knits, notes, etc.

Yay! Hilary sent me a book meme. I really used to read anything and everything, whenever and wherever I could. Now, I'm afraid I tend to pick up only mangas or knitting patterns and sometimes, when Adam is willing to let go, the economist. Quick reads to sneak in when I'm not doing something else.

I'm sometimes embarrassed to admit that when it comes to reading, I gravitate towards everything fiction. Not even literature, really, but (depending on my mood) post-apocalyptic science fiction, epic fantasy or historic fiction, and regency romantic fiction. I almost never keep up with current bestsellers... I will, of course, read almost anything that's recommended (especially by Bryan, though it may take me few years to pick it up).

And, I am very much guilty of judging a book by it's cover. In fact, I used to create themes for the books I would read. One month, I decided to read only romance novels that had red covers (omg there are a lot of those). Another month, I read science fiction novels with eugenics themes. And of course, almost all you have to do is put a dragon on the cover or in your story and I'll read it (or bump it up higher in my queue).

Sometimes I will even read the dust jacket or back cover summary before I buy a pretty book. Honest. With that start, I've read some lovely (and many not so lovely) books filled with time-travel adventures, vampire and werewolf clan wars, and in an extreme vanity-centric phase, books with characters named Sophy.

Aright, on to the answers:

My books... Oh no! I'm missing a couple.

1. I am currently reading:

Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori: Anatolia Story), by Chie Shinohara.

It's not a book, but a thoroughly addictive manga series. I've only read about 16 of the 28 volumes, and I've added it to my wish list because I MUST have it (breaking my "will not read long mangas" rule). It's a beautifully drawn fantasy that uses many familiar characters and events from history and contains time-travel, magic, epic battles, mythology, and love.

A brief summary: Yuri Suzuki is magically transported into the past by Queen Nakia of the Hittite Empire to be sacrificed to allow the queen to place curses on the three princes who precede her own son for succession to the throne. Prince Kail Mursili, saves her from execution and makes her his concubine (in name) until he is able to return her to her time and country... To keep her by his side, he tells his people that she is a gift from the storm god Teshup: the living incarnation of the Goddess of love and war, Ishtar who will lead them to victory against the Mitanni and Arzawa kingdoms and later, the Egyptian Empire. Ah. That's only the beginning...

2. The first 3 books that come to mind when I think of a good story:

i) The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells. The best science-fiction book ever. When I think of books I can read over and over again, this one always tops the list. I have fond memories of the last weeks of 6th or 7th grade when all required coursework was done and it was just too hot to do anything else. Our teacher had us take turns reading aloud and I think my imagination (heat-induced delirium?) drew the narrative out for me in vivid detail as I sat in the darkened classroom... I absolutely love this book.

ii) Dune, by Frank Herbert. Interstellar space travel, feudal class system, prophecies, religion, science, and beyond that, an awesome story. Oh. And giant worms. Do I really need to explain why this book is awesome and why you should read it if by some chance you've managed not to by now?

iii) The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. This book is essentially three stories interwoven into one. It has vampires, dragons (or at least woodcuts of them), dark castles, and a lot suspense. There are definite parts where it's too much like reading a dry dissertation, but I enjoyed reading it immensely and could not put it down.

3. Three books I recommend for summer 2008 beach reading:

i) Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaardner. A fun novel about a young girl learning the history of philosophy. I do not, however, recommend reading it in place of studying for your Philosophy 101 midterm exams. Ahem. Who would do that?

ii) World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks. How do you survive a "war" against mindless zombies? And, after you survive, how do you fight back? Well, this book gave me quite a few nightmares about undead invasions. It was a fun and engrossing read. You may not want to go in the water afterwards, though.

iii) Shanna, by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. Okay, I had to put at least one romance novel in here. This is one that I lend again and again to my girlfriends. It's absolutely silly at times, filled with pirating, flowery language, clandestine midnight rendezvous, false identities, misunderstandings--you name it. But, it's a very enjoyable (and despite it's 600+ pages, quick) read.

4. I share with you my current knitting reads:

Well, if you haven't picked up Sabrina Gschwandtner's KnitKnit: Profiles + Projects from Knitting's New Wave, you should and here's why. I also just recently picked up Larissa Brown's Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together.

I've never actually joined a knitalong for any particular project. My knitting is pretty erratic, as you've probably realized, and I'm always concerned I just won't keep with it for a knitalong. I do enjoy knitting in the company of good friends... isn't that all you need for a knitalong?

Tag, you're it!

So, I don't usually pass memes on to other people--I do love getting them, or just responding to current memes I will find in other blogs. But, because this is a book meme, I will pass it on to Erica, who is always reading (such a variety, too!) and recommending books for me to read. ^_^