A Book Meme...
... borrowed from Vered and Tim
1) What author do you own the most books by?
Probably Stephen King -- the man has been damn prolific.
2) What book do you own the most copies of?
I own two copies of Wizard and Glass by Stephen King, two copies of The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (the second copy of each was a gift), and Ray and I brought some overlapping Tom Robbins novels into the marriage.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
A little, but it's the internet so grammar is lost anyway.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
It's not such a secret, and hardly original, but who doesn't love Mr. Darcy?
4a) What fictional character would you most like to be?
Trillian or Taylor Greer
4b) What fictional character do you think most resembles you?
I haven't found that book yet.
5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
I don't often reread books, but I've read Still Life with Woodpecker at least three times, probably making it the winner.
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton or A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeleine L'Engle
7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
Probably Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Relin. Don't get me wrong, it was a great story and it's good that it was told, but the writing was awful.
8) What is the best book you've read in the past year?
Either Partly Cloudy Patriot, by Sarah Vowell, or Lullaby, by Chuck Palaniuk
9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Well, I'm not tagging anyone, and I don't think there is one book for all people -- not even all the people I care about, but since so many people still need to be forced to read "chick" authors and thus might not get to it on their own, I'd like to force everyone to read The Poisonwood Bible.
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
I don't know. I'd give it to Chabon before anyone else I can think of, but I'm not sure he's the best choice.
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
None. Movies from books are nearly always a disappointment.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Any that I have enjoyed.
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I can't think of anything like that.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Probably All The Wrong Places, by Karin Kallmaker. Sometimes that line between "romance novel" and "porn" gets a little foggy.
15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
It would have been My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk if only I could have gotten through it. Instead, it's probably The Master and Margarita. A good book, but difficult.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
Are either Othello or The Twelfth Night obscure?
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Ummm, I don't know. There are definite pros and cons to both.
18) Roth or Updike?
I don't have an opinion on either.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Sedaris.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare.
21) Austen or Eliot?
That is a difficult question. I don't think I could answer it very simply, and I love them both.
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I haven't read any Tolstoy or Woolf. I don't know which is more embarrassing.
23) What is your favorite novel?
Just one? I could probably name a top five: The Adventures of Kavelier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, Skinney Legs and All, by Tom Robbins, 1984, by George Orwell, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee ... I could go on ...
24) Play?
The Twelfth Night or Travesties
25) Poem?
"The Hollow Men"
26) Essay?
Probably "Morning in America," by David Rakoff, or something else from Don't Get Too Comfortable
27) Short story?
"The War Prayer," by Mark Twain
28) Work of non-fiction?
"The Devil and the White City," by Eric Larson
29) Who is your favorite writer?
I don't know, there are so many. Certainly Kingsolver, Chabon, Sedaris, Robbins (Tom), Stephenson, Ishiguro, and Sorkin all rank with numerous others all nipping at their heels. How could I pick just one?
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Dan Brown. What a hack!
31) What is your desert island book?
Everyone else I've seen do this meme has chosen The Baroque Cycle, and that's what I'd go with, too, since it would finally seem like I had enough time to devote to reading all of them.
32) And ... what are you reading right now?
I'm reading both The Nine, by Jeffery Toobin, and Someone Comes To Town and Someone Leaves Town, by Cory Doctorow. To a lesser extent, I'm reading The Wordy Shipmates, by Sarah Vowell, but having a hard time getting through it.
1) What author do you own the most books by?
Probably Stephen King -- the man has been damn prolific.
2) What book do you own the most copies of?
I own two copies of Wizard and Glass by Stephen King, two copies of The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (the second copy of each was a gift), and Ray and I brought some overlapping Tom Robbins novels into the marriage.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
A little, but it's the internet so grammar is lost anyway.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
It's not such a secret, and hardly original, but who doesn't love Mr. Darcy?
4a) What fictional character would you most like to be?
Trillian or Taylor Greer
4b) What fictional character do you think most resembles you?
I haven't found that book yet.
5) What book have you read the most times in your life?
I don't often reread books, but I've read Still Life with Woodpecker at least three times, probably making it the winner.
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton or A Swiftly Tilting Planet, by Madeleine L'Engle
7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
Probably Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Relin. Don't get me wrong, it was a great story and it's good that it was told, but the writing was awful.
8) What is the best book you've read in the past year?
Either Partly Cloudy Patriot, by Sarah Vowell, or Lullaby, by Chuck Palaniuk
9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Well, I'm not tagging anyone, and I don't think there is one book for all people -- not even all the people I care about, but since so many people still need to be forced to read "chick" authors and thus might not get to it on their own, I'd like to force everyone to read The Poisonwood Bible.
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
I don't know. I'd give it to Chabon before anyone else I can think of, but I'm not sure he's the best choice.
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
None. Movies from books are nearly always a disappointment.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Any that I have enjoyed.
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I can't think of anything like that.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Probably All The Wrong Places, by Karin Kallmaker. Sometimes that line between "romance novel" and "porn" gets a little foggy.
15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
It would have been My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk if only I could have gotten through it. Instead, it's probably The Master and Margarita. A good book, but difficult.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
Are either Othello or The Twelfth Night obscure?
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Ummm, I don't know. There are definite pros and cons to both.
18) Roth or Updike?
I don't have an opinion on either.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Sedaris.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare.
21) Austen or Eliot?
That is a difficult question. I don't think I could answer it very simply, and I love them both.
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I haven't read any Tolstoy or Woolf. I don't know which is more embarrassing.
23) What is your favorite novel?
Just one? I could probably name a top five: The Adventures of Kavelier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, Skinney Legs and All, by Tom Robbins, 1984, by George Orwell, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee ... I could go on ...
24) Play?
The Twelfth Night or Travesties
25) Poem?
"The Hollow Men"
26) Essay?
Probably "Morning in America," by David Rakoff, or something else from Don't Get Too Comfortable
27) Short story?
"The War Prayer," by Mark Twain
28) Work of non-fiction?
"The Devil and the White City," by Eric Larson
29) Who is your favorite writer?
I don't know, there are so many. Certainly Kingsolver, Chabon, Sedaris, Robbins (Tom), Stephenson, Ishiguro, and Sorkin all rank with numerous others all nipping at their heels. How could I pick just one?
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Dan Brown. What a hack!
31) What is your desert island book?
Everyone else I've seen do this meme has chosen The Baroque Cycle, and that's what I'd go with, too, since it would finally seem like I had enough time to devote to reading all of them.
32) And ... what are you reading right now?
I'm reading both The Nine, by Jeffery Toobin, and Someone Comes To Town and Someone Leaves Town, by Cory Doctorow. To a lesser extent, I'm reading The Wordy Shipmates, by Sarah Vowell, but having a hard time getting through it.