Time for the book meme

1. How many books have I owned? I have no idee. Several thousand at least, 'specially if I count paperbacks.

2. The last book I bought was: Carrying the Flag, by Gordon Rhea. I read a review of it somewhere a couple of weeks ago and it sounded interesting, so when I saw it at a discount bookstore, I bought it without thinking twice about it.

3. The last book I finished was: Hell at the Breech, by Tom Franklin. This is a pretty good novel about some murders/lynchings and outright lawlessness that occurred in southwestern Alabama in 1897-98. Actually, I'll go further than say it was pretty good, it was excellent and I thouroughly enjoyed every word of it.

4. What books made an impression on me? That is a question I am tempted to skip, simply because there are so dadgum many books I've read that have made an impression on me. I will say that there is a range, from Sam Watkin's Company Aytch and James Webb's Fields of Fire to Jimmy Buffet's Tales from Margaritaville to T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom and Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples. Quite a mix there huh?

It's easier for me to point to authors and say that they've influenced me in various ways. To that list I'd say (not necessarily in order) Louis L'Amour, George MacDonald Fraser, Sir Walter Scott, Winston Churchill, Shelby Foote, Robert E. Howard, William Manchester, Ian Fleming, Lewis Grizzard, Walter Lord, Roger Welsch, Baxter Black, John W. Thomason, James Warner Bellah, Ben K. Green, Tolkien, Elmer Kelton, Cornelius Ryan... I think it's time to quit now. How's that for confusion? It's the whole Bambi & Thumper hiding from the Germans in the trenches dream I keep having...

Is it any wonder folks think I've got a screw loose?

As for who to tag with this, I have no idea, but I'll accept volunteers.

Update: The Applachian Intellectual was gracious enough to answer my plea for a volunteer to pass this on to. Go check him out!

"nother update: Lea at Teak Talks has also volunteered to jump into this, so go have a look around.