Finish the Statement, Please ...

IPOW,
Only for you would I take on such a list....

1. Reading "Shiksa Goddess" by Wendy Wasserstein.
2. Next I'll read "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.
3. The bst book I've read in the last FIVE years is "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon.
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is ???(I need some good suggestions.)
5. My favorite author is Jane Austen.
6. My favorite book from childhood is "The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues" by Ellen Raskin.
7. My favorite book as a teenager was "Anna Karenina".
8. The first and best western ever is "Chasing Uncle Charley" by Cruce Stark. (The masterbation scene made me wet myself with laughter.)
9. The first romance I read was some Danielle Steele Crap.
10. The first mystery I read was "The ABC Murders" by Agatha Christie.
11. My first coming of age tale was "Where the Red Fern Grows" ( was so upset at the deaths of Old Dan and Little Ann that it has put me off animal books for life.)
12. My first "ethnic" writer was Maya Angelou.
13. My first SF was Jules Verne.
14. I wish I spent more time reading non-fiction.
15.The greatest waste of my time was reading all that Jack London in 7th grade (more animals, hunting, and death yuk.)
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was my grandmother.
17. The book I'm embarrassed to admit I liked is "Bridget Jones' Diary."
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through Austen, Brontes, Ruskin.
19. Anything funny is my current favorite genre.
20. Everyone, even people who don't read should read "Daisey Fay and the Miracle Man" by Fannie Flagg because it is warm and funny and flows.

1. I'm currently reading: Fountain at the Center of the World, Nicholas Nickelby, a bio of John Gardner, various others
2. Next I'll read: The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene; American Humor by (can't remember her name); The Old Curiosity Shop; Raising Abel by James Allison
3. The best book I read in the past year was: WOW, that's hard. Fiction? Probably The Pickwick Papers.
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: "The book I read was/ in your eyes--ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oh, oh, OH ..." --Talking Heads, "The Book I Read," from their first album
5. My favorite author is: Dostoevsky
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Does Catcher in the Rye count as part of childhood? Otherwise, I might have to pick The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet.
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Oh. Well, then, Catcher in the Rye.
8. The first western I read was: One of those Sackett books.
9. The first romance I read was: N/A. ("She fixed her fiery eyes on him ... but They Didn't Apply!")
10. The first mystery I read was: Hmm. Possibly a Nancy Drew? I wasn't that engaged by Encyclopedia Brown.
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: (Embarrassing) An ancient book nestling in the "middle-school-age" section of the Alma Public Library in Alma, Michigan, entitled (as I remember) Blue-Eyed Convertible.
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Hmmm. My sister had this kids' ghost story from the early '70s, and the illustrations were of African-American kids, so probably that author.
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: The Star Wars Storybook. Others I can remember: War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, The Tar-Ayim Krang (or something like that) by Alan Dean Foster; Asimov's Foundation, plus the wonderful first two Robot novels (The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun) and the dear old Lucky Starr series; a book I never heard of again or saw elsewhere, entitled Hydrosphere and written by A.J. Merak (it was sweet! Undersea civilizations and whatnot); some Star Trek and Star Wars novels (though this was before the influx of new Star Wars material post-Timothy Zahn); The Blue Sword and ... some other fantasy book, both by a ... Robin something. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Farenheit 451.
14. I wish I spent more time reading: Math and science.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: All of Tom Robbins's collected works (to 1996 or so). No, wait, I can think of worse detours: all the right-wing evangelical crap I read when I was still a kid; any and all school textbooks (systematic misleadings); Malcolm McLaren's biography. Give me back those hours and put them into '50s sci-fi dime novels, or cereal boxes, or biting my lip. Please.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Shucks, gawrsh, gee, it was my Dear Old Dad. It really was, though he's vigorously resisted some of the conclusions that reading (in part) has drawn me to.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: SO many. In middle school, par ex., highly impressionable and full of undirected anger (I was a fat kid with no friends in a small town), I was very right-wing and thought Rush Limbaugh's book was totally right on. Oh, and there's the evanglical Christian crap I probably still read at that age: those pentacostal Frank Peretti thrillers (this is back before Left Behind).
NO! That reminds me--those aren't even the most embarrassing. HERE'S the awful truth. The Left Behind dude and his scary, People-For-the-Suppression-of-Reality-co-chair wife once wrote a terrifyingly phrased sex guide for fundamentalist couples back in the '70s, which I discovered lying around somewhere on a bookshelf when I was in late-early adolescence and thus curious enough (though I hedged my reading with an Of-course-I-can't-do-any-of-this-'til-I'm-married). Judging by my memory, it wasn't as stupid/regressive/misogynistic as you'd assume (no implicit prejudgment against women enjoying themselves during sex), but the prose style and tone--a combination of unctuous fundie smarminess ("God has richly blessed us with the ability to ...") and the textbook language that is the bane of all writing on sex ("... insert A into B while vigorously massaging C") was an abomination against God and humanity alike.
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Being surrounded by readers from an early age seems like the clearest solution. I suppose graphic novels and comic books may end up being helpful--because sooner or later the clerk at the 7/11 where you buy the new Batman will end up being one of these zany Zen raconteur type of clerks who says, "You ever read any Kurt Vonnegut?" And the adventure begins.
19. My current favorite genre is: The philosophically-inclined realist novel with slight tendencies toward cartoon or exaggeration. (The Corrections is a recent example.)
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The Brothers Karamzov.

OMG!
Phil, big cyber high five here. I LOVE "The Brothers Karamazov."

My teenager refused to read any Russians because she thought they must be heady and droll. I promised her, totally readable and engaging but goes on forever. Gave her TBK for Christmas and she gobbled it up before the break was over.

1. I'm currently reading: My housemate’s private email. I’m throwing some of it away.

2. Next I'll read: My housemate’s private diary. And I’ll laugh.

3. The best book I read in the past year was: Harry Potter and the Ounce of Cocaine. Harry gets caught up in the magical world of blow and is subsequently chucked out of Hogwarts. Hermione warns him about the dangers of coke and Ron is too poor to develop a serious habit.

4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: How I Stalked Henry Rollins Until He Broke Down and Fell in Love with Me by A. L. Stender

5. My favorite author is: Anyone, as long as they’re extremely good looking. Then I imagine them naked as they wrote the book.

6. My favorite book from childhood is: I have a Daddy and 14 Mommies: Growing up Mormon

7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: How Come Daddy Gets to Have 14 Wives, But Not the Other Way Around?: Why Mormonism is Only Cool if You’re a Guy

8. The first western I read was: Whitey Pretends to be an Indian, But He’s Not Fooling Anyone

9. The first romance I read was: Two Heaving Breasts and One Thrusting Manhood: Or, A Tale for Sexually Starved Housewives

10. The first mystery I read was: The Cat Who Was So Fucking Smart, He Could Solve All Kinds of Crimes

11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Those Aren’t Mosquito Bites, Sally

12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Hiroyasu “Malcom X” Rabinovich-Sanchez.

13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Astro-Galaxy of the Faerie Unicorns

14. I wish I spent more time reading: Tell me about it. I wish I could quit my job and read all the time. But like my mom always said: “Wish in one hand, shit in the other. See which fills up first.” I can tell you that right now, it’s the hand holding your own shit that wins every time.

15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Wasting Time: A Pointless Novel about Blah (Vol. 1-10)

16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Dr. Pare A. Noya. He told me about the inevitable brain cancer you get from TV, movies, hobbies, sports, friends, etc. All you need to do to live a long, healthy life is sit quietly in a chair and read. And occasionally run down your street naked in broad daylight.

17. The book I'm embarrassed to admit I liked is: My Life as the Best Known Actor (in Germany) by David Hasselhoff

18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Violence. Or, threat of violence if you have a particularly menacing demeanor but can’t stomach the site of blood.

19. My current favorite genre is: Christian Lesbian Horror. Usually the plot is just guilty girl-on-girl action in graveyards.

