book meme
I'm done with school as of today. Here's a meme that microbie and florence_craye both did. I swiped it.
1) What author do you own the most books by?
Either Sigmund Freud or Charlaine Harris. I'm too lazy to get up and count. Wait, I also have a ton by Richard Powers. And Kurt Vonnegut.
2) What book do you own the most copies of?
The Bible, maybe just the New Testament (as long as different translations count). That's what happens after you work for a Bible translation organization for as long as I did. They accumulate.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
No.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Sookie Stackhouse (print version, not HBO atrocity)
5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
Alcoholics Anonymous (aka the Big Book).
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
A Wrinkle in Time
7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. That is the worst book I will read all decade, probably. Maybe ever. Usually when they're that terrible, I don't finish them, but I did with this one.
8) What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
9) If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, probably.
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?
I am not nearly well-read enough to answer that question. (Aside: Who knew that John Galsworthy won the Nobel for Literature? I sure didn't. What an interesting list.)
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
I have no clue. I don't watch movies, for the most part.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
See above. It's sort of a stupid question, because if I don't want to see a movie, I don't. A bad movie (or tv series) doesn't diminish the original in any way. It just sort of makes me mad. Yes, Alan Ball, I'm looking at you.
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I can't remember any.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?
Man, the list is too long to contemplate. I am a gleeful consumer of the lowbrow in many ways. Unless it completely sucks. Most lowbrow series keep on much too long past the point of charm, and then they become lowbrow and boring (cf. Anita Blake, Stephanie Plum, Richard Jury, Harry Bosch, etc etc). Lowbrow cheese is never automatically off my list.
15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Ulysses? It was difficult enough that I stopped without finishing, and that's unusual for me. I'll try again one day.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?
I have no idea.
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
What a pretentious question.
18) Roth or Updike?
Roth. I know he is reviled by many, but I liked American Pastoral. And I haven't read any Updike, so it's sort of a win by default.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
I've never read either and don't plan to unless forced.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare
21) Austen or Eliot?
Probably Austen.
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I'd say my near-complete ignorance of Latin American/Spanish/Portuguese/Lusophone authors. I'm trying to address this, but the field is large and growing larger.
23) What is your favorite novel?
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo. Or maybe Heart of Darkness. I have a hard time naming just one. Hell, it might be A Wrinkle in Time.
24) Play?
Okay, look, this is stupid. Most plays are NOT written to be read, they are written to be performed. This question suffers from complete category confusion and I refuse to address it in any other way.
25) Poem?
I really love “Villanelle at Sundown” by Donald Justice.
26) Essay?
“On the Concept of History” aka “Theses on the Philosophy of History” by Walter Benjamin
27) Short story?
Can't think of any off the top of my read. It's a genre that I didn't learn to appreciate until recently. A short story collection I really enjoyed was Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock. And I really like some of Katherine Vaz's stories.
28) Work of nonfiction?
Currently, The Atlantic Sound by Caryl Phillips. I'm sure that will change with time. I have a short memory for nonfiction.
29) Who is your favorite writer?
Gah. I haven't had someone of that particular category since I was a teenager. Back then, it was Kurt Vonnegut.
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Paulo Coelho. Gag me with a spoon.
31) What is your desert island book?
Probably the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's an old friend and it would keep me company.
32) And… what are you reading right now?
I'm re-reading the Sookie Stackhouse series to get up to the newest book. See above, questions 1 and 14.
1) What author do you own the most books by?
Either Sigmund Freud or Charlaine Harris. I'm too lazy to get up and count. Wait, I also have a ton by Richard Powers. And Kurt Vonnegut.
2) What book do you own the most copies of?
The Bible, maybe just the New Testament (as long as different translations count). That's what happens after you work for a Bible translation organization for as long as I did. They accumulate.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
No.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Sookie Stackhouse (print version, not HBO atrocity)
5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
Alcoholics Anonymous (aka the Big Book).
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
A Wrinkle in Time
7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. That is the worst book I will read all decade, probably. Maybe ever. Usually when they're that terrible, I don't finish them, but I did with this one.
8) What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
9) If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, probably.
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?
I am not nearly well-read enough to answer that question. (Aside: Who knew that John Galsworthy won the Nobel for Literature? I sure didn't. What an interesting list.)
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
I have no clue. I don't watch movies, for the most part.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
See above. It's sort of a stupid question, because if I don't want to see a movie, I don't. A bad movie (or tv series) doesn't diminish the original in any way. It just sort of makes me mad. Yes, Alan Ball, I'm looking at you.
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I can't remember any.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?
Man, the list is too long to contemplate. I am a gleeful consumer of the lowbrow in many ways. Unless it completely sucks. Most lowbrow series keep on much too long past the point of charm, and then they become lowbrow and boring (cf. Anita Blake, Stephanie Plum, Richard Jury, Harry Bosch, etc etc). Lowbrow cheese is never automatically off my list.
15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Ulysses? It was difficult enough that I stopped without finishing, and that's unusual for me. I'll try again one day.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?
I have no idea.
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
What a pretentious question.
18) Roth or Updike?
Roth. I know he is reviled by many, but I liked American Pastoral. And I haven't read any Updike, so it's sort of a win by default.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
I've never read either and don't plan to unless forced.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare
21) Austen or Eliot?
Probably Austen.
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I'd say my near-complete ignorance of Latin American/Spanish/Portuguese/Lusophone authors. I'm trying to address this, but the field is large and growing larger.
23) What is your favorite novel?
Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo. Or maybe Heart of Darkness. I have a hard time naming just one. Hell, it might be A Wrinkle in Time.
24) Play?
Okay, look, this is stupid. Most plays are NOT written to be read, they are written to be performed. This question suffers from complete category confusion and I refuse to address it in any other way.
25) Poem?
I really love “Villanelle at Sundown” by Donald Justice.
26) Essay?
“On the Concept of History” aka “Theses on the Philosophy of History” by Walter Benjamin
27) Short story?
Can't think of any off the top of my read. It's a genre that I didn't learn to appreciate until recently. A short story collection I really enjoyed was Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock. And I really like some of Katherine Vaz's stories.
28) Work of nonfiction?
Currently, The Atlantic Sound by Caryl Phillips. I'm sure that will change with time. I have a short memory for nonfiction.
29) Who is your favorite writer?
Gah. I haven't had someone of that particular category since I was a teenager. Back then, it was Kurt Vonnegut.
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Paulo Coelho. Gag me with a spoon.
31) What is your desert island book?
Probably the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's an old friend and it would keep me company.
32) And… what are you reading right now?
I'm re-reading the Sookie Stackhouse series to get up to the newest book. See above, questions 1 and 14.