John aka Duke of Earle says I HAVE to play . . . who am I to argue?

1) One book that changed your life: Outwitting Squirrels by Bill Adler, because encountering it triggered a chain of events that eventually led to my co-writing Outwitting Dogs. ‘Nuff said.

2) One book that you’d read more than once: Hmmmmm. Anna Karenina, might as well use that one. Blogged about my second read of that book here.

3) One book you’d want on a deserted island: A honkin’ big blank book. Five subject college ruled notebook would do, although if the pages were unruled I could write really tiny and it would last even longer, even if later I wouldn’t be able to read a bit of it. Also a box of halfway decent pens.

4) One book that made you laugh: To the Nines, the first Janet Evanovitch novel I ever read, comes to mind. I laughed out loud a LOT reading that book. And later asked whether there was much higher to aspire to, as a writer, than to make people laugh . . .

5) One book that made you cry: Reading in the Kipling short story collection Debits and Credits some months ago I came across the “The Bull that Thought,” and sobbed uncontrollably at the end because of the redemption of brutishness by Art — by a mutual recognition of Art.

6) One book you wish you’d written: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard.

7) One book you wish had never been written: Hey, how about A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, since maybe if he hadn’t of written it he wouldn’t have offed himself. Don’t throw in your hand, Mr. Toole . . .

8) One book you’re currently reading: Memories, Dreams and Reflections by Carl Jung.

9) One book you’ve been meaning to read: Tristram Shandy. Started it, got distracted, will pick it back up one of these days.

10) Tag five people: Is this like a chain letter? All my doorknobs will fall off if I don’t? Is it okay if I ask people first? Hey, I can start with my dad :-) — Dad, want to be tagged? Erik, have you done this one yet? Carrie? E is for Editrix has probably done it, she gets tagged a lot . . . Zinn, how about you, interested in doing a book post?