Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

But Mostly Re-Use

You may have noticed that I'm in a bit of a blogging slump lately. I worked this up for a Facebook meme last night, and since it's all booky, I thought I'd add it here, and try to ease back into the posting swing. (Edit: this kind of makes it sound like I created this questionnaire -- no, no, no. By "worked this up," I meant that I worked up my answers. I don't know where it started, but I stole it from O'Donovan on Facebook.)

The following is a questionnaire whose results are mainly:
a) embarrassing, if you don't read Lit-Tra-Toor
b) ego-building, if you do
c) an excellent opportunity for posting big fat lies, in either case.

Me, I fall into category 1, although I've been working on Not Being Embarrassed about what I read, and that's going pretty good. So here's what I posted.

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Yeah, so I'm a lifelong hopeless bookworm, but that still doesn't mean I'm well-read. What can I say, I stick with what I like.

1. What author do you own the most books by?
Welp. I think that would be Carolyn Keene, the pseudonym that the Nancy Drew mysteries are written under. I've been collecting the series for my daughters, neither of whom evince the slightest interest. Doesn't mean I'm getting rid of them, though.*

2. What book do you own the most copies of?
The New Rules of the Job Hunt Game. The Shrub's economy wasn't good to me. I kept loaning it out to people and then buying new copies and then having them return them to me.

3. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Usually, the hero of whatever romance I'm in the middle of. At the moment, that would be Hardy Cates.


4. What book have you read more than any other?
I rarely re-read books, but I've been through Gone With The Wind many, many times.

5. What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
Fifth grade, huh. Mrs. Wineland's class... let's see. Honestly? I have no idea. I think I was still hoovering through the various mystery series at the library, though I might've been just about ready to move on to the Little Women/young adult type section. (edit: actually, I think that was smack in the middle of my Gene Stratton-Porter phase)

6. What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
I feel bad saying. It was a review copy that the author sent me, and it was the worst writing I ever laid eyes on (email me). It was published, though. Life is strange.

7. What is the best book you've read in the past year?
Hmmm. I'd have to say it's a toss-up between Meljean Brook's Demon Angel or Joann Bourne's Spymaster's Lady.

8. If you could tell everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
I think... Captive Passions, by Fern Michaels. Yeah, even the guys. Don't roll your eyes. Your face might stick like that.

9. What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
Buh. Probably anything that was ever Assigned Reading. I have a Thing about that. What's that one about rich people in the 1920's? I keep trying to read that one and not getting it. Eyes rolling up in my head. Then there's anything non-fiction. How about my Circuits Analysis textbook back in 1987? Difficult is ONE word for it.

10. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Dressing? I like Italian.

11. Shakespeare, Milton or Chaucer?
Shakespeare, I guess. Haven't read the other two. What? I was an engineering major.

12. Austen or Eliot?
Whatever. See #11.

13. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I think maybe this question is redundant at this point. It's possible that the most embarrassing thing is my lack of embarrassment.

14. What is your favorite novel?
Oh, that's too hard. GWTW has stood the test of time, but I also love love love Kushiel's Dart, Outlander, and Mists of Avalon. Also, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

15. Play?
Um, The Crucible I guess. Out of a very narrow playing field.

16. Poem?
Something about Nantucket. I forget.

17. Essay?
Do Dave Barry columns count as essays?

18. Short Story?
"Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor. None better. <----This is Betsy's answer. I could go with that. Also "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson freaked my $h*t out back in sophomore English and I still remember it, so that's something.

19. Non Fiction
IP/VPN for Dummies has been useful.

20. Graphic Novel?
What, you mean like comic books? Never read one.

21. Science Fiction?
Maybe I'll just go with Douglas Adams here. I haven't read any straight-up SciFi in yonks and nothing's coming to mind except Dune, and, well-- no.

22. Who is your favorite writer?
Right now, JR Ward.

23. Who is the most over rated writer alive today?
Nicholas Sparks.

24. What are you reading right now?
Just finished Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. Not sure what I'm going to pick up next, but it might be something by Samantha James.

25. Best Memoir?
Never read one.

26. Best History?
Never read one. Although I did *buy* the Guns of August. And I've thought several times about buying Guns, Germs, and Steel. Does that count for anything?

27. Best mystery or Noir?
Hmmm. The Secret of the Old Attic, by Carolyn Keene. Mystery, adventure, romance, piano playing, poisonous spiders. And bondage, too.
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*To clarify, I don't plan on getting rid of the books OR the daughters. In case anyone was confused.


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So there you have it. Those of you who'd like to play, re-post on facebook or your blog with your own answers.

What "holes" are there in your reading? Do you wish/plan to correct them, or are you content with being a cretin like me?