It's a list of question to use as icebreakers in a book discussion group. Anyone care to answer any (or all) of them?
1. Which book book that’s been on your shelves the longest? 2. What is tour current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next? 3. What book did everyone like and you hated? 4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? 5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?” 6. Last page: read it first or wait til the end? 7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside? 8. Which book character would you switch places with? 9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)? 10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way. 11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person? 12. Which book has been with you to the most places? 13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? 14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book? 15. Used or brand new? 16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses? 17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book? 18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid? 19. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?
1. Which book book that’s been on your shelves the longest? ~ Wow. Probably The Hobbit or My Side of the Mountain. 2. What is tour current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next? ~ Current is Twilight, at my dd-13's insistence. Just finished A Trout in the Sea of Cortez, luved it. Next will be an easy J.A. Jance. 3. What book did everyone like and you hated? The Shack...*running to hide* 4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? ~ Probably anything Harry Potter. 5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?” ~ Haven't thought about it. Perhaps a second go at Gone With the Wind. 6. Last page: read it first or wait til the end? ~ Oh, I would never do that. 7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside? ~ Interesting aside. 8. Which book character would you switch places with? ~ This one doesn't come easy, it requires serious thought. 9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)? ~ I know this has happened, but nothing comes to mind. I find something to connect with in a lot of books. 10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way. ~ I got nuthin'. 11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person? ~ Yes, A Cherokee Feast of Days by Joyce Sequiche Hifler. It's a book of daily meditations, I luv it, it's so dog eared. Gave it to 2 SIL's and some good friends. 12. Which book has been with you to the most places? ~ see #11. 13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? ~ Oddly, a Social Studies textbook. Unendurable back then, don't mind now when I help the kids. 14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book? ~ I don't know, a dollar? 15. Used or brand new? ~ Used, a la library or friends. 16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses? ~ Have not read him in many years...I'd say he started out as genius and succombed to the masses. 17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book? ~ No, I can't think of one. 18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid? ~ Lets see...The Horse Whisperer, The Bridges of Madison County, anything by Jodi Picoult, Ann Tyler or Anna Quindlen. Oh, and The Prince of Tides, for sure. 19. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? ~ My girlfriend Denise.
About questions #16 and 17: I think that most of Stephen King's books make better movies than novels - bloated, overwordy, endlessly-descriptive, boredom-inducing novels. The movies, seen on TV, are often entertaining, because they only contain the interesting parts and connect them seamlessly. I like reading many of SK's short stories, and "Carrie" and "Cell", but don't even attempt most of SK's books.
Since someone answered the questions and I originally posted them, here are my answers...
1. Which book book that’s been on your shelves the longest? The Handmaiden's Tale 2. What is tour current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next? current read "certain girls" by jennifer weiner, last read "handle with care" by picoult next read the new harlan coben is waiting for me to be picked up at the library 3. What book did everyone like and you hated? The Red Tent 4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? anything by Jane Austen 5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?” Never thought about it, maybe all the Shakespeare plays I didn't read it school. 6. Last page: read it first or wait til the end? Never read it first. 7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside? always read them 8. Which book character would you switch places with? none 9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)? Yes, a few. A college boyfriend gave me "catcher in the rye" to read so it always reminds me of him. I also read a very long book one summer called "and the ladies of the club" it always reminds me of that summer because I felt like I was reading it for months. 10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way. none 11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person? no 12. Which book has been with you to the most places? I'm off all summer so my summer reading usually accompanies me to the beach. 13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? Shakespeare 14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book? I found a check once and mailed it back to the owner. 15. Used or brand new? If I'm buying, I'll buy new, otherwise I just get them from the library. 16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses? opiate 17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book? I must confess I didn't really enjoy Harry Potter until I saw it on screen. 18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid? I don't think Twilight translated to the screen very well 19. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? There is no one person. The book has to sound appealing to me for me to read it.
