Motivated Reader's Meme

Most adults do take time from time to time to read. SOME actually spend more time reading than they do watching Television. (a great collective gasp from the audience ) In anycase here is a fun little Meme for those that are readers. Those of you who wish to take the time to do the Meme thing and post your answers on your own blogs are welcome. (just leave a comment that YOUR answers are posted on your blog page .

(For your edification and ease of reading I have put the Meme questions in BOLD face type my innane answers in standard typeface.)

The Questions

1. What is the Last book you purchased?

2. What book (or books) have you read MORE than once?

3. Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? (if yes what was

it?

4. How do you choose what book to read, by its cover, by author, by title, or just what?

5. Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?

6. What is more important, beautiful writing, or a gripping plot line?

7. What is the most memorable Character from a book?

8. What book, (or books) are you currently reading?

9. What was the last book you finished reading, and when was it?

10. Have you ever started a book but then gave up on it halfway through it? (if Yes

what was its title?)

MY ANSWERS

1. I can't actually remember the date I last purchased a book. I make full use of my local lending library, a habit I started at the age of 8, when I discovered I could actually own my own library card. To attempt to answer the question I would have to guess it was back in highscool, when I bought a racy Mickey Spillane paperback and snuck it into my room and kept hidden from my parents---(blush)

2. I have re-read a number of books, but the one book that flashed into my mind reading this question was, "Battle Cry" by Leon Uris. A book my older Brother gave me when I was about 10 years of age. The book describing in quite detailed and adult manner the experiences of a young man who joined the marines at the outbreak of WWII---which of course was exactly what my brother had done.

3. I guess a number of books have had things in them that stuck with me and in their own way have altered my view of life. I can not say with any real conviction a title of a single book that has affected me but---I would definitely say that thre writings of two authors pretty much are the basis of much of my likings of the world. Those two authors were , O. Henry, with his surprising plot twists, and Horation Alger, for all the optomistic stories of how hard work and perserverance reaped good rewards Between these two Authors I learned to look at all things from different perspections (not everything was necessarily as it appeard (o. henry), and a engrained assurance that if I worked hard enough, and long enough I would be rewarded---not to mention appreciating others who followed the same philosophy.

4.   I guess primarily I am drawn to a catchy title, but then there are other times, I limit my hunt for a good book to genre, mystery, sci-fiction, history, biographys etc.  I also prefer an author who had written more than one book, as I invariably check out 5-6 books at a time and I live finding a good fictional character whose adventures run over a whole series of volumes, and read then in sequence.

5.  No contest actually, I am a dyed in the wool "who done-it?" afficianado, so definitely love good imaginatve fiction.  but then there are those times---see anwer to question number 4 above.

6.  I like a book that grabs my attention in the first three or four pages and then has a tight convoluted plot that keeps me guessing til the very end.  Books with flowery prose and admiral usage of words and their meanings just don't hold my interest.  I will take Ian Flemming (author of the original seven James Bond Stories) over Shakespear).

7.  Good golly miss molly how to decide on which ONE---when there are so many?? Guess I would have to choose Nero Wolfe---in all the Rex Stout stories featuring Nero Wolfe, he was always  pictured in my mind as an encentric brilliant mind, who didn't suffer fools easily.

8.  Currently I am reading a book Titled, "Eden Burning", by Elizabeth Lowell---you all know how there are "chick flicks"?---well kinda would have to classify this book as a "Chick book"---but have invested to much time in reading it and I only got the last chapter to go, and the volcano is about to explode---).

9.  The very last book I finished , and before I started my current one (see question 8 above) was, another Elizabeth Lowell novel, titled "Amber Beach" and when I finish my current book I will start yet a third Elizabeth Lowell book titled, "Die In Plain Sight".  (which reminds me I need to go onlined with the Los Angeles Library system and renew the above books, they only allow two weeks now to read them once ya check them out., but you can renew them up to three times if necessary, this will only be my first time at renewing them)

10.  I have been "suckered" with fast paced synopsis on the fly leaf covers of any number of books only to find once into them that its really nothing substantial and I have without any remorse closed them and forgotten them and their authors---the one big (literally) novel that was on the NYC Best Seller list for many monthes , that I started to read with great curiosity which died a slow death, was "Hawaii" by James Mitchner----the Movie with Julie Andrews wasn't all that much better, but thats just this old dudes opinion.


     Well there you have it----have fun with it.