From the G-Woman

Stolen from Georgina (http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangepaisley/) who has no idea how much time I've spent thinking about her lately, especially in the last 24 hours.

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How many books do you own?
Plenty. Couple of big bookcases full.

Of which author do you have the most works?
Charles Bukowski, probably. Easily about a dozen books or more. Lots of John Steinbeck and Larry Brown too.

Are any of your books autographed? Which ones?
An excerpt from Billy Ray's Farm by Larry Brown
Ghosts Along the Brazos by Catherine Munson Foster (it's a Brazoria County thing...)
Austin City Limits: 25 Years of American Music (by John T. Davis) which my buddy Michael got autographed by ACL producer Terry Lickona
I am Jackie Chan by Jackie Chan
Some Stephen Pyles cookbook

That's all I can remember without being home with my books...

What is your favorite book? What book have you reread the most?
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. I grab it every few years for a bit of an attitude adjustment.

What is the oldest book in your collection?
You know... we've got several copies of books like The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask (Dumas) that are probably pretty old. Or a Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

Name a book in your collection that you have never read, but intend to someday.
I devour any book of interest to me. I'm guilty of reading several at once, but if it remains in my collection for any length of time it's because I've read it and intend to keep it (or it's a reference or one of Kelli's books, like the Dumas stuff)

What book do you own that you have never read (and probably never will)?
None

Name a book (or books) in your collection that you're embarrassed to own.
Hmm... I don't feel great about Healing the Shame That Binds You by John Bradshaw or Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion by Carol Tavris. They just reveal a bit too much to my guests, and though I respect the shrinks who've suggested I read them, well, I don't fully buy into the contents.

Name a book (or books) that others might be surprised to discover in your collection.
Uh... er... a Russian language dictionary? Eh... I have no shame about the things that I find interesting. For example, in our conference room is a print of a poster from a Texas State Fair (1939, I think) which pictures a Mexican man with an accordion. And every time I see it, I want to ask around to see if anyone can refresh my limited knowledge regarding the history of conjunto, as I think 1939 is just a bit early for the form to have gained a popular foothold in Texas. And then I realize that I work with normal people and keep my mouth closed.

So any topic in any medium is fair game. The world is our classroom, folks. We never finish learning, even if from bad books.