20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Foods that Turn Your Breastmilk Rancid: From Curry to Szechuan Stir-Fry

1. Confessions of an English Opium Eater.
2. Don't know yet. I'd better hurry up and decide.
3. Lorna Doone.
4. Don't know.
5. Jonas Lie (who he?).
6. The Wind in the Willows.
7. Tom Sawyer.
8. Haven't read any.
9. Lorna Doone (I'm a late developer).
10. Five on a Treasure Island (Enid Blyton).
11. Tom Jones.
12. Toni Morrison
13. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
14. Fairy tales.
15. Almanac of the Dead (Silko).
16. Dad.
17. Love in Excess (Eliza Haywood).
18. Destroying their TV.
19. Literary.
20. Pale Fire.

1. I'm currently reading: Nothing.
2. Next I'll read: Graphic novel: Diary of A Teenage Girl; novel: To The Wedding (John Berger)
3. The best book I read in the past year was: I can't remember!
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Middlesex
5. My favorite author is: Pynchon
6. My favorite book from childhood is: My childhood was an intellectual wasteland: Piggy in the Puddle
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Beauvoir's All Men Are Mortal
9. The first romance I read was: Jane Eyre
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: I know she's def. not the first, but I can't remember any before Zora Neale Hurston.
14. I wish I spent more time reading
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Delillo's Underworld
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: all my teachers
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Tipping the Velvet
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: sequential pictures
19. My current favorite genre is: comics
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Ondaatje's In the Skin of A Lion

1. I'm currently reading: Bobby Fischer Goes to War, and Beautiful Mutants by Deborah Levy
2. Next I'll read: Amorous Discourse in the Suburbs of Hell by Deborah Levy
3. The best book I read in the past year was: 1982, Janine by Alasdair Gray
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: The new James Kelman
5. My favorite author is: Eh. Too many to name
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Short stories of Mark Twain
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
8. The first western I read was: Hate westerns
9. The first romance I read was: Hate romance
10. The first mystery I read was: Sherlock Holmes of some sort, I'm sure
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Catcher in the Rye
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Does Rushdie count?
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Dune
14. I wish I spent more time reading: Nonfiction
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Manifesta. Ugh.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My father
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: not sure
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Ulysses
19. My current favorite genre is: Scottish literature, not really a genre, though
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Dubliners

1. Stitch’n Bitch
2. The Magnificent Ambersons
3. I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere
4. The Love Letters of Dylan Thomas
5. Too many to list, really.
6. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse – first book I could read on my own.
7. Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret
8. A Louis L’Amour – can’t remember the title
9. Some Harlequin bodice-ripper, again, can’t remember the title
10. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
11. Where the Red Fern Grows
12. Gabriel Garcia Marquez
13. I Sing the Body Electric
14. Foodie books, but they make me really hungry.
15. Some book by Fabio – it was a dare.
16. My 6th grade English teacher: Mrs. B. She gave me my first copy of “The Good Earth.”
17. Exit to Eden (but I'm not embarrassed).
18. Enthusiasm for whatever it is you’re reading.
19. Oh, too many, really, I’ve eclectic tastes.
20. Whether they like it or not, Les Liaisons Dangereuses

1. Valmouth: A Romantic Novel by Ronald Firbank. Sooo gay!
2. Selected Poems by Fernando Pessoa
3. Plateform by Houllebecq or maybe, Middlesex by Eugenides.
4. Whatever’s next.
5. Maugham, no, Wilde, no, Borges…. I quite simply cannot imagine life without many, many different books by different authors. If I’m lucky, I haven’t read my favorite author’s work yet.
6. The Birth of Britain by Churchill
7. Justine
8. Can’t say that I have.
9. I’m sure I have but don’t remember.
10. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, although, to be honest, I vaguely recall some kiddy mysteries I read as a child.
11. Le Rouge et le Noir
12. James Baldwin
13. The Hobbit
14. En Français.
15. Finnegans Wake.
16. My stepmother.
17. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by de Bernieres
18. Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell.
19. History.
20. The History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters by Barnes.

1. I'm currently reading: Lucky Jim - Kingsley Amis
2. Next I'll read: What's Bred in the Bone - Robertson Davies
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Darcy Dancer, Gentleman - JP Donleavy
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Morrissey's autobiography
5. My favorite author is: JP Donleavy
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The Hobbit
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The Bridge - Iain Banks
8. The first western I read was: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S Thompson
9. The first romance I read was: The Passion - Jeanette Winterson
10. The first mystery I read was: The Sea of Adventure (Enid Blyton)
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Goalkeepers are different - Brian Glanville
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Albert Camus
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Asimov
14. I wish I spent more time reading: The Classics
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Earthly Powers - Anthony Burgess
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My mother
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: - The Diceman - Luke Rhinehart
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Good Writing
19. My current favorite genre is: Autobiography
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The Beastly Beatitiudes of Balthazar B - JP Donleavy

Holojames:

Never thought of Fear and Loathing as a Western. Genius! As a Maugham lover, I thought Earthly Powers pretty good, actually.

1. I'm currently reading: The Wasp Factory
2. Next I'll read: I have to pick now?
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Middlesex
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Almost everything on my shelves that I haven't read yet.
5. My favorite author is: Ray Bradbury
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Watership Down
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Jane Eyre
8. The first western I read was: Never read one
9. The first romance I read was: A Harlequin something, I'm sure
10. The first mystery I read was: An Agatha Christie, but I don't remember which
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Hmmm...does Catcher in the Rye count?
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: The Wizard of Earthsea
14. I wish I spent more time reading: Anything at all. I don't read enough anymore
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: The House of Sand and Fog
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My folks, both
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: The first 7 Robert Jordan books
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Not making them write papers about books in early school, and letting them pick what they want to read
19. My current favorite genre is: SciFi/Fantasy, leaning heavily on the SciFi
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Lolita

Vermont Girl, you're my hero!

And here's my 20:
1. I'm currently reading: American Gods by Neil Gaiman, though it's reread
2. Next I'll read: Pale Fire by Nabokov or The Crying of Lot 49 by Pynchon
3. The best book I read in the past year was: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien or Blankets by Craig Thompson
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: I don't know...hopefully something funny.
5. My favorite author is: can't narrow it down
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Charlotte's Web
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Lord of the Rings
8. The first western I read was: Shane. The only western I've read.
9. The first romance I read was: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Also the only.
10. The first mystery I read was: Probably Nancy Drew something
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: I have no idea. I got a million of them in school, but couldn't say what I read first.
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Possibly Hurston, but I'm not sure
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Lord of the Rings
14. I wish I spent more time reading: yes
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. Ugh.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: probably both my parents, but I was fairly self-directed
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Interview with a Vampire
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: The Waste Land
19. My current favorite genre is: doesn't matter as long as the writing's good
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. It's a fun read.

1. I'm currently reading: El Club Dumas (don't know how it translates...The Dumas Club?) by Arturo Perez-Reverte; and Baudolino, by Umberto Eco
2. Next I'll read: The Pickwick Papers
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: A few books by Saramago that I haven't gotten around to yet.
5. My favorite author is: No favorite authors, really, more like favorite books. I can't seem to get "hooked" on one author because I find that I never like all (or even most) of what a single person has written.
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Collections of fairy tales, Alice in Wonderland.
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Edith Hamilton's "Mythology"
8. The first western I read was: Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy; actually, it was assigned for a college course, and I really disliked it. But I had to read it...
9. The first romance I read was: One of the several Judy Blume books that were passed around my 6th and 7th grade classroom. Scandalous! ;-)
10. The first mystery I read was: Short stories by Poe.
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Does David Copperfield count here?
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: James Baldwin (The Fire Next Time)
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: The Wizard of Earthsea
14. I wish I spent more time reading: Poetry and nonfiction
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Blood Meridian (see above, under westerns).
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My parents; we are all book addicts in the family, and could probably open a bookstore with what we have!
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: If I like it, there's no reason for me to feel embarrassed; it made me happy, even if it doesn't work for others.
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Family and friends. It's a shame that many kids don't read because they feel they'd be ridiculed.
19. My current favorite genre is: Novel
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Anything by Dr. Seuss; it's bound to leave almost anyone smiling.

