Book meme

I've never done a meme before, but DebR inspired me. Although I have to say a lot of my answers are pretty much echoes of hers....

1. Hardcover or paperback, and why?

I usually choose paperback since it is the only way I can afford the massive number of books I buy. It also makes it easier to store them, since I rarely get rid of any, and carry them in my purse for those few minutes when I can steal reading time. But I really prefer hardcover - the feel, the paper, and definitely the larger print - though I still need to wear my glasses to read them. And I loathe the invention of the trade paperback...

2. If I were to own a book shop I would call it...

I'd come up with a corny name like Magic Carpet Books. Then I'd ask my husband to think of one and he'd come up with pun-ny names like In a Bind. Eventually he'd probably find one I liked and I'd use that. Unless Tattered Cover wants to give me a Minneapolis franchise, and then I'd just use their name. I REALLY miss Tattered Cover.

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is...

"Favorite" is tough for me, since I know that after I post this I will be kicking myself for forgetting that quote - oh and that one! I should have said that one! I actually keep a list of quotes I like, but I keep forgetting to add to it. And most of the quotes there are from movies. Besides, it doesn't include the great Shakespeare quotes -- but most of those I can remember right now are depressing. So I'll use this one because at least it makes me laugh...

"Most psychiatrists don't like to work with teenagers because it's often too difficult to distinguish between normal adolescence and pathological illness." Debra Borden, Lucky Me

4. The author (alive or deceased) I would love to have lunch with would be ...

Living: J.K. Rowling. I would love to discuss all of the Harry Potter books, but most of all I'd love to find out what other ideas she has.
Deceased: I probably would have said Jane Austen, but since I don't want this post to be a repeat of Deb's.... I think I'll pick Dorothy Sayers. I think she must have had a very interesting mind.

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except from the SAS survival guide, it would be...

Like Deb, I would take the Complete Novels of Jane Austen. Unless I could find the Complete Harry Potter (more pages to read, if nothing else). But the print would have to be so small on that one that I wouldn't be able to read it, even WITH my glasses.

Come to think of it, I do own a one-volume set of Shakespeare's works. Maybe I should choose that for the sheer variety from comedy to tragedy. And it includes some plays I have never read since I expect them to be boring. And his poems as well.

Yes, I have trouble picking just one. That is so typical of me (sorry Karis...).

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that...

Allows you to access and read any book, any time, anywhere, and is no bigger than a paperback book.

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of...

Curling up in a window seat so I can enjoy both the book and the view (and also perhaps some privacy). Ok, so I never actually did that. In fact I've never had a window seat. But I imagine if I had, that is what the smell would remind me of.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be...

Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series. She's terrifically smart, brave, has way more energy than I've ever had, AND SHE CAN DO MAGIC. Ok, she's not technically the lead character, but it's better to be the sidekick than the one on whom all the malevolence is focused.

9. The most overestimated book of all time is...

I hate to say anything is the most of all time. Let's just say the book that comes to mind is The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner. My husband loves Faulkner and got me to read this when we were dating. I thought it sounded interesting because of the Shakespeare-quote connection (I was pretty obsessed with Shakespeare at the time). I don't remember much about it, but I remember I hated it. And I think I may have tried another Faulkner novel before I gave up on him. Which made me a little sad as he is one of "the great Southern authors" and once taught at my alma mater.

By the way, to go off topic a bit - you may have heard of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I found this website where you can download a spreadsheet, indicate which ones you have read, and even calculate how many of them you need to read each year in order to complete the list, based on your age and average life expectancy. I don't agree with all of the picks, of course, and do not intend to read them all -- but it is still very interesting. So far I have read only 110 - a terrible record for a former English major!

10. I hate it when a book...

Leaves me hanging without a definite resolution. If I really like the characters, I want to KNOW what happened to them, invite them over again sometime, meet their friends and kids...


Here's another photo from my Lake Harriet walk. (You can click to see it larger.)

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