Book Survey...

I found this on someone else's blog, but thought it would be fun to answer, so...

1. One book that changed your life. Am I Blue? (Marion Dane Bauer) This is a collection of short stories I stumbled upon quite accidentally in my teen years. I found it at the library, and liked the title. I had no idea until I started to read it that all the stories were about gay teens. At the time I had some huge questions in my head about my own sexuality, but like so many teens, the fear of it kept me quiet. This book was the first time I'd ever really read about homosexuality. It comforted me in so many ways - It told me I wasn't the only one who had questions. It told me I wasn't weird or gross or wrong for being open to the possibility that I might be attracted to girls.

2. One book that you've read more than once. I don't often read books more than once, because I know that there are SO MANY amazing books out there, that I might as well experience a new one. However, having said that - I have read most of Francesca Lia Block's stories more than once. Partly it's because her writing is so VERY different from other literature - it's like candy or something. Even if you've had it before, it's still SO tasty. Also, her books fall under "young adult", so they're pretty easy reads - short, and sparkly, with a sharp, dark edge.

3. One book that you'd want on a desert island. One book, hey? Hm... Something long. Or perhaps a survival guide of some sort would be more practical...

4. One book that made you laugh. I don't tend to read funny books, but I will fully admit that way back in the day (when I worked at Indigo, in grade 12), I LOVED Lemony Snickett's Series of Unfortunate Events. I think those books would have been wildly popular, except that they came out at the same time as Harry Potter. BAD timing. But I do remember laughing out loud throughout the entire Lemony Snickett series.

5. One book that made you cry. Loooots of books have made me cry. I've read a lot of books about dysfunctional families and scared, tormented children. Wars and terrors and pain. I dunno, man. I don't MEAN to read depressing stuff, it just... happens. Seriously, the more difficult question would be for me to name one book that DIDN'T make me cry.

6. One book that you wish you had written. This is a bizarre question with lots of possible answers. I mean, I suppose I'd love to have written any best seller that made millions. But in terms of a specific one... Are we assuming it would have come out the same if I'd written it? Because I'm not that great a writer. Or is this looking for a book I think I could have done a better job on? Hm... Or if you're speaking more realistically, I would like to write young adult novels someday...

7. One book you wish had never been written. Would it be controversial for me to say The Bible? I mean, imagine what a different world it would be if not for this ancient, mistranslated, rulebook. I'm not saying it would necessarily be a better world, but it would certainly be different. Though it's entirely possible too that if The Bible hadn't been written, something else would have been written in its place... But if you want a 'nicer' answer, I'll say Mary Queen of Scotts by Margaret George. Boring, boring, boring, pointless.

8. One book that you are reading at the moment. I'm kinda reading a few right now. I'm reading The Subtle Knife (Phillip Pullman), which is a young adult fantasy novel. It's just easy escape-reading, about a little girl on a magical adventure in parallel worlds. I'm also reading The Quantum and the Lotus (Matthieu Ricard & Trinh Xuan Thuan). This one is a far more difficult read, but hugely fascinating when I can focus on it. It's basically a conversation/debate between a buddhist and a physicist. They discuss similarities and differences between quantum physics and Buddhism - Kinda like where science and religion meet. I'm pretty fascinated by that whole area lately. I've been working on this book for a while, but it's worth the time it takes to digest. I've also just started a book by Francesca Lia Block called Wasteland, because it's small and it'll fit in my purse. It looks like it's going to be a horribly tragic story about young twisted love and sex and eventually suicide. How's that for variety?

9. One book that you've been meaning to read. There are SO MANY I've been meaning to read. I still haven't read any of the Dan Brown books, or The Celestine Prophecy. The Life of Pi, Hell - I even want to read The Bible one of these days. I want to read When We Were Gods, which is yet another story about Kleopatra. I want to read fact and fiction. Imagination and reality. Past, present, future. The divine, and the demonic. The twisted and inspired. I want to read every goddamn book I've never read.

:) And now I want to go curl up with a book and read for HOURS. Unfortunately, that's just not in the cards at the moment... Ta ta for now!!!