Clellie - I to quite enjoyed Bridget Jones' Diary - enough so I've re-read it a few times. And Daisy Fay and the Miracles Man is one of my "I'm having a bad day and really need to laugh" books - always good for a chortle or two, especially with the taxidermy. Anyway, thanks for filling in the form for me *grin*

Vermont Girl - I'd just taken a sip of grape juice when I started reading your answers. Luckily, I managed to avoid spraying grape juice all over my monitor and keyboard. Unluckily, I managed to spray grape juice all over my hedgehog (who is now complaning about having been bathed).

Marisa - have you read other books by Arturo Perez-Reverte? I have a few books of his on my shelves and haven't yet tried any.

1. I'm currently reading: Last week's Washington Post and Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran
2. Next I'll read: Either The Book of Salt, Mr. Timothy, The Known World, Triangle: The Fire that Changed America, or Timoleon Vieta Come Home (I'm horrible about making decisions)
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Middlesex or Underworld or The Barbary Plague: Black Death in Victorian San Francisco or The Time Traveler's Wife or Carter Beats the Devil or Being Dead
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Stephenson's Quicksilver and his follow-on The Confusion and The System of the World and Marquez's Living to Tell the Tale
5. My favorite author is: Er, I hated this question the first time I had to answer it, but, probably, Dawn Powell or Eugenides or Chabon
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever (I still love my tattered copy)
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The Little White Horse, I think
8. The first western I read was: Maybe Lonesome Dove?
9. The first romance I read was: Judy Blume's Forever or a Harlequin Romance called The Honey is Bitter which my mother confiscated before I finished it *sigh*
10. The first mystery I read was: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Huckleberry Finn or Where the Red Fern Grows
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Maya Angelou or Isabel Allende
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: I, Robot or The Once and Future King
14. I wish I spent more time reading: natural science, history
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Clan of the Cave Bear
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My mother - she raised my sister and me in a house full of books and music and no television.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: High Fidelity and Judith Krantz novels (the latter for the sex scenes, I must say) and Hope for the Flowers (really cheesy and "Californian")
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Seeing parents and friends reading, and not making a big deal of "high lit" vs. "trash lit" vs whatever - basically, reading is reading, whatever the subject matter/genre/format
19. My current favorite genre is: Probably Middle Eastern, South-east Asian, and Asian fiction and history books on topics centered in the U.S. from about 1890 to 1929
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Sheesh, um, Dr. Seuss' Happy Birthday to You or Silverstein's The Giving Tree and maybe Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

"Marisa - have you read other books by Arturo Perez-Reverte? I have a few books of his on my shelves and haven't yet tried any."

Perez-Reverte is something of a collective addiction in my family (since we're Spanish), but I'm a bit behind on reading his stuff. I read La tabla de Flandes (I think it's called The Flanders Panel, in English) a few weeks ago and thought it was terrific until the last couple of chapters. But I read it in less than a week, which for me is just astounding (so little time...); it was hard to put down. And I'm really enjoying El club Dumas now; I used to work at analyzing and transcribing late-Medieval manuscripts when I was in graduate school, so this book is right up my alley.

Perez-Reverte has a mixed reputation in Spain; the literary snobs look down at his "popular fiction", but most of his readers (myself included) recognize his mastery of the language and the care with which he researches and writes his books (his series on a 17th-century hero, Alatriste, are supposed to be incredible, because he even emulates a lot of the diction of the era, as well as providing an insight into the history of the time). It's sad that so many people think that a strong plot makes a novel "inferior" to some of the absolutely mindless ramblings that get published as "high art." LOL, end of rant; what an answer for you!

1.I'm currently reading Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds – Dark Sci Fiction/Cyber Punk Universe
2.Next I'll read Hall of Mirrors by Robert Stone, or a Case of Curiousities by Alan Kurzwell.
3.The best book I read in the past year was: My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is Lannark by Alasdair Gray – have heard lots of good things about this book, still looking for a copy.
5.My favorite author is : Damn this is a hard question, how do you compare Dostoevsky (to reiterate TBK is an amazing book) or Goncharov to Vonnegut or Huxley or any of the above to say Tolkein or Barry Hughart
6.My favorite book from childhood is no idea – I only got the reading bug when i was approaching teenage years.
7.My favorite book from when I was a teenager is Lord of the Rings
8. The first western I read was the poem Man from Snowy River – I'm an Aussie, you can not get out of school without being exposed to it.
9.The first romance I read was Possession by A.S. Byatt
10.The first mystery I read was some Hardy Boys when I was very young, then all of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
11.The first coming-of-age story I read was the Choclate War? By I am not sure. It was set as an english text in year seven ot eight.
12.The first "ethnic" writer I read was Lermentov, – a very wise friend said have you ever read any Russian authors and when I said no he leant me A Hero for Our Times and smiled. Well the answer now is Yes lots of them.
13.The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was the Deathworld series by Harry Harrison, give me a break I was about 12 at the time.
14.I wish I spent more time reading - to reiterate YES :-)
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was the Firm by John Grisham. I am sorry I just did not get it.
16.The person who most encouraged me to read was my mother and Mr Fryer in sixth grade.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is Kinky Friedman detective stories - I even have a signed omnibus
18.I think people could be encouraged to read through just surround them with books and provide an example. It is kind of sweet when they ask “you read a lot .....could you recommend something”
19.My current favorite genre is again to hard. I read almost anything and in no particular order. Okay Sci-Fi (been a while so I am catching up on some of the new hot authors), Non Fiction – History and Russian Authors
20.The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart:

1. I'm currently reading: Arthur Conan Doyle - The Sign of the Four (Shelock Holmes)
2. Next I'll read: Life of Pi - Yann Martel (re-read for bookclub next Tuesday)
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Ronald Wright - Time Among the Maya
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Andalusia - Jason Webster
5. My favorite author is: Bruce Chatwin
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The Moomin Stories
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Richard Bach - Illusions. Ha ha!
8. The first western I read was: Don't do westerns
9. The first romance I read was: or romance
10. The first mystery I read was: can't remember
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: The Catcher in the Rye?
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: awful question
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Blakes Seven
14. I wish I spent more time reading: Charles Dickens
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: An English teacher from school. I think her name was Ms Nelson
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Everything is Illuminated
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: unsure
19. My current favorite genre is: travel writing
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Jay McCinerney - the Story of My Life / Kate Atkinson - Behind the Scenes at the Museum

1. I'm currently reading: Corrections by Thomas Bernhard
2. Next I'll read: Either Nightwood by Djuna Barnes or The Half-Brother by Lars Saabye Christensen
3. The best book I read in the past year was:Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: The Obscene Bird Of Night by Jose Donoso and Independent people by Halldor Laxness
5. My favorite author is: Dostoevsky
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The Spy's Handbook - told you everything you needed to know about booby-trapping your bedroom door
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Demian by Hermann Hesse or Alain-Fournier's The Grand Meaulnes
8. The first western I read was: Place of Dead Roads by William S. Burroughs, if that counts...
9. The first romance I read was: some awful Neville Shute garbage
10. The first mystery I read was: Agaton Sax and the League of Silent Exploders(!!!) by Nils Olaf Frantzen
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Vanity of Duluoz by Jack Kerouac
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Hey, we're ALL ethnic!
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: John Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes
14. I wish I spent more time reading: Fiction or something instead of dull coursework
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Of late, Perfume
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: An uncle who bought me Goncharov's Oblomov, Don Quixote and On The Road one Christmas
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: You think I'll fall for that trick?
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Secret mind-rays
19. My current favorite genre is: Weird poetical semi-autobiographical fiction, preferably set in some obscure European city and featuring beautiful, enigmatic girls called either Aurelie or Asta. Oh, and they must end in abject misery all round.
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The Joy of Man's Desiring by Jean Giono

Actually, that favourite genre bit sounds like some *terrible* film starring I dunno, Vanessa Paradis or someone, so scratch that. I'll take Amy's lesbian horror books instead. Oh yes.

