Lots of People, Reading
Barbara started it but since then I've been circulating it like crazy. What are your answers? I'll try to organize them into a format where we can see everyone's answers at once.
"David Seruyange" sophtwarez((A))hotmail.com writes:
I'll take the first bite:
Current Read:
The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson. DO NOT read this book in public if
you mind funny looks as you bend over in helpless laughter. Bryson gets
irreverent as he travels through small town America.
Next I'll read:
Probably Instances of the Number 3 by Sally Vickers. But Barbara's put
So Many Books... on my radar so we'll see.
Best book of last year:
Technically it was this year but I'm still feeling warm from In the Image
by Dara Horn. Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was last year
and was a massive influence on me though...
Book I'm looking most forward to:
A Feast For Crows, no doubt, by George RR Martin.
Favorite author:
This question for me has no answer and as I'm sequestered in South Dakota
I've no shelves upon which to look for old friends. Douglas Coupland has
good ideas, Helen Dewitt is so bright, Neal Stephenson is maddeningly
intelligent, William Gibson is so prescient... we'll stop there.
Favorite book from childhood:
Another tough one. An English author named Enid Blyton endeared me to
Cornwall and the North Sea. Thank God Tolkien introduced me to fantasy.
But I read a book called Cannibal Adventure more times (something like
7 or 8) than any other book on my shelves as a kid - it was written by
Willard Price. I did like Ramona (Beverly Clearly) and The BFG (Roald Dahl).
Favorite book from teen age:
Magician by Raymond Feist. I lucked upon this book (remember, I grew up
in Africa).
First Western:
Lots of Louis L'Amour. They all have the same plot so take your pick. I
certainly don't remember.
First Romance:
I have no idea how I got it but it was a Jackie Collins. Something about
Brazil. As trashy as they come...
First 'Coming of Age' book:
Spiderman comics
First "ethnic" writer:
Every writer is ethnic...
First fantasy / sci fi:
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
I wish I spent more time reading:
Rereading. Rereading good books again instead of striking out with trash.
Biggest waste of time:
The Archivist1 or Emotionally Wierd2. Remembering how bad they were
still stresses me out.
Embarrased to admit I liked:
That Jackie Collins book.
People could be encouraged to read through:
I never knew how much imagination it took to read until I got to SD.
Imagination!
Favorite genre:
New authors. First books are always a bit more raw, more human. Not as
deliberately orchestrated in many cases...
Book I'd recommend to anyone:
It's obscure but the Norwegian book Naive.Super by Erlend Loe. Thanks Norbert.
1Obtained solely for the cover: a stack of old books.
2Obtained solely for the prologue - a mother and daughter telling each other stories on a Scottish island. This book is rightly out of print. As much as I hate a book I usually force myself to finish it. This one was beyond any will power I could exhibit.
6:31:59 AM 
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