Another Book Meme

Believe it or not, I picked this one up on my own from The Curt Jester because the questions were interesting.

I won't tag anyone (and aren't you lucky about that, Anchoress ... hmmm?) so pick it up if you like.

1. Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews? Anything written by Thomas Merton ... I know this is "irrational" (hence using it as an answer) but he just strikes me as so darned touchy-feelie. Can't stand that in my theology.


2. If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be? Philipa from In This House of Brede, Harry Dresden from the Jim Butcher series, and Jane Eyre from ... well, you already know that. We'd have a barbecue, of course!


3. (Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave? Boring, eh? I know this is going to condemn me as a theological illiterate but I'd say, Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. I just simply can't get through that book (though I'm perfectly willing to admit that the problem is with me rather than Chesterton ...)
   UPDATE: Alicia properly points out that Orthodoxy isn't a novel ... and I hadn't thought about that distinction but a novel is fictional. In that case ... I may never die. I can't imagine a fictional work that would truly bore me to death.
   


4. Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it? Something that The Curt Jester and I have in common is that I never pretend to read something.


5. You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalise the VIP). In This House of Brede because its so good that anyone should be able to come away with something they enjoy, even if it is merely Godden's writing style or a little new insight into human nature.
   


6. A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with? Chinese. I love it and then I could read the Judge Bao stories in the original.


7. A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick? Dante's Divine Comedy. I am about halfway through now and foresee that I may well wind up reading it every year even without that mischievous fairy.


8. I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)? I have to say that I have discovered some authors that I'd never have heard of otherwise such as Michael Flynn and Emma Bull whose work has really enriched my reading. As for one "bookish thing" I would say that I probably never would have considered many Christian classics such as Dante and the writings of various saints without the enthusiastic recommendations of many St. Bloggians! Thanks y'all!


9. That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather bound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free. My dream library would be one that instantly acquires a book by a favorite author as soon as it is published ... hardback please! And I have a LOT of favorite authors ... so I hope this dream library is an actual room with many, many bookcases!