Amy tagged me for this new meme. And of course, as befits the food blogosphere, it's taking a turn towards cookbooks!
I don't have a lot of cookbooks, so I'm going to go traditional on this meme. It's been interesting to hear how some other bloggers are answering the questions -- it's always fascinating to hear what books mean a lot to people.
- Total # of Books I've Owned
My mother refers to me as a private lending library. Does that answer your question?? - Last Book I Bought
First, Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas. I sent this one to my mom. It infuriated her. It busted my gut. Ironically, this book perfectly highlighted the cultural and generational divide between us.
Also, Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood. I love her Sci-Fi, cautionary prose. Her books are a true "head-trip", and she does a phenomenal job of taking her readers into a place that's vaguely "the future", and yet not so far away that you can't imagine it happening in your lifetime. - The Last Book I Read
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Afghan culture is very similar to Persian, and they also speak Farsi, so there's something comforting about reading his prose. I also really enjoyed this book because, while it had the same poignancy and character structure and desperation as House of Sand & Fog, it weaved threads of hope and light throughout -- something that was utterly missing from House. - Five Books that Mean a Lot to Me
Other people are focusing on cookbooks, but since I don't really have too many, I'll go a little more broad with it. I will, however, start with one.
Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything gets an incredible amount of use in my kitchen. I use his techniques and recipes as springboards for my own.
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the book that taught me that being a polyglot opens up entire worlds. I've read it in three languages, and it amazes me that each one has some nuances that only come through in THAT language. It's a gorgeous book that reminds one to stay a little whimsical.
Another Margaret Atwood book, The Handmaid's Tale makes it onto this list. Again, I am utterly fascinated by the way her mind works and, in general, I'm fascinated by the cautionary tales of "utopian" society. Which segues nicely into...
A Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. Have read it no fewer than half a dozen times. Every time, I am floored that it was written in the '30s.
Finally, The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant. This book brings me closer to my mother, aunts and grandmothers. It's just that simple. After the first time I read it, I bought a copy for every single woman in my family, and most of my girlfriends.
Thanks to Amy for hitting me with this!
