Book meme

I can't find the text of the post I put up last night and accidentally deleted this morning. So this is a rewrite, but hopefully close to the same. (I will go back and put in the rest of the links later; gosh is is frustrating to have something fully written and posted! that was slightly better than this and to do something dumb to delete it!)
Andy tagged me along with some others, so here goes:

Total number of books I've owned: Thousands.... probably at least a thousand at this moment, many sadly in boxes in the garage, the rest on shelves, cabinets, closets, tables, corners everywhere..

Last book I bought: ummm... (not including textbooks) that might be Michael Crichton's State Of Fearor The Da Vinci Codeby Dan Brown - they were purchased at the same time.

Last book I read: (not counting textbooks)- The Da Vinci Code (right after I read State of Fear)

Five books that mean a lot to me: This is a tough, tough question as there are many more than five:

• As A Man Thinketh by James Allen; I've written about this one a few times and included quotes. The full version is online now. My grandmother gave it to me in my pre-teens I think. It is a tiny little leather bound, gilt title and page edges with a printed (I think it's printed rather than actually signed) signature and picture inside.
• To Have or to Be?by Erich Fromm was assigned in an Intro to teaching class way back in 1970 (along with Teaching As a Subversive Activity)by Neil Postman, and the book prompted an increase of thoughts in all directions.
• Stranger in a Strange Landby Robert A. Heinlein- one of the many sci-fi books that I love; I might have chosen an Asimov book, except those are boxed out in the garage and I can't remember specific titles... but both those authors have things that were thought provoking in directions way beyond the stories. Choosing just one or the other would be difficult.
• Where the Sidewalk Ends : Poems and Drawingsby Shel Silverstein which I read to my son and was a favorite for us both (and isn't necessarily a children's book of verse either, by the way). We also enjoyed A Light in the Attic and The Giving Treeby Silverstein.
• The Little Engine That Couldby Watty Piper, was a very early childhood favorite. This was one I made my mother read over and over and over (parents will know the stage). The philosophy is one that I thought about and tried to adopt early- 'you can, if you think you can'.

These are from earlier periods in my life but there are so many more including much more recent works of fiction, philosophy, science that have changed my thoughts and perceptions about life and living.

Which five bloggers am I passing this to? Damn... lots of people have already done this and I can't remember who has and who hasn't...

Kara at Space Tramp
Brian at theyeti's Ironically Wrangled Writing From the Frozen Tundra who has declined
Fran at Sacred ordinary
Garnet at Glittering Muse
and Whiskey River who I've never seen do a meme, but am really curious about what the answers might be... ;-) (later edit: Whiskey River very politely and thoughtfully declined)

As Andy said "No obligation - feel free to take it or leave it just as you please."

#