books have a greater library oriented description, because I copy/pasted from the library catalogue. :) The academic library that I work for doesn't tend to collect scifi/fantasy.

What was the last book that you bought?

To Light a Candle, by Mercedes Lackey

This is mind fluff of the most excellent calibre. Intelligent books are all well and good, but I have a secret passion for scifi/fantasy novels. :)

What was the last book that you read?

Title: Baghdad burning : girl blog from Iraq /
Author: Riverbend.
Publisher: New York : Feminist Press at the City University of New York, 2005.
Subject(s): Iraq War, 2003--Personal narratives, Iraqi. Insurgency--Iraq--Weblogs.
Call Number: DS79.76 .R587 2005

This book publishes the first year of River's blog, called Baghdad Burning, which still continues today. This is just one ordinary voice of a young Iraqi woman living through her country's turmoil.

Five books that have been particularily meaningful to you?

Same as #1. It's because they've had some particular meaning to me that they are my favourites.

Five books that you're dying to read but just haven't gotten to?

I have a rather long list of books that I want to read someday, but I guess these few stand out. Although I can't really describe any of them as something I'm 'dying to read'. I've been rather focused on archaeological textiles for the past few years - more specifically the techniques then the end product.

1. North European Textiles until 1000 AD.
Lise Bender Jorgensen
ISBN: 8772884169

Originally published by the York Archaeological Trust, but now out of print:

2. Textiles, Cordage and Raw Fibre from 16-22 Coppergate
Penelope Walton (1989)
ISBN: 0 906780 79 9

and,

3. Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate
Penelope Walton Rogers (1997)
ISBN: 1 872414 76 1

I think I want these two mostly because they are out of print and completely unfindable anymore, except through InterLibrary Loan, of course.

4. Schrödinger's kittens and the search for reality: solving the quantum mysteries
John Gribbin

I've had this book around for a few years, and just need to get through it. Quantum Physics fascinates me but I'm not really of a scientific enough mind to grasp it easily.

5. Book 7, as yet unnamed and unpublished, by JR Rowling.

Yep, I'm a Harry Potter fan. :)

Whew, that took a bit to figure out. If any of these resonate with you, please feel free to recommend similiar books or authors to me.

Cheers,

Karen