Book memories meme

The following meme comes from the Ibooknet blog.

The book that’s been on your shelves the longest.
A bit difficult, this. As with most people, I guess this would have to be a childhood book. The one I've had the longest would either by my extremely battered Winnie the Pooh paperback, or my slightly less battered but still not good Wind in the Willows, both of which were read to me by my mother.
A book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time).
Well, most of them do, really, even ones I've bought on to sell remind me of where I bought them. Hmmm. There is something that reminds me very specifically of a time in my life, and that is "Jane Hankey" scrawled across the title page, as that was my name when I was married first. I used to spend a lot of time either in Mowbrays (which at that time was north of Oxford St and not amalgamated with Hatchards as it is now) and was one of my lunchtime haunts, or in W H Smith in Victoria Station, waiting for my suburban train home. My then husband did not approve of my book habit, and sadly as our relationship deteriorated, less and less of what I actually read. Then as now, I didn't spend a lot of time on the far shores of edgy modern literature which might have provided a literary argument, but was far more likely to read a Dorothy Sayers or Margery Allingham. The bone of contention was that I did not read enough Christian literature, which is a tad ironic considering Mowbrays was well known for being the churchman's bookshop and supplier of all sorts of other bits and bobs to the church, and if I'd had a mind too, there was a more than ample supply of reading material.
A book you acquired in some interesting way.
I've had a few books sent to me by the authors, which is always fun, though slightly worrying when I know I have it for review, and I have to balance the fact I don't wish to upset someone who has been kind enough to give me something with my desire to make my dislike fairly plain if I don't like the book.
When we moved here, we did find a huge heap of books, mostly alas damp ridden beyond saving, in the pigsty.
The book that’s been with you to the most places.
Probably Pride & Prej I guess, as it came with me to university and I moved every year, books bunged into my splendid collection of International Stores carrier bags.
Your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next.

My current read is actually reads, as I always have several books on the go at a time.
Currently on the go are Dickens - Dombey & Son, Mistress of Charlecote - the Memoirs of Mary Elizabeth Lucy, Dervla Murphy - Through Siberia by Accident and Phillis Garrard - Hilda's Adventures. Last read was Phillis Garrard - The Doings of Hilda, and the book I'll read after I've finished the current lot is probably going to be the first Pony Club Annual as I need to start my research on those.

Comments

Goldielover said…
Well, I know the one I've had the longest is Pat Smythe's photo book Tosca & Lucia. I was given that for Christmas in 1958 (according to the inscription), which was when I was only two and a half years old. While it is complete, it is not in the best of condition, with a number of loose pages, and the text block pulling away from the spine. Surprisingly, as it was a favourite - no torn pages.
Sadako said…
Book that's been acquired in an interesting way is cool. I got a lot of cool signed books at Book Expo, but I'm not sure if that counts...
Jane Badger said…
Sadako - I don't see why not!

Goldielover - Tosca & Lucia is just lovely, and I can see why it was a favourite. I was intrigued though by your mention of torn pages. If you loved a book, did you tear it?
Goldielover said…
I never tore books deliberately, but, like most little kids, I didn't have the small motor skills yet to turn pages gently. I have a few others that I've had almost as long, and on some of them the pages didn't survive quite so well.

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