I'm currently reading: Mark Halliday's 'Tasker Street' (poems)
Next I'll read: David Thomson 'Hungry like Hunters' (I got distracted half way through)
The best book I read in the past year was: Richard Rorty 'Achieving our Country'
The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Steve Erickson 'Our Ecstatic Days'
My favorite author is: Lorrie Moore
My favorite book from childhood is: 'The Land of the Faraway Tree' (Blyton)
My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Oscar Wilde Collected Works
I wish I spent more time reading: Victorian novels
The person who most encouraged me to read was: Morrissey
The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Lorrie Moore 'Who will run the Frog Hospital?'

1.I'm currently reading Contempt by Alberto Moravia
2.Next I'll read Bend Sinister by Nabakov
3.The best book I read in the past year was: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is A Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil (When I have a lot of free time)
5.My favorite author is : Proust
6.My favorite book from childhood is any of the Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge
7.My favorite book from when I was a teenager is 'The Third Policeman' - Flann O Brien
8. The first western I read - something by JT Edson
9.The first romance I read was Romeo and Juliet (at school)
10.The first mystery I read was Hardy Boys , then the Three Investigators (or 'Alfred Hitchcock presents The Three Investigators')
11.The first coming-of-age story I read: Can't think of any, can't think of anything less appealing
12.The first "ethnic" writer:Apart from this question
13.The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was probably one of Asimov's Robot books
14.I wish I spent more time reading - poetry
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Catcher in the Rye (but I only got as far as about page 50)
16.The person who most encouraged me to read was my mother
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked : The James Herriot books
18.I think people could be encouraged to read through being prevented from reading shit books. 'Tuesdays with Morrie' would put anybody off reading books for life, and has probably stopped thousands of people who bought it from ever bying a book again
19.My current favorite genre is: Russians, maybe
20.The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is 'We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families' by Philip Gourevitch

Vermont Girl, you rock woman! (And I'm in a quandry because I'm hopelessly hetero but I think I love you ;P hee) Can I pass this list of yours to a friend of mine? He'll just love it!

Oh course. It's for everyone to consume.

P.S. Henry will be mine, oh yes he will...

Look if Vermont Girl and Yesabibliophile are going to get together, I WANT TO WATCH.

Please.

Mikey G, you're a pig.

But you're OUR pig.

I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good point or not...

1. currently : The Thought Gang, Tibor Fischer; Elegant Universe, Brian Greene; Metaphors We Live By, Georege Lakoff.
2.Next: Mimesis, Eric Auerbach; Zeno's Conscience
3.Best book last year -- I agree w/ Clellie -- Kavalier and Clay
4. looking forward to : Razor's Edge -- into Maugham right now
5.Umberto Eco, mostly for his nonfiction, maugham (see #4); Patrick O'Brian
6. Childhoood book -- Fox in Socks
7. Teenager -- Deryni chronicles, K. Kurtz
8.Western -- Lonesome Dove
9. Summer of Katya by Trevanian (shibumi, eiger sanction, et. al.)
10.Mystery -- Purloined Letter by Poe, something by Ellery Queen
11. Coming of Age -- never
12. Ethnic author: Does Azimov count? if not then Borges
13. Fantasy: see #7
14. wiah I read more/liked more: poetry
15. Waste: Blue Latitudes
16. Influence: My Mom
17. Never embarassed by reading
18. How: Being given a great book and some free time
19. Genre: british humour
20. would recommend to anyone: 'Kavalier and Clay' or 'Me Talk Pretty One Day'

Dave Pacey

Just got Tibor Fischer's 'Voyage to the End of the Room' on the strength of a good blurb (I wasn't entirely sober) and the advice of some other shopper at 'City Lights'. What's your take on the man?

I'm Passing Open Windows
Marisa

Love Perez-Reverte. It's not quite high 'litracha' but it's better and smarter than Dan Brown and -high praise- it's page-turnin' fun. I especially liked the one about the Spanish fencing master.

Vermont, that was funny and witty. But I feel a bit sorry for you. I mean, liking that twazzock Rollins?

1. I'm currently reading: The Names by Don DeLillo
2. Next I'll read: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (work in a bookstore--galley)
3. The best book I read in the past year was: shit, this is a toughie--really enjoyed the Crimson Petal and the White?
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: new Kent Haruf called Eventide (got the galley of that too)
5. My favorite author is: Murakami and Eco are favorites of mine
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Jane Eyre
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The Fountainhead (I know, I know--Ayn Rand is a freak)
8. The first western I read was: something by Louis L'Amour
9. The first romance I read was: some bodice ripper on a plane--don't remember the title, took place in Scotland, featured kilts and tartans and heaving chests.
10. The first mystery I read was: Nancy Drew
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Are you there God, it's Me Margaret by Judy Blume
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Upon the Head of the Goat by Aranka Siegal about a girl in Bergen-Belsen
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Lord of the Rings--Dad gave them to me in fourth grade
14. I wish I spent more time reading: because working sucks?
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Bridget Jones' Diary---just didn't connect, I am not that kind of girl, plus its too short.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: me
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Can't think of anything, though I know they exist
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: osmosis
19. My current favorite genre is: I like all books
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Hmm, Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Vermont Girl, that list was ace. I meant to make this point upthread, but got sidetracked by lesbianism.

Bunged Out,

I'm so trying to keep it together right now... Breathe... Breathe...

Listen to me, I don't know what the hell a "twazzock" is but I can assure you Henry is not one. This isn't the place for- I'm gonna- You're-

RRRRUUUGUUUUUGHHGHHGHGHHGHHHHHRHHRHRHRHRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-

YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, BUNGED OUT! I ASSURE YOU!!!!!!! YOU BETTER WATCH OUT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU LIVE, I KNOW HOW TO MAKE VOODOO DOLLS OUT OF-

MikeyG,

Thanks for the kind words. I feel better now. I was about to post more negative and threatening comments about you-know-who, but I feel better now. My right hand is bleeding because I punched it through a window, but it'll heal. Thanks again.

Michael White -- re: Tibor Fischer -- In all honesty i have just begun Thought Gang, but I've laughed heartily at something on just about every page. Delightful so far. Too early to tell on the story, but 'it's not the tale, it's the teller' as my mom used to say. Dave

Hey Bunged Out:

Is twazzock some regional variation on wazzock?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wazzock

1. I'm currently reading: Plainsong, Kent Haruf
2. Next I'll read: In Praise of Slowness, Carl Honore
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Book of Illusions, Paul Auster
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Faulkner's Snopes trilogy
5. My favorite author is: Philip Roth
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Pick any Peanuts collection
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: 1984
8. The first western I read was: Does Don Quixote count?
9. The first romance I read was: Does Don Quixote count?
10. The first mystery I read was: Some Agatha Christie book I didn't take to.
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Didn't bother. Got it all through John Hughes movies.
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Chinua Achebe
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Isaac Asimov
14. I wish I spent more time reading: The paper
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: And You Shall Know Our Velocity!, Dave Eggers
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My father.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Scruples, Judith Krantz
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Windscreens, but why?
19. My current favorite genre is: Non-postmodern Modern American Fiction
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Saturday Night, Susan Orlean

1. I'm currently reading: Who's got the time to read?!
2. Next I'll read: Dr Phil's Big Friendly Guide to Reclaiming Your Time.
3. The best book I read in the past year was: See no 1.
4. I'm most looking forward to reading: My next paycheque
5. My favorite author is: The lady who signs my paycheque
6. My favorite book from childhood is: My first paycheque
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Never got paid....
8. The first western I read was: For a few dollars more
9. The first romance I read was: Can't buy me love
10. The first mystery I read was: Where does my money go? by Dr Phil
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: *Blushes*
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: The spraycan artist who practiced near the YMCA.
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: How to make your time and money go further by Dr Phil.
14. I wish I spent more time reading:
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: How to stop wasting your time by Dr Phil
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Kermit.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: The I Love Books Archives (Collected Edition, Brass Bound)
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Paying them per word. I mean, if the reader is the most important thing in the equation, why should the writers get all the money? I think $1/word is a good start, escalating proportionally thereafter for words exceeding single syllables.
19. My current favorite genre is: Wait, don't tell me, I know what a genre is....
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The one that's in your bottom drawer, or at the back of your mind, or waiting for the kids to grow up. Write it.

this thread confirmed my third crush of spring.

