Courtesy of Roots and Rings.

1.  Favorite book(s) when you were a child and why.

I think I have answered this one… yes in a previous 10 on Tuesday post.

The answer remains the same: C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.

2.  First “grown-up” book you remember reading (i.e. written for adolescents or with adult themes, such as The Outsiders or Catcher in the Rye).

The first “grown-up” book I read that had the power of truly making me fall in love with the written word was John Irving‘s, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Even after the crazy number of English classes, and A.P. Literature, it was not till my last semester of high school in my A. P. Themes class that I read this book and it transformed the reading experience for me. I remember loving it, loving the whole process of reading and discussing this fantastic book- it was not just a school assignment. John Irving is still one of my favorite American authors.

I think I need to reread some classic books like Animal Farm, Catch-22, Catcher in the Rye, War and Peace, Three Musketeers because I read them so young (or for school)– I am sure they will have completely new things to say to me now.

3.  Favorite movie that came from a book (even if you didn’t read the book and just loved the movie).

This is a tricky one. Because I normally HATE movie remakes of books. Well, because the books are just so freakin good. But I would have to say I loved Peter Jackson’s remake of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. I had mixed emotions about the remake of Julie and Julia. Major Like: The inclusion of more of a plot line focused on Julia Childs and Meryl Streep playing Julia Childs. The dislike: they changed things about the Julie Powell character that just irked me.

4.  Movie that you loved so much that you WISHED there was a book so that you could find out more about the movie.

Um… um… maybe Casablanca. Or memento.

5.  Worst book you’ve ever read.

Without a doubt: Michael Faber’s, The Fire Gospel. Had to read it for book group. It was painful. Brutally painful.

6.  Book that everyone raves about that you either a) haven’t read and feel slightly dumb for not having read it or b) have tried to read and hated so feel slightly dumb that everyone is getting something that you don’t.

Well, since I have a desire to read everything- I could list a whole lot of books here. I think one I am still angry at myself for not having finished is Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. I have started it several times and then end up having to put it down– for some reason or another. I even dragged the monster of a novel with me to Scotland in hopes that I would be able to finish it. Maybe I need to add that specifically to my Life Goal’s list.

7.  If you were forced to choose only 3 books that you could read for the rest of your life, which ones would they be?  (Or, if you were stranded on a desert island, which 3 books would you want there with you?)

A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving.

Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (If I have nothing else to distract me, then I will surely finish it)

The Complete works of William Shakespeare

8.  Name one book that if you could recommend that everyone you know read it, what is it?

Living Jesus: learning the heart of the gospel by Luke Timothy Johnson.

9.  What is your “guilty pleasure” reading?

I love children and teen fiction. So, sometimes I put aside the heavy reading for some mermaids, fairies, dragons, and other fanciful creatures. It feeds my soul. I also love reading reviews about children’s fiction. — I guess I did not do my graduate thesis in vain. It was on the importance of children fiction in faith development. — The topic and genre still excites me.

10.  What book (excepting the Bible or other major document of your religion/faith) has changed your outlook on life the most?

I took a class in undergrad on African-American literature with the wonderful Dr. Pat Magness. The whole class opened my eyes up to a new understanding of american life, color, and race.

Here are some of the books we read:

Black Boy, by Richard Wright

Their eyes were watching God, by Zora Neale Huston

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

I know why the caged birds sing, Maya Angelou

I love books.

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