Tuesday, August 8, 2006

I've been tagged! (the book meme)

Tagged by RubyBeth.

1. One book that changed your life?

"A Problem from Hell" by Samantha Power. I talk about it all the time, but I really can't express how much the book changed me and gave me a new perspective on so much.

2. One book you have read more than once?

"The Catcher in the Rye." I read it probably three or four times in high school, the first time on my own and subsequent rereads were for class assignments and in-depth analyses of Mr. Salinger and Holden Caulfield.

3. One book you would want on a desert island?

The Talmud. Then again, it's more a "collection" of books these days. I'd say Torah, but if I had the Talmud, hell, I could read forever.

4. One book that made you laugh?

"Breakfast of Champions" by Kurt Vonnegut. Then again, all his books made me laugh ... except "Player Piano," which sort of made me tilt my head and say "hrm?"

5. One book that made you cry?

Okay, I know I'm going to get some funny looks here, but "The Five People you Meet in Heaven." The reasons are multiple and include the fact that my friend Sunny gave it to me after we'd spent a summer doing NSE together and had become quite close. Though my concept of Heaven is still "in the works" and is rather nebulous and ill defined ... the book resonated in a lot of ways. And thus, I sat at the Coffee House crying on a few occassions.

6. One book you wish had been written?

Wait. This question makes no sense. Unless I'm supposed to make up a book. Like ... I wish there had been a book called "You Can't Take Shadows to Bed With You" all about not getting involved with people who you can never have? Most book topics I'm interested in have been written. And the books that haven't been written? I'll write them someday.

7. One book you wish had never been written?

"A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius." Is it blasphemy? Well, if it is than whoever you are, you are a pretentious jerk. This book was recommended to me by an ex and quite frankly, I wanted to spoon my eyeballs out about a 1/2 the way through it. So I stopped reading it. Talk about self-gratifying crap.

8. One book you are currently reading?

There's several I've started reading, and yet, have stopped for lack of interest. So I'm taking some books to the used book store tomorrow because I need them not! Thus, I can't really say I'm currently reading anything ... I am, however, reading about 7 chapters of a book on eternity and time in the Torah ... more specifically, chapters on the meaning of "olam" and "olamim." Never fear -- they'll be an entry on this very, very soon.

9. One book you have been meaning to read?

"The Ascent of Eli Israel and Other Stories" ... ever since I saw the review in the Post's Book World ... I've wanted to read it.

10. Tag five people.
Christy, Andrew, BVK, JCo, Patty McPatPat