I'm currently reading: Janice Galloway's "Clara"
Next I'll read: Robin Robertson's "A Painted Field" (poems)
The best book I read in the past year was: Paul Farley's "The Ice Age" (poems)
The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Don Paterson's "The Landing Light"
My favorite author is: A. L. Kennedy
My favorite book from childhood is: "The Twits" (Roald Dahl)
My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: A. L. Kennedy's "So I am Glad"
I wish I spent more time reading: non-fiction books about facts.
The person who most encouraged me to read was: dunno : /
The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: (have to steal JtN's answer to this and encroach once more upon and a little more onto his bibliotaste) Lorrie Moore "Who will run the Frog Hospital?"

Whee! I'm making myself a shopping list of all of the answers to that last question.

(And, really, I so heart you peoples - I feel all warm and fuzzy and want to hug everyone, but I guess that's now reserved for the bar. So I'll just thinking happy thoughts, instead.)

Clellie - I was enthralled by The Virgin Suicides (which I read post-Middlesex, but I still can't determine just how I feel about the darn story. I'm interested in hearing your take on it.

Marisa and Mr. White - thanks for the information about Arturo Perez-Reverte - any opinion on the quality of the translations to English?

1. I'm currently reading:
"The curious incident of the dog in the night-time" by Mark Haddon
"The Occult" by Colin Wilson
"Seduction of Morality" by Tom Murphy
"Born to Win: Transactional Analysis With Gestalt Experiments" by Muriel James, et al

2. Next I'll read: "Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown or "The Crying of Lot 49" by Pynchon

3. The best book I read in the past year was: "Love in the time of cholera" Gabriel García Márquez

4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is:

5. My favorite author is: PG Wodehouse, Joseph Heller, Tom Robbins, etc.

6. My favorite book from childhood is: Comics like Mandrake, Phantom, Asterix, Tintin and stuff.

7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: None

8. The first western I read was: None yet

9. The first romance I read was: None yet

10. The first mystery I read was: Some Agatha Christie

11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Catcher in the Rye

12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Salman Rushdie

13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: "The Mountains of Majipoor" by Robert Silverberg

14. I wish I spent more time reading: Course Books

15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Books by Sidney Sheldon

16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: None

17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: "If Tomorrow Comes" by Sidney Sheldon

18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Why?

19. My current favorite genre is: Novel

20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

"Marisa and Mr. White - thanks for the information about Arturo Perez-Reverte - any opinion on the quality of the translations to English?"

No idea, I read him in Spanish only. I know that some authors work very closely with their translators (I've read some interviews with Gunter Grass to this effect), but I don't know whether Perez-Reverte does. The books I've read by him have a lot references to very Spanish characters and everyday customs, and I don't know how well they'd come across in English. For example, the Flanders Panel takes place in a very specific section of Madrid (near the Prado Museum), which makes sense considering the subject matter and the people involved. I guess you'll just have to give it a try and see if you end up as hooked as I did! :-)

Marisa, have you read Journey to the Alcarria by Jose Luis Cela? A gem of a travel book.

"Marisa and Mr. White - thanks for the information about Arturo Perez-Reverte - any opinion on the quality of the translations to English?"

I have never been to Madrid, speak Spanish poorly, and did not notice the Perez-Reverte books I read were translated. If you can't read him in the original, how would you know to be disappointed by the translation unless it reads awkwardly?

MikeyG

Is that the guy who wrote "The Family of Pascual Duarte"?

Seriously though

1. I'm currently reading: Makapan's caves by Herman C. Bosman. Wonderful O Henryesque short stories from 1920's South Africa.
2. Next I'll read: ???
3. The best book I read in the past year was: American Gods
4. I'm most looking forward to reading: ??? Maybe Moby Dick
5. My favorite author is: Alan Moore / Neil Gaiman
6. My favorite book from childhood is:
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Bomber by Len Deighton
8. The first western I read was: I honestly don't think I've ever read one. Even the good ones.
9. The first romance I read was: Arbitrary.
10. The first mystery I read was: Either Agaton Sax or Sherlock Holmes short stories.
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Sex Manners for Gentlemen
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: black, most likely.
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Ekliptika X (obscure Afrikaans sci fi drivel)
14. I wish I spent more time reading:
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was:
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: A particularly strict but intelligent high school teacher
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Superhero comics
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Writing and publishing good, intelligent books (but someone's already said that)
19. My current favorite genre is: Dark satire (in a Vonnegut vein, very rare)
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Catch 22 or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. And to keep writing the one you're busy writing.

"Marisa, have you read Journey to the Alcarria by Jose Luis Cela? A gem of a travel book."

Yes, it's the only one of his books I liked. Can't stand him otherwise. I had to read "The Family of Pascual Duarte" (which answers MikeyG's question) in graduate school; and while I recognize how groundbreaking it was, I hated it.

"I have never been to Madrid, speak Spanish poorly, and did not notice the Perez-Reverte books I read were translated. If you can't read him in the original, how would you know to be disappointed by the translation unless it reads awkwardly?"

That's right, it wouldn't (and shouldn't) make a difference, if the story's good (which in his case, it always is). I'm just very attached to my home town, and love reading books set there. For his books, the story's the thing, and the setting just adds atmosphere if you recognize the places he mentions.

Hooray for PuzzleMonkey - another Agaton Sax reader! I keep looking out for those books to buy for friends' kids cos I remember enjoying them so much. They're proving to be somewhat elusive though. It's a shame, they were great fun and had the bonus of nice Quentin Blake illustrations in the UK edition.

Thanks for the feedback, Marisa and Mr. White. I'm looking forward to cracking the spine on one of his novels this weekend.

"Thanks for the feedback, Marisa and Mr. White. I'm looking forward to cracking the spine on one of his novels this weekend."

My pleasure. Which one are you going to read? If it's one I've read/am reading, I'd love to compare notes, to see how it translates.

IPOW,

This may be simplistic but I measured the success of Middlesex with this statement.

you get to page 175 and the word hermaphrodite has yet to be mentioned.

I mean that as a complement. The story is about the people as people and eventually it is irrelevant whether he is a girl or a boy.

Clellie,

I was worried Middlesex might be too preachy or too screechy and instead it was one of the best epics I've read in ages. I still have a crush on the Object.

