Book meme

I picked up this meme from Christa (one of the sss knitters). Consider yourself tagged if you're into this kind of thing.

1. One book that changed your life:
Moon of Three Rings, by Andre Norton. My first introduction to Andre Norton and to fantasy/sci-fi. I swiped this one from my sister (and I don't think I ever gave it back). Sorry, Sis!

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
I've read Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Ring Trilogy at least once every two years since I was twelve. (Ok, so some would think that was four books - it's really one book under 4 separate covers.) I like knowing that I was reading this before it was cool.

I re-read the library's copy of this for quite a while. It was missing some vital pages in the last book - it wasn't until Mother and Daddy gave me my own set that I got to find out how Frodo and Sam got off of Mount Doom. I finally wore out that set of paperbacks and my sister gave me another set a few years ago.

I re-read almost all my books. (We won't talk about how many times Harry Potter has been read...and watched....and listened to...)

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. One of the few books I really like that takes more than a few days for me to read. They had better rescue me from that island after about a week (or give me yarn - I'd last longer that way). My roommate from many years ago bought this for me for Christmas one year. She had no idea that I'd been lusting after it for months.

4. One book that made you laugh:
Terry Prachett's Monstrous Regiment. Actually, anything by Terry Prachett does that for me. And if you can get his stuff with those wonderful Paul Kidby British covers rather than the rather lame American covers, so much the better.

5. One book that made you cry:
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. 'nuff said.

6. One book you wish had been written:
One more book from Jo Clayton. She was a wonderful author and created many intriguing worlds and characters. She was only 57 when she died of bone cancer.

7. One book you wish had never been written:
The Exorcist by William Blatty. The scariest book I ever started reading and had to put down without finishing. Of course, I was only 13 at the time, but suspect that my opinion will not change if I try to read it again.

8. One book you’re currently reading:
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It's wonderful sci-fi from 1974 - and yes, I'm re-reading it. There's a sequel to this, The Gripping Hand, but I found it a bit of a hard slog. I don't read much pure sci-fi, but this one is definitely worth it for me.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
I've got Katharine Kerr's latest, The Gold Falcon, sitting on top of the stack. I pre-ordered it almost a year ago and got it in July. Got a few chapters into it and stopped. It's a good book and continues her great Deverry series, but for some reason I'm mind-blocked on reading anything new right now. I'm sure I'll get over it shortly and pick this back up.


I seem to sense a trend here. The only non-fiction books I read right now are knitting books. I've never been interested in 'self-improvement' books, preferring to slog through my problems without anyone's help. Ditto for political books.

My preferred fiction is usually focused on far-away fantasy places or times. I like mysteries, but tend to gravitate towards the classics of Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. I like espionage of the realms of Manning Coles or Frederick Forsyth or Alistair MacLean.

I consider myself fortunate in my background. Mother and Daddy both read (a lot) and my sister and I picked up the habit. Both sets of grandparents would send books for birthdays and Christmases. One of my favorite gifts is still a gift card from the book store. I married a reader, too! Our biggest problem at home is finding room for all the books.

(Well, there's that little problem with the fabric stash from my costume-making and quilting phase, and that teeny-tiny problem with my yarn stash. But that's not the same thing at all! Just because you can no longer wedge anything into that room, it is not an indication of a problem!)


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