I love books and I’m pretty sure everyone who reads this blog does as well. Nancy at Heavens to Mergatroyd tagged me with a book meme, so here goes:
1. One book that changed your life?
“The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand, which I first read in ninth grade. Rand’s use of fiction to advocate for a particular political ordering is not subtle, and the message that hard work and “merit” could triumph over good-old-boyism was very appealing to a kid from a working class family, though even then I wished Roark hadn’t raped Dominique. My flirtation with Objectivism ended by the time I reached college, but it was a phase that made me a better critical thinker in the long run.
2. One book you have read more than once?
“The Women’s Room” by Marilyn French. I read it for the first time when I was in junior high school, then again when I was in law school, and for a third time fairly recently, and each time it inspired fresh insights and new reactions.
3. One book you would want on a desert island?
Have to copy and paraphrase Nancy and opt for either a desert island survival guide, or a book entitled “How to Escape from a Desert Island Containing Only One Book.” You can’t say we aren’t pragmatic!
4. One book that made you laugh?
“Advanced Sex Tips for Girls: This Time It’s Personal,” by Cynthia Heimel.
5. One book that made you cry?
Angel’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. For some reason that book has haunted me for many years.
6. One book you wish had been written?
“How to Explain Feminism So That It Makes Perfect Sense and Everyone Embraces It.”
7. One book you wish had never had been written?
There are a lot of books that are fairly egregious wastes of ink and trees; I don’t think I can pick just one.
8. One book you are currently reading?
“A Changed Man,” by Francine Prose. It’s the September selection for my book club.
9. One book you have been meaning to read?
“Case Histories” by Kate Atkinson. Friends have raved about it.
I tag: KC Sheehan, Jim Chen, Melissa Henriksen, and anyone in the FLP blogroll (in addition to KC!) who wants to play.
–Ann Bartow
