A few days ago, our blogger friend Nicole posted her list of personal book likings and dislikings. She took her cue from Lynn over at Violins and Starships, which should win best blog name on the interwebs. Anyway, reading books is something I love to do. I also love to make art out of them, but that’s for another blog.
1. Your favorite book: Soooooo difficult, but I really can’t pick just one.
2. Your least favorite book: In the last decade, that would be The Da Vinci Code. I wanted to throw it away by the end of the second chapter.
3. A book that completely surprised you (bad or good): Hm…. I would have to say I didn’t expect to like The Giver, by Lois Lowry. I read it since Eldest was assigned the book for school, and found it well-written, even for adults.
4. A book that reminds you of home: Postal de Tierra Adentro (Postcard from the Inner Land), by C. O. Padilla. Literally, a book about my hometown.
5. A non-fiction book that you actually enjoyed: The Monuments Men, by Robert Edsel.
6. A book that makes you cry: A Knight in Shining Armor, by Jude Deveraux. Yes, it’s a romance novel. But I found the concept of souls meeting again, instead of bodies, to be enchanting.
7. A book that’s hard to read: Ulysses, by James Joyce. GAH!!
8. An unpopular book you believe should be a bestseller: I don’t really know of any.
9. A book you’ve read more than once: All of them, except Pet Sematary.
10. The first novel you remember reading: The Secret of the Old Clock, by Carolyn Keene. Yes, Nancy Drew was my portal into the world of reading.
11. The book that made you fall in love with reading: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie.
12. A book so emotionally draining you couldn’t complete it or had to set it aside for a bit: Unwind, by Neal Schusterman.
13. Favorite childhood book: Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss. Why? Because it helped me learn English.
14. Book that should be on a high school or college required reading list: Any and all of the Politically Incorrect Guides.
15. Favorite book dealing with foreign culture: Anthropology, by Alfred Kroeber. As old as it is, it is still considered a masterpiece in the field. Outdated, and some of it debunked, it offers a fascinating window into the study of cultures.
16. Favorite book turned movie: Hm, can’t think of any that stand out.
17. Book turned movie and completely desecrated: Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein. *sobs*
18. A book you can’t find on shelves anymore that you love: None come to mind.
19. A book that changed your mind about a particular subject (non-fiction): The Art of War, by Sun Tzu.
20. A book you would recommend to an ignorant/racist/closed-minded person: On the very cold, remote, off-chance anyone of that temperament would take any advice from me, I would recommend The Story Bible, by Pearl S. Buck.
21. A guilty pleasure book: Everything by Teresa Medeiros. Yes, bodice-rippers, but with a lot of humor.
22. Favorite series: I have quite a few. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Paladin series by John Ringo, Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes (though I stopped at The Case is Altered because it got a bit ridiculous).
23. Favorite romance novel: Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte. They love so much and so deeply, it turns to hate and destroys them and they all die. Awesomeness!
24. A book you later found out the author lied about: I’m with Nicole on this. I don’t watch or listen to Oprah Winfrey.
25. Favorite autobiographical/biographical book: Me, by Katherine Hepburn.
26. A book you wish would be written: Where Do We Go From Here? A Study in Fractal Time Travel Through Heaven and Hell.
27. A book you would write if you had all the resources: See above.
28. A book you wish you never read: Pet Sematary, by Stephen King. I need to turn all the lights on now.
29. An author that you completely avoid/hate/won’t read: Nicholas Sparks. James Joyce. E L James.
30. An author that you will read whatever they put out: Neil Gaiman. John Ringo. Brad Thor. Teresa Medeiros.
Well, that does it for me. I hope some of y’all pick up the challenge and post it on your blogs. It will be fun to see what other books are out there for us to enjoy.
Or to revile 😉