We're It!

Mary Beth tagged us both for this cyber quiz. Check out our answers. Mine are in RED and Josh's in BLUE.

1. One book that changed your life.
In 11th grade my American History teacher gave us assigned summer reading on both the women's liberation movement and the struggle for civil rights. I can see both covers clearly, but for the life of me cannot remember the names of either one. Both are currently packed in storage, along with all the other non-dissertation related books.

These books were an ontological shock to me having been raised in a white, middle-class, Republican household. I remember thinking..."wow, this is why things seem so different for me as a girl." It was an AHA moment.

The Long Loneliness - Dorothy Day.

2. One book you've read more than once.
A Wrinkle in Time: I love this book, although it gave me nightmares in elementary school!

The Lord of the Rings - about 30 times.

3. One book you would want on a desert island.
The Series of Unfortunate Events Series: I would read them over and over trying to pick up all the literary allusions, puns and clues I missed the first time through.

Engineering for Dummies

4. One book that made you laugh.
Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Gilman: This memoir by a feminist 30-something had me in stitches on the plane. I knew exactly what she was talking about at every turn!!

Bunnicula

5. One book that made you cry.
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve: I sobbed for days after reading that book. No redemption or resurrection in sight!!!

Incidentally I also cried at the end of Love by Toni Morrison but for exactly the opposite reason....there was incredible resurrection at the end.

The Lord of the Rings - The Ride of the Rohirrim to certain death and Tolkien's use of Anglo-Saxon poetic meter to describe their charge onto the field gets me every time.

6. One book that you wish had been written.
My complete family history. There are tremendous gaps and myths circulating on both sides of my family that I would like to fill in.

A History of Lost Civilizations - Angkor Wat, Mohenjo Daro, The Mayans, Great Zimbabwe, Etrucscans, Ancient Celts, Scythians, Easter Island, etc. Who were they and what were they like?

7. One book you wish had never been written.
Purpose Driven Life: I find this type of felt-needs, motivational theology lacking to say the least. You could probably add to this list anything published by Focus on the Family or the ilk. These books are oppressive.

Revelation - John of Patmos was undoubtedly eating the wrong mushrooms growing in his cave. And it's influence has been dramatic and deleterious on many forms of American Christianity.

8. One book you are currently reading.
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

The Dante Club - Matthew Pearl

9. One book you have been meaning to read.
Just about every one of my queer, wesleyan and ecclesiology theology books I bought last spring in hopes of finishing my prospectus and beginning my dissertation.

The Ants - E.O. Wilson

10. Now tag five people.
I don't know how we feel about this tagging business...