1. I'm currently reading: Volume III In Search of Lost Time/Letters of Henry James/Henry James short stories
2. Next I'll read: The Golden Bowl/Wolume IV In Search of Lost Time
3. The best book I read in the past year was: The Ambassadors
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: The Golden Bowl
5. My favorite author is: Samuel Beckett
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Berenstein Bears Family Vacation
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Martian Chronicles
8. The first western I read was: not sure I've ever read one
9. The first romance I read was: I've proofread them, but never read them.
10. The first mystery I read was: Something Sherlock
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Catcher in Rye
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Toni Morrison
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Something Wicked This Way Comes
14. I wish I spent more time reading: In a foreign language/ or poetry
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: latest: Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, I think it was called.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Mommy
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: there isn't one
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: reading
19. My current favorite genre is: Henry James
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The Plague

1. I'm currently reading:Hogfather-Terry Pratchett
2. Next I'll read:Notes from a big country-Bill Bryson
3. The best book I read in the past year was:The Crucible (okay not really a book)
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is:The third book in the Grass for his Pillow series-Lian Hearn
5. My favorite author is:Terry Pratchett
6. My favorite book from childhood is:Where the Wild Things Are
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is:Alana: in the hands of the goddess
8. The first western I read was:Black Tiger
9. The first romance I read was:Pride and Prejudice
10. The first mystery I read was:The Hound of the Baskervilles
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was:The Power of One
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was:haven't a clue
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was:the Animorphs series
14. I wish I spent more time reading:The classic cannons but there is onle so much of that i can endure
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was:A mothers gofe (brittany spears heh heh heh)
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was:my dad (a librarian)
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: some of those mills and boon romances
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through:the help and encouragement of those who like to read (more harry potter books would probably do it faster though)
19. My current favorite genre is:Fantasy
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is:Jazz by Toni Morrison. She deserved that nobel prize for liturature. The descriptive writing was amazing!

Perhaps this would be a good thread for my first post:

1. I'm currently reading: Foucalt's Pendulum, Trust Us We're Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles with Your Future, and have stalled out on Cryptonomicon (right at the end, too!)
2. Next I'll read: Amusing Ourselves to Death (Neil Postman) and I, Fellini (Charlotte Chandler)
3. The best book I read in the past year was:It may not have been the best written, but Ishmael by Daniel Quinn profoundly affected me.
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is:Primal Screamer (Nick Blinko)
5. My favorite author is: The first author I really considered a "favorite" was probably Irvine Welsh. Now I suppose it's probably Bukowski or Vonnegut
6. My favorite book from childhood is:James and the Giant Peach or any number of Roald Dahl books. Oh, and the Phantom Tollbooth.
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is:Watership Down, HHGttG
8. The first western I read was:I tried my hand at Lonesome Dove once but didn't finish it. Can't think of anything in this genre I've read and enjoyed.
9. The first romance I read was:probably Pygmalion or Breakfast at Tiffany's
10. The first mystery I read was: first that I recall is the Alienest (Caleb Carr) but I'm sure there were others before
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was:Weirdly I have strong memories of Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume. I think this book inspired my dad to give me "the talk"
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was:Chinua Achibe
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was:The Narnia Chronicles
14. I wish I spent more time reading:Yes.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was:If you're like me, the bad ones fade from memory. Recently, I don't think I learned anything new from Fast Food Nation, it's a good primer but not very useful if you're already interested in the subject. Oh, Slow Death by Stewart Home is one of my least favorites.
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My mother without a doubt. She was the only influence on my reading that I can think of. She no longer reads, unfortunately, which strikes me as tragic.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is:Honestly I'm not embarrassed by any particular title, though my tendency toward conspiracy theories and radical politics (and nothing else) makes me blush a little.
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: family reading time. Absolutely essential.
19. My current favorite genre is:political non-fiction, vegan cookbooks, and for the first time in my life I've been reading a lot of horror.
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is:Ishmael

1. I'm currently reading: The Future Homemakers of America, by Laurie Graham
2. Next I'll read: some poetry
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Middlesex
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: the next Robert B Parker I can lay my hands on
5. My favorite author is: not sure
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Anne of Green Gables
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Wuthering Heights
8. The first western I read was: N/A
9. The first romance I read was: something by Jilly Cooper
10. The first mystery I read was: something by Agatha Christie
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Forever, by Judy Blume
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Toni Morrison
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
14. I wish I spent more time reading: non-fiction on obscure, impressive subjects
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Independence Day, by Richard Ford or High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: my mum
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: oh nothing really
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: the works of Jae Austen
19. My current favorite genre is: undemanding chicklit
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

1. I'm currently reading: Most of the Most of S.J. Perelman (rereading)
2. Next I'll read: dunno
3. The best book I read in the past year was: A Working Stiff's Manifesto by Iain Levison
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: dunno
5. My favorite author is: Meltzer maybe
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: On the Road
8. The first western I read was: Some Western Hall of Fame anthology
9. The first romance I read was: still waiting
10. The first mystery I read was: not counting Hardy Boys, probably Hiaasen's Tourist Season
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: The Cat in the Hat?
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Doestoyevsky?
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: probably some read-along Star Wars book/record
14. I wish I spent more time reading: in bed.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Infinite Jest
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: my dad, by example.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: all those comedian books.
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: cash incentives
19. My current favorite genre is: crime
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: A Working Stiff's Manifesto

A bit late... but I couldn't resist.

1. I'm currently reading: Gwendoline Riley's Sick Notes
2. Next I'll read: something by Murakami
3. The best book I read in the past year was: The Sun Also Rises
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: War and Peace or Pelevin's next translated work.
5. My favorite author is: Haruki Murakami/Victor Pelevin/Leo Tolstoy/Inga Abele/(etc.)
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The Hobbit, any Roald Dahl, Kneeknock Rise, The Book of Giant Stories
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The Pigman
8. The first western I read was: Does My Antonia count?
9. The first romance I read was: Vox
10. The first mystery I read was: probably some Sherlock Holmes
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: The Hungry Caterpillar
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Would Richard Wright be appropriate here?
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: The Hobbit or A Wrinkle In Time
14. I wish I spent more time reading: instead of watching television.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: The Lovely Bones
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: my mother
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Bridget Jones's Diary
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: family influence
19. My current favorite genre is: modern Latvian fiction
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Huh, It looks like I never did this.
1. I'm currently reading: The Brothers Karamazov, some comic books
2. Next I'll read: A non-fiction book called Demons, Saracens and Jews about medieval art
3. The best book I read in the past year was: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle or Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
5. My favorite author is: not sure
6. My favorite book from childhood is: D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Jane Eyre (early teen) then anything by Charles de Lint/Emma Bull
8. The first western I read was: I don't think I've read one, other than if Willa Cather counts
9. The first romance I read was: The Sherbrooke Bride-Catherine Coulter
10. The first mystery I read was: Sherlock Holmes
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Are you there God? It's me, Margaret.
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Space Case
14. I wish I spent more time reading: less bad fantasy
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: The Crimson Petal and the White
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: my parents
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Catherine Coulter books
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: the library
19. My current favorite genre is: the classics, history
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

1. I'm currently reading: The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien
2. Next I'll read: some Washington Irving
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Lolita
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Under the Volcano
5. My favorite author is: Fitzgerald or Dos Passos or DeLillo or Faulkner.
6. My favorite book from childhood is: all 7 Chronicles of Narnia, Brian Jacques's Redwall books, and John Bellairs's novels.
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The Great Gatsby
8. The first western I read was: Shane
9. The first romance I read was: dunno
10. The first mystery I read was: "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: I Am the Cheese
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: honestly don't remember hte first
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Chronicles of Narnia
14. I wish I spent more time reading: all the poetry books sitting on my shelf, or Shakespeare.
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: The Color Purple (I'm sure there were much much worse but that comes to mind)
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: my brother.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: I'm not embarrassed about liking any book. Well, okay....I read one of Bill O'Reilly's books on a bus ride when I didn't have anything else to read, and even though I don't agree with everything he says you've gotta admit that he's a great communicator (take that for what it's worth...).
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: family influence.
19. My current favorite genre is: currently 20th century fiction.
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: USA by John Dos Passos.

