This was in my Amazon recommended list. I understand why—it’s because of the books I’ve bought—but damn, if I had that kind of money to throw around or bookshelf space to fill, then yeah, I might actually consider it.

As it is, I’ve got plenty of books on my TBR (To Be Read) pile. The tiny few of the most recently acquired in that very huge pile is a couple of Thomas Hardy books and a three-volume set of The Thousand and One Nights—otherwise known as Arabian Nights. They’re hard to find, but H.E. got them for me from a used book store when he heard me say I wanted to read them, and I’ve been wanting to read them all because I’m ashamed to admit that I know only one or two of the stories in that collection. After that I might try War and Peace.

Or not, I don’t know. I’ll probably be too near my deathbed by the time I finish the 1001st tale.

Anyway, I wanted to revisit a little book meme … simply because I wondered how the last five books I’ve read would fare.

The Meme:
• Take five books off your bookshelf.
• Book #1—first sentence
• Book #2—last sentence on page fifty
• Book #3—second sentence on page one hundred
• Book #4—next to the last sentence on page one hundred fifty
• Book #5—final sentence of the book
• Make the five sentences into a paragraph.

The Paragraph:
Midmorning, a Tuesday in July, Dora Henry went out the front door of Jared’s place to get the paper that the paperboy had, as usual, dropped just over the picket fence. There was a building in which the bristles were cleaned and dried, for the making of hair cushions and such things; there was a building where the skins were dried and tanned, there was another where heads and feet were made into glue, and another where bones were made into fertilizer. I suppose I would do the same, in their place. Surprise, consciousness, and pleasure appeared in each of the three on this unexpected meeting; and as Edmund was come on the very same business that had brought Miss Crawford, consciousness and pleasure were likely to be more than momentary in them. But he would certainly have to feed the baby something pretty soon.

The Books:
• The Family Tree by Sheri S. Tepper
• The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
• The Fresco by Sheri S. Tepper
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
• Something of Value by Robert Ruark

I didn’t include any of the books I reread (like Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time) or any of the books for which I’ve done print covers (I read them mostly for work, to see how closely my cover matches). I definitely need to read more non-fiction, though. I’d very happily include those in the paragraph.

Anyone out there have an interesting paragraph from their last five read books?

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