books meme
Day 01-favourite novel
William Burroughs: Naked Lunch
Day 02-favourite non-fiction book:
Most of what I read is non-fiction, so there's a lot to choose from. I think the last really good one was Kristin Hersh: Rat Girl
Day 03-favourite book as a child
Dr Seuss: Fox In Socks
Day 04-first adult book you read
Stephen King: The Shining. (I was ten).
Day 05-first "dirty" book you read
Does Kathy Acker count? Failing that, it might actually be Pauline Réage: The Story of O. (Though what I wish I could say is Bataille's Story of the Eye, which is a massively better book). I'd dipped into Sade before that, but never got very far.
Day 06-book you've read more than once
Philosophical works aside, I guess Jack Kerouac: On The Road.
Day 07-book that made you cry
I can't think of any.
Day 08-book that made you laugh
Most recently: Louise Wener: Different For Girls.
Day 09-scariest book
Nothing comes to mind.
Day 10-trashiest, guilty pleasure book
I don't think pleasure is ever something to feel guilty about. But I also tend not to go in for trashy books.
Day 11-favourite book from a country not your own
Nearly all of the ones mentioned here.
Day 12-book you'd like to read again for the first time
Um... dunno. Though it is quite a good question.
Day 13-book you wish had a sequel
George Berkeley: A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge. "As to the Second Part of my treatise concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, the fact is that I had made a considerable progress in it; but the manuscript was lost about fourteen years ago, during my travels in Italy, and I never had leisure since to do so disagreeable a thing as writing twice on the same subject."
Day 14-non-textbook from which you learned the most
These questions are hard! I don't know.
Day 15-book you wish more people had read
That is entirely a matter for them.
Day 16-best book cover
I don't judge a book by its cover.
Day 17-"important" book you have read
The Bible.
Day 18-"important" book you'll read someday
Don't know.
Day 19-"important" book you know you'll never read
Marcel Proust: Remembrance of Things Past. I've had a copy on my shelves for about fifteen years, and I'd say that the likelihood of my ever reading it is nil.
Day 20-book that you pretended to have read
Nothing comes to mind. Why pretend?
Day 21-book you used to love, but now think is awful
Again, nothing comes to mind.
Day 22-book that people love, but you hate
I'm tempted to say The Bible, but I guess even that does have some redeeming features.
Day 23-book that people hate, but you love
What books do people hate? I can't think of any, besides Mein Kampf, which I haven't read, and which I would be unlikely to love if I did.
Day 24-book in which you'd most like to be a character
Jack Kerouac: On The Road. I'm not blind to its faults, incidentally, but it does have a certain evocative charm.
Day 25-favourite book made into a good movie
Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons: Watchmen.
Day 26-favourite book made into a bad movie
Sylvia Nasar: A Beautiful Mind. A truly fantastic book, and a truly appalling film.
Day 27-favourite required school read
The only two I can think of are Macbeth and Brighton Rock, and I've never been a fan of either. But, although it wasn't exactly required, I did read 1984 for school, and I do have a very high regard for that one.
Day 28-least favourite required school read
Of the two, I suppose Brighton Rock.
Day 29-book you're reading now
A biography of John Cage, I forget who by.
Day 30-best book you've read in the past year
Was Rat Girl in the past year? I think so.
William Burroughs: Naked Lunch
Day 02-favourite non-fiction book:
Most of what I read is non-fiction, so there's a lot to choose from. I think the last really good one was Kristin Hersh: Rat Girl
Day 03-favourite book as a child
Dr Seuss: Fox In Socks
Day 04-first adult book you read
Stephen King: The Shining. (I was ten).
Day 05-first "dirty" book you read
Does Kathy Acker count? Failing that, it might actually be Pauline Réage: The Story of O. (Though what I wish I could say is Bataille's Story of the Eye, which is a massively better book). I'd dipped into Sade before that, but never got very far.
Day 06-book you've read more than once
Philosophical works aside, I guess Jack Kerouac: On The Road.
Day 07-book that made you cry
I can't think of any.
Day 08-book that made you laugh
Most recently: Louise Wener: Different For Girls.
Day 09-scariest book
Nothing comes to mind.
Day 10-trashiest, guilty pleasure book
I don't think pleasure is ever something to feel guilty about. But I also tend not to go in for trashy books.
Day 11-favourite book from a country not your own
Nearly all of the ones mentioned here.
Day 12-book you'd like to read again for the first time
Um... dunno. Though it is quite a good question.
Day 13-book you wish had a sequel
George Berkeley: A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge. "As to the Second Part of my treatise concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, the fact is that I had made a considerable progress in it; but the manuscript was lost about fourteen years ago, during my travels in Italy, and I never had leisure since to do so disagreeable a thing as writing twice on the same subject."
Day 14-non-textbook from which you learned the most
These questions are hard! I don't know.
Day 15-book you wish more people had read
That is entirely a matter for them.
Day 16-best book cover
I don't judge a book by its cover.
Day 17-"important" book you have read
The Bible.
Day 18-"important" book you'll read someday
Don't know.
Day 19-"important" book you know you'll never read
Marcel Proust: Remembrance of Things Past. I've had a copy on my shelves for about fifteen years, and I'd say that the likelihood of my ever reading it is nil.
Day 20-book that you pretended to have read
Nothing comes to mind. Why pretend?
Day 21-book you used to love, but now think is awful
Again, nothing comes to mind.
Day 22-book that people love, but you hate
I'm tempted to say The Bible, but I guess even that does have some redeeming features.
Day 23-book that people hate, but you love
What books do people hate? I can't think of any, besides Mein Kampf, which I haven't read, and which I would be unlikely to love if I did.
Day 24-book in which you'd most like to be a character
Jack Kerouac: On The Road. I'm not blind to its faults, incidentally, but it does have a certain evocative charm.
Day 25-favourite book made into a good movie
Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons: Watchmen.
Day 26-favourite book made into a bad movie
Sylvia Nasar: A Beautiful Mind. A truly fantastic book, and a truly appalling film.
Day 27-favourite required school read
The only two I can think of are Macbeth and Brighton Rock, and I've never been a fan of either. But, although it wasn't exactly required, I did read 1984 for school, and I do have a very high regard for that one.
Day 28-least favourite required school read
Of the two, I suppose Brighton Rock.
Day 29-book you're reading now
A biography of John Cage, I forget who by.
Day 30-best book you've read in the past year
Was Rat Girl in the past year? I think so.