1. I'm currently reading: collected Cheever stories
2. Next I'll read: Orhan Pamuk, Snow
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Stephen Millhauser, Edwin Mullhouse
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Truman Capote, Other Voices, Other Rooms
5. My favorite author is: I used to say Calvino; I don't anymore
6. My favorite book from childhood is: various Dr. Dolittle titles
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Douglas Coupland, Life after God
10. The first mystery I read was: presumably Agatha Christie
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Where the Red Fern Grows
14. I wish I spent more time reading: True
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Several aborted half-reads of Pynchon's Vineland, which I wasn't especially keen on getting through in the first place
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Morrissey
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Douglas Coupland
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Wearing "author" t-shirts, much like band t-shirts
19. My current favorite genre is: Umm, literary fiction? Or non-fiction feature/essay crossovers, actually
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Charles Baxter, Feast of Love

I don't understand one of my own answers up there... about Jane Austen? What do I mean? Oh well.

I misread one of the questions. "My favorite book from when I was a teenager" is now either Catch-22 or Les Enfants Terrible. "My favorite book when I was a teenager" was Life After God (unless I try to make myself sound cooler by naming something better that I liked when I was 18/19, which seems to run against the spirit of the thing).

Archel you seem to be proposing that more people would get into reading if only they were exposed to the works of this young and invigorating new American author named Jae Austen.

1. The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien
2. Culture and Imperialism - Edward Said
3. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
4. If.... - Mark Sinker
5. Probably Roland Barthes
6. Various Roald Dahl and Great Expectations by Dickens. I think it may have been abridged for my tiny child brain.
7. Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
8. I don't think i've ever read a Western
9. Pride and Prejudice has romance
10. An Agatha Christie novel, almost certainly with Poirot
11. Catcher in the Rye - J.D Salinger
12. Salman Rushdie
13. I don't remember. Maybe 'Day of the Triffids' - John Wyndham
14. While not being intoxicated
15. Essay Concerning Human Understanding - John Locke. I'm really hating this guy
16. I am unsure
17.
18. By being constantly told that reading is cool
19. ?
20 Slaughterhouse Five - Vonnegut

1. I'm currently reading: Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes by Stephen Jay Gould; Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Wonderful Life by Stephen Jay Gould
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The Cider House Rules by John Irving
8. The first western I read was: Buffalo Arthur by Alan Coren
9. The first romance I read was: Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
10. The first mystery I read was: Agaton Sax - Nils Olof Franzen
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Do Scandinavians count as ethnic? If so, see above
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Captain Cobwebb by Gordon Boshell
14. I wish I spent more time reading: new literature that I take risks on
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: technically, all 6 Harry Potter books as they are so poorly written and so profoundly, soullessly unsatsifying. But I enjoyed every single one despite the inevitable self-loathing
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My whole family
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Terry Pratchett I guess
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: any and all means available
19. My current favorite genre is: the historical thriller
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone with half a brain is: Baudolino by Umberto Eco

Maybe I misread the question and meant 'people should be encouraged to read the works of Ja[n]e Austen'. Which I do believe.

People should be encouraged to read through her -- all six books, and maybe the juvenalia too (although I haven't read the juvenalia, and there's one book I haven't read yet -- six guesses as to which one it is).

Mansfield Park? (Possibly my least favourite Austen.)

Got it in one.

Haha I knew it. Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say 'don't bother', but Fanny Price IS the worst heroine ever.

Does her Fanny have a Price?

(I do not understand the hate for Mansfield Park, I really don't.)

I like the story, it's just Fanny that gets on my tits. OO-ER.

I mean, when you compare her to the other great Austen heroines she's just meh.

1. I'm currently reading: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
2. Next I'll read: Rip It Up And Start Again by Simon Reynolds
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Rip It Up And Start Again by Simon Reynolds
5. My favorite author is: Thomas Pynchon
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Dogger
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, or The Talisman by Peter Straub & Stephen King
8. The first western I read was: The Red Pony
9. The first romance I read was: My mum's Mills & Boon collection
10. The first mystery I read was: Alfred Hitchcock's Three Investigators series
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Forever
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Er... no idea
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: The Hobbit
14. I wish I spent more time reading: all the classics I've never got round to
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Jane Eyre. Rubbish
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My mum (aw)
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Early Ben Elton novels
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Better-smelling libraries
19. My current favorite genre is: Don't have one
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Catch-22

1. I'm currently reading: "The Call Of Cthulhu And Other Weird Stories" by H.P. Lovecraft. I only read short stories, essays and poetry during uni time.

2. Next I'll read: A collection of german dadaist poetry.

3. The best book I read in the past year was: Probably "Directa" by Nuno Braganca. It's a semi-autobiographical book about work in the communist reistance during the time of the dictatorship in Portugal. He goes a bit overboard on the angst sometimes (especially when it's centered around historic materialism), but it's a haunting, nervous, romantic sort of book. Also lots of fun name-dropping (Leslie Howard!)

4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Well, I'm really looking forward to reading that Quartermain novel.

5. My favorite author is: Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allenm Poe or Eca De Queiroz (who I assure you is just as dull a choice for someone living in Portugal as Wilde and Poe are in the english-speaking world.)

6. My favorite book from childhood is: Oi. Mallor's King Arthur stuff? Either that or "The Hobbit"

7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: "On The Road"

8. The first western I read was: I've never read a western! It's my favourite movie genre tho.

9. The first romance I read was: I really couldn't say.

10. The first mystery I read was: I got through Doyle's "Hound Of The Baskervilles" and Chandler's "The Big Sleep"; can't quite remember which came first, only know they both seemed a bit of a chore. First mysteries I enjoyed = Dupin.

11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Urgh, "Catcher In The Rye" I guess? I avoid these like the plague tho.

12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Haha, what a troubling question. The first author I've read where ethnicity is an important part of the book's themes and plot would be James Baldwin.

13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: Read tons of Tolkien, "Hobbit" if it counts, "Fellowship Of The Ring" if not. First sf I read was probably "The Hitch Hyker's Guide To The Galaxy".

14. I wish I spent more time reading: Genre fiction, big 19th century novels, collected letters and essays.

15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Haha, I had to read Vergilio Ferreira's "Aparição" for sk00l, and it sure read as a bunch of self-indulgent pompous crap. On a voluntary basis, I got through Raul Brandão's "Os Pescadores", which is a whole lot of dull talk about fishing techniques, with the odd landscape thrown in and one or two pages going "oh by the way, did I mention these people are fucking miserable?"

I'm sure there's been worse books I read in my teen years, though. I recall some Adrian Mole knock-offs.

Oh, oh, I forget! "A Man In Full".

16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: Oh, I'm gonna have to be boring here and say my parents.

17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: Well I liked that sallinger thing when I read it, but I really don't know whether I'd be embarassed about that if I read it again now.

18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Candy. Promises of pornographic passages.

19. My current favorite genre is: Popular 19th century adventure fiction.

20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: "When We Were Orphans".

1. I'm currently reading: Something Rotten - Jasper Fforde
2. Next I'll read: Ulysses
3. The best book I read in the past year was: The Good Soldier - Ford Maddox Ford
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: Ulysses
5. My favorite author is: John Steinbeck - I reread Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday every year for my birthday
6. My favorite book from childhood is: A Child's Garden of Verses
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: The Inferno
8. The first western I read was: Sand-Dune Pony
9. The first romance I read was: Gone with the Wind
10. The first mystery I read was: the first Happy Hollisters book
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Red Sky at Morning
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Milan Kundera
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: something by Isaac Asimov - Foundation?
14. I wish I spent more time reading: poetry
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: most Heinlein
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: my mother, mostly through example
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: all those David Eddings fantasy books
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: better public transportation
19. My current favorite genre is: food writing
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Biggest Elvis - P. F. Kluge

I concur with your assessment of Fanny Price: "meh." Unfortunately had to write an entire essay on that book. Plus she screws over her biological family who did their best all things considering. Double meh.

I've had this thread bookmarked for six months and today is the day I shall do my list! (This declaration will, no doubt, promptly bring a ton of work down upon my head).

