Reading is Fundamental

Recently, I was semi-tagged by Roger concerning this book meme. Since I'm always looking for ways to avoid posting real content, I thought I would go ahead and post my responses.

1: One book that changed your life: As trite as this seems, I would have to admit that The Great Gatsby had an effect on me when I read it in high school. At the time, I was pursuing a relatively unobtainable woman (much like my current personal life, wink wink nudge nudge say no more), and something about the way Fitzgerald wrote hit home. A man who had everything, but who couldn't acquire what he wanted most...I don't think I've reread it since then, but it still resonates.

2: One book you have read more than once: There are several, but the one book that I remember constantly re-reading is Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker. Yes, it's a Spenser novel, but it works on so many levels: a crime drama, a coming-of-age story, a character examination, and the story of how a private detective helps a young boy enter adulthood. (Plus, many of the themes and characters in this book resonate throughout the rest of the Spenser series).

3: One book you would want on a desert island: That's relatively easy - Bartlett's Quotations. Short, simple to read, and a nice literary sampler.

4: One book that made you laugh: There's a great fondness in my heart for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - yes, I'm a Doctor Who geek, and Douglas Adams' first book always seems to hit the right sense of humor, absurdity, and drama.
Favorite lines:

"It's like being drunk."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Ask a glass of water"

5: One book you wish had been written: The Poodle Springs Story by Raymond Chandler. I know, Robert B. Parker later finished it, but I would have loved to see where Chandler would have taken it.

My other nomination - Why I Should Be Dictator by Greg.

6: One book you wish had never had been written: It's obvious, but I would say The DaVinci Code. It should be banned and burned not because of its "blasphemous" ideas, but because its appallingly mediocre writing and lackluster characterization.

7: One book that made you cry: Flowers for Algernon - ok, the movie version didn't do it for me, but at the end, as Charly realizes where he's going....I tear up.

Seriously.

8: One book you are currently reading: I'm making my way through Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky - I love how she is able to mix detective fiction, social justice issues, and politics in a nice, literate style.

9: One book you have been meaning to read:1776 by David McCullough. For some reason, I've been on an early-history-of-America binge.

10. Who to tag? Sorry, I'm not tagging anybody. This is a voluntary meme.