AC, This one's for you...

Ahhhh, reading.

The infamous Anonymous Cog tagged me for a book meme. So here goes...

Number of books I own? Wow, this is a tough one. I'd count, but I don't have the time, so I'll estimate...300ish?

Last book I bought? Well, now I have to admit that I'm addicted to the Harry Potter books. My most recent purchase was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It should be here tomorrow :)

Last book I read? I just finished a book by Greg Iles, The Footprints of God. It was pretty good. I won't give away too much, but it was basically a science fiction novel about artificial intelligence, power, government, and the search for immortality with a smidge of romance thrown in for good measure. I'd give it 3 stars.

Five books that mean a lot to me:
1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. It's where it all began for me.
2. Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther. If you've never read this book, you should. It's a memoir, written by the father of a boy who died from a brain tumor at the age of 17. This boy is amazing in so many ways, courageous, selfless, bright, funny...
3. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I'm a big fan of Dickens. I think this book held my interest more than any of his others, except maybe A Christmas Carol. I was never interested in history when I was younger. Once I read this book, I wanted to learn all about the history of the revolution. Anything that acts as a catalyst for learning, or tickles my brain enough to make me think long and hard about something is a good thing, in my opinion :)
4. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. What a fabulous story. My friend recommended this book to me. It's one of her favorites. It's become one of mine as well. I won't give away the storyline, it's too complex to even try to give a brief summary. Just read it! :)
5. Anything by Stephen King. I love him. I love his stories, his sense of humor, his imagination, his style. I am the person he's talking to when he addresses 'constant reader.'

Now that I've participated, I'm passing this on to a few of my constant-reader-friends, Doggy, Art, LadyJane...Tag! You're it!

My Dear Aunt Flo

For Week 7's Essay-This! assignment.

Almost every woman on the planet has an Aunt Flo. Most hate it when she stops by for a visit. I hear women complain, whine, bitch, moan, and speak of her as if they are cursed to have her. I'm not judging these women. I've done it myself. She can be a nasty bitch, Aunt Flo. Most women are fortunate enough, however, to know exactly when she'll be visiting, how long she'll stay, and when they can expect her to leave. Normally she'll visit once per month and only stay for a few days.

My Aunt Flo, on the other hand, visits whenever the mood strikes her. And, let me tell you, she's an unpredictable bitch. There are no courtesy calls to let me know she's coming. She has dropped by when the house is messy, in the middle of dinner, in the middle of the night, in the middle of sex, when I'm out, when I'm sick, when I'm on vacation...it matters not to her.

So I patiently wait for her to pop in at her whimsy. I'm at her beck and call. I'm always prepared for a visit. There have been times when she won't visit me for months at a time. There are times that she comes for a visit and simply will not leave! But when she's here, regardless of the inconvenience, she makes me feel 'normal.'

I never take her for granted because I secretly fear that if I were to take her for granted, she might never visit again. So, when she wakes me up in the middle of the night with yet another surprise visit, I simply smile, get out of bed, thank her for coming, and hope that she won't wear out her welcome this time.