2006-09-22 
 

book meme

Found this over at Brian’s and decided to tag on because I love books.

1. One book that changed your life: The Bible. (sorry Brian) Close examination of the Old Testament and an increasing interest in Judaism when I was 15 made me realize that the whole book needed to be taken with a pinch of salt, and was open to interpretation. It was that same year that I had my first conversation with God about being gay and God was fine with it. (I should mention this was also the same year I first read Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land which had equal impact on my personal philosophies.)

2. One book that you've read more than once: Just one? Are you trying to spin me out of control by limiting things? I'll list some I've read more than thrice. Chronicles of Narnia every few years, Harry Potter Series whenever a new one comes out, almost everything by Heinlein, The Pern Series by McCaffery. All have been reread numerous times.

Oh, and the early books of the Old Testament because they’re really handy when confronting fundamental folk. Confronting them with the rules listed variously in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy usually confuses them and may even open their minds a bit. Conversely, if they stubbornly agree with those books verbatim regarding slavery, rape, general inequality of the sexes, and…what’s that other thing? Oh yes, homosexuality. If they agree with all that, then I know to run far and fast.

3. One book you'd want on a desert island: The Complete and Unabridged Collected Works of Everything…and an internet connection to read it through. That sucker’s too heavy to carry around with me.


4. One book that made you laugh: ‘Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy had M and I in stitches for a good hour or so and still provides me with a chuckle when I think back to that day. Shamu in mysterious ways!

5. One book that made you cry: More than one has, but Bridge Over Terabithia was the first. It stunned me that a story I’d been living in my head could have such an effect on me and made me hope that someday I’d be able to do that.

6. One book that you wish had been written: Not sure about a book, but how about a headline? Religious Right Owns Being Wrong, Bush Resigns and Peace Breaks Out All Over. (Headline on Food Section would of course extol the virtues of a Red Wine and Chocolate Diet.)

7. One book that you wish had never been written: None. I believe too strongly in free speech to censor anyone, even the idiots.

8. One book you're currently reading: There's two right now. Erich Kastner’s The Flying Classroom and Aldous Huxley’s The Island (yes, still reading the latter…I got halfway through a few months back and was distracted by several other books – back again)

9. One book you've been meaning to read: Oddly, I can ditto Brian’s answer for this one. Guns, Germs and Steel. For quite some time now it’s been sitting by my bed and coming on vacations with me, but I’m still only a few chapters in. Pretty interesting so far, not sure what my block is on this one.

10. Now tag five people: How many times do I have to tell you? Mikey don’t play that. If you want it, it’s yours.

Labels: memes

* posted by me at 7:31 PM

Comments:

Re: Phantom Tollbooth.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Have I told you lately that I love you? Well, I do.

# posted by Brian : 5:25 PM, September 28, 2006

 

Post a Comment