Friday, March 19, 2004
Fill in the blank...
They're doing this over at the I Love Books message board, something I've recently gotten hooked on. I think I'm actually going to send this out as one of those email surveys to a bunch of people (gasp!), but I finished it up last night and thought I'd post it here first.
1. I'm currently reading: So Many Books, So Little Time
2. Next I'll read: Probably The Tale of Despereaux or Tunneling. Although tonight for some odd reason I began craving some chick lit a la Coffee and Kung Fu.
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Definitely East of Eden. Disclaimer: I'm taking this to mean so far in 2004, because to go back a full year would just give me too many options!
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: the next Harry Potter! (It's an addiction, I tell you!) A little closer on the horizon--the next Jasper Fforde: Something Rotten, due out Aug. 2004.
5. My favorite author is: This is so difficult. It's almost as bad as asking: "What's your favorite book?" Across the board, maybe Madeleine L'Engle. But I have a soft spot for L.M. Montgomery and Roald Dahl. And while I'm in children's lit, Katherine Paterson and Lois Lowry. And of course, J.R.R. Tolkien. I love Jasper Fforde, but don't know if I can pin "favorite" on him yet. Then there's Wilde and Dickens and George Eliot and...yeah. Like I said, hard question.
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The BFG, or the Ramona books.
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The whole Anne of Green Gables series.
8. The first western I read was: I don't think I've ever read a western. Unless perhaps I can count Indian in the Cupboard as a western?
9. The first romance I read was: Probably something cheesy and young adult that was completely forgettable. Which is why I can't come up with a title.
10. The first mystery I read was: I read a lot of mysteries as a kid, but I totally don't remember titles or authors. No Nancy Drew, though.
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Oh, gosh, I don't know what the first one was. I'll just go with favorite coming-of-age story...Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson. Man, these "first" questions are killing me. I need to browse in the children's section of either the library at Lakenheath AFB or the City of Ely public library, then maybe I could refresh my memory.
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Maybe Mildred D. Taylor and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry? I'm not sure. I guess it depends on your definition of "ethnic." There was a book I distinctly remember reading at a very young age about a little girl in Africa, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it, or even the name of the little girl in the book. It was red, though, and it was a small cloth covered hardback, with a worn, threadbare cover. I can remember the exact look of the book and the illustrations in it, and I kind of think the girl's name started with a K. But that's all I remember. Funny the memories that come flooding back!
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Chronicles of Narnia, or maybe something by E. Nesbit, I don't remember which I read first.
14. I wish I spent more time reading: non-fiction.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Frances Bright, childhood best friend and fellow bookworm. Or my mother, who taught me to read so early on that I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't know how to read.
17. The book I'm embarrassed to admit I liked is: The entire collected works of Janette Oke--cheesy Christian romances I read in jr. high/high school and totally loved at the time. More recently: Bridget Jones' Diary, but I'm not too embarrassed by that, really.
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Movies. Seriously. It sounds like a travesty to say it! But people are often much more willing to read the book either before, or right after they watch the movie version. Also, I think recommending just the right book (and having it actually get read) is one of the best ways to get someone reading in the future.
19. My current favorite genre is: Oh, goodness. Whatever I'm reading at the time, if I'm enjoying it, so right now: books about reading books.
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: To Kill a Mockingbird
1. I'm currently reading: So Many Books, So Little Time
2. Next I'll read: Probably The Tale of Despereaux or Tunneling. Although tonight for some odd reason I began craving some chick lit a la Coffee and Kung Fu.
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Definitely East of Eden. Disclaimer: I'm taking this to mean so far in 2004, because to go back a full year would just give me too many options!
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: the next Harry Potter! (It's an addiction, I tell you!) A little closer on the horizon--the next Jasper Fforde: Something Rotten, due out Aug. 2004.
5. My favorite author is: This is so difficult. It's almost as bad as asking: "What's your favorite book?" Across the board, maybe Madeleine L'Engle. But I have a soft spot for L.M. Montgomery and Roald Dahl. And while I'm in children's lit, Katherine Paterson and Lois Lowry. And of course, J.R.R. Tolkien. I love Jasper Fforde, but don't know if I can pin "favorite" on him yet. Then there's Wilde and Dickens and George Eliot and...yeah. Like I said, hard question.
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The BFG, or the Ramona books.
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The whole Anne of Green Gables series.
8. The first western I read was: I don't think I've ever read a western. Unless perhaps I can count Indian in the Cupboard as a western?
9. The first romance I read was: Probably something cheesy and young adult that was completely forgettable. Which is why I can't come up with a title.
10. The first mystery I read was: I read a lot of mysteries as a kid, but I totally don't remember titles or authors. No Nancy Drew, though.
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Oh, gosh, I don't know what the first one was. I'll just go with favorite coming-of-age story...Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson. Man, these "first" questions are killing me. I need to browse in the children's section of either the library at Lakenheath AFB or the City of Ely public library, then maybe I could refresh my memory.
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Maybe Mildred D. Taylor and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry? I'm not sure. I guess it depends on your definition of "ethnic." There was a book I distinctly remember reading at a very young age about a little girl in Africa, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it, or even the name of the little girl in the book. It was red, though, and it was a small cloth covered hardback, with a worn, threadbare cover. I can remember the exact look of the book and the illustrations in it, and I kind of think the girl's name started with a K. But that's all I remember. Funny the memories that come flooding back!
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Chronicles of Narnia, or maybe something by E. Nesbit, I don't remember which I read first.
14. I wish I spent more time reading: non-fiction.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Frances Bright, childhood best friend and fellow bookworm. Or my mother, who taught me to read so early on that I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't know how to read.
17. The book I'm embarrassed to admit I liked is: The entire collected works of Janette Oke--cheesy Christian romances I read in jr. high/high school and totally loved at the time. More recently: Bridget Jones' Diary, but I'm not too embarrassed by that, really.
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Movies. Seriously. It sounds like a travesty to say it! But people are often much more willing to read the book either before, or right after they watch the movie version. Also, I think recommending just the right book (and having it actually get read) is one of the best ways to get someone reading in the future.
19. My current favorite genre is: Oh, goodness. Whatever I'm reading at the time, if I'm enjoying it, so right now: books about reading books.
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: To Kill a Mockingbird
| posted by Barbara | 7:47 PM