Books

I have been tagged by Pat the Chooks with the latest book meme.  Other people seem to dash these things off without much effort, but I tend to find myself agonising for ages trying to work out my answers.  Is it because I am not good at analyzing -- or just because I find it hard to make choices?

After a couple of days' ponderance, I've still not thought of answers for every question.  This is as far as I got.

1: One book that changed your life.

Probably 'Two thousand tongues to go; the story of the Wycliffe Bible translators' - by Ethel Wallis and Mary Angela Bennett.  The compelling story of a group of missionaries and the hardship (and martyrdom) they suffered in South America, it made a lasting impression when I read it as a 15 year-old school-girl.  Three years later I found myself in Papua New Guinea where I spent the next 14 years working as a teacher and a community worker.

2: One book you have read more than once.

Since my reading preference is for reference books, there are plenty.  One I've dipped into over and over again is Jenny Allen's Paradise in Your Garden.  My copy is a few years old and I see that the latest edition has been retitled 'Smart Permaculture Design', which doesn't sound nearly so appealing.

3: One book you would want on a desert island.

Being practical, I reckon The Compact Oxford Dictionary with its 2,416 pages, could be spun out over quite a long time.  I am fascinated by words too.  Pat the Chooks is always coming up with interesting old Scottish words I've never heard before.

4: One book that made you laugh?

The most recent - In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson.

5: One book you wish had been written?

Pass on that one.  There are still a million or so books out there I haven't read - more than enough to satisfy my many passions and interests.

6: One book you wish had never had been written?

Mmm - can't think.  Although I may not like or appreciate a particular book, it may hold great meaning for someone else - if only its author.

7: One book that made you cry?

Ruth Cracknell's memoir, 'Journey From Venice'.

8: One book you are currently reading?

'Australia's Quarter Acre' by Peter Timms.

9: One book you have been meaning to read?

'The Art of Happiness,' by the Dalia Lama.  I received it as a gift several years ago, and surprisingly, I couldn't get past the second chapter.  I found it uninspiring - deadly boring in fact.  But because it had come highly recommended, I feel I ought make another effort.

10: Now tag five people  I won't be tagging anyone.  This one seems to have been pretty well done by everyone now.

Comments

[Val]

Oh you poor dear, I see what you mean about battling with fonts. Whatever can have caused that? But at least you don't seem to be having comments bounced back to your commenters...

I agree about certain memes being difficult to write, I did a similar book meme recently and some answers were just impossible so I bent the rules a bit on some.

[Tjilpi]

Critters????

I know it is a variation on creatures, or creATures [ref Natalie] but are you getting shorter in the tooth?

It's an imported word - a gen x, y, ?z word for our American speaking youth....

[Jude]

I used the word 'critters' in the post after this one, and actually, I picked it up from Pablo.