1. I'm currently reading: "All Times Have Been Modern" by Elisabeth Harvor, "The Art of Fiction" by John Gardner, and I'm trying to read the first volume of "Remembrance of Things Past" by Marcel Proust
2. Next I'll read: Erm, something from the massive pile beside my bed... Maybe "A Suitable Boy", Vikram Seth
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Probably "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" by Kate Atkinson
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or "Labyrinths" by Borges
5. My favorite author is: eek, so many. Do love Mr. Marquez, but also Angela Carter, AM Homes, Margaret Atwood, Raymond Carver and Tobias Wolff and George Saunders and Anthony Doerr (if short stories are allowed), Nicholson Baker, Haruki Murakami, Zadie Smith, Jonathan Lethem
6. My favorite book from childhood is: My very small self liked Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl. Then my middle self swore I would read "Watership Down" every year until I died (I have skipped many, many years). My slightly older self liked the Madeleine L'Engle books, and the Narnia ones.
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Can't pick one... Probably all the Judy Blumes, and Paul Zindel, "The Good Earth" by Pearl S Buck, and later "Catcher in the Rye".
8. The first western I read was: Hmm, not sure I've read one. Does "My Friend Flicka" count?!
9. The first romance I read was: Some "Sweet Valley High" thing, and had an unfortunate phase in high school involving Danielle Steel
10. The first mystery I read was: That's a mystery.
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume, I should think.
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Hmm. Salman Rushdie keeps coming to mind, but there must have been others before him. Maybe Wole Soyinka?
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: "The Hobbit"
14. I wish I spent more time reading: The classics
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: "Lunar Park" by Bret Easton Ellis, a Christmas present
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: My mum. She was (is) constantly reading.
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: "Riders" by Jilly Cooper (and all Jilly Coopers!! My guilty pleasure)
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Not having TV or Internet access :-/ Seriously, though, the environment you grow up in makes a massive difference, methinks.
19. My current favorite genre is: Lit fic
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: "Brick Lane" by Monica Ali

1. I'm currently reading: A Game of Thrones, G.R.R. Martin
2. Next I'll read: Kafka on the Shore, H. Murakami
3. The best book I read in the past year was: Diary of a Provincial Lady, E.M. Delafield
4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: City of Saints and Madmen, J. Vandermeer
5. My favorite author is: A. Tutuola / M. Atwood / F. O'Brien / W. Faulkner / J. Cortazar [list continues into infinity]
6. My favorite book from childhood is: The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel), E. Raskin / The 18th Emergency, B. Byars
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is:U.S.A. trilogy, J. Dos Passos / Gravity's Rainbow, T. Pynchon
8. The first western I read was: The Smoky Valley Claim
9. The first romance I read was: n.a.
10. The first mystery I read was: "The Hound of the Baskervilles," A.C. Doyle / "The Tell-Tale Heart," E.A. Poe
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: Joyride, B. Cavannah
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: the dude who wrote sports book called Free Throw that I got through Scholastic in 3rd grade, that was awesome
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: 2001: A Space Odyssey, A.C. Clarke
14. I wish I spent more time reading: C. Dickens, M. Twain, E. Bowen
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Atlas Shrugged, A. Rand
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: father / mother
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: around here, maybe M. Leyner's The Tetherballs of Bougainville
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: Baseball Prospectus 2006
19. My current favorite genre is: Young Adult Novels
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: Cronopios y Famas, J.Cortazar

01. I'm currently reading: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy (enjoying immensly) and a bunch of books on witchcraft/wicca
02. Next I'll read: planning to read Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell as it's at least partly set in Australia, where I recently moved to from NZ. Also interested in it as I just read and immensely enjoyed Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban and they're both post-apocalyptic and use an invented dialect
03. The best book I read in the past year was: the aforementioned, also the Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
04. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: I really want to get a look at Dame Darcy's illustrated Jane Eyre
05. My favorite author is: no one above all others but I'm a fan of Richard Brautigan, Dashiell Hammett, Jonathan Lethem, Maxine Hong Kingston.
06. My favorite book from childhood is: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak... Mary Learns to Swim by Marcel Marlier...
07. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Neuromancer by William Gibson
8. The first western I read was: this reader's digest condensed thing when I was about 9 years old, I'm not sure what it was but I was awed by the cool names which I'd never heard before (Jesse and Ethan) and by the hugeness of the ranch
9. The first romance I read was: don't know
10. The first mystery I read was: the first one that firmly hooked me into loving the genre was the Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett which I bought at a combination book/ motorbike store
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: dunno but these spring to mind: The Machine-Gunners by Robert Westall, The Silver Sword by Ian Serrallier, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: uh...bleh question
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: maybe the Iron Man by Ted Hughes
14. I wish I spent more time reading: the kind of books it's hard to get hold of if you don't have access to academic libraries nor the money to buy books
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: possibly I spit on your grave by Boris Vian, or When i was five i killed myself by Howard Buten, I got nothing but misery from those except the idea to not read books written by psychologist clowns
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: father I guess; I didn't need much encouragement but would've liked some more guidance in high school
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: not sure why but I seem to be slightly embarrassed that I liked the Corrections as much as I did, which is a hell of a lot
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: a successfull revolution in which capitalism falls to anarchism... or in the meantime, reduction in standard working week hours... the phasing out of monolingual education?
19. My current favorite genre is: dunno... not too sure of genre boundaries...
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: maybe a primate's memoir: a neuroscientist's unconventional life among the baboons by robert m. sapolsky

1. I'm currently reading:
Napoleon III and His Carnival Empire, John Bierman. Light on historical weight (Bierman often doesn't bother to give the year in which something happens), but SO MUCH IMPERIAL GOSSIP. One of my favorite anecdotes: one winter, the masher Louis Napoleon was walking along a river with his cousin (and ergo prime target for lustin'). She was complaining about the lack of chivalry among men in those days when her bonnet fell into the icy waters. He jumped in immediately and retrieved the hat, and chattering as he emerged, he told her, "For God's sake, let's have no more talk of chivalry."

2. Next I'll read:
The Golden Bough

3. The best book I read in the past year was:
Entertainment Weekly: Fall TV Preview

4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is:
Untitled Thomas Pynchon

5. My favorite author is:
Pynchon

6. My favorite book from childhood is:
Harold and the Purple Crayon, the colors, mm-hai.

7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is:
Jane Eyre

8. The first western I read was:
First half of Blood Meridian

9. The first romance I read was:
Jane Eyre

10. The first mystery I read was:
Jane Eyre

11. The first coming-of-age story I read was:
Jane Eyre

12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was:
Ralph Ellison

13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was:
Wrinkle in Time

14. I wish I spent more time reading:
Finnegans Wake

15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was:
Finnegans Wake

16. The person who most encouraged me to read was:
God

17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is:
I don't get embarrassed about books I read.

18. I think people could be encouraged to read through:
Forced labor

19. My current favorite genre is:
Action adventure

20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is:
In the Skin of a Lion, Michael Ondaatje

1. I'm currently reading: The First Salute, B. Tuchman; Flaubert's Parrot, J. Barnes.

2. Next I'll read: Kafka on the Shore
3. The best book I read in the past year was: The Time Traveler's Wife

4. The book I'm most looking forward to reading is: see my other thread on the Napoleonic wars please
5. My favorite author is: Umberto Eco (non-fiction)
6. My favorite book from childhood is: Fox in Sox
7. My favorite book from when I was a teenager is: Deryni Rising
8. The first western I read was: All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy
9. The first romance I read was: Summer of Katya, Trevanian
10. The first mystery I read was: Ellory Queen
11. The first coming-of-age story I read was: A seperate peace
12. The first "ethnic" writer I read was: Ellison
13. The first science-fiction/fantasy book I read was: The Pern series
14. I wish I spent more time reading: true
15. The book I think was the greatest waste of my time to read was: Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell
16. The person who most encouraged me to read was: my Mom
17. The book I'm embarassed to admit I liked is: none
18. I think people could be encouraged to read through: good role models
19. My current favorite genre is: History
20. The one book that I'd recommend to almost anyone is: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Haddon

In mine, replace "God" with "Public television."