Book of Dreams

Okay, I done been tagged by Dave to chime in on some book questions, and I'm only too happy to oblige.

1. One book that changed your life

I have never read anything that can be so many different things at each subsequent sitting than the Bible. While I don't think it's the only inspired writing in the world, I do believe that it is divinely so, and it definitely has changed my life. In reading from the Bible, I always ask more questions than anything else, and I feel that asking questions is a very good thing.

If I were to limit the question to something written by one traditional author, then it would most definitely be The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. The first time I read that story, I really felt that I understood what well-written fantasy was all about. The more I've read it since, I think it just shows me what writing and dreaming are all about - and that's a far better thing indeed.

2. One book that you have read more than once

This distinction actually encompasses most of the books I've ever read. I think it would be a lot easier for me to list only the books I've read once. If we have to try to capture the ones I've read the most, then the aforementioned Narnia series is well-worn. From The Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz is a favorite of mine too. My copy of The Hobbit, and all the Lord of the Rings stories are really the worse for their wear. The Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice have haunted me several times. The Pendragon Cycle of Arthur, as told by Stephen Lawhead is still my favorite vision of that legend. For sheer numbers, I would have to turn to the catalogue of Dr. Seuss. Take any of his books, and I will have read them over and over more often than any other book put together.

3. One book you would want on a desert island

I think I would get the most long-term enjoyment out of a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare. Not only could it make the term "coffee table book" really mean something, but the sheer mass of quality and variety really speaks to me. I really can't think of something that would serve me better for reading, or light furniture, in my island paradise.

4. One book that made you laugh

As a child there are many, many books that made me laugh. I still giggle incessantly when I read any of the collections of Shel Silverstein. For my laugh book, I'm going to go with Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. If you know me, then you probably won't be surprised that I picked a funny book that has to do with the apocalypse. What you will be surprised with is how great this book is when you sit down with it. You need to curl up with this book, and savor just how good it is to poke fun so perfectly.

5. One book you wish had been written

Aside from the few that I hope to pen myself, I would very much have loved to have been able to get Edgar Allen Poe to hammer something out with Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton. I know that Tim's not much of a writer, but just to have his touch in there would be enough for me. I don't care what they wrote about, but I know it would be nearly transcendental in wonder.

6. One book you wish had never been written

I have a hard time wishing a book had never been written. I will say that although I love Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, I think that his Cryptonomicon is just about the longest set of travels with the highest level of detail that I've ever been on - only to go nowhere.

7. One book that made you cry

I'm having a hard time thinking of this one. I would have to say that Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz did catch me off guard. It may be that it resonates with me a little more, but it certainly has the potential to be emotionally difficult.

8. One book you are currently reading

I'm currently reading The Wolf King by Alice Borchardt. It's an epic tale of intrigue, warfare and deceit with a werewolf on top. So far, it's a good read, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this series is wrapped up.

9. One book you have been meaning to read

I've been meaning to read a whole lot of books, and I have a hard time singling any one of them out. I do want to give the Lemony Snickett's a go, so we'll go with that...